An extremely talented writer and thinker, Kurt Vonnegut’s lifespan from 1922-2007 involved a multitude of colossal revivals in terms of politics, the arts, foreign affairs, lifestyle, economics, social thought, and virtually every other area throughout his 84 years of life. During these crucial times of redefinition, the influence that these individual subparts had on each other is undeniable as they all responded to both small and large scale events and continued to respond to one another’s reactions.
Through his ability to simplify complex concepts, Kurt Vonnegut’s ingenious knack to stimulate individual thought left a momentous imprint on the literary world, which consequently effected all areas of life, especially the arts.
Vonnegut’s impact undoubtedly appears in music. His work inspired multiple bands to be named after his books or characters; among the titles of such bands are “Billy Pilgrim,” Deadeye Dicks,” and “Kilgore Trout.” These musical groups clearly created a link between the music they sang and the author who inspired them. However, in order to fully understand the connection between common thought, assessed thought, and discussed thought as it relates to the varying areas of society, we must explore a few classic songs with lyrics that were possibly based off of Kurt Vonnegut’s ideas.
1. "Jack & Diane"
This 1982 John Mellencamp song includes the lyric “Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone” in the refrain. This idea is not only contrary to the common theme and belief that life is short, but also relates to a quote from Vonnegut’s 1979 novel "Jailbird": “So I said of life in general that it probably was worth it, but that it did seem to go on a little too long. My life would have been a masterpiece, for example, if I had died on a beach with a fascist bullet between my eyes.”
2. "Come Sail Away"
Dennis DeYoung of Styx wrote this song while feeling depressed—an emotional state that Vonnegut can empathize with greatly. While experiencing similar things emotionally, the two also explored similar ideas regarding time. In their 1977 song, Dennis DeYoung sings “We’ll search for tomorrow on every shore.” Thinking of time as scenery in order to counter the illusion that time comes and passes and is measurable is also explored in "Slaughterhouse Five" (1969). “All moments, past, present and future, always have existed, always will exist. The Tralfamadorians can look at all the different moments just that way we can look at a stretch of the Rocky Mountains, for instance.”
3. "Cats in the Cradle"
In his 1974 hit, “Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin explores the negative relationship between a father and son. The song was actually inspired by a poem written by Harry’s wife, Sandy Gaston but she may have been a Vonnegut fan because the title is similar to one of Vonnegut’s most famous novels from 1963, "Cat’s Cradle." Despite the similarity of the titles, the two relate in context because "Cat’s Cradle" also has a strong focus on a father and son’s strange, complicated, and harmful relationship. In fact, the title is based off an incident in the book in which a child is so frightened when his distant father tries to relate to him through showing him the string game of cat’s cradle that he begins to cry. Hmmm...
4. "And So It Goes"
The relation between this 1983 Billy Joel song and Vonnegut’s most well-known quote is more explicit than the others. “And So It Goes” is a song about heartbreak that uses “And so it goes, and so it goes” in the chorus to express a sobering acceptance and a dismissal of his emotions. As a twist on an anti-war book, "Slaughterhouse Five"—where “So it goes” appears 106 times—includes heavy topics that are downplayed as inevitable parts of life through Vonnegut’s use of “So it goes.” Both acknowledging and disregarding the struggles of life, Joel and Vonnegut simply challenges as a way of life.
