The Best of the Filthy
Every once in a while, there comes a prophet with the audacity to challenge the world. Bolstered by the crowd’s cheers, he is a musician of the people. He steps from the masses onto the stage to deliver a statement, empowered with only the fortitude of music. Then, with only the greatest of pleasure, he prompts outrage and offence throughout the entire world. This essay is a list dedicated to those musicians’ Five Best Controversial Songs. However, in critiquing what songs were to be included, I had to ask myself a paradoxically difficult question—what does controversial mean?
First off, let’s be honest: anyone can have a parental advisory sticker slapped on his or her LP. Some might say, for instance, that the public antics of GG Allin were controversial, but controversy is not obscenity for obscenity’s sake. Neither riling the spirit nor crushing it, such artists have an enormous skill to pull on our last nerve, but could not sum up the intelligence to pluck a single string of our souls. They are never heard, nor remembered, and arguments never erupt at the mention of their work. Why? It is because they never once presented an honest viewpoint. In little time, they are forgotten.
Real musicians derive their power from truth, an adherence to present an unadulterated sense of their own convictions. Unlike the ‘fake’ artists, there is an actual argument. They prompt a reaction, and that is the heart of controversy: the reaction itself—all the repulsion, anger, or offence aimed at the content of a message. Line after line, verse after verse, a controversial message is formed from a musician’s raw anger, inspiring terror and deliberately challenging its listener. Ideology in this sense is not simple nuances of Good or Evil, but the varying perspectives on issues that affect the public every day. This is the sort of music that declares war. They’re the anthems that scream over the airwaves. They unearth both buried disgruntlements and new resentments. Controversial music must evoke an emotion from the audience, and then force the public to acknowledge its argument and open up an intellectual debate on social and political issues.
All of this is done by the sheer technicality of the music. Lyrics alone are not the source of power. Vocals, instrumentals, as well as lyricism combine to rip that passion from us, and which will in the end, determine the song’s quality. Every one of the songs on this list has been included for the controversy they instigated through the sheer expertise of their talent. These musicians deftly fused their talent and soul together in the most profound sense, and will forever live on under a single headstone: greatness.
Now, it was impossible for me to ever truly rank them. Also, these are not the most controversial but the best songs that were controversial. A sudden thought occurred to me that historical relevance are greater factors than a subjective greatness (all are superb), therefore leaving me but one choice…So, here it is: the Top Five Controversial Song in chronological order.
First off is “God Save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols. Released in 1977, its legacy has lasted generations, pushing the boundaries of free-speech and the structure of rock itself. Known for their sometimes off-putting antics and philosophies, the Sex Pistols were fearless in the accusations they made in their second single, going so far as to call England being led by a “fascist regime/they made you a moron/potential H-bomb.” As a punk song, it is inherently simple. The chords and vocals are less than masterful, but simplicity is a powerful tool when ‘politely’ delivering such an emotional message. Lead Vocalist Johnny Rotten deliberately delivers a sniping and sneering vocal pattern over a thrashing and furious guitar riff, combined to form a sound that is abrasive and cacophonic. Everything about their music is a complete contradiction to the traditional sound of rock, making this the one exception my initial criteria. The Sex Pistols are the only musicians present to actually induce a reaction to the musical technicality of the structure and sound itself. In the chorus, Rotten sings, “When there's no future/ How can there be sin?” in their promotion of moralistic nihilism, or the destruction of societal ethics. In response, BBC’s Radio 1 banned the song’s airplay. Through this everlasting band, a movement was not created, but an entirely new lifestyle. A simple and clear moral has been declared under this flagship, that England is hopeless as long as her people freely and ignorantly worship a corrupt and false figurehead. Today, over three decades later, the punk movement lives on. And still, the Sex Pistols’ sneer is imprinted on England’s face, as vividly as it was when they snarled, “No future” to the sound of roaring applause and appalled outrage.
Ozzy Osbourne reached the height of his controversy in 1980 when “Suicide Solution” was released. Initially, the public perceived the lyrics as promotions of suicide, in that when the challenges in life are insurmountable, one can either “flood away tomorrow” with alcohol or kill themselves. After six years passed, a teenager named John McCollum committed suicide and Mr. Osbourne was taken to court even, but eventually acquitted of the charges. The song, itself, was a source of self-reflection for the musician as he was battling alcoholism, but the damage had already been done. The debate on the role of such material in the lives of its fans had begun and thrives even today. It begs the question: what responsibility do entertainers have to their fans? Unfortunately, that is a problem that has proves to be unsolvable. Now, years later, the killer instrumentals and dark lyrics from one of the founders of metal can be experienced by generations to come without that prejudice. Surreal and throbbing guitar riffs astutely compliment the bold subject matter and Ozzy’s emotionally charged lamenting. After three decades, the lyrics and wailing vocals serve as a testament to this artist’s journey and while it may not serve as a statement exactly, it important for others to know that they are not alone and that alcohol is no solution to suicide.
Six years later, another revolutionary song was released by English band XTC called “Dear God.” It challenged God as the creator and protector of mankind. Perhaps, the Holy Entity of Christendom was not the benevolent and wise Father scripture was so eager to make Him out to be. Even more troubling, perhaps He does not exist at all—a mere creation of fiction done by Man. The notion of no higher power is a cynical and frightening one to most of the world today, even offensive and immoral to many. To me, this song’s highest point is not in the singer’s operatic tones and emotions, nor the unique sound that the powerful combination of acoustic, electric guitar, pounding drums, and child singing creates, but the enormity and complexity of its subject matter. In their address to God, they ponder, “Did you make disease, and the diamond blue? Did you make Mankind after we made you?” For any atheist, agnostic, or believer in the world, “Dear God” poses some puzzling questions to think upon. It is a song for the depraved citizens of the existential world who seek answers and truth.
In 1989, the same year that Public Enemy released its anthem “Fight the Power”, a group from Compton, Los Angeles emerged called the N.W.A.—or Niggaz Wit Attitude. This little group of future superstars is best known for their commercial debut, Straight Outta Compton, one of the seminal records of Gangsta rap. Though it was not released as a single, “Fuck tha police” became their most famous work and the rallying cry of an entire community. As the title ‘subtly’ implies, this is a protest song, explicitly supporting violence against the corruption seen in the LAPD. Violence of any type is condemned and one can imagine the debate this song sparked, ranging from free-speech for its amazing amount of profanity and militant ideals to the concerns and stereotypes of the black community. Ice Cube would have to be one of the highlights as he raps in top-form, “Beat tha police outta shape/And when I'm finished, bring the yellow tape/To tape off the scene of the slaughter/Still can’t swallow bread or water.” The beginning skit in itself if worthy of praise, depicting a white police officer on trial and prosecuted by the members of the N.W.A. with producer and member Dr. Dre as the judge, perfectly mixing dark comedy and commentary. In the end, the song far exceeds expectations in its wit and lyrical prowess exhibited by Ice Cube, MC Ren, and Eazy E. The production is stellar with hard-hitting bass and an unforgettable rhythm. Every time the beat drops, the pause perfectly exemplifies the contributing members’ verse. Combined with the expert lyrics and peerless beat, this is truly the cornerstone in one of the most popular forms of rap ever.
And finally, the last song is “Kill you”, written by lyricist genius Eminem. Unafraid to spray issues of misogyny and homophobia into the mainstream, he uncorks 2000’s best draft with a vile pop, with themes of hate and violence. Dr. Dre’s soft-rock-esque production utilizes a speedy guitar-riff to provide the perfect beat to Eminem’s astounding energy as he unveils his psyche’s fury, “(AH!) Put your hands down bitch, I ain't gonna shoot you/I'ma pull YOU to this bullet, and put it through you!” His startling satire and introspection is deftly woven in brilliantly crafted lyricism with an unbeatable flow and witty wordplay. He explores his own downfalls, but in doing so, he explores America’s own ruin. What makes him such a relatable enigma is his reasons, “She [his mother] used to tell me he [his father] hated me”, not to mention his poverty-stricken childhood and frequent bullying. Many have endured the same dehumanizing upbringing and held the same thoughts. He was created just like anyone else. We all have hate, fear, and prejudice. Eminem was just brave enough to face the criticism and demonstrations by groups such as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation for his lyrical content. He was brave enough to address his own issues as the spokesman of the abused and the disillusioned.
The song has that rare ability to inspire apprehensive laughter before the listener realizes that their smiles are evoked only to blunt the blow and shudder off its brutal truth. In my opinion, it wasn’t controversial just because of its profanity and content—it’s a far more terrifying notion that we have built a society in which anyone’s son could be another Slim Shady. Behold the poet of our age, Shakespeare if he was raised as trailer trash: Marshall Mathers.
Out of these five songs, a very basic question is not answered. None of the explanations above can provide an answer. Why is there such a great outcry over ‘noise?’
It is because for those few, short minutes, that ‘noise’ moves the soul. I’ve never met a psychotic named Stan or a blind, deaf, dumb boy named Tommy or truly understood the pure tragedy of the day the music died. But in those moments, I know them as much as I know myself. I react. In those few instances, I am enveloped in their confederacy. I believe in their cause as much they ever had. That is controversy: the combination of soul, substance, and fear. It has the ability to persuade, inform, and empower those brave enough to defy, to control and aim their overwhelming emotions. The music that these fearless individuals create is able to encapsulate the universality of those groups to be applied al across the world. Those lines of noise are able to understand the very soul of humanity, to serve as the mouth of outrage and demand. That is why these five songs are on this list.
Because they did it best.
Sean Czarnecki
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