Impact of music and music lyrics on youth.

“There were times in life when the only thing I had was a song, and it carried me.”

There is something about songs. A song we share with someone special or one which we can’t get out of our heads. Good music does not have an expiry date.

One day, I was just sitting by a primary school waiting for my mom to come by, and a kid’s voice caught my attention. He was holding a water bottle in his hands and singing loudly “Main sharabi, sharabi, sharabi, sharabi.”.

This was actually not the 1^st time, I witnessed such an incident. A few years back, once I asked one of my neighbor’s 3-year-old kid, what was her favorite song that she loves, and she replied with “4 bottle vodka, kaam mera roz ka”….. Honestly, that was the 1^st time that I realized this issue and I consciously started noticing the songs that we hum in our everyday life.

I am sure every 90s kid remember the song “Aye Shivani, Tu lagti hai nani..” The next line says “Tu item purani.” For my whole childhood, I used to think he says, “Tu ayi TEMPO RANI” lol.. because the child in me could only imagine a girl being called some kind of queen (rani), instead of imagining her being called a mere item.

Songs are not just a few words wrapped in a melody but a way of expression for the musician and the listener. For example, if you are a 90s kid, you’ll definitely relate with me. When we see someone in love, most of the time, instead of saying that the person is in love, we automatically start singing “Pehla Nasha, pehla khumaar.” Similarly to tell someone not to focus on what other people say, we end up singing “Kuch to log kahenge.” And to reiterate that love is not a bad thing, “Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya” is still used.

Basically what I’m trying to say is that songs are way bigger and important part of our thoughts and believes and expressions than we think they are.

I realized it more personally after I started listening to BTS (Bangtan Sonyondan) songs. Their beautiful and meaningful lyrics started to shape my thought process in a more mature and elegant way. I surely became mentally stronger with those words. It is not just me, there are millions of people all around the world who came out of their dark cocoons into a brighter world, thanks to their songs.

But most of us still rely on Desi songs to get that fun in our life. Recently I attended a cousin’s marriage and after almost a year I again heard the desi songs that were trending among the kids who were just starting their school journey. And with no surprise, the playlist again comprised of some vulgar language packed in rock music and loud instruments, that seem cool to them. The elders were grooving along with the kids having no idea what kind of influence they are instilling in them.

I’m quite sure after reading this blog, many readers will dwell upon my overthinking and say that songs are merely for entertainment and should be taken as one. But I don’t want you to reply to me back, just be genuine to yourself and look around you. Do you really think this mode of entertainment is not going beyond your fun centers of the brain and putting its foot in the thought and emotion center of the brain?

So, what is this belief system of fun and entertainment instilling in today’s youth?

If you’ll meet a kid today, all he/ she will know is a song which is normalizing alcohol abuse, teasing, objectifying people, and so on. The point is, none of this is actually a normal or moral thing to do.

Stalking and eve teasing–– Through these hit songs, a young boy is told that it’s okay to stalk a girl, and follow her around because that’s how she’ll fall in love with you. “Gedi maarna” is made a too normal concept today. Who is going to tell him the reality, that this will only create inconvenience for the girl, she will get afraid to move around? Bollywood has been portraying the idea of eve teasing and stalking as normal and romantic by mis-popularizing the idea of “no” as a “yes” wrapped in feminine integrity. But a “no” is actually a “no” only. And this whole stuff of stalking and eve-teasing is nothing but cheap.

Objectifying men/women— On the same note, objectifying men/women, “who can breathe and move and think in all possibility” is made a cool thing somehow. The women are somehow made everything that pleases the ears of a chunk of men, that all girls are taught to be aware of. Few girls, joining the trend, deem the men on screen as the object of their fantasy going up till making fan fiction and end up intruding on their lives in the most uncomfortable ways.

I’m sure most of us have heard these so-called cheesy but in fact disrespectful and sexiest lines out loud at parties or on road..

“Tu cheez badi hai mast mast”- This superhit song didn’t just reach a million ears but a million minds too. It reduced a whole living person into a mere cheez (thing). Such great creativity gave rise to the whole idea of calling girls “cheez” and “maal”. And the one calling out doesn’t ever feel ashamed about it.

Ab karunga tere saath gandi baat- The male lead so confidently claims his right to say and do bad things to his woman.

Normalizing alcohol, smoke, and drug addiction— Songs like Humka peeni hai, Hukka bar, Manali trance make something as serious as addiction sound cool and okay, which by no means, is okay.

May it be “Badla mijaaz mera phookte hi grass, grass lage hai mohe sabka ilaaj” or, “tera husn dhuyeindaar jaisa jalta sigar, tera pyaar pyaar pyaar, hokkah bar”. Actually, in the latter one, I am not even sure, if the writer is promoting addiction more or objectifying more…

Body shaming— You may get a ton of songs about body shaming girls and guys and making it sound fun. One of the songs that irked me at 1^st listen was “Jahan se hona chahiye, wahi se hai tu thick”- A women’s body shape is being sexualized to some other extent.

There is so much problem going on with the songwriters and lyricists these days. They are kind of bend hard to destroy the youth in every way possible and then people say, why don’t I listen to Desi songs anymore .

I am glad to come across some beautiful and meaningful songs and artists that probably saved my brain from getting rotten and ruined. I wish today’s youth could decide it better, for consuming what content is right for their brain, and what is not. The thoughts you feed your brain acts as it’s food the same way, the meals you feed your body does. There is a reason, some musicians are respected and admired while some are heard and let go.

{Written by DOCTOR MENTIS (WORTHYWORDS). – Purely based on my personal observations and opinions. Not intended to defame or demean someone personally.}