Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Today's Music Ain't Got the Same Soul

Ah, Motown in the 60s and 70s. Nothing better. Not sure about now. For the most part, I only listen to oldies. I know some of those old groups are still out there. Like the Temptations. We went to see them on Sunday. One of them (the guy in the middle of the photo) was in the original group that has been performing for 58 years. Assuming that he was 18 when he started (and I don't know, I'm assuming) then he would be 76 now. Good for him! Great job!

But one thing that really stood out for me was the song lyrics. My Girl (my favorite) - "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day." The Way You Do the Things You Do - "You got a smile so bright, you know you could have been a candle."  Lady Soul - "You are my life, you make me whole".

No bitches and hoes. Except for a few "social commentary songs" it's all about how good that woman makes you feel and how lucky you are to have her or how awful it's going to be to lose her.

 Assuming that popular music is a reflection of society, I have to wonder what happened. The 60s and 70s were decades of great social upheaval and strife - far from idyllic. And what I'm going to say next is a broad generalization but I think that back then, song lyrics reflected our ideals more than our reality.  Anyone else have any thoughts on the subject?


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