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| From | shawn campbell <thursdayinjune@yahoo.com> |
| Subject | Re: music and politics (was something else) |
| Date | Fri, 10 Nov 2006 14:28:15 -0800 (PST) |
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I always find this such a weird discussion. So much
music is an artist's take on his or her feelings -- a
form of personal expression. Certainly, much of that
tends to be focused around love -- celebrating its
discovery, mourning its passing, longing for its
arrival, expressing anger over its betrayal. But of
course there is more to life than love, and if an
artist feels passionately about a cause or a political
viewpoint, why shouldn't he or she have every right to
express it?
It irks me to no end to hear people say about
musicians, actors, or other celebrities who use their
star power to showcase issues near and dear to them,
that they should just "shut up and sing," as the Dixie
Chicks put it in their new film. I think it's great
that Bono chooses to use his fame to draw attention to
world poverty and the AIDS crisis in Africa. And on
the other side, while I don't agree with them, I think
it's perfectly appropriate for Ted Nugent and Charlton
Heston to speak out in favor of the conservative
causes they believe in. If you're fortunate enough to
have a built-in soapbox as a performer, and you feel
strongly about an issue, it would seem remiss NOT to
do the most you can with the good fortune and
opportunity you've been given.
And no one is making you go to shows or buy records.
If you attend a show where an artist brings up a
political issue you disagree with, that seems the same
to me as if s/he played a song that isn't your
favorite. Deal with it, knowing that you'll like the
next song better, and if you just don't like the tunes
in general, maybe it's not the right show for you.
And to pull this back into somewhat more proper
discussion territory, here is just a small handful of
my favorite artists who have a political bent on
stage, off stage, or both:
Robyn Hitchcock
Michael Stipe
Jill Sobule
The Clash
Neil Young
John Lennon
Billy Bragg
Sleater-Kinney
Ted Leo
Hidden Cameras
Bono
Lois
Indigo Girls
The Coup
Scream Club
Bruce Springsteen
Superchunk
Bikini Kill
Dar Williams
The MC5
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