Writings in the Sand

I Gotta Feeling I would rather listen to Stardust

On the Newsfeed this week is a musical prompt - The Black Eyed Peas and the video for their song I Gotta Feeling. I thought that writing a blog post would kill two birds with one stone. Not that I approve of killing birds. No, not at all. But what sort of blog post? Should I write about how this song makes me feel? Should I review the song? Maybe I will do both.

Obviously, the song is catchy with an infectious beat and hook. It generates a "feel-good" atmosphere and it makes people want to dance or at least, tap their fingers. But those catchy songs usually don't blow your mind with meaningful lyrics. And again, I Gotta Feeling doesn't disappoint. It is rife with meaningless lyrics that encourage us all to behave foolishly and without restraint. Spend all your money, the song advises. "Loose" it all. Hmmmm.... Not sure if that is a typo or they really want you extra loose. Smash it up!, they say.

So, this song gives me two separate feelings:

         1. The music makes me feel bouncy and happy; and

         2. The lyrics make me feel depressed about the future of poetic influence on songwriting.

Gone are the days of such brilliance as Rogers & Hart. My word, could Lorenz Hart write lyrics! Just think about the complex rhymes he slipped into popular songs such as Manhattan:

         "I'll take Manhattan,
         the Bronx and Staten
         Island too, its lovely
         going through the zoo

And what about the absolutely lovely and enchanting lyrics of Stardust by Hoagy Carmichael? The whole thing is brilliant, so go look it up and read them. Better yet, find a great recording of it - maybe Nat King Cole - and listen to it. Tell me you don't get a bit of a thrill when he sings "When our love was new, And each kiss an inspiration".

So, now I am onto my general rant about the loss of true songwriting in popular music. There are still great song writers, of course, but they tend not to end up on the Top 40. They are well-known amongst smaller groups of fans. Perhaps that is how it always goes and is the difference between popular and well-crafted.

So, this was not really a review, because I have nothing to say about lyrics like:

         Lets go way out spaced out
         And loosing all control


Actually it hurts to read or write that.