Musicians Responsibilities.

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Reverend_Reason

The Voice of Reason
Oct 1, 2005
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Well,

Many people feel they have no need to take responsibilities as a writer, and indded feel that someone's death has nothing to do with them because the deceased we're worthless anyway.

I have a different personal view with this sort of situation. I am a guitarist, pianist, song-writer and as for myself I would be devastated if some poor emotionally insecure child/teen exhausted and extinguished their existence over a piece of work I had penned.

My view is that, as the artist I owe to what's left of society an explaination of what I have written. Since I write about many truly controversial aspects and subjects, it is fairly easy to mis-interpret what I am actually trying to point out.

In tracks like "Sycophant Political Suicide" my concept is not of the apparent act of suicide, but following your heart and doing what is morally correct and proper. Meaning, not being a tool of Governmental control.

Starve the youth with nihilistic abortions,
pre-meditated syndrom, brain washed, forcefed,
slit a throat, bleed forth faith,
fill your cup and drink again,
belief in yourselves with paganistic grins,
war of arms with war of hands,
war of hearts in wars of man;

Suicide in the front lines, Suicide in the front lines,
Suicide in the front lines, Suicide in the front lines,
kneel down and die,

Decide what it is we're bred for,
patriot parrot with suits, ties, and cold eyes,
lies of a free new world,
these immoralistic values,
placed on deemed worthless lives,
cure this pain to breathe your last;

Suicide in the front lines, Suicide in the front lines,
Suicide in the front lines, Suicide in the front lines,
kneel down and die,

when will we learn to raise the dead? cradle the youth, bottle fed,
mountains moved to the sea, as we are the children, we are free,

Suicide in the front lines,

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In "Someday I'll be a Saint" I discuss the idea of in my passing, wondering if the deeds I have done will make any impact on individuals I connected with as well as those who heard my words.

Well mother I've been to the dark side,
where no man he runs but everyone hides,
that something inside,
it grows like a dream,
and fades like a storm,
with no one around and nothing to show what you're fighting for,

I know someday I'll be a saint, I know by the color of my grave,
I know someday I'll be a saint, it's clear when she whispers my name,

Sister I've spent many a night,
searching the stars and begging the moon,
for some sign life,
I walked in these clouds, and I've played with the fire,
someday I'll speak in tongues of the dead,
and I'll call them all liars,

I know someday I'll be a saint, I know by the color of my grave,
I know someday I'll be a saint, it's clear when she whispers my name,

I wish you all good luck,
in the end when I'm gone nothing's left,
pretend I was always there,
I never stood away,
drama queens,
back alley dreams now that I'm dead,

I know someday I'll be a saint, I know by the color of my grave,
I know someday I'll be a saint, it's clear when she whispers my name,

Well Father I bled for many,
a wounded night has become day,
have you forgotten my past?
can you remember my name?
this walk is so heavy,
when you carry this shame.

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However, in "Neglected" I scream to myself the truth that what I have learned growing and maturing in our environment that I have time for nothing except myself. Believing that this is wrongly taught I reach to impressionable ears that as youth (even though I am 25) they/we are not alone in the struggle to become ourselves.

I was the hate that you breed, infected with seeds of defeat,
I am the air that you breathe, pollution that proclaims disease,
look in these hollow eyes, just to see what remains,
your lies and false promises, they were my failing dreams;

(bridge)
you can't hold me down,
you can't make me scream,
I could never understand why you gave up on me,
I forced myself to believe I am everything I ever received

I'd scream so loud, (you wouldn't hear a word),
I begged for your love, (this heart you burned),
I'd plead for your trust, (you only sneer),
I scream so loud only deaf ears can hear,

I was the pain that cripples your spine, thought I was twisting tearing divine,
I was the sadness in your eyes, cryptic codes of the unwise,
15 held for a cry of release, 16 said we were all too late,
that hand you lent to help didn't do shit for me;

(bridge)
you can't hold me down,
you can't make me scream,
I could never understand why you gave up on me,
I forced myself to believe I am everything I ever received

I'd scream so loud, (you wouldn't hear a word),
I begged for your love, (this heart you burned),
I'd plead for your trust, (you only sneer),
I scream so loud only deaf ears can hear,

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Finally in "Social Tragedy" I speak about my mouth on the barrel so to speak. Which in the end, becomes a positive experience in hence I realized my true worth.

They switched it on you again,
did you ever think about what you brought into this world?
you said hate is kinda like a house pet,
you're all number one on my list,
this moment of my last breath,
I see the truth;

let me do this,

I feel so empty inside, was I ever really alive?
at least I tried, I did this to myself,
feed the clip/pull the trigger, only do it once,
but it makes such a mess;

they never asked if it was healthy,
they said they saw the stars,
they said they saw what life really was,
when we were high they called it abuse,
I begged my soul for silence,
for once I never gave in,
they say we lived a tragic death;

let me do this,

I feel so empty inside, was I ever really alive?
at least I tried, I did this to myself,
feed the clip/pull the trigger, only do it once,
but it makes such a mess;

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Then songs like "Typical Sin" is about facing everything that I am/have become and understanding that even though there are those around me that I can lead to for support, the ultimate decisions are indeed mine.

Another room grows dim, yesterday seems so far away,
today I see what I've become, as I pray tomorrow fades away,
I live a suicidal stairway to nowhere, here there are no helping hands,
where the only hope is to not wake up, wishing for the breathing to end.

I'm slipping farther away, I can't help it.
My typical sin was born too late.

This screamin headache makes me hate myself,
lost, loved, looked back, for something,
anything that could make me hold on,
tied hands, dead lands, fallen sands,
there is no hope in laying down.

How cold is love, it strips the flesh away,
like a folded promise fuck-you, just being dead another day,
when your core becomes so empty, there's nothing left to bleed away,
when you become so fucking typical it's time to waste away.

- one look in the mirror - this mask begins to decay
- my ashes blow away - so this story remains untold.

I'm slipping farther away, I can't help it.
My typical sin was born too late.

This screamin headache makes me hate myself,
lost, loved, looked back, for something,
anything that could make me hold on,
tied hands, dead lands, fallen sands,
there is no hope in laying down.

When the sun rises darkness settles on my soul,
salvation is at the end of a road full of holes,
clenched fist is just a reason for you to carve out my throat,
my edges are now frayed and I can't force these words out.

This is my typical sin.. that was born too late.
when you become so fucking typical it's time to waste away.

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"(ST)ripped Beyond" is the classic break up still In Love song. What I have done is paint myself a picture of forcing the ex to sit, and watch me extract the mental and emotional pain that was caused by her words and actions in physical force on myself to try and vocalize the hurt and trauma.


I've been stripped beyond my nerves, I'm nothing left to love.
watch me feed on the pain that you made me cause.. see it in my eyes,
the expression on my face, brought to surface, erase.

Sit, relax, (shhh), quiet now, it's ok, this is for you,
didn't you ask for this? isn't this what gets you off?
a tunnel vision fixation bore more holes in my chest,
am I really the cold hearted bastard, cry me to sleep,
you lied for this, cried for this, hide from this, die with this,
should I fist myself, tear myself, bleed myself? Lost,
this time.. no one to blame.. you, myself, this hell, fuck,
this is my gift to you, does it eat out your desire?

I've been stripped beyond my nerves, I'm nothing left to love.
watch me feed on the pain that you made me cause.. see it in my eyes,
the expression on my face, brought to surface, erase.

please play, blades dirty, sharp wrist, quick twist,
clenched teeth, dry roots, how deep is your pleasure?
taste me paradise coagulate, drink my life, I'd love to be cold,
my needs to share a bed we've made, hands around my throat,
toungue lashings, poison words, in this fold I get fucked,
words were a warning, promise's that were to come,
ignorance such a peaceful vixon, what she left behind,
a psychological suffering, this is my 5 minutes of fucking fame,

I've been stripped beyond my nerves, I'm nothing left to love.
watch me feed on the pain that you made me cause.. see it in my eyes,
the expression on my face, brought to surface, erase.

See me, sacrifice, myself, my Love, my fault, my failure,
not good enough, never good enough, never had enough.

I've been stripped beyond my nerves, I'm nothing left to love.
watch me feed on the pain that you made me cause.. see it in my eyes,
the expression on my face, brought to surface, erase.

Sit, relax, (shhh), quiet now, it's ok, this is for you,
didn't you ask for this? isn't this what gets you off?
a tunnel vision fixation bore more holes in my chest,
am I really the cold hearted bastard, cry me to sleep,
you lied for this, cried for this, hide from this, die with this,
should I fist myself, tear myself, bleed myself? Lost,
this time.. no one to blame.. you, myself, this hell, fuck,
this is my gift to you, does it eat out your desire?

I've been stripped beyond my nerves, I'm nothing left to love.
watch me feed on the pain that you made me cause.. see it in my eyes,
the expression on my face, brought to surface, erase. (X2)

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I guess that about sums it up for me.... for now. Once again, as an artist to artists... you should feel that you are responsible for that which you create. and it is very important to remember that all music has no basis, no foundation, and no message of fair or foul until "We" give it that being.

Always.
Rev
 
It's very unlikely that a person will kill themselves over the lyrics to a song, regardless of how "meaningful" they find it to be. There are always bigger reasons behind the death, not the least of which is retardation.

But regardless, I don't see how a musician, writing about depressive and troublesome topics (or whatever it is to push someone over the edge) is going to be able to stop that person from interpreting the lyrics in a manner they see fit. That is ofcourse unless you completely desist from sharing said lyrics - in which case, here I would not object to it.

Anyway, I didn't read your lyrics, so I hope you sleep well tonight knowing I am not now on the verge of suicide as a result of your song.
 
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