Some might say...

I was riding along with some friends of mine this past weekend when all of the sudden, Fall Out Boy fell from the airwaves into our car stereo; some mightsay a catchy gift from the radio gods. I beg to differ, however. When I hear bands like this on the radio doing so well for themselves, I can't help but to roll my eyes and shake my head. Along with FOB, I will clump Nickelback and Avril Lavigne with this genre of music. It is so convenient that the music you hear on the radio these days are written (not by the band, in large part) for a simple reason--unchecked greed.

If you take the song "Rock Star" by Nickelback, most of us know that it wasn't written in hopes of conveying a message of love, peace or a relationship gone terribly wrong (all common threads that music has sewn since its inception), but instead to simply make money. I mean, who doesn't want to be a rock star?? Most of us at least have a tiny fantasy of being on a stage in front of thousands of fans who paid $50 to see us that random night in that random city. Again, how convenient for Nickelback to write such a song. They can't go wrong with this song? It caters to NEARLY EVERY PERSON who listens to it. I want a jacuzzi and 15 cars, but it is just a random thought that occasionally pops through my head that I don't take the slightest bit seriously. This formula=millions of records sold and dollars earned (hmmm, maybe earned is not the right word here). The trend these days is for an artist not to write songs like "Imagine" or "Blowin in the Wind", but instead to turn a profit for the band and the soul-less record company that represents these "hit" makers.

I find it difficult to believe that John Lennon, for example, would have written such a godawful song like "Rockstar." Luckilly, the world doesn't have to worry about Mr. Lennon sitting down with his guitar and typewriter and churning out crap that caters to millions. I mean, he wrote a song like "Cold Turkey" which was a song of his long battle of weening himself from heroin. Hmm, how many of us can relate to heroin addiction? I am proud to say that I cannot and most, no ALL, my friends can't either, although I am glad he chose to be so honest with his own demons. So why was he so successful in his music career? HIS HONESTY! He knew only a handful of people at the time (mainly rock stars) who could relate to this song, but he didn't give a shit because the song stemmed from his soul, not his wallet.

Another Lennon example would be "Mother." You won't hear this song at New Year's Eve parties or at wedding receptions. You can't dance to this song either and there really is no hook to be found. Instead, he purges his soul into his lifelong question of why his mother abandoned him at such an early age. Where does this song exist? Top 40 radio, not a chance. Greatest hits of the 70's, look a bit harder. That check out lady who always seems down at the grocery store, quite possibly.

Artists such as The Beatles and Bob Dylan (just a few examples) wrote their songs not caring whether it would sell millions of copies around the world. They were much smarter than that. They wrote their songs from the deepest fibers from within themselves, while at the same time discovering a unique and artistic niche of the English language in which to express their joy and sorrow. If a fan connects with that, then both parties are not cheated.

In stark contrast with the Beatles and Bob Dylan, Avril Lavigne makes her millions writing songs that are geared to mainly 14-year-old girls. Last time I checked , she was in her 20's. Let's do a comparison here:


Hey! Hey! You! You!
I don’t like your girlfriend!
That's Right! No way! No way!
I think you need a new one
Hey! Hey! You! You!
I could be your girlfriend

Hey! Hey! You! You!
I know that you like me
No way! No way!
You know it’s not a secret
Hey! Hey! You! You!
I want to be your girlfriend
--Not only are the rhymes poorly constructed, but she uses the SAME WORD as rhymes. That is generally a No-No in poetry (though this doesn't even come close to poetry). And yes, Avril actually needed more songwriters to help her write this monstrosity.

And for a comforting change of pace, a sample of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man":

Then take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind,
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves,
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach,
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow.

Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free,
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands,
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves,
Let me forget about today until tomorrow.
--And yes, just Bob wrote this song (there are 4 other verses like this one in addition to the chorus).

Now first off, comparing Bob Dylan to Avril Lavigne is like comparing the pyramids of Egypt to a Hello Kitty lunchbox, but my point is that these two artists are successful in their own right. However, one is far more influential and meaningful than the other. While Dylan is writing of the merciless and unforgiving change that time brings to all mankind, Lavigne is regressing into 7th grade love letters (or a text messages) so her song can be downloaded as a ring tone or get nominated for a meaningless MTV Video Music Award. And let's not forget that Mr. Tambourine Man was written by Dylan himself and was recorded with just a single acoustic guitar while Lavigne's little ditty was dubbed and overdubbed in a studio with mediocre musicians backing up a marvelously mediocre voice.

Music is at its best when a fan relates to a song that came from the artists heart. It doesn't get any better than someone connecting with a song that originated in truth and honesty. With this formula, both artist and fan get the heart and soul of eachother!

Some might say that I am music prude and that I take music too seriously. What I am trying to say is simply this: I want my music to be like Johnny Cash when he was abusing prescription pills; uncomfortable to watch, but painfully honest as the horizon in his voice.