musicians emotions

[46and2]

In 1968 The Beatles were feeling a lot of pressure to advocate for a violent change to the "status quo" regarding governments and the Viet Nam war. But in the song "Revolution" he wrote the words...

Well you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know you can count me out

John Lennon did not want his music to be used for political purposes. He was all about peace, love, drugs, and rock'n'roll.

"During overdubs which brought the recording to take 20, Lennon took the unusual step of performing his lead vocal while lying on the floor. He also altered one line into the ambiguous "you can count me out, in". He later explained that he included both because he was undecided in his sentiments."

This is from the Wikipedia page about the song, quoted from a book on The Beatles recording sessions. Sometimes what make it to vinyl/tape/CD/hard disk doesn't completely convey what the artist feels.

 

[mellowinman]

Hi,

It depends on your musical situation. Yes, sometimes the fans of your music will want you to use your music to make statements, statements that support a certain agenda, statements that speak about how people are treated, statements against a government or politician.

In 1968 The Beatles were feeling a lot of pressure to advocate for a violent change to the "status quo" regarding governments and the Viet Nam war. But in the song "Revolution" he wrote the words...

Well you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know you can count me out

John Lennon did not want his music to be used for political purposes. He was all about peace, love, drugs, and rock'n'roll.

My situation is quite different. I play cover music for people who want to party. I'm lucky that I just get to have fun. Your part of the world has been going through some hard times. I hope you can stay safe and still find some fun.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

From the February 4, 1971 Rolling Stone interview:

I wanted to talk, I wanted to say my piece about revolution. I wanted to tell you, or whoever listens, to communicate, to say "What do you say? This is what I say."

On one version I said "Count me in" about violence, in or out, because I wasn't sure. But the version we put out said "Count me out," because I don't fancy a violent revolution happening all over. I don't want to die; but I begin to think what else can happen, you know, it seems inevitable.

 

[bassbrad]

Musical expression allows us to address many emotions and for some listeners anger or hostility is something they are looking for, political or social statements, love songs, cheating and beating songs while others are looking for smooth jazz entertainment or music to dance or party to. For example I have an instrumental group and we have songs that cover a broad range from songs written for my grandfather and mother, my wife to more intense songs like "Busted Neck Fuc*ed up Blues" for injuries in an auto accident.

 

[NoiseNinja]

Having emotions, yes. Having emotions that affect the musical process (creative or performing), no. I want my barber to be creative, I don't want him/her angry when they have scissors near my noggin. Providing music is a service/business/profession. You have to be professional.

I don't agree.

Well except for the barber thing.

Music is not primarily a service/business/profession, as I see it, unless you own a multinational record company.

Music is and should primarily be an art form, driven by passion and not money.

And an art form that probably more so than any other art deals with communicating emotions, unless you play more conceptual based music of course, which can be great as well.

Still primarily an art form.

The need to communicate something more than just "Give me more money!".

If you are angry about something great music and art can come out of that, as with any other emotion.

Personally I like music to have a little more substance and meaning than that of a toothpaste or washing powder commercial.

But that might just be me, looking at Top 10 one could be lead to think that that's not how the majority of people feel about music.

Be a loyal plastic robot
For a world that doesn't care

 

[erbesoderpayaso]

im not trying to talk about art concept or anything.

for example, violent rappers. is the audience or the whole world violence who is making them be that way? is the public violent or is the public just trying to make the rapper violent?

Do you feel angry for people being angry or for being stupid?

 

[erbesoderpayaso]

Musical expression allows us to address many emotions and for some listeners anger or hostility is something they are looking for, political or social statements, love songs, cheating and beating songs while others are looking for smooth jazz entertainment or music to dance or party to. For example I have an instrumental group and we have songs that cover a broad range from songs written for my grandfather and mother, my wife to more intense songs like "Busted Neck Fuc*ed up Blues" for injuries in an auto accident.

are you sure? or are you "the voice", "the instrument" of the civilization?

 

[buldog5151bass]

I don't agree.

Well except for the barber thing.

Music is not primarily a service/business/profession, as I see it, unless you own a multinational record company.

Music is and should primarily be an art form, driven by passion and not money.

And an art form that probably more so than any other art deals with communicating emotions, unless you play more conceptual based music of course, which can be great as well.

Still primarily an art form.

The need to communicate something more than just "Give me more money!".

If you are angry about something great music and art can come out of that, as with any other emotion.

Personally I like music to have a little more substance and meaning than that of a toothpaste or washing powder commercial.

But that might just be me, looking at Top 10 one could be lead to think that that's not how the majority of people feel about music.

Be a loyal plastic robot
For a world that doesn't care

You miss my point. Of course it is an art form - and to me, you are creating for others, or it is just musical masturbation. The money comes into play if you want to make a living at it. If other people won't put a value on it (buy the recording or come see you play), you are again venturing into the self pleasure zone.

 

[bassbrad]

are you sure? or are you "the voice", "the instrument" of the civilization?

I use music on my instrument to express emotions and ideas, but I am certainly not a voice of civilization.

 

[erbesoderpayaso]

I use music on my instrument to express emotions and ideas, but I am certainly not a voice of civilization.

so the society doesn't influence you when you're playing?

 

[bassbrad]

so the society doesn't influence you when you're playing?

Society, religion and politics do not enter in for my experience but I certainly understand when it does for other songwriters and performers.

 

[erbesoderpayaso]

@bassbrad @buldog5151bass @NoiseNinja @mellowinman @46and2

So, i've recently thought... If people like to suffer? they want you to sing about it... i believe that's the point they want you to sing their suffering...

I believe that MOST people just sing what they can find or what is in the radio, all the rest comes later: cloth and behaviours. in my position its worst because what sounds in the radio its regueton.

 

[Meghans Dad]

No, with exception for certain mentally deranged people and certain religious zealots, as a general people do not like to suffer. People, I believe, write songs as about suffering to help cope with it, be it blues, metal or whatever.
An the other hand, at least in this country, music station air music that they believe a large number of people want to hear. This is driven by advertising sale. Listenership, which is measured by polling, is what determines how much a stations advertising time is worth. (Of course, if you live in a country where the government decides what is aired, all this goes out the window). So even if a large number of people feel angry and disenfranchised, if they don't want to hear angry music, the station is not going to play it.

 

[NoiseNinja]

No, with exception for certain mentally deranged people and certain religious zealots, as a general people do not like to suffer. People, I believe, write songs as about suffering to help cope with it, be it blues, metal or whatever.
An the other hand, at least in this country, music station air music that they believe a large number of people want to hear. This is driven by advertising sale. Listenership, which is measured by polling, is what determines how much a stations advertising time is worth. (Of course, if you live in a country where the government decides what is aired, all this goes out the window). So even if a large number of people feel angry and disenfranchised, if they don't want to hear angry music, the station is not going to play it.

Spot on!

im not trying to talk about art concept or anything.

for example, violent rappers. is the audience or the whole world violence who is making them be that way? is the public violent or is the public just trying to make the rapper violent?

Do you feel angry for people being angry or for being stupid?

Well, it doesn't make musch sense isolating what music does if not talking first about what music is.

To me it looks like you got it all backwards.

The rapper might be violent or he might not be violent, it doesn't necessarily have much to do with the music he makes however.

And one thing I am sure of is that any given government that holds a military power is much more an advocate for violence than any single person can ever be.

Personally I can get angry at angry people as well as stupid people, however I understand there's usually a reason to peoples actions, which might be mitigating.

In a lot of cases feelings of anger can even be fully justified.

It's then how you act upon that feeling that judge weather you are being stupid about it or not.

Turning your anger into something creative is an awful clever, constructive as well as non harmful way to deal with anger in my opinion.

Heck, it might even be cathartic, therapeutic and healing or at least create awareness.

 

[erbesoderpayaso]

No, with exception for certain mentally deranged people and certain religious zealots, as a general people do not like to suffer. People, I believe, write songs as about suffering to help cope with it, be it blues, metal or whatever.
An the other hand, at least in this country, music station air music that they believe a large number of people want to hear. This is driven by advertising sale. Listenership, which is measured by polling, is what determines how much a stations advertising time is worth. (Of course, if you live in a country where the government decides what is aired, all this goes out the window). So even if a large number of people feel angry and disenfranchised, if they don't want to hear angry music, the station is not going to play it.

im agree but not totally. It's music that makes the cope, if you isolate, as ninja suggested with other words, the main subject of a blue song (lyrics) then you'll had a deeply sad poem (lyrics).
People likes to suffer because they live in an utopia where having money its all where people do what they want. They can't have a open life, as a human being.

 

[Meghans Dad]

People likes to suffer because they live in an utopia

What planet are you living on? Where I live is no more of a utopia than Venezuela or any other place on earth. I have a neighbor on one side of me who has a wife and a daughter both recovering from breast cancer. I have another neighbor trying to get on disability after having half his colon removed. Half of my retirement disappeared after the "economic bubble" burst in 2008. We are born in pain, most of us "live out lives of quiet desperation" and die in suffering. Very few of us live such idyllic perfect lives that we look for some pain and suffering to break up the monotony. To the contrary, my observation is that those who are well off enough to enjoy pleasurable lives spend much of their time seeking more pleasure.

 

[erbesoderpayaso]

What planet are you living on? Where I live is no more of a utopia than Venezuela or any other place on earth. I have a neighbor on one side of me who has a wife and a daughter both recovering from breast cancer. I have another neighbor trying to get on disability after having half his colon removed. Half of my retirement disappeared after the "economic bubble" burst in 2008. We are born in pain, most of us "live out lives of quiet desperation" and die in suffering. Very few of us live such idyllic perfect lives that we look for some pain and suffering to break up the monotony. To the contrary, my observation is that those who are well off enough to enjoy pleasurable lives spend much of their time seeking more pleasure.

Totally agree friend but those who are you talking about when you say the people who is ok is looking for more pleasure is the ones who makes me angry as people who being in a bad situation doesn't do anything for them and for the other, that can't and don't even try to get better, or just who try and luck doesn't go to their side. this kind of people i believe its what most of us are, just out of luck. and this make us enemy to the other 2 kind because we do what we can for being better but the weak and the lucky doesn't let us do our thing.

and they look for pleasure in money, that is really really anoying. i congratulate you because as mexican indians said: "you've said truth words in the earth".

 

[erbesoderpayaso]

and before you ask me about luck, there are a few pholosophers who have described it.