1. Powerline, "Seeing Eye to Eye," Pop, 1995. (See Above for Video.)
2. The Beatles, "With A Little Help from my Friends," Rock, 1967. Click for Video
3. Coldplay, "Fix You," Alternative Rock, 2005.Click for Video
4. Hanson, "Where's the Love?" Pop Rock, 1997. Click for Video
5. The Beatles, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," Rock, 1968.Click for Video
Pleasure
1. The Beatles, "Hold Me Tight," Rock, 1964. (See Above for Video.)
2. Blondie, "I Touch Myself," Pop, 1990. Click for Video
3. R.Kelly, "Bump and Grind," Rap, 2002.Click for Video.
4. 'NSync, "Digital Get Down," Pop, 2000.Click for Video
5. InXS, "I Need You Tonight," Rock, 1987. Click for Video
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Obviously, finding good songs about sex, drugs, and rock and roll is much easier than finding songs that sing about helping out your fellow man. I don’t believe that it’s because we, as a whole, don’t care about anyone other than ourselves or that we’re a filthy generation, it’s just because we all enjoy enjoying ourselves and have become more open about it. Music has become a way to express how we’re feeling, and sometimes that feeling is sexy, and sometimes that feeling tells you to help a friend out, but most of the time it’s just sexy. I don’t really feel like I was overly surprised at any aspect of the assignment. I knew it would be more difficult finding songs that preach about the importance of community as opposed to the songs that sing about ways to find and take part in pleasure. I did however have a lot of fun looking through my iTunes for ideas, I didn’t know how many different types of songs I had and how many could apply to the Hindu goals. I feel that the Hindu view of pleasure is more about a special union or a special situation and it seems a whole lot more about the experience and the company, whereas the pop music today is all about getting down and dirty and it doesn’t always sound as romantic as the Hindu goal seems to be. As far as the songs about the community, I feel that any song dealing with helping the world rather than yourself is going to fit pretty well into the Hindu goal. There aren’t too many different ways to express your want to help someone out, so if a song is written with that intention it’s going to be obvious.
Courtney,
ReplyDeleteYou express a very prevalent dichotomy in today's society regarding how human beings by nature are more inclined to accept the feeling or music of elements related to a light-hearted "sexiness" rather than songs "preaching" about the importance of community service. I think the idea you pose can be found in many cases, not just in music, but in arts altogether and in other elements of society as a whole as well.
The ultimate question I always wrestle with regarding this is: Why? Furthermore, has anything changed within us as human beings that has caused us to fear helping others and instead engage in pleasureful acts? If that is the case, is there an end to the cycle. The question you subtly hint at is very intriguing and I am very interested in exploring this concept further perhaps and seeing the depths of human nature from a different lens.
-Kunal
When I was doing this assignment I thought that it was easier to find songs concerning pleasure rather than those concerning community service because people were just more concerned with themselves. But reading your post, I do understand that it's not that we don't want to help others or don't care, it's just that sometimes we are so preoccupied with ourselves. Also, I agree with you about Hinduism viewing pleasure as more special than how pop music portrays it, as well as the music being all about getting down to business!
ReplyDeleteMusic is a way of expressing one's self creatively. We are in a society where its time to change, and music is one way that we are going about doing it. Everyone wants to be happy and so people makes songs about the type of pleasure they wish to seek. Since pleasure is something that everyone aims for, it made easier to find songs about pleasure. As for community service, i do believe people are too wrapped up in themselves to actually think about community service or helping out someone else that isn't a friend. So, it was harder to to find songs about community service.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the pleasure songs today are mostly dirty and not romantic at all. I think it is because unlike the Hindu understanding we tend to have no limits. We like to have as much pleasure as we can handle, and that's not a limit. Also
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