郭晉汝
From the Middle Ages to early twentieth century,
music stood for people』s need for pleasure. The sound of music was
always smooth, always noble, and definitely inaccessible to the lower
stratum of society. Music was believed to 「save the sole
(soul)」--whether sacred or secular. It』s after World War II, along with
the rise of Rock 『n』 Roll, that music was forever linked with the deeper
and darker side of humanity.
After two World Wars (1914-1919, 1941-1945) and the
Great Depression (1929-1933), the postwar generation was in need of a
value system that would hold, yet they found none that would do the job.
The anguish needed a way out, and a new music called Rock 『n』 Roll
paved the way. In the 1960s, rock 『n』 roll music functioned more like a
punching bag. People abreacted in rock concerts; down stage it ended up
bleeding, while rock stars inhaled orgy in LSD on stage. Music was
their way of relieving all uncertainties that needed an answer that
never came. The 1980s was the glam era; glam rock had its spirit rooted
in Gen X who inherited the situation in which they failed to fit. And,
along with drugs and promiscuity, music led people to believe in the
reasonableness of baby-boomer negativities. Music proved its ability to
no longer remain enjoyments, but explain human decadence. The 1990s was
the time black culture took over the music market. More reality
statements were revealed in hip-hop and rap; lyrics filled with street
rules, gangster conflicts, and brotherhood self-contradiction truly
touched every soul that』s been living hard on street justice. Music has
become a tool telling stories of real life incidents, and we know the
world better through it.
Music history after World War II records various
efforts to change the world in ways that have never been touched before.
People rely on music as a form of release, digging out a reality that
needs exposure, just so somebody may try to make a difference. As rock
musician Bob Dylan said in the 60s,」 Don』t ask me nothing about nothing.
I just might tell you the truth.」