Information Related to "Do Lyrics Matter?"
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Have
you ever noticed someone singing along with a song while working or driving?
Or have you found yourself humming with a tune being piped over a speaker
at a mall or while being placed on hold for a telephone call? Songs and
music can dance through our heads without us even being aware that we are "tuned" in.
We are constantly bombarded with sounds, and it's easy to lock onto a stream of consciousness without screening it for appropriateness. Sounds, music, voices, radio, even television background sounds all leave an imprint on our psyche.
When we hear certain themes over and over again, we can incorporate them
into our subconscious—even ideas that can be and often are quite
damaging. Is it possible that we can listen to lyrics wrapped in the cadence
of powerful, rhythmic music and begin to believe a lie—or be persuaded
to follow a path that leads to sin and rebellion?
Music can be a powerful motivator and mood enhancer. One band clearly boasts of this power in the song "Impact":
"I make an impact on lives
Through truth as well as lies
I overcome your eyes
And leave an etched memory forever…
I lead people everyday
Always in the correct way
Never lead astray
And leave an etched memory forever…"
Impact indeed (though please understand that I'm in no way endorsing this particular music).
Regrettably, some of the most successful artists can get pretty mixed up about the messages they send their audiences. Britney Spears, whose sad decline is often front-page news, began her musical career as a young and energetic talent, but her life was filled with contradiction. Us Magazine is credited with the following comment on Spears' music, which should have the listener concerned:"She's still an eerie contradiction: a hypersexual Cinderella trying to combine Disney innocence with a touch of old-fashioned smut" (www.goodfight.org/a_m_spears_brit_1.html). This is reflected in not just her image but often her lyrics.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Sidebar: Your Brain On Music
Table of Contents that includes "Do Lyrics Matter?"
Other Articles by Larry Greider
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