Cause/Effect of a controversial song and their intentions behind it. 750 words required.
I honestly think having the required word count ruined it. I had to add about 400 words to the "finished piece". Might fix it eventually.
If you haven't heard of Labi Siffre, you should definitely check him out. He's a wonderful humanitarian and a great artist.
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Seriously, this one sucks.
Passion is an essential aspect of humans. Even the most selfish actions can be attributed; it shines through every action and word. Clashing passions are the root cause of tribulations in the world, people supporting their beliefs with the inability to view the situation from another side. We are emotional creatures, we put our all into improving our stead in life like no other species on Earth. That fire is what we feed into our music and poetry, hoping to share our personal essence for kindred hearts to connect and energize them into action. Labi Siffre, a British-Nigerian who has dedicated his life to equal rights, saw aspects of the world that made his heart sick. In a time of widespread oppression, he penned (Something Inside) So Strong, an anthem for all those who being denied their birth given right to live their lives and follow their passion.
Modern music is a beast many would call simple, often lacking in finesse or layered meaning. Siffre's music is as multifaceted as the man himself; a homosexual black atheist whom has lived through years of bias and oppression. His body of work is dedicated to calling out discrimination in modern culture via an assortment of songs, poetry, plays, and essays. A film showing a white solider shooting at black children in South Africa influenced him to write So Strong in dedication to those strong enough to stand up against oppression and bigotry. Although his original influence was apartheid in South Africa, the ephemeral lyrics are an evensong of strength for many.
Racism is a battleground for many, a lasting aspect of time that seems to take two steps backward for every single step forward. Apartheid was a system of legal racial discrimination installed by the South African government spread across the state and any colonial holdings. It placed the minority white group in a place of totalitarian power over the native peoples of the state, as well as any “non-white” races. Often times excessive force was employed to enforce the The movement could be compared to racism in the American south, both movements originating from the same colonial movement. Since the debut of So Strong in 1987, the National Party was removed from power in 1994 after almost 50 years of brutal oppression. Even now, there are still racial issues running rampant in societies across the world.
Other groups have also found solace in So Strong; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender community was also a largely suppressed group during the eighties. Even today, although they are generally better accepted there are still many strongly against giving them basic rights they deserve. New York recently became the seventh state in the United States to allow equal marriage rights to the homosexual community after long time debate. Simultaneously, this basic right in other states and countries constantly comes under fire with talks of overturning, causing couples to worry about the sanctity of their union being removed by the state.
Women have also found kinship with So Strong after persevering for thousands of years under the thumb of men who try to pigeon hole the “weaker sex”. Long have they suffered as being looked down upon despite their being equally capable of the actions of men. Less than 100 years have passed since women of any race were given the basic rights born to all men. Any social realm typically assigned to men leaves women to be ridiculed and harassed if they show any interest, or become glorified sex objects. Slowly women have been viewed as actual people instead of objects, but sadly there are those still willing to perpetuate the stereotypes ingrained into society and worsen the fight for those working against it.
Siffre had no real agenda other than to express his empathy and emotions to the injustice he viewed and the tenacity of those who continue on through the tragedies. His life has been a dedication to sticking to one's beliefs, as shown by his body of work. When approached by Dr. Dre for permission to use one of this rhythm tracks, he admonished the “lazy writing” with the statement: "Attacking two of the usual scapegoats, women and gays, is lazy writing. If you want to do battle, attack the aggressors not the victims".
Music is an engaging method to share information and feeling, to take your view of the world and share it with anyone who will listen. In an interview with Jeffrey Side, Siffre stated: “The most important thing in art is life. I don’t think you can divorce art from life. The duties of the poet are the duties of confronting honesty, confronting one’s behaviour and confronting how one treats other people. “ A true humanitarian, Siffre uses his talents to fight for equality in an in equal world.
(Something Inside) So Strong Lyrics:
The higher you build your barriers
The taller I become
The farther you take my rights away
The faster I will run
You can deny me
You can decide to turn your face away
No matter, cos there's....
(Chorus)
Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Tho' you're doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
The more you refuse to hear my voice
The louder I will sing
You hide behind walls of Jericho
Your lies will come tumbling
Deny my place in time
You squander wealth that's mine
My light will shine so brightly
It will blind you
Cos there's......
(Chorus)
Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Tho' you're doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
Brothers and sisters
When they insist we're just not good enough
When we know better
Just look 'em in the eyes and say
I'm gonna do it anyway
I'm gonna do it anyway
Something inside so strong
And I know that I can make it
Tho' you're doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
Brothers and sisters
When they insist we're just good not enough
When we know better
Just look 'em in the eyes and say
I'm gonna do it anyway
I'm gonna do it anyway
I'm gonna do it anyway
I'm gonna do it anyway
Because there's something inside so strong
And I know that I can make it
Tho' you're doing me, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
Because there's something inside so strong
And I know that I can make it
Tho' you're doing me, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
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