Matt Cline

Mr. Shosh

Honors English 10

January 14, 1998



Song Lyrics and the Listener



     Many studies have been done throughout the years to prove that music affects the 

listener's emotions (Gard 24).  In some situations the lyrics can even make a much 

more permanent imprint on the listener than the music itself.  Song lyrics can affect the 

listener by causing depression, by provoking suicide, or by making the listener feel good.

     Throughout the past several decades a serious deterioration in the message of many 

songs performed by popular artists has become present.  The song lyrics glamorize the 

abuse of drugs, depict graphic violence, make reference to Satanism and human sacrifice, 

promote all kinds of sex, and focus on depression and suicide (Rock).  Ever since these 

messages have been placed into popular songs, more drug use, more violence, more sex, and 

more depression and suicide have been prominent among teenagers (Mueller 2).

     A song written by a six time Grammy Award nominee, Alanis Morissette (Maverickrc), 

illustrates depression in popular music, "Wait a minute man.  You mispronounced my name.  

You didn't wait for all the information before you turned me away.  Wait a minute sir.  

You kind of hurt my feelings" (Morissette 7).  Alanis is depressed from a man who is 

misjudging her.  However, her depression goes a little too far towards the end of the 

song when she says, "You didn't think I'd show up with my army. And this ammunition on 

my back" (Morissette 7).  Someone who is already depressed could think that guns are the 

solution to being free of depression.

     Although many people at some point in their lifetime get depressed, not so many try 

to commit suicide.  The problem is that more and more popular song lyrics are beginning 

to encourage this as the best solution to depression.   Since the early nineteen nineties, 

approximately 500,000 teenagers have tried to commit suicide each year, while, sadly, 

approximately 5,000 succeeded (Marla).

     On December 11, 1996, fifteen year old, Richard Kuntz, was added in as a statistic 

to the 5,000 teenagers who commit suicide each year.  He shot himself in the head while 

he was listening to his favorite band, Marilyn Manson, who has won several MTV Video Music 

Awards (Coyote).  The boy's father claimed, "'The music wasn't symptomatic of other 

problems.  I would say the music caused him to kill himself.'"  The lyrics of Richard's 

favorite song even promote suicide.  "'The Reflecting God' [by Marilyn Manson]: 'One shot 

and the world gets smaller.  Let's jump upon the sharp swords and cut away our smiles.  

Without the threat of death, there's no reason to live at all.  My world is unaffected, 

there is not exit here'" (Manson).

     Although almost every secular musician includes some kind of depressing message in 

his songs, most Christian musicians include positive and uplifting lyrics.  Never has 

there been a recorded case of someone listening to their favorite Christian band and 

committing suicide.  Songs such as "The World I Know" by Collective Soul have lyrics that 

protest against the idea of suicide, "So I walk up on high, and I step up to the edge to 

see my world below.  And I laugh to myself as the tears roll down.  'Cause it's the world 

I know.  It's the world I know" (Collective 2).  The singer is telling how he was thinking 

of suicide, but he realized that he likes the world he is in.  If he commits suicide, he 

will no longer be in this world, which he knows so well.

     "A teenager [can become] preoccupied with music that has destructive themes, and 

changes in [the teenager’s] behavior such as isolation, depression, alcohol or other drug 

abuse, may occur" (Rock).  Song lyrics have a potent impact on the mind (Campbell 11).  

Depressing lyrics can cause a person to have thoughts of self destruction or suicide.  

Up-lifting lyrics can bring peace to one’s mind.  The type of music a person listens to 

should be carefully chosen.