Question
Gramps,
I’ve had something come up in my mind: rock music, my favorite genre. Some argue that it’s plain evil and should be banned, while others don’t really bother and embrace it. I’m wondering if I’m on a bad path because of rock music, specifically the kind of the “Guilty Gear” Video game series.
Ethan
Answer
Ethan,
Thanks for asking. The older generations complaining about rock n roll as the cause of the degradation of society has been around since the 50s onward. The initial complaints to this effect were not about the music (i.e., the musical instruments’ tones) but the words used. A great majority of songs from the 50s onward had a lot of sex and violence in the lyrics. Sometimes it is subtle (like George Michael’s Careless Whisper – a man is sorry that he cheated on his girlfriend or wife). Sometimes it is blatant (like Olivia Newton John’s Let’s Get Physical).
Please forgive the ancient references. I am GRAMPS, after all.
It is almost inconceivable that most people thought that Physical was about exercising at the gym. Grammar schools played it for PE classes. Young kids’ gymnastics and dance classes played that song simply because no one ever listened to the lyrics. They just liked the music.
So, what do the lyrics say?
I gotta handle you just right you know what I mean.I took you to an intimate restaurantThen to a suggestive movie.There’s nothing left to talk about unless it’s horizontally.Let’s get physical … Let me hear your body talk.
Did you even know that was in there?
While often ignored, these words will still make it into your brain. It will register in your subconscious and will program your mind and soul to think like this. The only reason I’m willing to write out the words and bold them is to get listeners to wake up to the fact that these are not words you want to repeatedly go into your mind. Whether you are aware of it on a conscious level or not, you will be changed by it.
No one says you can’t have your preferences for tunes or styles of music. That’s not the objection. But have you ever taken the time to look up and read the lyrics? Yes, they will affect you and program you. I’m not even going to go into more modern songs that are even worse.
There are plenty of rock and roll songs that are completely clean. Imagine that. But most of it is a lot more suggestive or filthy than you can believe. READ THE LYRICS! Only then you can know if that song will be filthy or not.
Since you asked specifically about the Guilty Gear video game series, let’s take a look:
Smell of the Game & Find Your One Way both have some cursing in them. They invoke violent rhetoric. Thankfully, no sex (giving them the benefit of the doubt). Roar of the Spark–Not so bad, kind of inspiring. I realize there are more. But you get the idea. Read the lyrics.
One more thing. You may think that these songs are no worse than some PG-13 movies. And that would be correct. But you should also stay away from a lot of PG-13 movies too. And also remember that movies are so long that we only watch them once or twice. But songs we listen to over and over and over… Movies have to be pretty strategic to have a lot of influence after only one viewing. But songs?
Consider this. One reason we sing hymns in Church is to teach us to praise the Lord for our blessings and to teach us doctrine. We sing the same songs over and over so we can learn and remember. If violence, sex, and cursing are things we listen to over and over again, what do you think we will believe in? So, be careful what you listen to.
Songs have a way of programming our brains to think a certain way. In times of stress or difficulty, we default to that programming to the point where we may not believe we have agency. Regardless of whether that is true or not, we certainly have agency over the programming we allow to go into our heads in the first place. That’s why it is so important to READ THE LYRICS. Then we know what is going to go into our heads and we can exercise our agency in determining which songs and messages we want to allow into our brains in the first place.
Beyond that, don’t play it too loudly or else you’ll get hearing loss. Use headphones so you don’t bother other people if they don’t like your style of music. And…
GET OFF MY LAWN!!! :)
Gramps
