Posted on 02/08/2011 4:41:39 AM PST by scottfactor
I had not planned to write about the Super Bowl or its entertainment, but after seeing and hearing it, I’m going to do it; so forgive me a small, but intermediate, critique of the lousy state of modern “music” and culture.
We were getting ready to go to our next-door neighbors’ house to watch the Super Bowl, and we had our radio tuned to the National Football League broadcast of the pre-game. So, here comes the National Anthem, sung by Christina Aguilera. First of all, I have long hated the trend of singers nowadays to do these wild vocal gymnastics that take the notes of a song up and down and all around. It makes me cringe and quickly switch the station. This singer is one who does the vocal gymnastics.
When we heard the anthem begin, we stopped where we were on our front porch, put our hand over our heart and faced the flag. Right off the bat, she starts in with the note-mangling, roller coaster vocalization, and I can’t stand to hear the Star Spangled Banner sung in such an outrageous way. Why can’t these kids nowadays sing a straight, respectful, traditional rendition of our National Anthem?
Then, it got worse. She mangled the lyric. My husband and I quickly glanced, wide-eyed at each other with a “Did you hear that?!” expression. Yes, we did hear that, and so did the rest of America.
The New York Daily News reported,
“ [Christina Aguilera], 30, who has sung the National Anthem at many previous sporting events, including Game 7 of last year's NBA finals, bungled the lyrics, causing confusion amongst the crowd and with viewers at home.
‘What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last reaming,’ she belted about one minute into the song, to the bewilderment of somber Super Bowl fans.
What should have come next: ‘O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming.’”
Ms. Aguilera reportedly explained her lapse as, “I lost my place.” She was, after all, live in front of a giant stadium full of people, with millions more watching on television and listening on radio. It’s understandable that you might be a bit nervous, but this was not some high school kid in his first public performance; this was a professional performer with years of public singing experience.
I don’t know about you, but the Star Spangled Banner has been ingrained in my mind and heart from a very early age. I can sing it and not miss a word. Ms. Aguilera is only 30 years old. Could it be that schools are not teaching the kids the Star Spangled Banner like they used to? That song’s lyic should be second-nature, and the song should be sung in a respectful manner, not with the wailing and contorting of the notes of the song. It’s our National Anthem, after all—not some pop tart’s record!
It got even worse at halftime. I’ve heard of the Black Eyed Peas, but not having a televsion and not listening to the type of radio stations that might play their “music,” I was not familiar with their sound. If that’s what passes for music nowadays, there is no more music. That’s what our kids are feeding on. It sounded like noises from hell—I mean that literally! If the forces of hell were putting on a halftime show, there’s the music.
I realize that every generation of Americans has bemoaned the music of the younger generation, and there is a reason for it. It’s because our society devolves; it doesn’t evolve. As we have moved through time, even though knowledge and technology have increased, there has been a steady process of degeneration in our culture and morality and the minds and hearts of the people.
Part of that is certainly the dumbed-down public school curriculum. Despite being given billions of dollars of taxpayer money year after year, the schools are no longer providing a quality education to students. Instead, the schools churn out kids who can’t even write a legible paragraph and who do not know the correct history of our nation and world. Since God was removed from the public schools in the 1960s, the degeneration has been progressing more each year, and we are now left with the results of a watery “education” with no moral foundation—a nation overrun with people who have never gained even the most basic knowledge of God’s truth and why it matters.
It’s also true that music has devolved. What passes for music, as illustrated by the horrible halftime show, is nothing more than a barbaric beat with the harsh chanting of words that appeal to the basest instincts of those who fill their ears and hearts with that garbage. Hip hop or rap, or whatever you want to call it, is not music; it’s poison for the soul. And, it’s quite disturbing that so many young people are hooked on that poison.
I’ve heard some of this noise in passing here and there, from cars whose owners cynically and rudely blast the evil racket, forcing all nearby to hear. While scanning the radio dial, I’ve heard the foul and wicked lyrics, full of mindless sex and violence. Can anyone understand the influence and power of those sounds on the minds and hearts of our younger generations? Is anyone paying attention to the increasingly violent and horribly promiscuous behavior of kids nowadays? Is anyone associating the two?
Yes, people have always “acted up,” and done bad things, but it would only be an oblivious person who would not be able to see the steady degradation of the minds and morals of each new generation of Americans. This is by design. Not only is solid morality cast aside, but in its place is the fallacious mindset of relativism which says that the definition of right and wrong depends on each man’s opinion and perception. This warped thinking is pounded home throughout the entertainment world, as well as the public school systems.
The influence of socialistic indoctrination in the public schools has also been molding people to be more amenable to looking to an all-powerful government for their sustenance. It is stripping away individual initiative and creativity and personal responsibility. In short, it’s creating a nation of dumb sheep. As Michael Savage might say, here is the world through a Super Bowl halftime show.
Ironically, as I cringed at the sound of the Black Eyed Peas, other critics complained that their performance was lackluster and boring! It’s amazing that two people can look at the same object and see entirely different things.
Although I didn’t catch the lines, the Black Eyed Peas apparently threw in some politics on one of their halftime pieces. As a columnist on the Orange County Register’s website wrote,
“Which brings me to the bit that political pundits with nothing better to discuss may natter on about come Monday morning: will.i.am’s lyrical change-up for the first verse of ‘Where Is the Love?’: ‘In America we need to get things straight / Obama, let’s get these kids educated / Create jobs so the country stays stimulated.’’
Oh, the irony! The kids are educated exactly as planned. The fact that groups like the Black Eyed Peas achieve such huge success is a testament to the kind of public school education our kids are receiving, and it’s not good.
So, what good does all my lamenting do? Probably not much, but I’m saying things that I am certain many people believe about our popular culture. It’s rotten to the core. If we ever hope to change the rot, we have to first address it and acknowledge it. Define it, then defeat it. How? We have to offer something true and good in its place, and that is a mighty tall order—not just offering a replacement for the moral rottenness in entertainment, but finding an audience to receive it. Not many people in our world have a taste for the truth. It comes down to changing the hearts of the people, and that is a difficult, if not impossible, thing to do at this point in our world where so many have firmly rejected the truth.
Until or if we figure out how to reclaim our culture, can we at least feature singers who will render our National Anthem in the classic and honorable styling, and return the talented marching bands to the field for halftime shows?
3 Doors Down.
Here’s a lyrical sample, and they rock the song
Beyond the boundaries of your city’s lights,
Stand the heroes waiting for your cries.
So many times you did not bring this on yourself,
When that moment finally comes,
I’ll be there to help.
On that day when you need your brothers and sisters to care,
I’ll be right here.
Citizen soldiers holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair.
Standing on guard for the ones that we sheltered,
We’ll always be ready because we will always be there.
When there are people crying in the streets,
When they’re starving for a meal to eat,
When they simply need a place to make their beds,
Right here underneath my wing,
You can rest your head.
On that day when you need your brothers and sisters to care,
I’ll be right here!
Citizen soldiers holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair.
[From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/0-9/3-doors-down-lyrics/citizen-soldier-lyrics.html ]
Standing on guard for the ones that we sheltered,
We’ll always be ready because we will always be there...
There... there... there...
Hope and pray that you’ll never need me,
But rest assured I will not let you down.
I’ll walk beside you but you may not see me,
The strongest among you may not wear a crown.
On that day when you need your brothers and sisters to care,
I’ll be right here!
On that day when you don’t have the strength for the burden you bear,
I’ll be right here!
Citizen soldiers holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair.
(Citizen soldiers)
Standing on guard for the ones that we sheltered,
We’ll always be ready because we will always be there.
The truth? Because everyone under the age of 65 would have run screaming from Jerry’s House. I could last maybe 30 seconds of geriatric country.
Country music in general is a bad bet. And by that I mean marketing suggests that more people have negative reactions to country music and country singers than any other genre including rap. I know that it holds true for most everyone I know. Check out some social networking sites and see just how many people put “Anything but country” under music. You’ll be surprised.
I might not be as surprised as you imagine but I do consider it evidence of the devolution of the country. Anyone who prefers gangster rap to honky tonk music definitely needs psychiatric help;>)
ok
Good song , good group.
Here’s my comments, and these with a dollar will get you a cup of coffee.
The singing of the National Anthem is a show of respect to our country. Flub it and it’s disrespect, simple as that.
The best thing about the halftime show was Slash. Fergie’s version of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” was horrendous. I’m sure even Slash went off stage shaking his head. Slash, by the way is not a liberal, he supported W twice. The thing about Fergie is I have the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert on Blu Ray, and her and Mick’s version of “Gimme Shelter” absolutely will give you goosebumps.
As for the rest of the Black Eyed Peas, the work they did with Sergio Mendez was acceptable, other than that, background music at best.
What I miss are the great Black Bands. Somebody get Earth Wind, & Fire for next year!
Here is a decent hard rock song featuring both Slash and Fergie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjmTf31MAe8
Wow! Thank you, SteelYourFaith. I was just about to send you and Vision a copy of today’s column, and you beat me to it. :-)
http://www.dakotavoice.com/2011/02/super-bowl-entertainment-showcases-degenerate-state-of-american-culture/#
So you think the United State was better when Slavery was legal?
What a Looser.
Lyrics like Citizen soldiers have me a little suspicious. They could be a metaphor for the 'OBAMA Army' making sure that the rest of us do what is expected.
Just because I might be paranoid, it doesn't mean someone is not out to get me!!!
WTF? It's the about the National Guard. Dude, you have some serious issues.
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