Music Lyrics And Mental Health

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved music, especially songs with deep meanings and emotional rawness. Even non-vocalists have resonated with me in the case of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones. Songs which screamed with words from the heart have been a key factor in my growth and development since I was a younger teen. Guess everyone can relate to this, right?

I became obsessed with Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley and to a lesser degree, John Lennon. Those three people in particular echoed how I have felt through the years. A rollercoaster of who am I, I don’t know so I’ll seek validation using other people’s words. Other artists such as Electric Callboy satisfied the other end of my scale, the Hypa Hypa mood.

Tragedy has struck many musicians in time. Now it’s only after they died that suddenly their lyrics struck me down like a runaway train. And I felt a strange sense of guilt. That’s what I felt it was anyway, I couldn’t express it properly. It made me eventually ask myself a question that takes on a whole world of responsibility. Such intensity and deep questions are nothing new to people who know me.

Are us listeners selfish and responsible for their downward spiral and death because of ignoring the lyrics?

Selfish because we use their lyrics to sing along with and express our feelings indirectly without question. Why had these musicians written such raw songs and performed them repeatedly? Recorded for all to hear over and over again until their not-so-silent screams sank in. But I and millions of others sang along to our ‘personal anthems’. I’ve lots of personal anthems yet no actual personal anthem.

If an artist consistently sings a repetitive dialogue involving obvious mental health or addiction struggles, etc, is it wrong for us to want more because we relate to it and can post quotes with hashtags? Or is it wrong to wear someone’s depression as an accessory for our own? So to speak. I told you it’s hard to express these thoughts.

Self-expression using other people’s works are like wearing camouflage to what’s truly happening to ourselves. No-one questions it as it’s a case of oh yeah I love that song too, he was a legend! WAS a legend. Two points can be overlooked when sharing a line from an Alice In Chains song, for example. Firstly, why really are you sharing that? Secondly, why did they write that? Then if both parties are no more or have been through a severe trauma then it’s understood.

In a way broken people share and relate to broken people’s words because they perhaps want to say to family and friends what they are scared or reluctant to share in reality. Music can be a very powerful tool to use in psychology and since way back when, quotes and excerpts are like gifts from those who cannot be saved to say look, this is how I feel but my time has come… save yourself with my music. That’s cynical, there are those who saved themselves. Don’t forget, these people got recording deals and produced albums to distribute worldwide.

I’ve just read the above and now have noticed hang on, I’ve shared a lot of my own personal journey too. On here. A public platform which family and friends are very well aware of. It’s helped them know me better. Understand the unexplainable that I explain so well. Any unfortunate occurences along the way are not due to anyone not hearing me. People have heard me since I was a teenager. Many things have been my choice for my own reasons as I dance on the colours of the Borderline each day

Quote me, forget me, hate me, love me, understand me or simply think WTF. At least enjoy the music beneath each piece… how ironic.

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