Motorhead350
10-12-2009, 02:33 AM
I will stop with the music threads after this one for a little while.
In the past few years I have been going to shows now that I am over 21 and getting to know musicians. A lot of bands/artists I like tend to have lyrics in their songs. Songs about relationships, cars, anger, places... exc. Here are a few things I have noticed.
1. The song Sweet Home Chicago was by Robert Johnson from the mid 30s (I believe) and guess what? He had never been to Chicago in his short life.
2. There is a song called "I can be your girlfriend". I don't dig modern pop music at all, but the female singer is married! She cannot be my girlfriend. It was recorded when she was married too.
3. Jan and Dean had a ton of car and surf songs... they didn't surf or drag race. One of them did get hurt in a car accident, but he wasn't racing.
4. A lot of local Rockabilly bands I go watch sing about Hot Rods and guess what? They don't have any. Not only that, but they don't know anything about cars. Some do, but three out of four bands don't know where to find their dipstick.
5. Old School Rap would write about life in a tough area, but also towards the killing of others and police. If they killed anyone, they would have been arrested.
6. There is a song called "I shot Regan" by Suicidal Tendencies from 1983. The FBI showed up at the singers door and guess what? He didn't do it.
7. The sad song "Tell Laura I Love Her" never happened. It was meant to compete against Last Kiss.
8. I saw a band open for Chuck Berry almost two years ago and kept in touch with them. I bought a CD listened to it and liked it. Soon as they came to my town I mentioned it was cool that they had a song about a street race and the singer was driving a Mercury. I asked what kinda Mercury did he have. He didn't have one. Why would he say Mercury then? Because it rhymed with the lyrics! I asked about about another song about taking a girl home from a bar... didn't happen. Just a fantasy story.
Those are all of the examples I can think of right now.
Is music really just a product aimed a people? Do songwriters just write to a certian audience just for the sake of selling music? (when people paid for it) I guess recently my conclusion is yes. It's all BS. The only music you will find truth in is instrumental simply because there are no lyrics. Did Jan and Dean write Dead Mans Curve just to sell records to kids with cars? Did Korn write Freak On A Leash just to make money off of Goth kids? I think so.
I find it very hard to find truth in music anymore. It's all an act. It really saddens me. Even in the 50s when the hot topic was Rock N' Roll (sex) was Gene Vincent really Rockin' and Rolling across the world? NO! He had a girlfriend that wrote Summertime Blues for Eddie Cochran. Even one very well known band that I met up with openly told me they had no idea what they were writing about, just how to write it.
As a musician I write based upon event in my life that will trigger a song. If I missed Chicago because I went to school in Michigan I will write it. If I raced two Corvettes on my way to visit a friend in Prison I will write it. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but how many musicians (reguardless of their status) can actually stand by their lyrics? I cannot think of one other than Bruce Springsteen and Billie Joel... Chuck Berry too for a few songs, but not all. Oh and The Ramones too. If you know the song "53rd and 3rd" you will know what I mean. The Misfits... what do they sing about? Zombies and turning into martians. They don't exist. I enjoy the music, but the lyrics are fake. It's all an act.
How many bands sing about being against authority, but request sercurity at a show? Maybe it's the venues policy, but if you stand by your lyrics you would play somewhere else. Maybe I misunderstood some of the songs. Maybe some were meant towards one meaning when I misunderstood it for another... Dancing With Myself for example. You can look that one up on your own time. I just don't know anymore. Did John Fogerty really see a Dude looking out his backdoor? Maybe on drugs... I think the song is about an acid trip or something.
One time I was telling a manager about my band and how I write from actual experiences, we have truth behind the lyrics. Her response "If you are looking for that, you are in the wrong business." I felt insulted at first and it finally occured to me, maybe she's right.
So are all musicians riding off of lies? I thought it was the case when Autotune was used to correct people who looked pretty, but couldn't sing. Now it's lies all over the place. If you look pretty, can't sing, but can pretend you are a certian someone you are golden. It's all about looks. The guy that knows about the blues has to live the blues. The one that knows nothing about music (maybe not nothing) but has the looks will go on to sellout venues by the 1,000s. It's so pathetic. It's all an act, fake as Hollywood... wait people record there! It makes perfect since now!!!!
Does anyone understand what I am saying here or am I really going nuts?
Sorry to hog The Lounge. I will be done for a while.
In the past few years I have been going to shows now that I am over 21 and getting to know musicians. A lot of bands/artists I like tend to have lyrics in their songs. Songs about relationships, cars, anger, places... exc. Here are a few things I have noticed.
1. The song Sweet Home Chicago was by Robert Johnson from the mid 30s (I believe) and guess what? He had never been to Chicago in his short life.
2. There is a song called "I can be your girlfriend". I don't dig modern pop music at all, but the female singer is married! She cannot be my girlfriend. It was recorded when she was married too.
3. Jan and Dean had a ton of car and surf songs... they didn't surf or drag race. One of them did get hurt in a car accident, but he wasn't racing.
4. A lot of local Rockabilly bands I go watch sing about Hot Rods and guess what? They don't have any. Not only that, but they don't know anything about cars. Some do, but three out of four bands don't know where to find their dipstick.
5. Old School Rap would write about life in a tough area, but also towards the killing of others and police. If they killed anyone, they would have been arrested.
6. There is a song called "I shot Regan" by Suicidal Tendencies from 1983. The FBI showed up at the singers door and guess what? He didn't do it.
7. The sad song "Tell Laura I Love Her" never happened. It was meant to compete against Last Kiss.
8. I saw a band open for Chuck Berry almost two years ago and kept in touch with them. I bought a CD listened to it and liked it. Soon as they came to my town I mentioned it was cool that they had a song about a street race and the singer was driving a Mercury. I asked what kinda Mercury did he have. He didn't have one. Why would he say Mercury then? Because it rhymed with the lyrics! I asked about about another song about taking a girl home from a bar... didn't happen. Just a fantasy story.
Those are all of the examples I can think of right now.
Is music really just a product aimed a people? Do songwriters just write to a certian audience just for the sake of selling music? (when people paid for it) I guess recently my conclusion is yes. It's all BS. The only music you will find truth in is instrumental simply because there are no lyrics. Did Jan and Dean write Dead Mans Curve just to sell records to kids with cars? Did Korn write Freak On A Leash just to make money off of Goth kids? I think so.
I find it very hard to find truth in music anymore. It's all an act. It really saddens me. Even in the 50s when the hot topic was Rock N' Roll (sex) was Gene Vincent really Rockin' and Rolling across the world? NO! He had a girlfriend that wrote Summertime Blues for Eddie Cochran. Even one very well known band that I met up with openly told me they had no idea what they were writing about, just how to write it.
As a musician I write based upon event in my life that will trigger a song. If I missed Chicago because I went to school in Michigan I will write it. If I raced two Corvettes on my way to visit a friend in Prison I will write it. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but how many musicians (reguardless of their status) can actually stand by their lyrics? I cannot think of one other than Bruce Springsteen and Billie Joel... Chuck Berry too for a few songs, but not all. Oh and The Ramones too. If you know the song "53rd and 3rd" you will know what I mean. The Misfits... what do they sing about? Zombies and turning into martians. They don't exist. I enjoy the music, but the lyrics are fake. It's all an act.
How many bands sing about being against authority, but request sercurity at a show? Maybe it's the venues policy, but if you stand by your lyrics you would play somewhere else. Maybe I misunderstood some of the songs. Maybe some were meant towards one meaning when I misunderstood it for another... Dancing With Myself for example. You can look that one up on your own time. I just don't know anymore. Did John Fogerty really see a Dude looking out his backdoor? Maybe on drugs... I think the song is about an acid trip or something.
One time I was telling a manager about my band and how I write from actual experiences, we have truth behind the lyrics. Her response "If you are looking for that, you are in the wrong business." I felt insulted at first and it finally occured to me, maybe she's right.
So are all musicians riding off of lies? I thought it was the case when Autotune was used to correct people who looked pretty, but couldn't sing. Now it's lies all over the place. If you look pretty, can't sing, but can pretend you are a certian someone you are golden. It's all about looks. The guy that knows about the blues has to live the blues. The one that knows nothing about music (maybe not nothing) but has the looks will go on to sellout venues by the 1,000s. It's so pathetic. It's all an act, fake as Hollywood... wait people record there! It makes perfect since now!!!!
Does anyone understand what I am saying here or am I really going nuts?
Sorry to hog The Lounge. I will be done for a while.