Words

I remember when I was approximately 13 years old, at home listening to music, I don't quite remember the actual song, but I remember my mother watching me as I listened to the music and I how I responded to it.  Something about the way I responded to the music must have irritated her at some point because she turned down the stereo (yep, stereo) and asked me what I was listening to.  I told her the title of the song and who was singing and thought that would be sufficient enough for her to turn the music back up.  She asked me again, "what are you listening to?"  My young mind had no idea what was going on with her, yep she had been sipping the sauce a bit, but I knew the difference between an intoxicated parent and one that was being serious.  This one was being serious.

Thinking that possibly she didn't hear me the first time, I repeated it again.  She had to hear me that time, so I reached for the dial to turn the music back up and she pushed my hand away.  "What ARE you LISTENING to?" she asked again.  A bit irritated myself but knowing how to keep it to myself I simply answered "I just told you what the song was and who was singing it".

She looked at me a bit perplexed and told me to put on Marvin Gaye's What's Going On album.  I was very irritated then.  I was doing just fine with what I was listening to, I sucked on my teeth and hid an eye roll as I did what I was told.  My Mother used to drive me crazy with Marvin Gaye.  I remember times when she would grab the album and I would have a full fit.  Yes, cry and everything. See that Aries in me can be a spoiled brat at times because it wasn't what I wanted to listen to and she was doing this purposely to screw up my world.

So the first lyrics, "Mother Mother..." oh boy! Woo hoo... (12-13 year old sarcasm here).  I sat there uninterested and she begin to sing the words with him (my Mother had a beautiful voice by the way).  She turned the music down a bit and begin explaining to me how I needed to be very mindful on what I listened to.  That music itself had a way of seducing you and you really don't pay attention to the message.  So the music itself could be beautiful, but the words... The WORDS can be destructive, demeaning, unloving and when both are connected the seduction of the music makes the word gospel and who wants destructive, demeaning and unloving words to be Gospel?

I must have looked confused at what she was stating, because she then broke it down in layman's terms - "Before shaking your ass to the music, listen to the what they are SAYING first."

Something about that flicked on the lights.  I finally listened to the album.  Forget the 1000's of times prior to it being played in my lifetime as it is truly a part of My Lifetime Soundtrack, but I finally got it.  No longer did I throw a tantrum when my Mother decided to play what I deemed "Her music".  I played and listened to it with her.  Asked her questions while the music told the story.

Yesterday taking my Godchildren home after them spending the weekend with me, I was subjected to KMEL from Foster City to Oakland. Aside from Outkast's Ms. Jackson all the other music spoke about beating the pu**y up, going raw, doing her and her friend and I'm being as PC as I can right now.  I purposely listened to it to watch how my kids listened to the music.  They didn't.  They just bopped their heads to the music and probably would have danced had there been room in my Beetle.  Now for that I'm grateful that it was a music thing, not a word thing.  However - the seduction of the music I'm very fearful of for them and their young minds.  They soak it up and do not realize what they are internalizing.

Next weekend... I'm going to have to have me a What's Going On discussion...

Words, very important.  It is one the most important ways of communicating with one another.  If the words aren't right, then we aren't communicating correctly.  Yes it is entertainment and expression.  Yet if while I was a young girl all I heard is about how I'm viewed as just ass and meat, wow... I cannot even fathom the thought.  The best love songs have nothing to do with sex.  The words... The words. Mere words. Can change the world.

What are YOU listening to?