500 Word Music Connection Essay

There are many songs today that talk about the sociological issues of the period.  Some artists talk about them more than others but there are many to choose from.  The artists I looked through were and still are some of the most popular artists and groups of today’s time. 

            The first song that I found had to do with the struggle of the working class.  Bruce Springsteen’s “Factory” talks about that struggle through the eyes of a young boy.  The lyrics state: “Through the mansions of fear, through the mansions of pain, I see my daddy walking through them factory gates in the rain, Factory takes his hearing, factory gives him life, The working, the working, just the working life.” The problem with this social class is that it is almost impossible to rise out of it.  I think that this is what Springsteen is trying to relay in this song.  You have to work so hard just to survive with a factory job and you can’t afford to quit in order to find a better job because you just don’t get paid enough to save any money.  It is extremely hard to better your life when you are living paycheck to paycheck.

            My second song is “Drowning” by Hootie and the Blowfish.  This song addresses the problem between races and the views between them.  The lyrics say: “Drowning in a sea of tears, Hatred trying to hide your fears, Living only for yourself, Hating everybody else, ‘Cause they don’t look like you.” Today there still tends to be some segregation in our communities even if it wasn’t intentional.  Some people are actually afraid to interact with a different race.  Hootie and the Blowfish in this song is trying to bridge the gap between races and bring everyone a little bit closer.

            The third song I selected also discussed racial discrimination in today’s society.  “One” by Creed talks about our country being united through races and not hold one superior to another.  The lyrics: “the goal is to be unified, Take my hand be my brother… Society blind by color, why hold down one to raise another… One, oh, one the only way is one.”  These lyrics stress the need to be unified as a nation and eliminate discrimination of any form from our lives.

            Music is a very popular way to get people thinking about an issue.  Everyone listens to music and look up to their favorite artists.  These artists have a tremendous amount of power over their listeners and it is almost irresponsible to not use that power towards the greater good of our country and for humanity.