MUSIC FOR THE MOVEMENT
by Edgar del Portillo
Collapsenet Staff
[photo flobots.com]
[published: April 1, 2012 (11:00AM CST)]
The arts in all its forms whether it be music, sculpture, photography, comedy, painting, film, architecture, etc. is a vehicle with which we can examine a society. The art represent a good indicator into what is or was important to that society. Pausing to observe, listen, analyze and study the art of a culture one can make general inferences about said society. For example, scholars postulate that Ancient Greek society valued the perceived perfection of the human form in its sculptures. When one studies this further you see its influence on society and the dominating philosophy. While the arts are expressions of what that society values it is not static, it is malleable, ever changing. Most importantly, art is at the forefront of change.
Art speaks to us in different ways than cannot be expressed merely by words. It resonates with us on a deeper level. It is this aspect of art that allows it to be at the forefront of change, almost predicting where we are going and what we need to change if we are so incline to stop and pay attention. For example, one needs to look no further than the 1960’s in America. Music was at the forefront of this change. Need more evidence? Look at the Renaissance. Painting, Music, and sculpture in this epoch helped usher in a train of thought that is still felt throughout our society today. Since I studied music in college I am not only partial to examining music in this way I feel more equipped as well. So let’s study the music of our movement.
The one band that I will examine in this article is the band that inspired me to write this piece, the Flobots, www.flobots.com. The Flobots are comprised of six band members:
· Jonny 5 - Emcee
· Brer Rabbit - Emcee
· Mackenzie Gault - Viola
· Andy Guerrero - Guitar (Recently, I have heard that he is no longer with the band)
· Jesse Walker - Bass
· Kenny Ortiz - Drums
The Flobots first commercial album on a major label came out in 2007 named “Fight With Tools” followed up by “Survival Story” in 2009. What can I say about this band that has not already been said. They’ve managed to integrate thought provoking lyrics with unique musical arrangements. The instrumentation is a beautiful marriage between classical instruments, (more specifically, the viola) with more contemporary musical instruments (guitar, bass drums). The result is a soul-stirring whirlwind of emotion.
With music you’re able to reach more people with a song than any written word. Reading their lyrics produces only half of the punch of the message. When these words are put to music it amplifies the message and the message is felt and understood in a deeper more meaningful way. It helps ease the severity of what they’re saying, of what we’re screaming at the top of our lungs about.
Their message is clear, a change is necessary. Change within each and every one of us, a change in how we treat our fellow man and the earth. Here is our message in musical form! They’re waking people up to the corruption of our leaders, to the unsustainability of our society and the absurdity of our time. These songs make you want to take positive action no matter how small. Their lyrics page is littered with links of YouTube videos that further reinforce their message to community organization websites to biographies of historic freedom fighters.
The first song I heard off of the Fight with tools album was the song “Stand Up”. As soon as I heard that song, I was hooked. I thought to myself “how did I not know about these guys sooner”? The lyrics and a link to this song are available at the end of this article but here’s a small excerpt of “Stand Up”.
So Stand up
We shall not be moved
And we won’t fight a war for fossil fuel
Its times like this that you want to plot a coup
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
So Stand up
We shall not be moved
Unless we’re taking a route we have not pursued
So if you’ve got a dream and a lot to do
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
Pay attention to how these words set to music make you feel, encourage others to listen and look for other people that inspire you in this way. Again, I stress it doesn’t have to be musicians but anyone that is using their voice as a vehicle to deliver a message of change, hope and transition, the more, the merrier! On a purely selfish level it helps me feel like I’m not alone in thinking this way, that I’m not crazy.
STAND UP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8xTOadn1n0
We shall not be moved
Except By a child with no socks and shoes
If you’ve got more to give then you’ve got to prove
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
Stand up We shall not be moved
Except by a woman dying from the loss of food
If you’ve got more to give then you’ve got to prove
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
We still don’t understand thunder and lightning
Flash back to when we didn’t fund the dam
Didn’t fund the damn levy? No wonder man
Now our whole damn city’s torn asunder man
Under water but we still don’t understand
We see hurricane spills over on the land
Through gaps you couldn’t fill with a 100 tons of sand
No we still don’t understand
We’ve seen planes in the windows of buildings crumbled in
We’ve seen flames send the chills through London
And we’ve sent planes to kill them and some of them were children
But still we crumbling the building
Underfunded but we still don’t understand
Under god but we kill like the son of Sam
But if you feel like I feel like about the son of man
We will overcome
So Stand up
We shall not be moved
Except By a child with no socks and shoes
If you’ve got more to give then you’ve got to prove
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
Stand up We shall not be moved
Except by a woman dying from the loss of food
If you’ve got more to give then you’ve got to prove
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
I said Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
If you’ve got more to give then you’ve got to prove
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
We shall not be moved
Except By a child with no socks and shoes
Except by a woman dying from the loss of food
Except by a freedom fighter bleeding on a cross for you
We shall not be moved
Except by a system that’s rotten through
Neglecting the victims and ordering the cops to shoot
High treason now we need to prosecute
So Stand up
We shall not be moved
And we won’t fight a war for fossil fuel
Its times like this that you want to plot a coup
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
So Stand up
We shall not be moved
Unless were taking a route we have not pursued
So if you’ve got a dream and a lot to do
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
I said Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
if you’ve got a dream and a lot to do
Put your hands up
Now shake, shake
A Polaroid dream
nightmare negatives develop on the screen
We sit back and wait for the government team
Criticize they but who the fuck are we
The people want peace but the leaders want war
Our neighbors don’t speak, peek thru the front door
House representatives preach “stay the course”
Time for a leap of faith
Once More
Put your hands up high if you haven’t imagined
Hope that the pen strokes stronger than the cannon
Balls to the wall, Nose to the grindstone
My interrogation techniques leave your mind blown
So Place your bets lets speak to the enemy
Don’t let em pretend that we seek blood
And who’s we anyways Kemo Sabe?
Mighty warlord wanna-be street thug
a threat for a threat leaves the whole world terrified
blow for blow never settles the score
word for word is time need clarify
We the people did not want war
So Stand up
We shall not be moved
Except By a child with no socks and shoes
If you’ve got more to give then you’ve got to prove
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
Unless were taking a route we have not pursued
So if you’ve got a dream and a lot to do
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
I said Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
Put your hands up and I’ll copy you
if you’ve got a dream and a lot to do
Put your hands up
