Music – To Make The World A Better Place
For generation of bands, the music and the message have been inextricably linked. The eternal fight for promoting equal treatment, activism against war, woman’s right, religion and discrimination have been central topics and messages through the lyrics.
There are bands who actively through the music (and as a band) fight for their case; Rage Against the Machine are known for their fiercely polemical music, which brewed sloganeering leftist rants against corporate America, cultural imperialism, and government oppression. And System of a Down are known for their outspoken views expressed in many of their songs confronting the Armenian Genocide of 1915 by the Ottoman Empire as well as the ongoing War on Terror.
State Radio are one of today’s most active bands; who activity through their music represent and support causes for promoting human rights, woman’s right, activism against the war in Iraq, awareness for genocide in Sudan, fight for equal status and work with people with disabilities.
Chad Stokes, who front State Radio and tour manager (and wife) Sybil Gallagher founded “Calling all Crows” in 2008, a service organization dedicated to mobilizing musicians and their fans to empower women around the world.
The second single “Calling all Crows” from the third album “Let it Go” is named after the organization, and the video is used to raise awareness about international woman’s rights.
In addition to be an avid supporter for the fight for woman’s right. Chad Stoke started a film project called How’s Your News? while working at a camp for adults with disabilities (Camp Jaberwockee). The campers are the reporters, and have interviewed famous people, including Ben Affleck and Sarah Silverman, and traveled across the united states. The idea’ was later picket up by the people behind South Park, and a show was sent on MTV.
The video to the song “Right me Up” feature the camp and How’s your News? and is another video that represent Stoke’s work. The video feature a few seconds of Ron Simonsen’s (rest in peace) meeting with Chad Everett, who he have dreamt of meeting most of his life. This meeting is the result of the song “Doctor Ron the Actor”, a song he wrote with Chad Stoke.
Unfortunately, songs about war and peace are just as current today as it was when it was released 1, 15 and 40 years ago. The political message is the same; make peace not war, and some of the most popular artists use music to express their opinion; through anti-war songs, songs during the war and political songs.
Kate Bush wrote the sweetly sad “Army Dreamers” in 1980. The song is about the effects of war and about a mother who grieves for her young adult son, who was killed on military maneuvers. Saddened by his unnecessary death, she wrestles with her guilt over what she could have done to prevent it.
Here covered by Patrick Wolf :
Green Day’s (video) “Wake Me up When September Ends” represent a young man who join the United States Marine Corps (even though it has been much debate whether this song is about 11/9 or Billie Joe Armstrong’s father who died from cancer.)
This video adds to the American Idiot anti-war sentiment of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. The song eventually became a tribute song to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and sound bytes were added from various news coverages to the song.
Another song it’s been difficult to pigeonhole is Flobots’ “Handlebars”. The video shows two friends ride their bikes down the hill without their hands on the handlebars, smiling widely. They arrive at a sign that points in two directions, one labeled with a corporate-looking symbol, and the other labeled by a dove. They hug and head their separate ways.
The theories are; 1) it’s about growing up, and all the choices you take. The things you’re proud of as a kid: “I can take apart the remote control, and I can almost put it back together”
Later, in the next verse it resembles the average young American, supporting themselves with their jobs. Inventing, opening, franchising, etc.
When it says, “I can change the world with a microphone”, is representing the stage of wanting to protest. And all they have is a microphone. At the end of the song, the song twists; the mood completely flips. It is like they’re getting a pleasure out of death.
2) Jamie Laurie (Flobots) stated that the song: “is about the idea that we have so much incredible potential as human beings to be destructive or to be creative.” “And it’s tragic to me that the appetite for military innovation is endless, but when it comes to taking on a project like ending world hunger, it’s seen as outlandish, I knew there were people at that moment who were being bombed by our own country.
And I thought that was incredibly powerful.“ It is the contrast between these “little moments of creativity, these bursts of innovation,” and the way these ideas are put to use “to oppress and destroy people” that the singer feels is both “beautiful and tragic at the same time.”
And, 3) the song is about showing how sometimes when you accomplish one thing, you get a big head and tend to become full of yourself. You gain a false sense of confidence..
These theories can probably go on for a long time.
As well as people fight for peace and against racism, there are people who do it the other way; Johnny Rebel in his “Niger Hatin’ Me” and Cocoa Tea’s “Barack Obama”.
The biggest musicians are often dreamers and visionaries, with hope and dreams about a better world without hunger, war, need and for the environment.
Michael Jackson – “Earth Song”, John Lennon – “Imagine”, “Happy x-mas (War is Over)” and “Give Peace a Change”, John Denver – “The Strangest Dream” and Queen’s “The Miracle” are – to name a few, some of the old and immortal songs about wanting peace.
Some of the newer, classic songs are Black Eyed Peas’ “Where is the Love?” and Quiet Company’s “On Modern Men”, which by the way comes from an album where they tells tales of love, death, and frustration with the world we’re forced to live in.
With an optimistic and philosophic “It’s Better to Spend Money Like There’s No Tomorrow Than Spend Tonight Like There’s No Money” and a joyful “Our Sun is Always Rising” you quickly get some positive vibes for a better day.
There must be a link between having a including ethical foundation and a great musical/creative talent!
