We've probably all fallen too fast for a song with a good beat or a hauntingly beautiful voice without knowing all of the words... but what happens when the words become clear and are, disappointingly, not at all what we thought? Where does a person draw the line and stop listening to a song (or even an artist) if certain lyrics are in opposition to something he or she stands for?
I appreciate music's freedom of expression and its ability to explain or exaggerate both sides of a point on any given subject-that's what America is supposed to be about. I'm not saying certain songs should be banned from the public based on lyrical content, and I understand that what works for some won't work for all... I want to know what it takes for a person to take a song out of THEIR collection or just plain decide they don't like it. For example:
*When a band offered to pay me to sing on their cd, one of the songs they picked was about a wife who wanted to kill her mean ex-husband. Now, the song was slightly silly and exaggerated, one of those power-to-women songs that people can laugh about, but I didn't want to sing it... Even though I had been through a surprising divorce, none of those feelings resulted. I could have taken the money, it wouldn't have been that big of a deal to put another song out in the world like that when there are already so many. But, that wasn't a song I believed in, so I didn't want my name on that kind of song. It appears that "accountability" stopped me that time.
*When I was in a relationship that wasn't working, I would either take a restroom break or change the channel every time the song "Not Meant to Be" by Theory of a Deadman came on, because I wanted to avoid the feelings it gave me. It was almost like the song was screaming "BREAK UP WITH HIM" at me, and I didn't want to hear it. I guess I'd call that reason "avoidance"... and it was purely situational and temporary. I have no problem with the song now that I'm happily married.
*Someone in my past was given the advice by a counselor to stop listening to music with too much angst in it, because she believed it was fueling his anger problems. Whether a person agrees with this or not (that isn't the point), that person stopped listening to a whole genre of music because it was believed to be better for his well-being.
All of those examples could be legitimate reasons for not listening to a certain song... but what about principle? Is what a person stands for important enough to take a little variety out of his or her musical collection?
There is a certain song I hear from time to time that has a child singing the line, "Be careful little eyes what you see." It's about slowly letting go of all that is important to you, one little give-in at a time. Where is the line? I always wonder... if someone meanly wrote a song that was meant to belittle one specific person that I love, would I willingly listen to the song again if I knew it was hurting that person? No, and I would think twice about listening to any of the artist's other songs. Should it be any different if the song is advocating (or even suggesting) an issue I am against?
The song that made me think of this today is by Tori Amos-whose music I love, by the way. Certain ideals of hers and things she has said I do not love, however. The song is beautiful, with a great melody and her soft voice. There is one line that I've been thinking about that says, "My scream got lost in a paper cup, you think there's a heaven where some screams have gone? I've got $25 and a cracker, do you think it's enough to get us there?"
I will not be so bold as to say what her intent was, but it could be perceived in a few ways. When I was younger, I used to think that she thought of Heaven as a place that could save her, and she didn't know how to get there. Now that I'm older, the song could be sarcastically suggesting that churches demand payment for salvation (the cracker could be the communion wafer) and that she believes heaven doesn't hear the suffering down here and sort of...deafly absorbs it .
Whether she meant it that way or not, what does my perception of her intent say to me as a Christian? Even if she pointed out some truth (because certain churches in the past have been guilty of trying to sell salvation), does my idea of the general attitude in the song mean it's something I shouldn't be listening to? What about the entire work of the artist? What if (hypothetically, obviously) that song was specifically insulting someone I loved-a mother, a sister, a husband, a...heavenly father? Should I stop listening then? That's something only I can decide for myself. I was just curious about what reasons other people had for listening (or not) to all of the music available.
