The first post I ever wrote for this blog was about my musical tastes revolving newer and older styles. I remember that practically from the second I mentioned Harry Chapin's Cats in the Cradle, I had the urge to listen to that song again versus everything else I mentioned. In the back of my head I never really questioned this, and that is because of something I simply always felt was true, but maybe it is time that I fully questioned it.
What is the novelty or songs about depressing subjects that are more intriguing than songs about more uplifting subjects?
For whatever reason, I can not remember the last time I sat down and listened to a piece of music that was about someone simply having a good time. I can think of several songs of this nature, and several that I like, but I cannot remember the last time that I picked one of those out to listen to. More often than not, I prefer something like the aforementioned Harry Chapin piece. Or perhaps one of Jim Croce's heartbreaking pieces on broken relationships or horrible people.
It does not help that even upbeat songs can get into these subjects. Take the classic song Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head, by BJ Thomas. The beat tells me I should be happy, and the lyrical flow talks about a man who seems to roll with the punches, but the lyrics themselves very much imply the guy has little to nothing to be happy about. Granted, that certainly makes the piece uplifting for the many who need to hear that, that life doesn't have to get you down.
Honestly that's sort of the main reason I wanted to talk about depressing music. Out of all media and forms of art, I find music the be the one that can nail this message very well. Music has the power to make us connect with what is going on, on an emotional level that things like books and movies can't even get to. It is weird how a purely audial art form can make us connect better than something we see as well as hear, but I suppose the idea of closer your eyes and picturing it for yourself has some power when it comes to raw emotion.
When I was in high school, I remember often listening to the music of Vampire Weekend whenever I was feeling down. My idea was that if I wasn't feeling all that great, I may as well listen to the melancholy or overtly depressing tones the band would over, so I could ride out my emotional state faster. I have no idea if this was smart nor practical, and certainly no idea if it worked, but it is interesting to note that while I could have just laid down and cried my eyes out, I instead decided to let my emotions be carried away by music.
Maybe my question isn't so much why depressing music is the best kind, but why we can let music ride our emotions more than anything else. Of course, I will still argue over the depressing lyrics or tone over something bouncier or carefree, as I do not personally have experience listening to happier music to get over a funk, but that is a personal experience and I am sure there are many who could argue the opposite. That's the fun of art. No one is truly right or wrong, it is all based on interpretations and personal experiences. One person's favorite song of all time is guaranteed to be someone else's most hated song of all time, and there is nothing wrong with that.
I suppose what I was trying to do was decipher the feel meaning of personal connections toward music styles, lyrics, bands, and overall feelings people have with them. This is hard to do with any art form, but thinking it over, I think music may be one of the hardest ones to do this with.
I guess the answer to my question is that for myself, yes, the raw emotional dump of something like Don McLean's American Pie or Wham's Everything She Wants is more powerful over something like Grand Funk Railroad's We're An American Band or Lou Bega's Mambo Number 5. Just for comparison sake, all of those songs are ones that I have purchased and listen to, my argument is that while I like many songs, there will most likely always be that connection I personally have to them that makes me crave listening to one over the other. I can enjoy Tom Jones singing about an attractive woman, whilst enjoying a break-up or falling out of love song even more.
And I guess that is as far as my point can be made. Music is special to all of us, and whether we prefer the blues or country, I think there may be some kind of correlation that is special to each and every one of us. Whether you like ballads or songs that only last a minute or less. There is something special about our connection to music.