lyrics | Piss and Moan

Hold up

Posted on February 3, 2021 by backuphill

Hold up, hold up. Wait, wait, wait! Freeze! Hit pause. Stop the presses. Slam on the brakes.

This isn’t the first time I have addressed this and I am sure it won’t be the last, but this couldn’t be any better of an example than what the music industry (and society as a whole) have in regards to a HUGE DOUBLE STANDARD.

“Kettle, you’re black.”

“Oh yeah well, Pot, you’re black too.”

Morgan Wallen has essentially been banned from radio for use of the N-word while hanging out with people he knew. Are his actions appropriate? Nope. Not in the least. Am I defending him? Nope.

What I am doing is pointing out the huge double standard that the music industry and the public have when it comes to use of the N-word. Seriously. The double standard couldn’t be any more obvious and blatant.

I am sure you are aware, or maybe you aren’t, but nearly every popular rap musician these days uses some form of the N-word IN THE LYRICS OF THEIR SONGS. The use isn’t an accidental slip, or under your breath muttering that was caught on tape – it’s intentional and calculated. Period. These songs are played on the radio (with the blatant words bleeped out), on streaming services without (and without) the words being bleeped out, in music videos (censored and not), and even on television (with the words bleeped out).

These musicians make public appearances, are celebrated by the music industry and the public, and have huge endorsement contracts with some of the most popular and recognizable names in the world. As an example, check out the lyrics of songs by Travis Scott. After looking at the lyrics, would it surprise you that he has endorsement contracts with Nike, Playstation, Fortnite, McDonalds, etc. totaling about a $100 million? Remember his NFL Superbowl halftime appearance/performance a last year? He was embraced, not ostracized. This is just one example. Just ONE example. There are so many more. The genre is full of it. Just pick someone that is popular in rap right now, or someone that was popular, and you will find lyrics that use the N-word.

So, it isn’t a secret in the industry. It’s just hypocrisy. It’s just a double standard. It’s just a “do as I say, not as I do” message from one community to another. Just plain, “It’s OK for some, but not for others.”

Yet, we have an example here where someone uses the word and there are consequences that amount to a “ten foot pole” for one guy and a whole genre of music that uses the word and it’s open arms for the artists and they can’t throw enough money at them.

I don’t get it. What am I missing?

Freeloading

Posted on April 24, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

You know that song by Tom Petty called “Free Fallin'”? In case you aren’t familiar with it, you can see and hear it here.

It’s a good song. Catchy and all.

However, someone is missing the boat by not rewriting the lyrics to “Free loadin'”. I am sure it would be a huge money maker. Ok, maybe not huge but it probably would make some. I am not that musically inclined, or poetic, so I am not sure I can do it. There has to be someone with a gift for this sort of thing.

Why, you ask? Well, because we live in a society that has a whole bunch of people who are free loadin’ off of the rest of us and it kind gets a little irritating. Those free loaders should have a theme song. At least we would know what they were really up to or we could see them coming before they get here.

Oh, and while we’re at it, it looks like the 2020 presidential race is going to have a few people running for the office that could also use the song as their campaign theme song as they promise to give people everything for nothing. A whole society of free loadin’! Good golly, Miss Molly, won’t that be a utopia worth singing about?

Perhaps Tom, if he were still around, could be convinced to rewrite it himself.

Maybe he would be into that sort of thing, social commentary and economic systems. Seems like a hit to me.

What other songs do you think could be rewritten so that it more accurately reflected the current events?

Music and explicit lyrics

Posted on January 8, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Breakingpic on Pexels.com

What is the deal with music and explicit lyrics these days? It seems as though, as a listener, it is becoming harder and harder to avoid. If you look at the top 50 on iTunes and on Amazon (“Best of What’s New to Prime”), at least 30% of the music has the [Explicit] tag with the title. So what gives?

Why does an artist feel the need to express themselves this way? Yes, I know about the whole Freedom of Speech thing, but that isn’t really the issue. The issue is the fact that the explicit lyrics aren’t necessary. It doesn’t improve the song. It doesn’t make the message of the song more meaningful. Music sold without the inclusion of such language in the past and music did well without it.

Perhaps it is just a genre thing? Maybe. I looked at the “50 Great Modern Country Songs” on Amazon music and there was only ONE with explicit language in it. Interesting.

All I know is that it is irritating to me. It perhaps should be irritating to you as well.