Forget the words
Jan. 13th, 2005 11:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thessalianIf I wish to continue to enjoy Evanescence as a band, I am going to have to learn to ignore the lyrics.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those people who even remotely believes that you can blame the deviant behaviour of your teenager -- crime, drugs, suicide, whatever -- on anything other than peer pressure, bad parenting and just plain stupidity. "The music drove them to it" is always going to be a bunch of crap. If anything, the kind of thing your child listens to, and therefore identifies with, is a warning sign rather than a cause. If parents are concerned about their child's choice in music, the day after they OD, shoot up their school or just plain cut their wrists is a day too late. If parents talked to their children about their lives the minute they were concerned about their children's clothes, music taste or general habits, I'm sure we'd see an improvement in certain statistical trends towards teenage idiocy of the fatal variety. At least everybody would understand each other and where they were coming from.
Still, I listen to some of the lyrics coming out of this band and I think, "These guys are going to get sued one day". Because you know that when little wangst-queen Susie gets into a state over being dumped and being a freak and "no one understaaaaaands me", she'll start listening to this stuff before she does anything stupid because, "They feel my pain, y'know?" And then she'll make some half-arsed attempt on her life and might even succeed and then Mummy and Daddy will be devastated and "What happened to our daughter? She was always such a happy child..." (which proves Susie's point about no one understanding her, but never mind) and they'll look for something to blame so they don't have to blame themselves. And it'll be these guys with the lyrics glorifying suicide. And then the shit will really hit the fan.
Frankly, that's not what annoys me. What annoys me is the victim stance the lyrics seem to take. No, my taste in music does not run towards sunshine, rainbows and happy relationships, but at least it's not all about "Oh it all sucks so let's embrace sweet death". With the possible exception of The Smiths, where it's only a few notable songs and who are at least more subtle about it. And sure, most of it, if you listen, tends to revolve around being angry and breaking shit. Yeah, why not? The world should make people angry, the way it's going. The illegal wars, the preponderance of injustices, the outright inability of most people to open their minds to anything that might be conceived as different... I'd rather stand up, scream a lot and blow shit up over being treated like a freak/moron/whatever than just roll over and die 'cos I got dumped or some such bollocks.
Yes, I like the band. The vocals are interesting and the sound they're getting out of their instruments is nice for easy listening. But seriously, the whingeing has got to go. And as for "Bring Me To Life" ... if I ever make any statement that sounds remotely like, "I need some love interest to make me feel alive and whole", I want you to promise me faithfully that you will find the heaviest blunt object that comes to hand and beat me over the head with it repeatedly.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those people who even remotely believes that you can blame the deviant behaviour of your teenager -- crime, drugs, suicide, whatever -- on anything other than peer pressure, bad parenting and just plain stupidity. "The music drove them to it" is always going to be a bunch of crap. If anything, the kind of thing your child listens to, and therefore identifies with, is a warning sign rather than a cause. If parents are concerned about their child's choice in music, the day after they OD, shoot up their school or just plain cut their wrists is a day too late. If parents talked to their children about their lives the minute they were concerned about their children's clothes, music taste or general habits, I'm sure we'd see an improvement in certain statistical trends towards teenage idiocy of the fatal variety. At least everybody would understand each other and where they were coming from.
Still, I listen to some of the lyrics coming out of this band and I think, "These guys are going to get sued one day". Because you know that when little wangst-queen Susie gets into a state over being dumped and being a freak and "no one understaaaaaands me", she'll start listening to this stuff before she does anything stupid because, "They feel my pain, y'know?" And then she'll make some half-arsed attempt on her life and might even succeed and then Mummy and Daddy will be devastated and "What happened to our daughter? She was always such a happy child..." (which proves Susie's point about no one understanding her, but never mind) and they'll look for something to blame so they don't have to blame themselves. And it'll be these guys with the lyrics glorifying suicide. And then the shit will really hit the fan.
Frankly, that's not what annoys me. What annoys me is the victim stance the lyrics seem to take. No, my taste in music does not run towards sunshine, rainbows and happy relationships, but at least it's not all about "Oh it all sucks so let's embrace sweet death". With the possible exception of The Smiths, where it's only a few notable songs and who are at least more subtle about it. And sure, most of it, if you listen, tends to revolve around being angry and breaking shit. Yeah, why not? The world should make people angry, the way it's going. The illegal wars, the preponderance of injustices, the outright inability of most people to open their minds to anything that might be conceived as different... I'd rather stand up, scream a lot and blow shit up over being treated like a freak/moron/whatever than just roll over and die 'cos I got dumped or some such bollocks.
Yes, I like the band. The vocals are interesting and the sound they're getting out of their instruments is nice for easy listening. But seriously, the whingeing has got to go. And as for "Bring Me To Life" ... if I ever make any statement that sounds remotely like, "I need some love interest to make me feel alive and whole", I want you to promise me faithfully that you will find the heaviest blunt object that comes to hand and beat me over the head with it repeatedly.
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no subject
Date: 2005-01-14 12:39 am (UTC)It (can be) all about the context in which you interpret the lyrics.
When I first heard this lot, I thought they sounded good: didn't pay too much attention to what they were saying. Then someone told me they're strict Christians.
So I listened to the lyrics, and damn me but if it ain't so it certainly sounds like it, especially "Bring me back to Life".
Worst line ever: "My God, my tourniquet, return to me salvation!" Ewwww.
Never thought of it in terms of the suicide/victim-stance thing, but it's all still very Christian - suicide being a sin but martyrs get sainthood: where do you draw the line?
no subject
Date: 2005-01-14 10:11 am (UTC)Heroin addiction? Don't see any other possible interpretation of that line.
Never thought of it in terms of the suicide/victim-stance thing, but it's all still very Christian - suicide being a sin but martyrs get sainthood: where do you draw the line?
The motivations are (hopefuly) quite different.
Suicide is wrong because it's throwing away your life meaninglessly. Martyrdom is the ultimate expression of belief in a cause and does good with your death as well as with your life. Suicide is essentially a selfish act, martyrdom is a selfless one.
(Not a Christian, but I can come off sounding like one at times).
no subject
Date: 2005-01-14 05:35 am (UTC)It's rather ironic really, given that the rest of their lyrics are basically "I used to be like this but now there's Jesus." Not wanting to berate anyone for their religious convictions, this is about on a par with "Bring me to life" (as you mentioned) - life used to be fucked but now I've got someone / something to use as a band-aid across the gaping chasm of pointlessness I no longer acknowledge...
Gah. It all sounds nice enough, but grates as soon as you start paying attention. I doubt I'd buy the next album unless they grow up a bit.