Column: Liberally Speaking
“I don’t want to be an American idiot. One nation controlled by the media.” These lyrics are probably familiar to most students who are somewhat up to speed with the music scene. This Green Day hit is played again and again on radio stations throughout the country along with several other songs that carry a similar message. These songs are speaking out against President Bush’s failures and criticize the American government as a whole. This characteristic, among others, is what attracts me to this type of music.
That being said, last week I was sitting in my economics class and as the professor began preaching to the students that Democrats should never be elected to office, my mind began to wander. Questions began popping up like, “Isn’t the music that is popular today – rock, punk and hip hop – made by liberals, maybe even for liberals?”
Now, granted conservatives have their music too, I mean there is no doubt that country is for the true-blooded conservative. Artists like Big N Rich, Tim McGraw and Toby Keith come to mind. Artists that sing about a pro-war agenda, riding cowboys instead of horses and putting boots in peoples rectums clearly speak to the conservative. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think people, regardless of their political views, should listen to whatever music they want. My point is simply that there are some ties between music and politics and while I would never listen to the latest Keith Urban record, why do conservatives have no problem popping in Death Cab For Cutie’s new CD and happily bobbing their heads to the beat?
Well, these questions subsided as I left economics and strolled to the TSC, where I saw a good number of students walking to class with headphones in their ears. Seeing as how we live in Logan, Utah, it is clear that the majority of these students are conservative, but what is playing in those headphones? They couldn’t all be listening to country, could they? And seeing as how the popular radio stations in Utah play music like Green Day, it is clear that conservatives are listening to music that is written and played by liberals. I am by no means criticizing them for listening to this music, I just wonder why.
Maybe conservatives don’t care who the music was written by or for, and maybe they listen simply because it is good music. Is it possible that the anti-Bush lyrics are a mere inconvenience to these listeners, a small obstacle in the way of good music? I guess in the end, my point is that it doesn’t really matter.
Music, at its most basic level, should make the listener feel good, and while there are clear political messages in many songs today, if the song is good, then in should be listened to. Wether a conservative is singing his/her lungs out to another Billie Joe punk hit or a liberal is riding cowboys instead or horses, as long as the listener is uplifted, that is the bottom line. So, listen on students, and as the late Kurt Cobain said, “If it’s illegal to rock and roll, then throw my (butt) in jail.”
Adam Strong is a sophomore majoring in business. Comments can be sent to him at adamstrong@cc.usu.edu.