Klarinet Archive - Posting 000603.txt from 2002/10

From: Wayne P Hill <thanos563@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Song lyric website
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 23:55:29 -0400

If I may interject. I'm not one to often voice my opinion but I feel I
must defend popular music to some degree...depending on how you choose to
define pop. If you choose to define it by it's current meaning which
would be the record label created groups such as the Backstreet Boys and
Britney Spears and their ilk (shudder) then yes....I will have to
agree...they have absolutely no substance whatsoever but are just a bunch
of meaningless words thrown around a catchy hook to sell records (and
unfortunately it works.....i am ashamed to call myself a memeber of my
generation.)

However,
If you look beyond that you are sure to find substance in the lrics of
many bands. Perhaps not at your first glance, and perhaps not until you
learn a bit about the writers themselves but you will see the further you
get away from "pop" (in the current definition) the more substance you
see. To give some examples "The God That Failed" by Metallica seems not
to have a lot to it until you realize that the singer wrote it after his
Christian Scientist mother died of cancer (after refusing any treatment
for religious reasons.) If you look at the lyrics of Rage Against the
Machine you will find many scathing political statements....and some of
them quite intelligent. And...though I almost hate to mention them since
I could start another religious debate...if you look at the lyrics of
Jars of Clay, especially their self-titled album you will see some lyrics
with true depth to them as he sings about what it means to follow Christ.

Sorry to beat a dead horse Gene I just HATE it when people make a
broad-based generalization. Besides, I'm a "double agent" if you will.
WHen I had to give up playing the clarinet this past April (due to focal
dystonia in my right hand) i picked up my guitar once again and began to
broaden my musical horizons again. I am proud to call myself a "rock"
guitarist. Though you may find my music to be quite a bit different than
what your kids listen to. Both instrumentally and lyrically.

Wayne P. HIll

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