Earlier in October, front-man of Swim Deep, Austin Williams, announced that he does not 'need to write about David Cameron or whatever.'
Well does he? Does anyone?
Does any songwriter at all need to step and up and become a voice of protest against what they believe to be the unrepresentative bicameral chambers of parliament that make up Westminster? Does anyone need to tell 'David Cameron or whatever' that they think what he's doing is wrong? Does anybody need to step up and say that they feel that parliament is simply a meeting place for the old Etonian boys to get together and have a jolly good laugh? Or is Austin Williams statement a unifying testament to the politically disillusioned youth of the twenty first century?
There is no simple answer to this question; the oozing blood of music and politics has been entwined throughout all of time and through various cultures.
Folk; Classical; Soul; Punk; National anthems
All of these have political aspects to them.
Classical music began it all.
Beethoven's Symphony No 3, for example, was at first a dedication to Napoleon with it being named 'Bonaparte'.
This was due to Beethoven's admiration for the French Revolution and his belief that Napoleon was the French Revolution's ideals made manifest.
This piece was a celebration of a political ideology.
However after Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor of the French, Beethoven removed the dedication.
The work that was once a celebratory piece of politics quickly twisted back on itself and stood as a protest to the very man it was dedicated to.
Folk music of course encompassed people like Bob Dylan, who, with songs like 'The Times They Are A
-Changing', captured the essence of the time and reflected the struggle of the Civil Rights Movement.
This was a song with a message and an intent.
It was directed at the level of government and expressed a desire for them to make a change.
'
Come Senators, Congressmen, please heed the call.'
Bob Dylan made an art out of telling people to take a second look at what was right in front of them and seeing what was the right thing to do.
Soul music too has played its part in the course of music and politics.
The soul movement and the Motown record label itself (along with it's subsidiary labels) was a predominantly African American institution and thus was concerned with the issues affecting them.
'Whats Going On', Marvin Gaye's critically acclaimed eleventh studio album, was a concept album dealing with a Vietnam veteran returning to America, only to see nothing but the plagues of injustice and suffering that affected the lives of those he left behind.
This was partially inspired by his own brothers tenure and experiences in Vietnam.
As the song 'Whats Happening Brother' plays back you can almost feel Marvin's own personal involvement in the story.
Music and politics have not just entwined with each other, but collided.
Even in the last ten years we've seen bands such as Enter Shikari and The King Blues be primarily politically motivated.
The Manic Street Preachers and Morrissey have continued relentlessly to keep politics in their music and Pussy Riot have blown everyone else away by sticking two fingers up to fight for what they believe in.
Yet there has been a decline and to me, that is worrying.
The last time music suffered an aura of apathy and dis-concern for the social problems surrounding it, progressive rock was born.
Keytar's swung from the necks of men who shied away from society and all it's discontent through the use of acid and marijuana; the radical bohemian and free spirited vibes of the hippie movement had long since dried up, leaving behind only it's colourful shell which was devoid of all political and moral fibre.
Luckily the youths of the mid 1970's reacted against this and created 'Punk'; whilst the heavily angry guitar driven music wasn't entirely original, (it was clearly influenced by 1960's U.S garage and the works of bands like The New York Dolls), it presented something almost entirely new:
Shock Politics.
Anarchy; radical socialism; radical fascism; racial politics.
All sides of the political spectrum were utilised by elements of the punk movement to create a mirror of society that scared the living daylights out of the establishment.
Whilst i believe that it is saddening and horrifying that political bands were born from this with very strong, racist values in their music, they did play a part in the politics of the music industry and backlash against them from bands like The Clash helped to create events like Rock Against Racism which later evolved into Love Music Hate Racism.
The Clash utilised the same alienation from the political process that many people of our generation feel today.
'I'm So Bored Of The U.S.A.' was a raging, acrimonious all out assault on the Americanisation of cultures across the globe whilst 'White Riot' worked as a call out for the white working class to unite together for a cause worth fighting for as Joe Strummer believed that black people already had done the good thing and united their cause.
The Clash's prolific career comprised of many political and social anthems that fed off the attitudes of the disillusioned youth in a way that I feel our generation too could do.
In my own opinion, music has played such an important role in the shaping of society and the highlight of its ills to make a political point.
Without
this, some people would go about their day completely unaware of the
suffering that many human beings endure in their life.
The first time I ever thought about a political lyric was when I was sat in my Dad's van listening to a Billy Bragg song;
'Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards'.
It resonated with me, even at that young age, that the world is not fair and the world should be better for everyone.
I'm still waiting for the great leap forwards.
But what's the alternative?
A thousand metaphor strung love songs lining the CD shelves?
Not that there is anything wrong with writing love songs but amongst a large mass of songwriters it appears that love is always the same; unrequited and tragic or good and strong.
Whereas politics always changes; there's always a different point to be made, and no-one has the right to tell you that you're wrong.
That's why I believe that Austin Williams
has to sing about politics and discuss David Cameron with his audience.
However that does not mean that I believe that he
needs to do it.
Quite the contrary; I believe that Austin can sing about anything he wants.
It's just that artists
have to highlight the hypocrisies of the twenty first century.
Artists
have to nurture the ability to think within their listeners.
Artists
have to tell the government that they are wrong.
Artists
have to create music that unites and does not divide.
Artists
have to recognise that they're possibly the only people in the position to have such a wide influence over peoples attitudes towards the system.
Artists
have to consider inspiration over ignorance.
However when that is all said and done, Austin Williams does not
need to write about 'David Cameron and whatever.'
But someone else just
has to do it
¬ Connor
