10 songs that will change your perspective !!
In its rawest form, music is the artistic expression of all our thoughts, hopes, beliefs and fears through the manipulation of sound; mirroring both the human condition and our interaction with this mysterious world we find ourselves in. Of course, trying to apply this definition to a song like 'My Humps' in any logical sense can cause constipation-like strain; the best thing I can come up with is that yes, men like boobs, we get it, trust me. But as with any kind of art, there is the stuff that is simply meant to entertain and not tire delicate minds and then there are pieces that really came from someone's heart, a feeling or an idea, that they immediately put on a canvas or record on a CD to share with others. Here are 10 songs of the latter, some of my personal favourites that changed the way I look at things and hopefully will do the same for you.
Pink Floyd - Time
Exceedingly hard as it was to pick out the Pink Floyd track with the most powerful message, I eventually concluded that the power of this particularly monumental piece had the greatest effect on me, simply because it focused on the most disturbing fact about life; it's inevitably going to end. Weather you're Chinese or Mexican, Muslim or Christian, conservative or liberal, stupid or smart; it doesn't matter, we all have an unspecified amount of time here and have no way of knowing what fate holds for us tomorrow. A very wise person once told me that time is our most valuable asset, if you undermine its value, life will flash by and you'll have done nothing. The sooner you confront this devastating fact, the sooner you will be on the road to becoming the person you want to be; by using your time wisely.
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.
Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.
Find it on: The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
The Flaming Lips - Fight Test
I'm always blown away by how these guys can place fantastic ideas and insights within a science fiction concept album such as this, to me this is the height of artistic expression. It is a known psychological concept that people can become 'invested' in beliefs in their attempt to explain the world and make themselves feel comforted. Yet our minds are as complex as the world around us and this gift of thought must have been given to us for a reason; to seek truth. This can be applied to religious faith as much as faith in the capitalist system or even the kind of music you 'think' you like, don't accept things that have been handed to you. Because by first admitting that you know nothing and then taking it from there, this might actually lead you to a different path altogether or actually strengthen your original belief. Either way, you're a step closer to reality.
I don't know where the sun beams end and the star light begins
It's all a mystery
And I don't know how a man decides what right for his
Own life - it's all a mystery
Find it on: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
Jimi Hendrix - Castles Made of Sand
Even before the Freudian explanation of the ego put our psychological obsession with the self on paper, man has lived within his own mind and put barriers between himself and others around him, mainly driven by the fear of 'the other'. This has manifested itself in many other ways, especially with the formation of nations and dogmatic religions, and has had disastrous consequences. However, it may be a step towards human unity if we can truly comprehend that we all share suffering and misfortunes in our life, like the various stories told in this incredible song. We all dream and wish for the best future possible, but life has a way of wiping everything out in a moment, which is a thought that should bring us together rather than push us apart.
And so castles made of sand, melt into the sea
eventually.
Find it on: Axis Bold as Love (1967)
Timothy Leary - Live and let live
I've always been fascinated by the power and emotion of the hippie movement and equally about how quickly it was wiped out. Pretty much the only thing that remains from the peace and love era is the fashion (the 'vintage' look is apparently back), which is disturbing if you listen to some of the great things that were being called for. I'm not going to speculate weather it was the drug use or government intervention that killed the movement, and I'm also not going to glorify some of the obvious stupidity that occurred, but I will say this; at the heart of it was an overwhelming sense of unity that has disappeared. Timothy Leary was one of the main political and philosophical figures of the 'revolution', and this record is a great place to start if you want to understand what it was really about. Not to mention Jimi Hendrix getting psychedelic on bass !
The function of government should be to put itself out of business
Get the control and power back into the hands of the people, the neighbourhoods
Where it belongs
Find it on: You Can Be Anyone This Time Around (1970)
Immortal Technique - The 4 th Branch
At every step of the day we have tons of unwanted data shoved into our heads through television, billboards, the internet, etc, that affects us both consciously and subconsciously. Plus, if you realize that the world is controlled by bizarre power structures of government & corporation that control this media then you should worry. And when these people in control use terms like 'Axis of Evil' you should really, really worry. Basically, this mind blowing track off hip-hop pioneer Immortal Technique's second album is a full on attack on the current American Government, but specifically how they control the media, with it being the '4 th branch' of the government. However, the messages are universal in nature, because at the end it is an attack on abused power in general, especially if it controls something as seemingly innocent and widespread as the media.
How could this be, the land of the free, home of the brave?
Indigenous holocaust, and the home of the slaves?
Corporate America , dancin' offbeat to the rhythm
You really think this country never sponsored terrorism?
Human rights violations, we continue the saga
El Savador and the contras in Nicaragua
And on top of that, you still wanna take me to prison
Just cause I won't trade humanity for patriotism
Flow like the blood of Abraham through the Jews and the Arabs
Broken apart like a woman's heart, abused in a marriage
The brink of holy war, bottled up, like a miscarriage
Embedded correspondents don't tell the source of the tension
And they refuse to even mention, European intervention
Or the massacres in Jenin, the innocent screams
U.S. manufactured missles, and M-16's
Weapon contracts and corrupted American dreams
Media censorship, blocking out the video screens
A continent of oil kingdoms, bought for a bargain
Democracy is just a word, when the people are starvin'
Turn off the news and read.
Find it on: Revolutionary Vol. 2 (2003)
Bob Dylan - Blowin in the wind
Though musically this is not Dylan's greatest work, its powerful words led it to international acclaim. The beauty I see here comes from the fact that it poses a number of philosophical questions on the nature of injustice and intolerance then quite simply declares that there is no real reason for any of it. In itself, this is both a motivating factor for positive change but at the same time it's depressing, leaving you with a feeling that perhaps all these horrible things are just human nature and will happen regardless. A person, after all, in the context of an entire civilization that has been already fragmented and dumbed-down with trivialities, is not powerful on his own. Change will only happen when a substantial amount of us literally make it impossible for the controlling powers to go on with their set ways, and that won't happen while you're on facebook.
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
Find it on: The Freewheelin Bob Dylan (1963)
Gil Scott Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
The words of this poet are as relevant now as they were during the civil rights movement; if you're going to fight for a cause then you better be in it for the right reasons and whole heartedly, not just to look 'cool' and be part of a group. This was also one of the first to attack the superficial effect that television has had on us, best described by the Arabic expression 'mat aflemsh'! Brought into a broader context today, when I see people supporting 'causes' on facebook groups or witnessing a crises then updating their 'status' to reflect it, that just becomes incredibly retarded and was actually one of the main reasons why I deactivated my account. Yes, TV and sites like facebook have good uses, just don't be mislead into believing that any of this is real, because it's not, and it is in the interests of the powers that be to keep you preoccupied with trivialities.
The revolution will not be right back after a message The revolution will not go better with Coke. The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath. The revolution will put you in the driver's seat. The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be live.
Find it on: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (1970)
Adam Freeland - We Want Your Soul
Adam Freeland is definitely one of my modern heroes, not just for pioneering the breakbeat genre but for injecting thought into dance music, nowhere more so than this attack on the insane capitalist and marketing mentally that's engulfing the world. Perhaps this description seems a bit strange to you, since all of this has become the norm, especially here in Egypt (just look at the crowds in Carre Four or City Stars). No one is telling you to become a puritan or mormon, but when your life revolves around the size of your car or the brand of your underwear, and you use these things to define you as a person, something is very wrong. Not just because of the principle of it, but you end up making all the decisions and using your time to support this hideous obsession that was planted in our heads to benefit the corporations.
Here's programs, here's matters, here's Britney, here's Cola
Here's pizza, here's TV, here's some rock and some rolla
Watch commercials, more commercials, watch Jerry, not Oprah
Buy a better life from the comfort of your sofa
Here's popcorn, here's magazines, here's milkshake, here's blue jeans
here's padded bras, here's long cars, here's football shirts, here's baseball caps
Your Cash, Your House, Your Phone, Your Life
We Want your soul
Find it on: Now and Them (2003)
Eric Idle - The Galaxy Song
Yep, that's Eric Idle of the comedy pioneer group Monty Python, performed in The Meaning of Life. Obviously blessed as a musician, his comedy background gives a humorous, but ultimately true look at how insignificant we really are. In the context of all this, day to day problems seem very, very silly.
Whenever life gets you down, Mrs. Brown,
And things seem hard or tough,
And people are stupid, obnoxious or daft,
And you feel that you've had quite enough,
Just remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolving
And revolving at nine thousand miles an hour.
Our universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding,
In all of the directions it can whiz;
As fast as it can go, that's the speed of light, you know,
Twelve million miles a minute and that's the fastest speed there is.
So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure,
How amazingly unlikely is your birth;
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space,
'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth!
Find it on: The Meaning of Life OST
John Lennon - Imagine
Before you cringe, roll your eyes or shout out "lame!", just for one minute try to do what the song suggests. Taking the words at face value with the entire 'cheese factor' associated with it will lead you no where, you will continue dismissing it as 'utopian'. But if you actually try to clear your mind of bias and the drilled down ideas that we must accept our so called 'bad' human nature and the given systems, you will realize that this is no doubt one of the most beautiful songs ever written and should essentially be the anthem of the world. I want to understand, why is it that we're afraid of (at least striving for) utopia? It has almost become uncool to think like this. There are no external evil forces at work here, just a bunch of us on this planet creating our own rules. We have achieved a lot in our time here in terms of science and the arts; now why not try to evolve?
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no country
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
Find it on: Imagine (1971)