Success and Liberation

Success

Sugarland, "Baby Girl," Country, 2004

Atmosphere, "National Disgrace," Hip Hop, 2003

Nicki Minaj, "Dear Old Nicki," Hip Hop, 2010

Nicki Minaj, "I'm The Best," Hip Hop, 2010

Every Time I Die, "The Sweet Life," Hardcore/Alternative, 2009

Liberation

Tom Petty, "Free Fallin'," Rock, 1989

August Burns Red, "The Eleventh Hour," Progressive Metal/Hardcore, 2007

City and Colour, "I Don't Need to Know," Alternative, 2008

Thrice, "Digging My Own Grave," Alternative, 2008

Thrice, "Stare at the Sun," Alternative, 2003

Finding songs for success and liberation was much harder than finding them for pleasure and community service. With pleasure, it was very obvious what the artists were singing about. But this time, I found myself trying to interpret and analyze the lyrics of songs rather than having their meanings spelled out for me.

I’ll start with success.  Some songs have lyrics about becoming successful, or the rewards that come from fame and wealth, but I found other songs that presented a completely different view of success.  Atmosphere’s song, “National Disgrace” is about people who have become famous because of their arrogant attitudes and outlandish behavior. In Nicki Minaj’s song, “Dear Old Nicki,” she channels who she was before she was wealthy and famous, and questions whether she lost who she used to be.  These kinds of songs are refreshing, because when I think about songs of success, I automatically think of the glitz and glam of it all.  In reality, a lot of stars share that their success has at times brought them suffering as well as happiness, and I think that’s something we “normal folk” don’t usually consider.

Finding songs about liberation was a real stretch. It’s hard to know what message an artist is truly sending out with their lyrics, especially when they vague.  Like any other piece of literature, songs can be interpreted in many different ways by different people.  To me, I interpreted these songs about liberation to be about completely removing yourself from worldly pleasures and the world around you, or passing away and knowing what awaits in the afterlife.  I didn’t find any songs that rang true to the definition of liberation in Hinduism, which is being freed from the cycle of samsara, but some steps to liberation are disconnecting from worldly pleasures and reaching enlightenment.  I believe the songs I chose are an Americanized version of that belief.