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Some more loosely wound theories on different lyric approaches.
Perhaps the popularity of antidepressents is a factor in the Coldplay approach to lyric writing. I'm sure I'm covering no new ground. But if you take a depressed individual with a penchant for writing, they will often be able to convey how they feel and most will be able to understand. There are many beautifully sad songs--from Cole Porter to Leonard Cohen to Bob Mould..
But add a little (prescription SSRI of your choice) and that feeling is a dim, squashed, abstract thing, which, although better for the person's health, they can no longer be at one with their angst, their saddness, their anger. So what you get are abstract notions that are neither here nor there. The art may suffer. And so may fans of good writing. But, overall, some would argue, it's better that the person is happy and healthy.
##I'm not qualified to make such sweeping statements so kick my arse next time you see me if I'm totally off. Like I says--it's a theory.
An older prescedent--the use of psychedelics by songwriters who would be catagorized as depressed or bipolar or something--if you look in to their life stories.
There's bogus psychedelia--like the Strawberry Alarm Clock--then there's dark psychedelia written by dark minds who were tripping to make themselves see a little light: John Lennon, Syd Barrett, Jimi Hendrix. Behind the swirly images are often sad, dark messages.
Lennon was a sad drinker and then a slacker/stoner before he started on the acid. Then meditation, then heroin.
After all that he did Plastic Ono, drug-free, which is one of the rawest, darkest records ever.
Then you have folks like Ray Davies or (again, sorry) Andy Partridge who never got involved in psychedelics, so their head was always above water and their lyrics always clear as day. Not to say they weren't both drunks in their day...
Both of them dabbled in the psychedelic genre, but just looked at the brochures instead of vacationing.
But today, yes--there is a doctor approved way to alter your view of the world that is affecting artists and writers.
I say, go swinging for 20 minutes. That often works as therapy for me.
1 comment:
There is also the theory, that has been in the media lately, that a depressed/anxiety-ridden, etc. mind is Less Capable of expressing itself clearly. The lifting of The Fog of Depression will clear the mind and contribute more energy to whatever endeavor is undertaken. I hope "well-adjusted" doesn't need to mean "banal." Charlie Watts?
It was beginning in the Rennaissance, I think, that society became fascinated with the crazy/loner artist (in painting), and inspiration has been connected with insanity ever since. At the extreme opposite of your view is Chuck Close's, who said, "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and work." Which may be putting it too blithely, but it's interesting to think about.
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