??? >X(

...American culture (or its lack thereof) is going down the toilet, straight into Mexico's tap water.

(No offense meant by the Mexican joke, just couldn't resist it! XD)

You know how I know? Because people are getting dumber. Did you know that the average American reads at a fifth grade level? And you know who we have to blame? THE YUPPIE SOCCER MOMS. They, with their dumbness, are not only dragging down our standards themselves, but they're passing the savings onto us! (By dumbing down their kids. Probably can't understand what they're talking about.)

And you know how else I know? BECAUSE AMERICANS ARE LOWERING THEIR STANDARDS FOR GOOD LYRICS.

That, Frappy, gets a 6.9 out of 10. It's too obvious. It doesn't require the thinking. Not only does it not require the thinking, but about 75% of the American population isn't able to do the thinking required to interpret 90% of good lyrics. Because of this, they lower their standards. Music, which should be considered a beautiful, introspective, original, and interpretive thing that expresses deep meaning of one person's views. And about 75% of artists can't even write their own lyrics.

Music should be beautiful. And not beautiful in the pin-up, Pamela Anderson, plastic surgery, fake way. Beautiful as in originally beautiful. Beautiful because it isn't AFRAID to express flaws in society, or people, or flaws in general.

Most popular music is the exact opposite. The ONLY FLAW, the only BAD thing most popular music expresses is something as simple and mediocre as getting grounded or your boyfriend isn't calling you/just dumped you or you weren't invited to that party.

And if it's not expressing simple, mediocre things that are hardly considered bad in the majority of the rest of the world's ways where hardship prevails, it's talking about something horribly overused and cliche. So much for ORIGINAL. Personal disrespect (as in not liking what you see in the mirror) is overused and cliche, almost to a point where it fits into the category of simple and mediocre things. And they do it with happy, upbeat, bubblegum pop music to accompany it.

Ironic, isn't it? It shows how hypocritical these people can be, almost to a point where you can't help but wonder (possibly even hope), that these people FEEL such personal disrespect for themselves. When you're doing the impossible, dumbing down American "culture", then I bet you do.

...Unless you're too dumb to feel it.

Music should be INTROSPECTIVE. It should deeply analyze the world's problems, or personal views. Or at least be poetic. If you're going to talk about a simple, mediocre, or horribly overused and cliche problem, at least be VAGUE and POETIC about it.

...That is, unless you're too absentminded to do it. (Maybe you should question what people tell you, instead of mindlessly going with what they say as long as you getting money is involved?)

Music should be ORIGINAL. And not just for the purpose of copyright laws, either. Music is about expressing yourself. If you can't write your own lyrics, you SHOULDN'T be in the music industry. Seriously. Before the average American can't read. Write original lyrics, about what YOU feel; you're OWN personal views. Talk about a topic that HASN'T already been covered by every artist and their uncle Bob. Don't have boundaries, don't be AFRAID to go "over the top". Point out problems; don't ignore or evade them with emptyminded pop.

...Unless you're to CONFORMATIVE and CONFINED to do it.

Music should be interpretive; it should have meanings within meanings. Double meanings are cool, too, you know. American Dreamin' had two meanings. The overall song talks about Jay-Z's days as a wannabe gangster. The surface meaning could be interpreted as "It's a dangerous business. Don't worry about compromising values or health to be on top. You're lucky if you survive." The real meaning, the meaning within the meaning, that you actually have to think about is amazing; it's a big slap in the face to 80% of the rap industry. (I'll admit, rap IS getting better.) This is the real meaning:

You're now in a game where only time can tell,
Survive the droughts, I wish you well

At this part, the person becomes a gangster; a job of uncertainty. (After all, it certainly isn't your everyday cubicle job.) The person narrating it is pretty much saying "Survive and do good."

Hold on, survive the droughts? I wish you well?!
How sick am I?! I wish you HEALTH.
I wish you wheels, I wish you wealth,
I wish you insight so you can see for yourself.

This is something of a turning point. The guy (Jay-Z) is pretty much saying, "What's wrong with me?! I can't believe I'd say to do good in commiting crimes; I really wish you to be healthy, to be successful in life; I wish you insight so you can see for yourself that crime isn't the answer, that there are better, more safe and ethical ways to earn money and be successful.

THIS is why I love those lyrics.

At the end of the song, it says this:

You can redefine,
The "game" as we know it,
One dream at a time.

It's pretty much saying you can turn the "game" from being in a gang to a more honorable, (or maybe at least LEGAL) profession--and you can start this "revolution" with YOUR dream.

While the beginning shows how he planned to go to college, and how he regrets and feels sorry for choosing crime over college, but he needs the money fast. He actually is APOLOGIZING to his MOTHER.

...And this is one very rare case where it's okay to be direct with the message, as there IS a deeper, underlying meaning.

THIS is how you know if you've got good lyrics.

Now I'm done with the serious rant.

O.M.G. FRAPPY. W.T.H. You TOTALLY stole my joke. And you CAN'T usually pull it off on a blog, 'cause you gotta have the accent and everything. Except for I can, because I'm hilarious.

You want beautiful? Listen to the songs on my Top 10 pretty song list from the last post. Seriously, the first three made me cry my eyes out, they were so sadly beautiful.

Good GRIEF, Latte. DON'T insult Chicago, seriously. Jeez, why don't you move to CALIFORNIA or something?!

(The funny part is that probably no one got that last joke.)

JUST KIDDING. DON'T MOVE TO CALIFORNIA, BECAUSE THAT WOULD TOTALLY SUCK. But really, don't insult Chicago, because I have a GREAT amount of love for Chicago.

Seriously. I LOVED the weather outside today. It was absolutely beautiful. (Except for the fact that it was like, pitch black out way earlier than usual.)

And really, DON'T apologize for your ratings. They're YOU'RE opinion, so you shouldn't apologize. Seriously. I can't STAND it when people apologize for their opinions. Or say "no offense" before or after anything that isn't a racist joke meant for good fun.

...And possibly shock value.

Anyways, I'm out!

-Cappuccino

P.S. This post was done at home.