I don’t think so. Good lyrics are still being written, the only difference is that it doesn’t take good lyrics to be famous any more. It does say a lot about this generation but bad lyrics, and I can speak only for myself, have never taken away from my enjoyment of what I consider to be good lyrics.
So baptise me in the stars
And wrap me in nighttime
Moon blue
Pupil my sight with orange balls of light
And echo my plight
Through the corridors of metaphor
What else are we living for if not to create
Fiction and rhyme?
My purpose is to make my soul
Rhyme with my
mind over matter
Minds create matter
minds create fiction
As a matter of fact
As if matter were fact
Matter is fact
So spirit must be fiction
Science fiction
Well I think as far as mainstream music, it’s gone downhill.
But I agree, there is plenty of great music out there. Just feels like you have to search a lot more for it. I recently found a band that is quickly becoming my favorite: Mumford And Sons.
Yeah that’s what I meant. Now that I reread my comment it sounds a little funny though, what I meant is that all the bad music doesn’t bother me, I don’t listen to any radio stations that play mainstream music and I don’t have a TV, the only time I’m exposed to MM is when I choose to. Also based on what I keep finding on the Internet, the amount of good musicians is endless, both classics and semi new ones.
Mumford and Sons are fantastic, I would have known that you like them even if you hand’t told me. They’re like a British version of that musician you made me ask for on the radio.
Definitely tons of great music to be found on the internet and tons of places to find it. I totally forget what song I asked you to play. Feels like forever ago. Maybe Great Big Sea? Which are similar but a wee bit different. Their more folkie then Mumford and Sons.
Or just a specific genre that’s gone downhill (Well, that genre was never really much up from the bottom of the hill to begin with…). Known as (c)rap… ( Or maybe rap(e), as a description of what it does to the ears )
Bullshit. It’s only mainstream rap that is shit, as with any other genre. There is a whole culture of rap that TV doesn’t show you, the purely poetic rap, the liberal rap and even the secular rap.
Such as Saul Williams, Sage Francis, Atmosphere, doseone, Sole, Aesop Rock, Why?, Jurassic 5, The Roots, Matisyahu, MF Doom, Dan Le Sac, K-Os, Madlib, Deltron 3030 – any of these sound familiar yet? If no then perhaps it’s not a good idea to make generalisations like that.
Yeah mate, that was my point. The masses are only exposed to mainstream rap, they’re not going to be familiar with anything else unless they search for it. Is Korn a good representation of what rock has to offer? No? Neither is Jay Z in regards to rap. Step out of your comfort zone and give this a try,
Wait are you trying to tell me that rap alone isn’t music? I would have never guessed. Since we were comparing lyrical talent I thought a rap alone would do. I’m not sure what’s supposed to be obscure about it or how you can claim I’m a music snob based on one single poem that I like.
And it’s not mainstream because it doesn’t mention guns bitches bling, sorry about that.
That thing you linked to isn’t music, and that’s one of two reasons it’s not mainstream.
You may not have said that you’re a music snob, but in what you’ve written it’s implied that you know better than the unwashed masses that only listen to what they’re fed through MTV. That might not have been your intention, but it’s how you come across.
Next time you express yourself on this subject you might want to consider that the music you like isn’t very good instead of resorting to explanations sounding very much like conspiracy theories.
I never claimed it was music, it’s a poem by a rapper. He has songs where he composed the music and other things and he’s still not mainstream. Mainly because he’s an atheist and a harsh critic of his government.
What about Jay Z being mainstream is a conspiracy theory? Where do you think Aquaman came across this guy? The TV or the radio. I honestly don’t know what you’re going on about there.
Aren’t you the same guy who was impressed that I could spell Dostoevsky’s name? You know what, I think you just enjoy disregarding anything that has depth by calling it obscure. I’ll stick to my fancy “snob” writing, whether they come from an American underground rapper, a British rock musician or a Russian author, thanks.
If you know it’s not music, then my original statement shouldn’t have confused you. Glad we’ve got that sorted out.
Regarding your reasons sounding like conspiracy theories, you added more in your most recent reply, regarding his atheism. It’s excuses.
“Aren’t you the same guy who was impressed that I could spell Dostoevsky’s name? You know what, I think you just enjoy disregarding anything that has depth by calling it obscure.”
Don’t make yourself look more of a fool and take a joke of mine and try to make it into an attempt at a comeback. And don’t assume that just because you think something is profound that it is so to others.
Sometimes it’s good to realize that the high horse you’re sitting on is a pony. Consider it a favor that I don’t just point and laugh, but that I’m instead honest with you.
Haha oh man you really are dense. When was the last time MTV promoted atheism or anything secular. When was the last time the majority of people were interested or approved of criticising the government? Look at any top 10 charts and tell me how much of their lyrics is about anything substantial. There’s no conspiracy theory here unless you can show me what the unlikely theory about this is. People enjoy Britney Spears and Justin Bieber, i.e. dumb stuff, end of fucking story.
And I think you’re just trying to make excuses because you’re illiterate. See the problem is that my argument was never that the music I listen to is better than anyone else’s, taste is subjective, but that disregarding thousands of lyricists because of a handful of mainstream clowns is probably not realistic. That point however seemed to have completely gone over your head.
So far you haven’t presented one single artist of your own, I have no reason to take your commentary on anything creative seriously.
“People enjoy Britney Spears and Justin Bieber, i.e. dumb stuff, end of fucking story.”
My point is that Britney and Bieber have better music than the stuff you’re listening to, which is why they’re mainstream, not because of atheism and disagreeing politics. Perhaps I haven’t made this clear before, but I’ll assume that you’ve understood it after having read this reply.
If the music is good enough, it won’t matter that it calls out the USAdish government, as Eminem and Rage Against the Machine have done. That much is obvious to me, although I don’t understand why it is not so to you.
I’m glad you’ve come to realize that the music you like isn’t better than Britney et al. I’m glad that I have taught you something.
Perhaps there’s a reason that so many disregard these thousands of lyricists that you speak of. I mean, I’ve already established that the best of them that you could find on youtube was some emo crying into into the microphone. Now, I’m sure that kind of thing resonates with yourself and several dozens of others, but it wasn’t impressive to me. Perhaps you’d like another chance to win me over? I’m sure that you care about my approval of this not-quite-hip-hop thing. Everyone deserves a second chance is what I always say.
“So far you haven’t presented one single artist of your own, I have no reason to take your commentary on anything creative seriously.”
So dismissive! So angsty! No need to get like that though, I don’t dislike you just because your taste in music/lyrics is special.
One thing to consider is that, in general, the music we listen to from the before time are the good ones. If you were actually listening to radio (am and fm at the time) you’d be commenting on how the lyrics and technical ability of the bands were terrible.
All I can give you is my interpretation but you’d have to listen to the whole thing to get a better idea, I chose this part only for its poetic beauty.
He is ridiculing the idolisation of deities while praising independence and art. The stuff about stars, light and in other parts he mentions earth and nature – are a metaphor for relying only on the laws of nature, that it’s all you need to be illuminated. Most of his stuff is about this kind of thing, it’s pretty sweet.
Pretty much like DieA said, mainstream music has been mostly bullshit for the last decade, perhaps even longer. But there is still an immense amount of brilliant music being made every year. And thanks to the internet, we have the power to ignore the shit designed for the masses that gets played on TV and Radio, and discover the music that speaks to you as an individual.
This year alone I have discovered more music that I love than ever before. And most of it is fairly recent, as in released in the last decade or so.
Lyrics have gone downhill? Bollocks. Marketing has become better.
Clock strikes twelve and moondrops burst
Out at you from their hiding place
Like acid and oil on a madman’s face
His reason tends to fly away
Like lesser birds on the four winds
Like silver scrapes in May
And now the sand’s become a crust
Most of you have gone away
Come Susie dear, let’s take a walk
Just out there upon the beach
I know you’ll soon be married
And you’ll want to know where winds come from
Well it’s never said at all
On the map that Carrie reads
Behind the clock back there you know
At the Four Winds Bar
Your faulty logic annoys me. I’m not saying that you couldn’t be right, but you could’ve picked a better song for comparison (i.e., something in the same general genre). Fly like a G6 is a party song, a club song; lyrics aren’t supposed to be so important, it’s meant to make you move (and it does just that).
For comparison, Van McCoy’s “The Hustle” (1975)
Look here’s a dance
So old it’s new
‘Cause trash disco is seventies cool
Like country line dance, to some it’s fine
Sadly though, you gotta lose your mind
Get organized, discipline is fun
I want to encourage everyone
To coordinate your steps and clap
Avoid the individuality trap
Take a walk on the wild side
Nothing too spectacular here, either (besides the fact that it discredits the idea individuality). The Hustle, like G6 is a dance (specifically, disco) song.
Led Zeppelin told stories with their music and there are plenty of artists today who still do the same. Broad over-generalizations, stereo-typing, and painting anything “other” or “new” as the downfall of our civilization (rather than things like consumerism and man’s unwillingness to live peaceably next to one another and be tolerant of their neighbors’ beliefs, lifestyles, etc.)is more detrimental than some club song with shitty lyrics.
I’m not saying this is poetic or genius, but Marshall Mathers’ lyrics can get me amped. from ‘No Love’ I love to bump this in my mercedes 😉
I’m alive again
More alive than I have been in my whole entire life
I can see these people’s ears perk up as I begin
To spaz with the pen, I’m a little bit sicker than most
Shit’s finna get thick again
They say the competition is stiff
But I get a hard dick from this shit, now stick it in
I ain’t never giving in again
Caution to the wind, complete freedom
Look at these rappers, how I treat them
So why the fuck would I join them when I beat them
They call me a freak because
I like to spit on these pussies fore I eat them
Man get these whack cocksuckers off stage
Where the fuck is Kanye when you need him?
Snatch the mic from him, bitch I’mma let you finish in a minute
Yeah the rap is tight
But I’m ’bout to spit the greatest verse of all time
So you might want to go back to the lab tonight and um
Scribble out them rhymes you were going to spit
And start over from scratch and write new ones
But I’m afraid that it ain’t gonna make no difference
When I rip this stage and tear it in half tonight
It’s an adrenaline rush to feel the bass thump
In the place all the way to the parking lot, fellow
Set fire to the mic and ignite the crowd
You can see the sparks from hot metal
Cold-hearted from the day I Bogarted the game
I so started to rock fellow
When I’m not even in my harshest
You can still get roasted because Marsh is not mellow
Til I’m toppling from the top I’m not going to stop
I’m standing on my Monopoly board
That means I’m on top of my game and it don’t stop
Til my hip don’t hop anymore
When you so good that you can’t say it
Because it ain’t even cool for you to sound cocky anymore
People just get sick cause you spit
These fools can’t drool or dribble a drop anymore
And you can never break my stride
You never slow the momentum at any moment I’m about to blow
You’ll never take my pride
Killing the flow, slow venom and the opponent
Is getting no mercy, mark my words
Ain’t letting up, relentless
I smell blood, I don’t give a fuck: keep giving them hell
Where was you when I fell and needed help up?
You get no love
I don’t think so. Good lyrics are still being written, the only difference is that it doesn’t take good lyrics to be famous any more. It does say a lot about this generation but bad lyrics, and I can speak only for myself, have never taken away from my enjoyment of what I consider to be good lyrics.
So baptise me in the stars
And wrap me in nighttime
Moon blue
Pupil my sight with orange balls of light
And echo my plight
Through the corridors of metaphor
What else are we living for if not to create
Fiction and rhyme?
My purpose is to make my soul
Rhyme with my
mind over matter
Minds create matter
minds create fiction
As a matter of fact
As if matter were fact
Matter is fact
So spirit must be fiction
Science fiction
– Saul Williams – Tao of Now
Well I think as far as mainstream music, it’s gone downhill.
But I agree, there is plenty of great music out there. Just feels like you have to search a lot more for it. I recently found a band that is quickly becoming my favorite: Mumford And Sons.
Yeah that’s what I meant. Now that I reread my comment it sounds a little funny though, what I meant is that all the bad music doesn’t bother me, I don’t listen to any radio stations that play mainstream music and I don’t have a TV, the only time I’m exposed to MM is when I choose to. Also based on what I keep finding on the Internet, the amount of good musicians is endless, both classics and semi new ones.
Mumford and Sons are fantastic, I would have known that you like them even if you hand’t told me. They’re like a British version of that musician you made me ask for on the radio.
Definitely tons of great music to be found on the internet and tons of places to find it. I totally forget what song I asked you to play. Feels like forever ago. Maybe Great Big Sea? Which are similar but a wee bit different. Their more folkie then Mumford and Sons.
Or just a specific genre that’s gone downhill (Well, that genre was never really much up from the bottom of the hill to begin with…). Known as (c)rap… ( Or maybe rap(e), as a description of what it does to the ears )
Bullshit. It’s only mainstream rap that is shit, as with any other genre. There is a whole culture of rap that TV doesn’t show you, the purely poetic rap, the liberal rap and even the secular rap.
Such as Saul Williams, Sage Francis, Atmosphere, doseone, Sole, Aesop Rock, Why?, Jurassic 5, The Roots, Matisyahu, MF Doom, Dan Le Sac, K-Os, Madlib, Deltron 3030 – any of these sound familiar yet? If no then perhaps it’s not a good idea to make generalisations like that.
I dont know one single name you just listed. Not one.
Yeah mate, that was my point. The masses are only exposed to mainstream rap, they’re not going to be familiar with anything else unless they search for it. Is Korn a good representation of what rock has to offer? No? Neither is Jay Z in regards to rap. Step out of your comfort zone and give this a try,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdSbLCFs-KY
I’m not surprised that isn’t mainstream, as it isn’t *music* and it isn’t good.
Anyone can write poetry that impresses a music snob with a distaste for anything that’s not obscure.
Wait are you trying to tell me that rap alone isn’t music? I would have never guessed. Since we were comparing lyrical talent I thought a rap alone would do. I’m not sure what’s supposed to be obscure about it or how you can claim I’m a music snob based on one single poem that I like.
And it’s not mainstream because it doesn’t mention guns bitches bling, sorry about that.
That thing you linked to isn’t music, and that’s one of two reasons it’s not mainstream.
You may not have said that you’re a music snob, but in what you’ve written it’s implied that you know better than the unwashed masses that only listen to what they’re fed through MTV. That might not have been your intention, but it’s how you come across.
Next time you express yourself on this subject you might want to consider that the music you like isn’t very good instead of resorting to explanations sounding very much like conspiracy theories.
I never claimed it was music, it’s a poem by a rapper. He has songs where he composed the music and other things and he’s still not mainstream. Mainly because he’s an atheist and a harsh critic of his government.
What about Jay Z being mainstream is a conspiracy theory? Where do you think Aquaman came across this guy? The TV or the radio. I honestly don’t know what you’re going on about there.
Aren’t you the same guy who was impressed that I could spell Dostoevsky’s name? You know what, I think you just enjoy disregarding anything that has depth by calling it obscure. I’ll stick to my fancy “snob” writing, whether they come from an American underground rapper, a British rock musician or a Russian author, thanks.
If you know it’s not music, then my original statement shouldn’t have confused you. Glad we’ve got that sorted out.
Regarding your reasons sounding like conspiracy theories, you added more in your most recent reply, regarding his atheism. It’s excuses.
“Aren’t you the same guy who was impressed that I could spell Dostoevsky’s name? You know what, I think you just enjoy disregarding anything that has depth by calling it obscure.”
Don’t make yourself look more of a fool and take a joke of mine and try to make it into an attempt at a comeback. And don’t assume that just because you think something is profound that it is so to others.
Sometimes it’s good to realize that the high horse you’re sitting on is a pony. Consider it a favor that I don’t just point and laugh, but that I’m instead honest with you.
You’re welcome.
Haha oh man you really are dense. When was the last time MTV promoted atheism or anything secular. When was the last time the majority of people were interested or approved of criticising the government? Look at any top 10 charts and tell me how much of their lyrics is about anything substantial. There’s no conspiracy theory here unless you can show me what the unlikely theory about this is. People enjoy Britney Spears and Justin Bieber, i.e. dumb stuff, end of fucking story.
And I think you’re just trying to make excuses because you’re illiterate. See the problem is that my argument was never that the music I listen to is better than anyone else’s, taste is subjective, but that disregarding thousands of lyricists because of a handful of mainstream clowns is probably not realistic. That point however seemed to have completely gone over your head.
So far you haven’t presented one single artist of your own, I have no reason to take your commentary on anything creative seriously.
“People enjoy Britney Spears and Justin Bieber, i.e. dumb stuff, end of fucking story.”
My point is that Britney and Bieber have better music than the stuff you’re listening to, which is why they’re mainstream, not because of atheism and disagreeing politics. Perhaps I haven’t made this clear before, but I’ll assume that you’ve understood it after having read this reply.
If the music is good enough, it won’t matter that it calls out the USAdish government, as Eminem and Rage Against the Machine have done. That much is obvious to me, although I don’t understand why it is not so to you.
I’m glad you’ve come to realize that the music you like isn’t better than Britney et al. I’m glad that I have taught you something.
Perhaps there’s a reason that so many disregard these thousands of lyricists that you speak of. I mean, I’ve already established that the best of them that you could find on youtube was some emo crying into into the microphone. Now, I’m sure that kind of thing resonates with yourself and several dozens of others, but it wasn’t impressive to me. Perhaps you’d like another chance to win me over? I’m sure that you care about my approval of this not-quite-hip-hop thing. Everyone deserves a second chance is what I always say.
“So far you haven’t presented one single artist of your own, I have no reason to take your commentary on anything creative seriously.”
So dismissive! So angsty! No need to get like that though, I don’t dislike you just because your taste in music/lyrics is special.
I like this one:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeN9c2GYJkk
I didn’t know there was a video for it, it’s gorgeous. I wish record vans were real.
One thing to consider is that, in general, the music we listen to from the before time are the good ones. If you were actually listening to radio (am and fm at the time) you’d be commenting on how the lyrics and technical ability of the bands were terrible.
Yes… but what do those lyrics mean?
All I can give you is my interpretation but you’d have to listen to the whole thing to get a better idea, I chose this part only for its poetic beauty.
He is ridiculing the idolisation of deities while praising independence and art. The stuff about stars, light and in other parts he mentions earth and nature – are a metaphor for relying only on the laws of nature, that it’s all you need to be illuminated. Most of his stuff is about this kind of thing, it’s pretty sweet.
It says something very good about you that you lead-in with Saul Williams. +1
All of my love would have been a better reference.
The beat is a lot better and sophisticated.
But new music is supposed to be party music.
Stuff from the 70’s was to get stoned to, mostly
“Stuff from the 70?s was to get stoned to, mostly”
Douche.
in the 70s, you weren’t even the shadow of the dream of a zygote.
The vast majority of music was to dance and have teh sex to.
Nothing deserves to be compared to bad hip-hop.
derp derp derp
Pretty much like DieA said, mainstream music has been mostly bullshit for the last decade, perhaps even longer. But there is still an immense amount of brilliant music being made every year. And thanks to the internet, we have the power to ignore the shit designed for the masses that gets played on TV and Radio, and discover the music that speaks to you as an individual.
This year alone I have discovered more music that I love than ever before. And most of it is fairly recent, as in released in the last decade or so.
Lyrics have gone downhill? Bollocks. Marketing has become better.
Clock strikes twelve and moondrops burst
Out at you from their hiding place
Like acid and oil on a madman’s face
His reason tends to fly away
Like lesser birds on the four winds
Like silver scrapes in May
And now the sand’s become a crust
Most of you have gone away
Come Susie dear, let’s take a walk
Just out there upon the beach
I know you’ll soon be married
And you’ll want to know where winds come from
Well it’s never said at all
On the map that Carrie reads
Behind the clock back there you know
At the Four Winds Bar
B.O.C – Astronomy
Ok Jay Z. Your turn.
In twenty years people will be comparing these lyrics to whatever lyrics are around then.
NOBODY WANTS TO LISTEN TO SONGS ABOUT HOBBITS AND MIDDLE EARTH ALL DAY
Your faulty logic annoys me. I’m not saying that you couldn’t be right, but you could’ve picked a better song for comparison (i.e., something in the same general genre). Fly like a G6 is a party song, a club song; lyrics aren’t supposed to be so important, it’s meant to make you move (and it does just that).
For comparison, Van McCoy’s “The Hustle” (1975)
Look here’s a dance
So old it’s new
‘Cause trash disco is seventies cool
Like country line dance, to some it’s fine
Sadly though, you gotta lose your mind
Get organized, discipline is fun
I want to encourage everyone
To coordinate your steps and clap
Avoid the individuality trap
Take a walk on the wild side
Nothing too spectacular here, either (besides the fact that it discredits the idea individuality). The Hustle, like G6 is a dance (specifically, disco) song.
Led Zeppelin told stories with their music and there are plenty of artists today who still do the same. Broad over-generalizations, stereo-typing, and painting anything “other” or “new” as the downfall of our civilization (rather than things like consumerism and man’s unwillingness to live peaceably next to one another and be tolerant of their neighbors’ beliefs, lifestyles, etc.)is more detrimental than some club song with shitty lyrics.
Owlcity.
/thread
YES.
ARE YOU
I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU
I WILL BEAT YOU TO DEATH WITH YOUR OWN SEVERED LIMBS
See, now those are the kind of lyrics we are condemning.
JUST LEAN BACK
I’m not saying this is poetic or genius, but Marshall Mathers’ lyrics can get me amped. from ‘No Love’ I love to bump this in my mercedes 😉
I’m alive again
More alive than I have been in my whole entire life
I can see these people’s ears perk up as I begin
To spaz with the pen, I’m a little bit sicker than most
Shit’s finna get thick again
They say the competition is stiff
But I get a hard dick from this shit, now stick it in
I ain’t never giving in again
Caution to the wind, complete freedom
Look at these rappers, how I treat them
So why the fuck would I join them when I beat them
They call me a freak because
I like to spit on these pussies fore I eat them
Man get these whack cocksuckers off stage
Where the fuck is Kanye when you need him?
Snatch the mic from him, bitch I’mma let you finish in a minute
Yeah the rap is tight
But I’m ’bout to spit the greatest verse of all time
So you might want to go back to the lab tonight and um
Scribble out them rhymes you were going to spit
And start over from scratch and write new ones
But I’m afraid that it ain’t gonna make no difference
When I rip this stage and tear it in half tonight
It’s an adrenaline rush to feel the bass thump
In the place all the way to the parking lot, fellow
Set fire to the mic and ignite the crowd
You can see the sparks from hot metal
Cold-hearted from the day I Bogarted the game
I so started to rock fellow
When I’m not even in my harshest
You can still get roasted because Marsh is not mellow
Til I’m toppling from the top I’m not going to stop
I’m standing on my Monopoly board
That means I’m on top of my game and it don’t stop
Til my hip don’t hop anymore
When you so good that you can’t say it
Because it ain’t even cool for you to sound cocky anymore
People just get sick cause you spit
These fools can’t drool or dribble a drop anymore
And you can never break my stride
You never slow the momentum at any moment I’m about to blow
You’ll never take my pride
Killing the flow, slow venom and the opponent
Is getting no mercy, mark my words
Ain’t letting up, relentless
I smell blood, I don’t give a fuck: keep giving them hell
Where was you when I fell and needed help up?
You get no love
“shit” multiple times
“cocksucker”
“fuck” multiple times
you are right Texan. Neither poetic nor genius.
Not that those words can’t be used to get a good message across though.
Swearing can be a good thing!
Best. Troll. Evar.
Eat your heart out casemeth.