Kid Cudi, "Pursuit of Happines," Hip Hop, 2009.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z_Ys3BO_4M%3C/a%3E
Weezer, "We Are All on Drugs," Rock n' Roll, 2005.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0OVpyvey4U
Ke$ha, "Your Love is My Drug," Pop, 2010.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR_qa3Ohwls
Kiss, "I want to Rock n' Roll All Night," Rock n' Roll, 1978.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAt7YbX0T9k
Darwin Deez, "Radar Detector," Rock n' Roll, 2009.
Community Service Songs:
Supertramp, "Give a Little Bit," Folk, 1977.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGI6qQHFlPk
The Beatles, "Help," Rock n' Roll, 1965.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGI6qQHFlPk
Jack Johnson, "Times Like These," 2006.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P54ybJ0pX9g
Cat Stevens, "Peace Train," Folk, 1976.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjSHazjrWg
James Taylor, "Shower the People," 1976.
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It seems in American pop culture that the aim of pleasure is much more popular in music than community service.
It was rather difficult finding songs that are about helping others. Well, that’s not necessarily true... as you can see – I posted two videos from the same year. James Taylor’s “Shower the People” and Cat Steven’s “Peace Train.” Both songs were written in 1976. They’re both folk songs in nature, and that genre tends to lean more towards helping others than towards personal pleasure. Also, I included Supertramp’s “Give a Little Bit” from the following year. That’s another popular folk song – made more famous to today’s era by the Goo Goo Doll’s cover. In fact, Jack Johnson’s song “Times like these” is also a folk song. The only “rock” song is the Beatle’s “Help.” And that’s a bit of a stretch – that song’s more about needing help than giving help. Does anyone write songs about community service other than folk musicians? Absolutely, however, it was easiest for me to find songs in that genre. Also, I debated including “Rocky Top,” because it’s Tennessee’s song – the Volunteer State; however, I'll spare you.
It wasn’t difficult at all to find songs about pleasure. It’s top 40 – I guess people want to hear it; however, I steered away from some of the easy targets “Black and Yellow” and Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling.” Fill up my cup - Mozoltov!
However, I did include Kid Cudi and Ke$ha. These songs are fun, they’re shallow – but loads of fun. I wanted to mix up the genres more with this assignment. I picked two hip hop songs and three rock songs. (Although I think I listed Ke$ha as pop I'm not sure how to define that...) Of the three rock songs, Kiss’ “Rock and Roll all Night” was the first song I thought of. The song is so pleasure based! Let’s stay up all night and ROCK! AND PARTY EVERYDAY!!!! Pleasure, pleasure, pleasure. Weezer’s “We are all on Drugs” was a little less obvious, however, it was about doing drugs – making it, in my opinion, pleasure based. The last song by Darwin Deez is a simple pleasure based song. It’s about starting a dating relationship – yes it’s about pleasure, but pleasure is not necessarily all drinking and partying until you die in a gutter. It’s just pleasure. It's normal to want pleasure - but where do you find pleasure?
In class we discussed how in Hinduism pleasure is embraced by their religion, because they understand that pleasure will not satisfy. It will never be enough. In American culture, I feel that pleasure is intended to satisfy and many will say that pleasure is enough – but it truly never is.
Community Service is of course featured in our society. There are plenty of opportunities for it. I volunteer and teach kids music at a church downtown on Sunday afternoons. Some people donate a week of their life to help build a house or spend their summers building wells in Ghana. However, in pop culture, their aren’t too many songs showing how awesome it is meeting people’s needs. Songs about ending world hunger are awesome; however, it will never be a hit at the club.
Ben-
ReplyDeleteYou made a great point. There seems to be a lot of "community service" based songs made in the past compared to recently. Maybe this is because our society used to be much more concerned with helping each other and our environment. Comparing the stories our parents have told us with how things work "these days" it seems as if our society has fallen off track. You also made a good point that Hinduism proves that "pleasure will not satisfy." Just like people always say money doesn't make you happy, you have to appreciate what you have. Divulging in pleasure filled activities will only fulfill you temporarily. It's like a temporary fix and a temporary high. Whatever we are pleasured by is usually not something that can last long. That is why it is important that we see the bigger picture and look to the other Aims to help dictate our path.
Ben,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed your comments relating to the songs. When you mentioned that many folk artists are the ones to generate Community Service based songs and further mentioned that many of these songs were from years revolving around 1976, it struck me and made me think as to what has changed so much since that time. It mad me question what has forced the world into such a state that we initially embrace pleasure-filled songs, but then do not look past it to embrace songs urging for community service. Have we as a human race become more shallow? It is a tough question to answer, and that too with a debatable response, but it has certainly got me thinking. The way you write your post makes this question rather salient, and I would love to perhaps discuss it with you further in person and see what we can do as humans to not only enjoy a life in controlled pleasure, but also to embrace our ability to engage in acts of community service and give back to the world.
-Kunal Kapoor
I think a lot of older songs preach the traditional "world peace" message, which is a beautiful message, but there are many other songs that have come out recently that promote community service. Anything about giving back to the community, making a difference, etc. counts as a community service song. While I like your song selection, I kinda wish I would have seen something a little different so I could dabble in some new music. I feel like a few other students may have some of your songs because they are super popular (Ke$ha, duh!) but that's okay because I'm sure they didn't think to put KISS in theirs. Your community service is admirable, and I agree with some community service songs not being a hit in the club. But... Did you think about rappers like T.I. who talk about getting back on top and changing things? Some of those songs are in the club, it just might not be your kinda club, dear.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I wanna be known for love too. It's a good thing to be known for.
You're right in that community service songs aren't necessarily a hit now, or at least as mainstream, obviously.. but the songs you listed used to be some of the most popular songs out for those times... so it's like an ebb and flow effect. I've read some pieces that have said it's just a fad, just a glamorized trend that community service is even in our pop culture at all.. which may be true. But you also have to think, that's how change occurs. Someone picks up on it, makes it popular and then everyone else wants to do it. No one said community service had to be altruistic.. as long as our society begins to revert back to the humanitarian aspect a little bit, then it really makes no difference, in my opinion, how.
ReplyDeleteI volunteered at a girls home teaching creative writing and mentoring, and it wasn't entirely altruistic because it feels great to do those things, AND be making difference. Either way, hopefully one day some of these folk songs will be greater hits, even though Jack Johnson pretty much has it down already.
Take Care!
I completely agree in what you said about the plethora of folk songs that relate to serving others and community service. I love Jack Johnson's "Times like These" which is fairly recent compared to many others that relate to the same subject. Many of the songs I chose are from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. People love the crazy, upbeat, and fun that preach sex and drugs because well...you can dance to them. People would be forced to think if they hear a song that reminds them of how people suffer in the world. And deep thought is not so preferred when you're in the club, sadly.
ReplyDeleteWell done Ben. As much as I dislike Ke$sha, I do agree that her lyrics in "Your Love Is My Drug" exemplifies pleasure a great deal. Most of her songs remind me of having fun and getting buck wild. Your last statement about community service songs not being a hit at the club makes a good point. People tend to focus on good beats and nice gyrating music instead.
ReplyDeleteBen,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on the fact that most of the songs written about helping your community are recorded/released in the time of the Folk artists. I think that has to do with the fact that in those days, people were all about peace, love, and happiness, and those three are both for yourself and those around you. I look forward to the day when they make a song about making crafts with underprivileged children and play it in a club, as I’m sure you do, too.
Courtney - the song about making crafts with underprivileged kids... I'm hard at work on it now.
ReplyDeleteIt is so true that Americans think pleasure is all they need in life. We tend to over do a lot of thing which is completely different from the Hindu's pleasure with limits. I like how you pointed out Hinduism sees that pleasure will not be enough for a person to be satisfied.
ReplyDelete