BACKGROUND AND DESIGN OF BOOK

PURPOSE OF THE BOOK

Though this book has many different purposes, the main purpose of this collection of quotes from Rock and Roll music is to celebrate and provide a documented reference to an under appreciated form of literature.  

Rock and Roll lyrics has had more impact than any other literary form in the second half of the twentieth century.  If not by its creator’s shear brilliance and genius, then at least by the shear amount of national and international exposure through repetitive playing on the radio, television, dance halls, discos, establishments, pubs, bars, events, and in the home via records, tapes, and compact disks (CDs).

Some people claim they never listen to the lyrics, while others listen intently. As they listen to lyrics, some words may be incoherent or misunderstood.  Other listeners may not care to know what the words really mean or how they may impact society. Regardless, lyrics are important.  They provide expression, communication, and entertainment.  They are messages with the potential to be very powerful, and therefore, useful in making points in our daily discourse.  

Although this book’s main purpose is to celebrate lyrics and provide reference. It has also been designed and constructed to provide other utilities and dimensions, hence, the title, “ROCKWISDOM.COM.”  Wisdom, in the context of this book, is whatever the reader takes away with them.  It could be humor, education, council, insight, recognition, reference, trivia, or even, criticism, alarm, shock, and dismay.

METHODOLOGY USED TO COMPILE DATA

Using the knowledge of over 30 years of being a huge fan of Rock and Roll music and having over 2,000 albums and CDs, several years ago the author started compiling a list of a couple hundred song quotes that he found amusing to share with several friends (i.e., inspirational, witty, outrageous, silly).  As the list grew, the author though it would be amusing to publish a reference book purely of favorite quotes from rock and roll songs.

There are many reference books available that have collections of quotes from literature, movies, speeches, etc., but none of just quotes from contemporary songs.  The author thought this was strange, that something so profound and influential in our daily lives could be overlooked as a serious form of art and literature.

After the author had collected more than a thousand quotes, he began to sort the quotes into various categories (chapters).  Some of the categories were of generic theme (i.e., family, school, work).  Other categories attempted to: compare lyrics to other forms of literature (i.e., poetry, expressions); provide advice and council (i.e., adages, philosophies); offer trivia (i.e., references to Elvis); or find new humorous uses for lyrics (i.e., untested pickup lines).

As additional quotes were added, new categories were created based on the content contained within the quote. After establishing a large and diverse dataset, there became a noticeable disturbing trend of a large abundance of song quotes that advocated or condoned: drug abuse; gratuitous violence; irresponsible sex targeted at minors; perversion; rape and domestic violence; racism; religious/anti-religious bigotry; and excessive profanity.  At that point, the project took on a curious research direction at further understanding the extent of this trend.

Some of these negative quotes mentioned are probably harmless in intent and even in nature.  But when one totals all of them together, and considers that these songs are played repetitively via radio, TV, or within one’s own leisure, particularly in the presence of children and teenagers, it raises issues that our society should take into consideration or at least made more aware of (See Random Quote Generator).

To some extent, most people are probably aware of the existence of negative lyrics and some of the impacts. However, some may not be aware of just how far this has permeated society (particularly as directed at children and teenagers), and just how much it has spread and grown in volume over the last 20 years.

The force has begun to cross over into the mainstream over the last 10 years, and is still steadily increasing with no end in sight.  Therefore, one of the underlying themes of the book is to raise awareness of the types of negative lyrics and issues surrounding them, and to challenge the reader with criticisms and perspectives that may not be frequently provided elsewhere, particularly by the entertainment industry and media which has no incentive to address the issues or change.

Through out the history of music there have been attempts to raise awareness of some of the negative elements found in some music. Perhaps some of the reasons these efforts failed was because of the few number of reference sources available, and TV/radio/news reporting's inability to transmit large amounts of information for public consumption or the actual contents/expletives.

CRITERION USED FOR SELECTING SONG QUOTES AND CATEGORIES

The world of song lyrics is very rich with poetry, texture, rhymes, rhythms, colorful symbols, word play, emotion, deep content, and imaginative stories.  It also contains a lot of silliness and stupidity, which may also have its purpose. Since judgment and meaning are subjective, all topics are included for the reader to interpret and evaluate (See Chapters/Categories) or (See Search Engine by Subject).

A majority of quotes in the collection are strictly from Rock and Roll songs.  However, the collection also includes a large abundance of song quotes from other genres of contemporary music because: many different musical forms shape and influence Rock and Roll; Rock and Roll overlaps and crosses-over with many different forms of music; and other forms of music share many of the same problems and issues as Rock and Roll.  Therefore, the book is not limited to just lyrics from songs commonly referred to as "Rock and Roll," but includes almost all forms of contemporary music.  Because of this, the terms Rock and Roll and contemporary music are used loosely and interchangeably throughout the book.

Categories were created to make the collection of 13,000 song quotes more manageable for easier reference, to add utility, raise issues, and add commentary (Again, See Chapters/Categories).  In most cases, neither the song quotes selected, nor their categories were intended to significantly change the meaning from the song writers original intent.  However, this may have happened in some instances, and the reader should refer to the original source when in doubt or to improve the confidence in interpretation (See Lookup Full Lyrics).  Song quotes are listed alpha-numerically within each category, and reference numbers have been assigned for convenient referencing and indexing.  

Although some song quotes are multi-dimensional and could potentially be classified under many different categories, they are presented and listed only once in the book in each of the chapters/categories.  In these cases, editorial judgment was used to determine which category the song quotes should be placed.  In addition, there are instances when some song quotes may have been intentionally placed in certain categories so as to make a point or to challenge the thinking of the reader.

More than one song quote may have been taken from a song.  The justification was that a great song quote should not be omitted and excluded just because another quote was already taken from the song.  In fact, the more song quotes taken from a song generally indicated a song rich in great lyrical content.  This is a general rule, and there are exceptions.

A large portion of the quotes were taken from “Top 40” songs or deep cuts from some of the most popular selling albums (and CDs) of all time, most of which have received extensive radio play and broad public exposure over the years.  The remaining song quotes are from lesser known songs by popular artists, popular songs by lesser known artists, and rising or potential stars of tomorrow.  Although the roots of rock and roll music can be traced back hundreds of years, Rock and Roll is officially recognized by most historians as officially beginning in 1955. Therefore, the time frame in which the song quotes are taken is from 1955 to present.  

The title of the song and a performer(s) of the song are provided in addition to the actual song quote.  Because many Rock and Roll songs have been covered and remade by many different performers, particularly the older classics, attempts were made to credit the quote to the original performer.  If the original performer could not be identified or is very obscure, then the most recognized version and performer were credited (i.e., best selling, most popular).  If none of that could be established, then credit was assigned to the best version and performer of the song, which is subjective.

Popular songs written prior to 1955, but covered/re-made after 1955 were generally avoided from inclusion. However, relatively obscure songs written and performed prior to 1955, but made popular after 1955 are included and credited to the most popular modern rendition. Attempts were made to avoid using titles of songs directly, and focus is given to song quotes instead.

The reader needs to be made aware that assigning original credit for the song quote to the singer can be misleading. Just as an actor or actress is identified with a movie more than the author or script writer, singers and performers often “steal recognition" from the song writers, who are the real creators behind the music. (The performers just bring life to the songs and provide different interpretations).  The identification of the actual song writers was not the goal of this book.  By providing the song quote, singer, and song title, the reader is provided with enough information to do as much additional research as they like, such as, researching the actual song writer(s), date written, full content of lyrics, record companies, etc.

All of the song quotes in this book are presented in an unedited fashion.  Each of the song quotes were taken from some type of documented reference source (i.e., album/CD inserts, sheet music, internet lyric pages, fan web sites, articles, books, etc.).  However, some of these reference sources may not be 100% accurate or reliable because of potential mistakes that may have occurred during the transcription process from audio to print, which may be caused by sound distortion, poor pronunciations, and human error.

Attempts were made to verify the accuracy of lyrics against a second and third source to eliminate or reduce any inaccuracies.  However, sometimes a second and third source could not be established, and judgment was exercised during editing on whether to include or omit the quote after weighing the confidence of the source against other considerations.

It needs to be recognized that in a one-of-a-kind multiple objective research project like this, that it is not humanly possible to guarantee 100% accuracy of 13,000 song quotes.  For example, published sheet music with a registered copyright was regarded as the source with the highest confidence in accuracy.  However, it was discovered while performing research that even some of the lyrics published in sheet music were not always 100% consistent with the sound recordings.  Therefore, the objective of the project was to minimize the inclusion of grossly inaccurate song quotes. Attempts will be made in future revision(s) to update and correct any inaccuracies (See Submittals for Corrections).

Efforts were also made to omit the inclusion of quotes that are not original and borrow from other sources (i.e., literature, movies, other songs, etc.).  Again, it is not humanly possible to guarantee 100% accuracy in the originality of 13,000 song quotes.  Again, attempts will be made in future revision(s) to update and correct any inaccuracies (See Submittals for Corrections).

The "criterion" for including a song quote in the compiled collection were its qualities for being amusing, provocative, unique, outrageous, reflective, artistic, influential, popular, historically significant, trivia, silly, stupid, shocking, concerning, a sampling, or any combination there-of. Although a criterion was loosely defined, it was very subjective to the editorial discretion of the author. The author's subjectivity is backed up by more than 30 years as an avid listener and fan of Rock and Roll, collection of 2,000 records and CDs, and an almost photographic memory of rock and roll trivia.

An intentional effort was made to balance examples of negative messages with those of more positive nature so as to provide contrast, comparison, and possible inspiration to songwriters and performers.  Overall, excessive profanity was minimized out of personal taste and lack of value added, other than to make illustrated points. It should also be noted that no more words were taken from a quote than necessary to make a certain point.

While reading this book, the reader may feel that some “great” artists and song quotes were overlooked (See Search by Performing Artist).  It should be recognized that there are literally tens of thousands of recording artists and millions of songs to select from.  An attempt was made to include samples from all the different variations of rock and roll music (i.e., rhythm and blues, country, funk, rap, reggae, punk, novelty, etc.).  Although a criterion was loosely defined, it was very subjective to the editorial discretion of the author. In addition, many potential song quotes were omitted/deleted during editing because of low confidence in the accuracy or originality of the song quotes.

WARNING REGARDING TAKING LYRICS OUT OF CONTEXT

No more words were taken from a quote than necessary to illustrate a point regarding a criticism (i.e., quotes were kept to a minimum in length).  This was done because: it was not the intention of the book to list the complete lyrics to songs, but to only to provide samples; it would not make it a practical reference source for quotes; and due to professional legal advisement received regarding copyright law and Fair Use doctrine.

Because of this, it may not be possible for the reader to attain a complete perspective of the full intent of the original artist, which leads to the possibility of taking some songs partially or fully out of context (even though, most of the quotes mean exactly what they say).

For example, the reader may not know if the performer is using first person, second person, or third person, or using other literary techniques such as sarcasm, ambiguity, humor, exaggeration, etc.  In addition, sometimes it may require listening to an entire song, album, the accompanying music, tone of voice, current events, or cultural/political environment from which the artist comes from to attain a full understanding of the intent of the performer (i.e., understanding the context from which it is taken from).

Finally, classifying song quotes to various categories and providing criticisms may influence the reader's interpretation of the song quote because of the associations created.  With regards to this last point, some song quotes may have been intentionally placed in certain categories, so as to challenge the thinking of the reader.  However, again, this also allows some of these quotes to be taken partially or fully out of context.

Therefore, the author suggests the reader exercise extreme caution before arriving at any final judgments or conclusions for a single particular quote without looking up or listening to the full set of lyrics to which the quote came from and analyzing the entire song themselves (See Lookup Full Lyrics).  For this reason, the titles of the songs from which the quotes were taken from have been provided for additional reference.  Almost all of the lyrics can be found on the internet.  If one feels that more of a quotation needs to be captured to complete a point, they may submit captions for consideration (See Submittals for Corrections).

However, with all that being said, some lyrics may be extremely difficult to interpret or fruitless in analyzing to establish any rational logic to the meaning or original intent.  In addition, even if the intent of the artist may be determined to be innocent, one must still consider the impacts of how it may be perceived or misinterpreted.  This becomes a concern with regards to a “sound bite” driven society, by children who have not yet developed the faculties to make good judgments, and by other individuals in society who may be in susceptible situations.

PURPOSE OF CRITICISMS AND COMMENTARIES

An essay is presented up front in the book to inform the reader on many of the issues regarding contemporary music and to provide criticism and commentary.  With regards to the essay, rather than play it safe, positions have been staked out to challenge the thinking of the reader, particularly with those positions that may not often get a voice in the media.  The general idea is to spark debate and interest.  This could not be achieved by repeating the status quo put forth by the entertainment industry and media, which often has a conflict of interest.

Criticisms and commentaries have also been added to the beginning of each of the chapters to offer insight into the origination of the categories and to integrate and expand upon some of the topics raised in the essay (i.e., Discussion).  The criticisms and commentaries may be directed at some, all, or none of the lyrics within the chapter.  Again, the general idea is to spark interest and debate.  Typically, idealistic and high minded positions are taken in the essay and commentaries.

Because the book has many purposes and in most circumstances it is unfair to single out a particular quote for criticism without being absolutely certain of the meaning, intent, or impact, it is very important that the reader understand that the criticisms and commentaries in each of the chapters may be directed at some, all, or none of the quoted song lyrics in the chapter.

In addition, the criticisms may be directed at trends that only become more evident when one analyzes the lyrics collectively in each of the categories or against much larger issues facing society (i.e., negative cultural shifts).  Finally, the criticisms are not directed at a single particular quote or performer, so as to avoid personalizing the commentaries because it is believed that this would be counter productive at this time.

Another reason the criticisms and commentaries are not directed at a specific artist or single song quote is that in order to properly challenge the thinking of the reader, it is important for individuals to think for themselves and to arrive at their own conclusions.  Because of the many issues surrounding rock and roll lyrics, many “controversial” lyrics appear to fall into the “gray area” of judgment.

The author encourages the reader to arrive at conclusions on their own, independently, even if they may differ from the commentaries provided.  In fact, the author would take solace even in disagreement, because then at least there would be confirmation that the reader is thinking for themselves and attempting to address the issues, and therefore meeting one of the objectives of the book (i.e., raising awareness of issues).  

©2006 ROCKWISDOM.COM