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Ben Rosen
Natalie Byers
ENG 110
9th December 2013

Please Forget or CHANGE the Lyrics!


Music injects color into society; while it dominates what is known and cherished. Artists
energize the black and white notes on a page and frame their thoughts in a convenient way.
Melodic lines strike a bond with the consumer and fellow creator. The emotions felt are personal
and unique but once a line of communication is built, some controversial effects ring permanent.
A devoted audience will recognize the freedom of interpretation and individual application.
Lyrics are an art and combined with satisfying tunes, these two fundamentals craft the
bittersweet and beloved atmosphere of the music business. Elegantly fostered lines swing in a
combination of passion and mood to generate a certain feel for the listener. A beat paired with a
correct deliverance of words will grab a bull by the horns. Today, this animal is now a steroid
injected junkie who knocks off a rider at any given moment. Mainstream media likes to highlight
what is outrageous and scandalous; however such philosophy thrashes detrimental repercussions
toward the society of any culture.
The musical arena of YouTube and iTunes declare their prosperous cattle kingdom of a
library as anything goes. Popular artists and songs that accept promotions are given this privilege
based off negative, sexual, or just plain ignorant measures. Current songs tell a story that has
worsened with the times. Back in the early 2000s, it was Fergie and Big Girls Dont Cry. Now it
is Miley and the twerk of a wrecking ball. American people went from breakups to young

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individuals filled with substances at clubs. A similar trend is visible in places such as Zimbabwe
where urban grooves are now sending messages of drug abuse and a negative outlook for the
future (Muziki: Journal of Music Reasearch in Africa). Change is vital for the music business. If
artists can follow their desire and love for music instead of instant fame then a safer, more
mature teenage culture will emerge. In addition, children will be less likely to stumble through
profane videos on social media.
Music is powerful and must be exercised with great restraint. It was the late 60s when the
Beatles and the Beach Boys were on fire. Their musical genius was triumphant and euphoric. A
man by the name of Charles Manson was obsessed with a song titled Helter Skelter. His
convoluted thoughts brought him to a conclusion that there was an upcoming race war.
(Jennifer Rosenberg) When these beliefs were proven wrong, Charles took to the streets a killing
rampage with his followers. This man is obviously insane, despite this; the question rises of what
would have occurred if Manson were never exposed to the Beatles song Helter Skelter.
Hype and stardom have been the main focus of media when it comes to entertainment.
Building excitement encourages a larger fan base and increases the amount of revenue generated
from an album. Anticipation relates in how it is built off what stimulates people and for the
majority of adolescents the party atmosphere is all the rage. In Russia, music is not only used for
pleasure but as a manipulative way to persuade. The Russian armed forces are creating a rap
video to boost recruitment rates for the fall season (The Telegraph). How amusing it would be to
travel back many years and see how a military establishment might react to this hip innovation.
Evidence of how a culture interacts bleeds through music like a bullet to stomach.
Research completed in the United Kingdom just this past October of 2013 has proven just how
common cultural practices such as alcohol are in popular music. The music charts are constantly

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raising the bar on booze (Daily Mail London). In 1991 a minuscule 2.1% of pop music addressed
drinking. Jump to 2011, this number is now a staggering 18.5%. Exposure to alcohol marketing
raises the odds that under-16s will start to drink states Fiona Macrae. She also touched on how
British songs that promoted alcohol consumption; link[ed] it to confidence, sociability, or good
looks. (Rise of the Top Chart Hits that Glorify Alcohol) Interestingly, this the only study that
has analyzed the British instead of U.S. music charts.
If the liver does not give out from todays music then a listeners self-esteem may
collapse instead. Stars including Miley Cyrus and Rihanna are dominating the music market at a
ridiculous rate. Criminal law expert Dionne Taylor finds the dancing and pervasive language
evident in music videos to fuel negative attitudes towards women and affect womens
confidence, education and even their employment prospects. Chief executive of the Mothers
Union, Reg Bailey advises the government to implement age ratings on music videos (seen in
the article Miley and Rihannas Raunchy Antics Destroy Teenage Girls Self Esteem).
A YouTube video based in Scotland featuring Chris Fountain proves beyond words as he
brags about, raping a woman in her home as his rapper alter-ego The Phantom (The Sun).
Fountain is now suspended from work and is being rightfully harassed by rape groups. Still
viewable on some media sites, the words are bleeped, but the ideas behind them still prevail.
There are similarities between this video and just about every video featuring liquor. Whether
this is Fountain or Miley they are both taking negative acts and fitting them rightfully into
society. It seems that these videos are calling for a clash of the titans. Fay Maxted, chief
executive of The Survivors Trust, spoke in response to Chris Fountains video that, He is a role
model for young people. It almost seems like hes making a joke of something that really isnt
funny (Belfast Telegraph).

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Venturing into Africa, areas such as Zimbabwe make efforts to stay away from Western
music. American pop disrupted traditional urban grooves and forces the radio stations to filter
out 99% of all Western music culture. A known Zimbabwean reggae artist called Winky D,
indicates that his main intention is to fuel hate speech, drug dependency, violence and
fornication (90) in his urban grooves lyrics. Zimbabwean youth are the majority market for this
kind of music, and the number of artists generating controversial material is on the rise. At this
point, it is easy to understand the direction many teens may travel based off such crude topics.
Across the globe, individuals take these wild yet personal subjects and use them for good
or evil. Lyrics will safely take the blame for all concerns rooted in the issue and the videos can
portray what is conveyed while amplifying the effectiveness of the claim. Detrimental effects are
seen everywhere as a result of most popular music. Ideas Americans convey in their lyrics do not
follow the clich of everything that happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Touchy issues regarding
sex, drugs and alcohol take form in American made music videos. These topics globalize and can
be seen all across the world. Unless this content is censored, the far greater negative impact that
America has recently set for music is visible outside the comfort zone.
Lighthearted and positive music is still readily available, however, these bands are mostly
shadowed by the dark side of today. At the same time, this makes it more difficult for parents to
keep their children away from all the dirty talk.
The lyrics of 2013 are messing with the minds of innocent children. It is frustrating to
know that young kids can easily access a new explicit rap video by clicking the popular videos
feed on YouTube. This type of video integration is dangerous and can bring extreme backlash
from the parents who have to now guard their children from a majority of the Internet. Journalist

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Marybeth Hicks interprets how, children can be exposed to the music because of their friends,
even when the original parent shields the kid from profane lyrics (Washington Times).
Popular rap music can serve as an influence for risky and reckless behavior. Companies
like YouTube need to increase their level of security when it comes to allowing individuals under
18 to view partial nudity and hear pervasive language. Censorship may seem like an easy route
for the record labels, but the visuals are almost never altered. To enforce an all or none principal
with sketchy broadcasts, YouTube could take a big step forward in preserving the cleanliness of
the business.
Russia has already embraced this concept but at a level that can be described as sheer
insanity. The Russian rock band Televizor commented that, At last years Rock for Freedom
festival, there were 3,000 police watching our performance with only 1,500 spectators on hand
(The Guardian). Everything is censored in Russia and by any means is far too extreme of an
approach. Such restrictions can impact the writers message and take away from the meaning of
a song.
Traveling back to the interwebs, additional steps to add another email to a YouTube
account could also help, ensuring that the person who created the account did not falsify their
age. But of course, the number of precautions could be significantly lower if the message behind
popular music of today changed. The youth population needs something else to divert their
attention to besides partying. Focusing on other aspects of society such as hanging out with
friends, interactions with others, and daily experiences could contribute to effective lyrical
material. Society simply needs to flip a switch on what kind of music is socially acceptable.
Looking back to the late 90s and mid 2000s, pop culture artists were interesting without
being over the top. Daniel Powter performed the song Bad Day which proved catchy, having a

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purpose of lifting those spirits who struggle in relationships. Kelly Clarkson demonstrated her
vocal range and lyrical excellence in the tune Since U Been Gone. Even modern rock bands like
Shinedown demonstrated a vulnerable side in compositions such as If You Only Knew and
Second Chance. Harmless relationship themes were clearly a driving factor back in the day, until
the rhythm of guidance changed. Unique days have been forgotten and are sorely missed by
many. Today, the only music found from Kelly is a bland Christmas album promoted by iTunes.
Daniel Powter has yet to release another album since his first, however, Shinedown is still
chugging strong (iTunes). A band like Shinedown may be the best example of what pop culture
should move towards lyrically. Their songs promote equality, change and moral excellence. In
one of their main hits Bully, the video is moving and shows the true fear that can overcome the
victim of an abuser. Unfortunately lyrics that strive for positive change may not always be as
clear as Bully (youtube). Words in song are often expressed poetically. Sometimes the most
intriguing and complex songs can have a bare bone melodic structure, but be filled with lyrical
genius. There are many Mark Twain writers for music and that is what makes the discovery of
aspiring artists so rewarding.
To change the business, the record companies need to change what they want to present.
As the story goes, a new artist will send their music to various publishers and pray for a record
deal. This is a tough market and the competition burns like a freshly sparked wild fire. The big
shots see one thing when viewing a new artists work; a big fat dollar sign with their name on it.
If the CD goes big, everyone knows the record company who brought the new artist to life.
Venturing to a retro section, most who love Appetite for Destruction can think back and come up
with the name Geffen records as the publisher. Their name has been on the back of this legendary
rock album since the beginning, proving how the impact a record label feels is enormous. As

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Jeffrey Lewis puts it, Dont let the record label take you out to lunch, youre the one thats got
to pay at the end of the day these are lyrics to (Dont Let the Record Label Take You Out to
Lunch). New composers need to put their song in first priority and needs of a label on the back
burner. It used to be that the only way to experience a new band was to go see them live and snag
a fresh mix tape. Now there are one minute and thirty second previews carelessly tossed inside
iTunes. Holding off on a label may allow an artist to become better known locally and find their
musical niche at a more individual level. A record company will tell a musician what they want
and need, not the other way around. Outside influences from a label can alter a persons opinion
and change how they feel about their material. In 2013 record companies want the next Gaga and
Minaj not the next James Blunt who thinks Your Beautiful. When artists stop rushing to the
record labels a true sense of change will emerge. Avoiding outside influences is a technique that
all artists and writers should strive for when crafting a product. Stephen King puts it like this, If
youre just starting out as a writer, you could do worse than strip your televisionswire, wrap a
spike around it, and then stick it back into the wall. See what blows, and how far (goodreads).
USA Todays Ryan Patrick finds that the music videos of today are not really videos at all.
Upcoming artists who only strive for that record deal will find out that lyric videos are now
what the companies really want. Why? For the extra cash generated from teaser video hype.
Lyric videos simply take the words and plaster them into the video, time the sequences out, and
hunt for a groovy font. Nothing is simpler to make than a video that requires no film crew. The
cost to put text on a screen could be considered non-existent when compared to the overall profit
accumulated. The artist may benefit in the end with some extra income, but the adverse effect
this has a composers credibility and professionalism is far greater. Making a lyric video tells
fans that this up and coming musician is in it for the dough, not to please the fans (Dynamic

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lyric videos pop up and spell it out; Fans are eating up the new eye candy, and so are record
labels).
Instead of promoting sex in music, videos should promote relationships. As if all this
hasnt already occurred in songwriting, the controversy is a majority is still focused towards sex,
drugs, and a violent mentality. Famous singer songwriter Sammy Hagar (a successful classic
rocker) has experienced a life of rock and roll. Rolling with a successful solo before joining Van
Halen, Hagar demanded the spotlight under I Cant Drive 55 (Canadian Musician). Hagar finds
inspiration as the building blocks for song development. He described to The Canadian Musician
that writing lyrics should stay personal and reveal a less flaunted aspect of an individual. Bands
like Shinedown have succeeded in Hagars message. The popular groove Call Me by Shinedown
was created as a deliberate approach in the vocalist Brent telling the world his story of
overcoming drug addiction. The best part about the song is that it is about overcoming not
advertising or experiencing. That is the main problem with material today. The Reggae artist
from Zimbabwe, Winky D, was an advocator for Marijuana using urban grooves and this is why
the community witnessed an increase in drug abuse. Winky D is the Tyga of America and Tyga is
the Winky D of Zimbawe.
A nice challenge would be to set foot in a movie theater and find a motion picture that is
completely untouched by other directors. Humans love to learn through observation and
application. Influential masterminds like Edison and Einstein are remembered not only for what
they accomplished, but for being the first to do so. Invent electricity five minutes after Edison
and all the work is discredited. Playing into music, the same exists but with a far more lenient
outcome. Melodic lines have been used over and over and over again. There is a video on
YouTube where individuals show that they can play just four chords on the piano to recite

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hundreds of pop songs. There are only three things that artists really have to make them stand
out, their voice, message, and rhythm. The message part is debatable though. Instead of copying
Katy Perry, artists need to let their own voice Roar and then take it from there. It is okay to listen
to music however and find inspiration. Sometimes the best way to fluently learn an instrument is
to take the technical elements of a diverse community of artists, find what works best, and then
make that style unique without plagiarizing.
Lyrics and music are constantly evolving in a world that never appears motionless. Well
known artists have the power of changing peoples thoughts of society and the way each
individual interacts with another. It was Uncle Ben from Spiderman who spoke that, With great
power comes great responsibility. Taking ownership of what someone has created is important
and can help those artists to understand that they are liable for what they say. Music lyrics fall
under the basic right Freedom of Speech, but words are still held accountable for the same
violations as what someone would wrongfully state aloud. Just because an idea is written down,
does not mean that it is not as significant. When artists find their individuality at sea and leave
the record companies docked at a lonesome harbor, each navigator will discover a unique way to
steady the riled ships.

Works Cited

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Ben Rosen
Armstrong, Laura. "Corrie Hunk Is Masked rape Rapper." The Sun. N.p., 16 Aug. 2013. Web.
01 Nov. 2013.
Cox, Laura. "Miley and Rihanna's raunchy antics 'destroy teenage girls' self esteem'." Daily
Mail 14 Sept. 2013. Ebsco Host. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Graham, Jane. "Out of character; Corrie actor Chris Fountain has always come across as a
likeable, modest young guy with his head screwed on and his feet on the ground . so why did
soap's poster boy blow it, asks." Belfast Telegraph 24 Aug. 2013, national ed. Lexisnexis . Web. 1
Nov. 2013.
Hagar, Sammy. "Words & Music." Canadian Musician Mar. 2011: 58-58+. EBSCOhost. Web. 1
Oct. 2013.
Hicks, Marybeth. "Then Again .: Popular music presents serious problems." The Washington
Times 3 Apr. 2013 [LIFE] : 4+. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.
Macrae, Fiona. "Rise of the Top Chart Hits that Glorify Alcohol." Daily Mail (London) 2 Oct.
2013, national ed. Lexisnexis . Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Patrick, Ryan. "Dynamic 'lyric videos' pop up and spell it out; Fans are eating up the new eye
candy, and so are record labels."USA TODAY 4 Sept. 2013, final ed.: 1+. LexisNexis. Web. 1 Oct.
2013.
Pushkin, Yuri. "Banned in the USSR: How Russian rock bands are being censored." The
Guardian 6 Oct. 2009. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Charles Manson." About.com 20th Century History. N.p., n.d. Web. 01
Nov. 2013.
"Russia turns to rap to recruit soldiers; As Russia approaches the autumn call-up season for the
army, the defence ministry has produced a video of a civil servant rapping to encourage young
men to si." The Telegraph 20 July 2013. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Viriri, Advice, Agnella Viriri, and Carter Chapwanya. "The influence of popular music, in
particular urban grooves lyrics on the Zimbabwean youth: The case of the Troika, Maskiri,
Winky D and Extra Large." Muziki: Journal of Music Research in Africa 8.1 (2011): 8295+. EBSCOhost. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.

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