I was at work the other day and I heard an interesting comment from one of my customers: “Music just isn’t the same anymore. It’s all about sex, drugs, and violence nowadays.” To be fair, I think the song that was playing was Shots by LMFAO, but our generation of music is definitely not the first to have music about sex, drugs, or violence. The saying “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” exists for a reason, people. But this comment made me wonder what kind of music this particular person enjoys. I didn’t ask, but I did take note of some of the artists that they did seem to enjoy: Johnny Cash, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Queen. So I wanted to look at some of these artists, all of which I also enjoy, and pick apart some of the meaning behind their lyrics-- or, in some cases, the lyrics themselves.
1. Johnny Cash- Folsom Prison Blues-1955
One of my favorite Johnny Cash songs, by far, but you can’t tell me that there isn’t violence in this song. It literally tells the story of a man on his way to prison because he shot a man: “Well I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.” It's not even the story of redemption, or shooting someone for personal gain (which wouldn’t be a better reason to kill someone, but you know what I mean).
2. Nine Inch Nails- Hurt- 1995
This song was famously covered by Johnny Cash in the early 2000’s, and it was an overwhelmingly emotional piece, but very much still talking about drug use (and abuse). It does differ from many other songs in the sense that it is not glorifying the use of drugs, but the drug use is still definitely there.
3. Red Hot Chili Peppers- Can’t Stop- 2002
Honestly, I dare someone to tell me this song isn’t about drugs-- the drug problem of Anthony Kiedis, to be exact. Not only does the title literally reference addiction, there are multiple lines that can be directly inserted into the world of drugs and the cycle of abuse. Take first line for instance: “Can’t stop addicted to the shindig.” Trade shindig for drugs and boom; “Knock out but boy you better come to,” talks about overdosing (but not dying from it); “Can I get two or maybe even three of these,” refers to the higher doses needed after a while of using one drug for an extended period of time. Again, it's a beautiful, amazing song, but it's still about drugs. Also, the music video is basically a drug trip.
4. Nine Inch Nails- Closer- 1994
I don’t even need to explain this one.
5. AC/DC- Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap- 1976
This song is basically a man telling the world that he will do things for money. Things that not only include playing killer jams, but also being a killer. This is a very violent song about hurting others for cold hard cash.
“Dirty deeds and they’re done dirt cheap
Concrete shoes, cyanide, TNT
Done dirt cheap
Neckties, contracts, high voltage
Done dirt cheap”
Yeah…your favorite old bands were not violent at all…okay.
6. Queen- Fat Bottomed Girls- 1978
Queen is hands down one of the best bands to have ever existed. As is this song, which is about women (and as said by Brian May, also men) with fat bottoms. Now why would they be writing a song about fat bottoms if not for sex, you ask? They wouldn’t. It’s about being sexually attracted to these people. Get over it.
So yeah, maybe there weren’t as many songs dedicated to these topics as there are today, but you can’t say that there is a definitive line between the modern musical creations and the work of the past. Musicians often do drugs (especially in the 60’s) and they write about sex and violence. It’s what people like to hear. Just because you don’t like something new doesn’t mean it’s all bad, and just because the music of past generations is good doesn’t mean good music isn’t still being created. Explore new artists, listen to new genres. There is never anything wrong with expanding the music you listen to.
