Have you ever tried to listen to music analyzing its lyrics?
Do you think that in music there is space for serious problems that the world carries?
Dir en Grey is a Japanese metal band that formed in 1997. Throughout the years the style of music produced by the band has changed a lot, but the meaning of songs never changed.
I don’t want to bore you with the history of the band, but I need to say that the band is very popular not only in Japan, it also has its fans around the world.
Let’s analyze some lyrics. It would be good if you listened to the metal music while reading 😊 let’s begin:
Please prepare for something that touches the depth of your heart.
Starting with Dir en Grey – Vinushka.
Yes. That was the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Kyo (the vocalist) sings about the pain of people who suffered and died during the tragedy.
In songs like these I love the scream of the vocalist. It reminds me that this screaming is nothing compared to the scream made by innocent people. I think that the vocalist is sharing emotions this way and it’s not useless „screaming bla bla blas”.
„The small corner of my un-cheatable heart says "I still want to be here"source: https://genius.com/Dir-en-grey-vinushka-english-translation-lyrics
Who can't we forgive?
I let them hear my cold voice
And I swear
I will live with my work I scream with this body of flesh that separates heaven and hell
I carve the sins What will be the proof of my existence if it disappears with the wind?”
Many singers, many bands sing about taboo topics. That’s because they want to spread the word, their thoughts. They need to let us listeners think about something that is important. We may have a different point of view about something, but such sometimes hard lyrics can make us think the whole night about something. Maybe we’ll see other side of the problem explained?
In my opinion it’s worth to opening people’s minds to different thinking.
Just... please listen to the song. Dir en Grey – embryo.
This one is about problems in family, murder, pedophilia. Maybe we should think about pathology, the fact the children here aren’t bad at all and how can we help them? The whole lyrics are just too hard to quote. Acts covered in the song are common these days, when you hear about some, please react. That’s my though.
Finally. The last song to review.
Dir en Grey – Ningen wo kaburu.
Lyrics: https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107859576576/
For me the chorus is the most important:
„Doesn't matter who's rightMany people just live because they must. They don’t have their own purpose, dreams. Many of them lost ones who they lived for. Many of them live under someone’s rules. We need to talk with people on the edge, our responsibility is to help them, show that life matters, that they can find themselves here alive.
Whose rule do you live by
Who do you live for?
Who would you live for?
Why am I living...?”
And I can go on with many and many of songs of Dir en Grey and other bands, but there are so many.
As I said, sometimes artists want us to think about some problems. Why?
They have very big range, they can reach many of us and let us think about “what is important?”.
The last quote from me and the questions:
„No one wants to talk about the truth that hurts the ear the suppressed minds”
-Dir en Grey - Vinushka
1. Do you know any music bands that try to deliver listeners some values? Please give some examples.
2. What do you think about the chosen quote from the text? Do you agree or disagree with problems encountered in lyrics?
3. If you were a famous singer, what would you sing about? Would you let people think about something touchy / serious?
Comments
If you are interested in bands whose lyrics are pointed towards acute social problems, I can offer something for you.
LOUNA -- a lot of anarchistic songs driven against the system and questioning the value of a single person in this world. Social problems like domestic violence, moral values decay, religion hypocrisy are presented as well.
Otto Dix -- may not be appropriate for everyone, for two reasons:
1) The genre is darkwave -- electrometal mixed with opera vocals and live instruments. By the way, the vocalist is an androgyne male who has a rare mutation of his vocal cords that allows to sing on a frequency higher than the highest possible female voice.
2) The lyrics may be shocking and disturbing. Combined with an opera screams this may give some cripples.
Nevertheless, I mentioned Otto Dix here because their lyrics are a quintessence of taboo topics. Abortions, meaninglessness of a religion, cannibalism, child molestation, corruption, conspiracy theories, rape, nuclear war, dying of a planet, even ero guro.
As you might have noticed, if you googled those bands -- the lyrics are in Russian (in case of Otto Dix even ancient Russian is used partially). The reason that I have mentioned those bands is that performing in language different from English effectively shrinks the audience. Thus, not many Russian bands are well known, despite having masterpiece music of the same level as the worldwide known bands do, sometimes even better.
To get a somewhat summary of what music of those bands is look like, check out:
LOUNA-Сожжённая заживо(Burned alive) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl13IhMUzjU
Otto Dix-Пыль(Dust) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhnv0a1JzLg
Otto Dix-Немой крик(Muted scream) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEKxwyLBxng
It may be that the lyrics were already translated to English by fans, it may be not. If you liked them, google other their songs, and you may contact me if you wold like a translation for them.
I liked Dir En Gray much. The lyrics as well as genre -- one of my favourites. Overall, I admit that music plays a colossal role in human history, but some genres, metal in particular, may not be suitable for everybody. That s why we have acoustic versions and covers. But music indeed fulfills its mission to make people think. It influences them, some songs even can change one's mind and, probably, save from a suicide. History knew such occasions.
Of course I do. For example Korn, Slipknot, Gojira (metal genre), Logic (rap genre).
Gojira - Toxic garbage island
"Take this pestilent destruction out of my way
The great pacific garbage patch is exhausted
And the world is sliding away in a vortex of floating refuse
With the sacred one you have lost"
Logic - Legacy
"And as how we as human beings sacrifice health for money, ain't it funny?
'Cause in the end we spent all our money on repairing our body and mind
When we really should have just spent time"
2. What do you think about the chosen quote from the text? Do you agree or disagree with problems encountered in lyrics?
I like the second quote you mentioned there and I like what you think and wrote about it. I can totally agree with you.
3. If you were a famous singer, what would you sing about? Would you let people think about something touchy / serious?
Maybe about things I've came through and tell them how to make it? Or maybe do something like Logic with his song "1-800-273-8255". The song's name is the phone number for the American National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL).
According to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL), in the three weeks following the single's release, calls directed to the NSPL rose by 27%, while visits to their website increased from 300,000 to 400,000 over the following months.
That's incredible, isn't it?
Well, maybe Luxtorpeda, Kabanos, and some of punk bands ?
2. What do you think about the chosen quote from the text? Do you agree or disagree with problems encountered in lyrics?
Music is very, very important for a lot of people. Songs about hard topics and people problems might be helpful for them.
3. If you were a famous singer, what would you sing about? Would you let people think about something touchy / serious?
Hard to say - maybe in a few of my songs :)
Yes, there is something in these quotes. In my opinion, music, the real music, not the majority of the pop-culture trash, is nothing but digested emotions. Sharing these emotions makes people react in the specific way. Reaction brings thoughts. Thoughts bring action.
As I wrote, I listen to what can touch me, and most of the times only me, emotionally. Probably, I wouldn't sing about global problems, concentrating only on my personal stuff, so there would a be a pretty boring songs :)
If I were a famous singer, I think that I would sing about everything that surrounds me or inspires me, basically about life.
my idol is "sokół"
the number "money does not stink"
and the quote "They are with me is great, when I'm not there I'm in the ass
Because even if I had big plans for dreams I will not buy anything. "
Everyone sings what he wants, with one you have to agree with others, not exactly with my quote, I agree in 1000%. However, not every song lyrics are real and many people sing about nothing.
If I was a singer, I would certainly give what people want, if they wanted to hear the truth, I would give it to them if it was not for me to write some nonsense, but people would be happy.
http://dailypicksandflicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Lyrics-now-and-then.jpg
I think everything depends on your target group. If you are a pop or singer you just care about the catchy rhythm and not about the lyrics.
If you are an artist you probably care about the meaning of a song you are writing and rhythm and text is the same important.
If I were a famous singer I would like to sing about something meaningful, something what I have wrote and is important to me.
(Скрябин - Не будь рагульом, не пий за рульом)
Behind the wheel, you should not drink, because his wife and children are waiting
To live and love as we all dream.
But if that happened, it wanted and fell apart
And promille already went up then look for a taxi.
Or
(Скрябин - Руїна)
Poles Warsaw, biґus, жurik and flasks
Marie Curie, too, by the way, Pole
You ski in on them, you know their language
You catch yourself thinking that you respect them.
And my country - a solid ruin, and proudly walks in caps and sweatpants
And my country is a solid ruin, how can you not love your land so much?
In Ukrainian, these texts are rhymed.
I agree that every country, nation, group of people has its own important topics. For example, I would not listen to songs where there is the theme of "problems of suicide", because I do not have such a problem and I am not interested in it.
If I were a singer, I would not sing about problems. I would sing about joyful moments in order to lighten the mood, and not aggravate it.
As I answered to Kyrylo, your bands will be included into my evening session of listening to music and analysing lyrics. It's something like ritual for me and I like deep lyrics. About song with phone number that's really amazing, it's good to think about the others. The way how this song spread is good. Even if it could save ONE life it's amazing. It's ONE LIVING HUMAN BEEING more! One can find themselve in this world again, look into sky and think about how to change his/her state in life, how to start again. You impressed me! Thank you :)
Really appreciate your recommendations! If I will not forget I'll comment here what I think about these bands, some songs etc. THANK YOU!
What about emotions you said... I was on the show made by Dir en Grey. I must say that behind playing music, the show that they made, inscenizations etc. gave me shiver, paralized me. As a big fan of 'em I know which song is about what. I even felt how his voice was breaking during singing about some topics. I was amazed. Could you recommend me some songs which in your opinion are worth listening to?
I'm also tired about this pop-culture trash stars :v
I'm not just another weeaboo which listen only to japanese bands, metal, rock etc. I'm listening to many genres of music. But sorry, I can not stand some of polish rap / hip-hop / reggae bands. Singing about: prostitution, drugs, money, beating other people, smoking weed... That's so.. pathetic, patologic. This is something terrible for me...
Well, also like you I would sing about surroundings and maybe some taboo topics, but mom always used to say I'm better bassist than vocalist :D I just can not train my voice, it's much harder for me :D
That's true, everything depends on target group, but simply, as I mentioned some comments above I can not stand some of rap / hip-hop / reggae lyrics :/
It's good to sing about your important things, you can inspire someone to change their lives as those things changed yours.
I like the second one, this is the excample of good liric that people can relate to -> it's like hearing their own thoughts -> it gives feeling, that we are not alone in our problems.
If I were a singer or musican I'd simply be plaing what's comes in my mind, something that's congruent with my emotions and believes. It all depends of my mood in particular situation.
And yes, I also agree that we need to be in mood to listen to some music, sometimes we just want to listen to something very casual / popular and sometimes we want to analyze what's behind the music.
PEACE and thank you :)
I see many of you like the 2nd quote. Did you also enjoyed the song as it's hard due to screams of vocalist? :D
And also, I can agree that we connect ourselves with some songs, I had one song which I refered to during hard period of my life. I even wanted to tattoo it on my chest, I mean the lyrics. But I changed for better and now not longer reffering to this song, but I still like it. It kinda helped me sometimes :)
But I don't want to share the song and artist's name due to "emo" feeling behind it which would make me embarassed :V