From the Black Eyed Peas (and Justin Timberlake (!)), Where is the Love (currently #9 on iTunes Music Store Top Songs):
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to the things that bring you trauma
Overseas yeah we tryin’ to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin?
In the USA the big CIA the Bloodz and the Crypts and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And if you hate you’re bound to get irate
Yeah madness is what you demonstrate
And that’s how anger works and operates
You gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love y’all…
As the youth die young
So ask yourself is the loving really strong?
So I can ask myself really what is going on
In the world that we living in
People keep on giving in
Makin’ wrong decisions
Only visions of them livin’ and
Not respecting each other
Deny thy brother
The wars’ going on but the reasons’ undercover
The truth is kept secret
Swept under the rug
If you never know truth
Then you never know love
From REM, Bad Day:
Shits so thick you could stir it with a stick-free Teflon whitewashed presidency.
We’re sick of being jerked around.
Wear that on your sleeve.Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord,
Count your blessings.
We’re sick of being jerked around.
We all fall down.…
The lights went out, the oil ran dry
We blamed it on the other guy
Sure, all men are created equal.
Heres the church, heres the steeple
Please stay tuned-we cut to sequel
ashes, ashes, we all fall down.Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord,
Count your blessings.
Ignore the lower fear
Ugh, this means war.
From Pearl Jam, Bushleaguer:
A confidence man, but why so beleaguered?
He’s not a leader, he’s a Texas leaguer
Swinging for the fence, got lucky with his strike
Drilling for fear, makes the job simple
Born on third, thinks he got a triple
Just something I’m noticing among the vast plethora of new patriotic songs… if nothing else, it’s a sign of how divisive this war and this presidency has been (and still is). “I’m a uniter, not a divider” indeed.
January 2nd, 2004 at 1:01 pm
and I need to say that there needs to be more pop music that uses a double bass… the little part in Where is the Love with the bass is awesome.
January 2nd, 2004 at 1:22 pm
It’s funny — I guess it is no different from when I was a teen — but the music I listened to teneded to be very political — and it was definitely on the periphery of pop — I always get excited to hear teens listening to political rock. I have enormous respect for Pearl Jam. And recently I was just listening to a bunch of different songs that had political messages –Rage Against The Machine is another. I love them! As a teen, I felt disenfranchised, for sure. The music I listened to: The Clash, Dead Kennedys, Sex Pistols, numerous little bands, etc — they gave me a sense of empowerment — certainly a sense of not being alone — all important things for teens. hell, that’s important to adults, too. I just remember being a rebelious teen — not in the I drink and take drugs sense — because frankly, I do not think that is rebellious in the least. Real thought is rebellious. I remember not being taken in my blind patriotism — try and question patriotism with teens — hoo-boy — it’s dangerous territory — to even question. More pop artists questioning — I say yah!
January 3rd, 2004 at 1:43 pm
Seminal quote from Woody Allen’s Bananas. Miss America is testifying against a suspected rabble-rouser, and she says that America is a place where everyone can have their own opinion, but if it’s too different from the president, and they say it too loudly, it’s treasonous.