No matter who you are, music is beautiful. It is one of the very few things on this planet that can change your mood, make you feel like somebody else, or completely change the environment as you see it for a few minutes. Anything that is capable of doing all of those things in such a short time frame is a resource we should never take for granted and well, that's the problem. You see, there are people who take music for granted. People who don't care for all those attributes about music that I just listed for you. Many record labels and jealous people, who are solely into it for the money, don't care about the wonderful musicians and lyricists who create music for the world to hear. If they have an opportunity to pull the rug out from under them, and get creative control over any music they think will sell, they will do it without thinking twice.
I never really thought about how much of an issue it is until I discovered this band and discovered this song. Since I found this song, I have heard many other ones that cover a similar topic. However, I feel like this one creates the best picture. For the remainder of this article, this will be lyrical analysis on the song "Fountainhead" by Hands Like Houses. I would recommend listening to the song before you continue, and/or pulling up lyrics so you can better understand what is being discussed.
In the very first verse of Fountain Head, when it says “The hammer strikes one, two, three…” till the end, it is creating an environment of a court case in which he is waiting for people who are trying to take away the rights to his music to take their seat. That could be considered the outer meaning, as the inner meeting could be more in detail of a harsh description of these people (critics and fakers.) Also, if it is taking a long enough time for them to get to their seats, it could be because there is an overwhelming amount of them or that they do not get along with each other, explaining their further arrogance. The lyrics from 4-6 talk about a still silence in the metaphoric courtroom as the opposers wait for the singer to say anything that can be used against him. Lines 7-11 describe the singer being more than capable of continuing his career without any assistance, forgetting that there it is a grown man behind every word written who is not afraid to call out everyone that is trying to take him down.
The verse composed of lines 12-15 is probably my favorite part of the entire song. In this set, the singer talks about how he will not let his originality and infinite creative capabilities be taken from him by these thieves and turned into something that can be sold or given to another musician that corporations may have control over. Any kind of control over his creative mind is something he will never tolerate. When he says he will “Outlast the turning of time,” he is referring to his ability to be careful and patient to make sure he doesn’t say anything or do anything that will sell his song by mistake. By doing this, he knows it scares these big music corporations with his ability to become popular and write music without any of their help, and he will not be silent and wait around for his enemies to gain any confidence and try to pursue. The lines following, 16-20, appear to be a little more sympathetic.
In the first line in this verse, the singer appears to be asking those who oppose him, "if I don’t use your lungs to breathe, why can you try and walk my feet for me?" If they do this, why do the corporations try to take our lead singer’s rights away from him? The third line out of those four really sell what he is trying to say as it says “brought down the sky on our heads, never mine to claim, you said.” In this world, there are so many limitations that are put on us and what we are allowed to achieve and what we are allowed to do or say. With that being said, it is nowhere near fair for our (or his) entire life, direction, and freedoms to be guided into directions other than the desires of the initial creator. Lines 21 and 22, although they are short, definitely show a very powerful message. The simple fact that we are all equal, and we all have the same humanistic rights. This, however, is not to be confused that we are all the same.
In fact, we are so diverse that the songs and ideas that we wish to share with the world should be respected and revered instead of viewed as a sellable object. Lines 23-26 are a powerful way to end the song. When he says that “I’m the one that lit the fuse, I’m the only that pulled it out from under you.” He is referring, in my viewpoint, to the idea that he was brave enough to spark an idea and defend it even when it was so close to the grasp of another that he had to take drastic measures to reassure its possession. He is well aware of the responsibility entailed to any political loopholes he may have caught himself into by doing so, but gladly “wears the consequence” and isn’t afraid of what it may mean for him to prove a deeper point. He does not hate these opposers, thieves, critics, and fakers. Regardless of the things he has done, he holds no grudges against anyone. He just wants the rights he deserves to the creations he makes and he states very clearly that he wishes everybody well anyways. But it must be made completely transparent that his ideas are coming with him no matter what. This song is to make people aware that creative ideas are to each their own.
If I got you to stick around till the end, then you have now truly seen not only how beautiful music is, but how evil people can be. If you are a musician, make sure you get your music copyrighted as soon as possible, and if you are a listener, remember to respect the music and musician you are listening to. The music artists create is something they want to share with the world without it being ripped from their hands. Let's keep this beautiful wonder of the world as a gift everyone can enjoy.
