Success:
Weezer, “Beverly Hills”, Rock, 2005
Fergie, “Glamorous”, Pop, 2007
Jennifer Lopez, “Jenny From the Block”, Pop, 2002
Jay-z, “Big Pimpin”, Rap, 1999
Queen, “We are the Champions”, Rock, 1977
Liberation:
Sufjan Stevens, “Chicago”, Indie/Folk, 2005
John Lennon, “Imagine”, Rock, 1971
Frou Frou, “Let Go”, Indie/Electronica, 2002
Lynard Skynard, “Freebird”, Rock, 1973
REM “End of the World”, Rock, 1987
The songs above are examples of popular music that reflect the Hindu aims of success and liberation. Success is definitely more prevalent in popular music than liberation. This is not surprising, considering how much our culture values material things. I also found that in most songs about success, the aim of pleasure is frequently intertwined. In our culture, success = pleasures. That’s exactly why you see Hugh Hefner at the beginning of the Weezer video with his three hot girlfriends and his big house. Our culture is obsessed with the idea that money creates happiness. With that being said, it’s interesting to note the popular phrase ‘money can’t buy happiness’. Well, which is it? Does monetary success add to the value of your life, or no? I personally feel that people’s lives are what they make of them, and that happiness is a decision. You can either decide to be happy, or not. We tend to forget that there are people in the world who don’t even have access to clean, safe, drinking water, yet we get distraught over not having the latest smart phone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying winning the lottery wouldn’t add to the pleasures of your life. Buying a mansion in Hawaii would certainly make me happy. All I’m saying is that I don’t think money buys happiness; I just think money adds to your established happiness.
And how do you reach happiness? Hinduism would tell you to seek Liberation. They believe that self-realization leads to moksha, breaking the cycle of life, death, and re-birth. Self-realization goes much deeper than material happiness. This means that a divine wisdom or total knowledge of everybody, everything, everywhere and every time in the entire cosmos. This is rewarding for them since God only gives this wisdom to a qualified person who has sought knowledge for it’s own sake. In Western culture, we tend to seek liberation as well, but in a different way. We seek liberation in the form of freedom. In our culture, our music talks about freeing ourselves from the constraints of things like “the man”, persecution of religion, corruption of politics, and even material things. I think the Sufjan Stevens song is a great combination of the Hindu aim of liberation and the Western idea of liberation. He talks about getting rid of his clothes, and other material ‘things’ that we tend to let control us, yet also talks about the ideas of growing, knowing, and re-creation that is the basis for Hindu liberation.
The song you chose for success "Beverly Hills" in my opinion was perfect (and the songs itself is really good too). I'm surprised too many people didn't think of that song (including me). Also i will say that your song for Liberation is about the closest thing i have seen the the Hindu aim on anyones blog or just overall music.
ReplyDeleteDo you really think that money adds to happiness? I think this is just an illusion. In my opinion, the so called "freedom" that Americans like to think that have is actually a set contrived decisions that reflects the type of media an individual is exposed to everyday. Frou Frou rocks!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteVery good choice in songs! Chicago by sufjan stevens was a very good choice for liberation. All things go. Also, I think you're absolutely right in that the pop culture is obsessed with money equaling happiness. And like in Hinduism, we can have success but wont be entirely happy until we reach liberation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on what you said about money and happiness. No money doesn't buy happiness, but having it definitely seems to to add to it as long as you don't let the money get to your head. This is especially true when it comes to having money to complete school or to cover health expenses for you or loved ones. Of course I do not believe money is the answer to everything.
ReplyDeleteI really like the inclusion of "We Are The Champions" under the success aim. It's a good contrast with the Weezer song, I think, because "Beverly Hills" is about dreaming about that success but Queen seems to be singing about celebrating how that success was actually earned.
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