Is it that easy?

[the freak]

Here's something I've been wondering about for a long time. People usually listen to music which they can relate to and which reflects how they feel, right? (Unless it's pop, which has very little emotion in it. And I can't imagine the countless 11/12 year olds who are constantly talking about and playing Candy Shop actually relating to it.) But I mean, is it safe to assume that a person who listens to heavy metal or something like Slipknot or Midnight Syndicate definitely has inner troubles and negative emotions in their life? And at the same time are people who listen to happy stuff like, well I can't think of an example, but can we safely assume that they are perfectly happy and content people? Can you really judge a person by their musical taste? Do all kids who like Emily the Strange relate to her isolated, lonely, antisocial personality in some way? Or did I just make it all up in my head?

[Buggsbird21]

No, I dont believe thats true. I listen to different kinds of music depending on my mood. My CD collection ranges from everything between Metallica and Elvis Presley, just depends what I feel like listening to

[Morrisonker]

No.  Simply.  I went through a period of depression over the last 2 years and I still get very low sometimes and when I do I listen to Aimee Mann, a singer song writer who has written beautifully about everything from love and break ups to depression and drug addiction. 

Of course when people feel down they listen to music (or read poetry prehaps) that reflects how they are feeling, but everyone gets like that.  I think a much better way of telling if a person has problems is look at them.  Are they withdrawn, sullen?  If the person is a child or teenager look to their friends.  It can often be a good indication because they are likely to be into teh same things.  If in doubt ask.  Nobody can hide emotions so well that you have no idea what they are going through.

[Scarlett]

I think everyone listens to lots of different music. I teach music at College, and I have noticed that certain "types" of students listen to certain "types" of music-- at least to start with! It's like fashion; all the 16 year old boys I teach basically like metal. It is fashionable. But as soon as they are exposed to other types of music, they get into that too. One boy was particularly "narrow" when he first came to college- now, three years on, he is learning the trombone!!!! He used to be a really hard-core DJ! But after he was exposed to Classical music, he grew to really love some of it.

So... I think a lot of what we listen to is initially influenced by the Media (crazy frog- say no more), friends and what is fashionable. As people get older, they develop their own tastes.

Also I do think that teenagers DO need to listen to "angsty" music, as they are very often angsty themselves, and have stuff to resolve. Not meaning to sound patronising, in my experience, they do tend to grow out of it!!

[Mrs_Pegasus]

I grew up with a Heavy Metal brother, a sister who loved all the 'latest' stuff which was in the 70s at the time so now its 'old' and my parents who listened to Country.

I then went through the U2, Simple Minds stage in life and then dated people whose tastes ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous! (I never did get the Enya/Clannad lad!)

The result - the most confusing CD collection ever!  But they more or less get played every now and then.  I play AC/DC in the car and some classic classical at home and today i listened to the Ballad of Lucy Jordan which is not for the sad hearted!!

Isnt life and music great!

[SASHAGREEN]

i don't think it matters what you listen to. people use to be scared of my hubby cause he had hair to his arse, and listened to iron maiden, slayer, exc.but he also listens to ottis redding, bob wills, and so on. i don't beleive he is evil!

[artee]

I believe that we are drawn to certain types of music, sometimes to lift us up, or to match how happy we feel at that moment,( or to match any emotion at all, and this because of our innermost selves), It can't really identify us to others as being one or the other,  because we are complex. and are many things inside.
I definitely know that music can change the way you feel. Some music can make you cry, others will exhilerate, depress , make you want to dance...in other words it gets in touch with the different aspects of who you are. 

[lizzierose]

this is not a sweeping generalization but I think my boyfriend is suffering from too much of the Smiths and Morrissey. Heaven knows i'm miserable now could not describe him any better

[nicola_red]

I'm on no as well.  I've been a metal fan for about 17 years, when I started listening to it in the 80s it was all "let's ride motorbikes, drink jack daniels, party all night and sleep with strippers".  There was very little negativity involved.  Because I'm so passionate about the style of music, the sound and the spirit involved, I've stuck with it and obviously it's evolved over the years, and now it's often associated with depressed, introspective emotions.  But other than the natural growing-up process, my personality and outlook on life haven't changed just because the lyrics have.  I like some modern metal, but not all - but none of it means I have 'inner troubles'.  If I'm feeling down I might choose to listen to something with negative lyrics, but that won't necessarily be metal.  The Carpenters (who I also love) might just as easily reflect my thoughts at that time!  It kind of irritates me when metal fans are stereotyped in this way - they get enough grief for their appearance as it is.  Being a metal fan teaches you so much about individuality and thinking for yourself and I wouldn't change my experiences as one for the world, even though I've got plenty of hassle for it over the years. 

[the freak]

Thank you, everyone, for such great answers! And I apologise, nicola_red for my insensitivity towards metal fans. BTW, what kind of hassle do you get just for liking heavy metal?

[nicola_red]

Thanks the freak, I didn't mean to have a go at you personally.  It's a common misconception about metal fans.  I have been shouted at in the street for my appearance since I was 14.  I still get "mosher" regularly (I'm 30) and various other terms of abuse hurled at me.  When I lived in a slightly rougher area than i do now I had tin cans, eggs and fireworks thrown at me by scallies/chavs.  I know this is cos of the way I look cos of the verbal abuse that accompanies it.  My ex-bf was also beaten up at a train station purely because he had purple hair.  Only last week an elderly gentleman customer at my place of work gave me a lecture about how I shouldn't have tattoos - and only 2 of my 10 are visible in my work uniform!  I know that the way I look is a choice and I could change it - but i don't see why I should have to.  I learned fairly early on to develop a thick skin.  Like I said, looking different from the mainstream (I know there are lots of metal fans out there who all look similar, but they're still a relative minority in the general populace) teaches you a lot about individuality and freedom of thought.  I value that a lot.

[londondave]

nicola_red. I know your pain of hassle in the street just for choosing to look different. I am quite tame now compared to my teenage days, more of a scruffy goth look. When I was a teen and had a red mohican, the more hassle I got the bigger and brighter and spikier I grew it.

I do think you get the stereotypical depressed traumatised teenager becoming a Goth or similar, but they never last long, to them it is a fashion, to us it is a way of life. xx

[the freak]

God. People are crazy. On a rather smaller scale, it's kind of like that where I live. In an arguement/slag fight/whatever people very often will use the word "rocker" as a slag, and will almost definitely label you as one if you wear Chuck Taylors. And not in a good way. And then there are people who slag you just because your hair is a little bushy and nickname you "afroman". Of course, they're not worth taking a second glance at. Fair play to you, nicola, for staying true to yourself your whole life. And you too, londondave. It'd be great if they're were less ignorant pigs and conformed cowards in the world and more people who are not afraid to just dress how they want. 

[WaldoMcFroog]

I don't listen to very much of it, but I can't accept the idea that pop has 'very little emotion in it' or doesn't have anything in it that people can relate to. There are some great pop tunes which have absolutely bags of emotion in them. Sure, the majority of chart pop is vacuous, but I think that you'll find that the majority of all musical forms is equally as bad. Certainly there are plenty of emotionless metal songs, plenty of emotionless goth songs, R&B, reggae etc. etc. etc.. About the only form which escapes that is classical music which has had the benefit of time to filter the dross - whether one likes it or not is by the by.

And what do you mean by pop - do we include the Beatles Pre-revolver? Beach Boys; no one can tell me God Only Knows is either emotion free or not a pop song! Although I personally loathed it, millions thought Elton John's Saint Diana song was the most emotional thing ever. Move it up into the present day and I think you find the same thing. Moreover, what's wrong with a song 'just' being about being happy? I don't think that should inherantly count against a track - I agree most 'happy' pop songs suck, but Friday I'm In Love by the Cure is simply sublime, Crazy in Love is great pop track (even if the most memorable bit is nicked from the Chi-Lites) and god knows there's plenty more.

[WaldoMcFroog]

cont.

 

I think Buggsbird21 and others make the point when they say they listen to music that reflects their mood. I can swing from Opeth (death metal band) to Billy Joel to Porcupine Tree to Beth Orton to Tool without suffering the musical equivalent of the bends (not the Radiohead album!). My favourite bands are the ones which can cover a wide sectrum of emotions and musical approaches.

I can well relate to NicolaRed's comments about recieving abuse for the way she looked, I got similar for my goth/metal/complete lack of style dress sense. However, it's quite easy to take the high ground and claim that we were discriminated against for the way we looked but I recall that all the alternative cliques (or whatever denomination) tended to dismiss people who didn't look like them as 'straights' or 'Trevs' or 'Trendies' or whatever - include chav and scally and all of a sudden there's an awful lot of terms for steroetyping people on the basis of their appearence. I know it wasn't entirely two way traffic - 'straights' tended not to get beaten up because of the way they looked - but there were definitely double standards involved!

[guinnessman]

nicola_red, i'm with you completely on this one ! I've loved heavy music since a teen (now 36 !) and it still sounds as good as it ever did ! But i have absolutely no problem listenin to most music. As you get older you tend to listen to the music for your mood rather than what the fashion is. Hence my collection other than metal contains classical, Carpenters, Turin Breaks, Seal, Gorillaz, Chemical Brothers, Scissor Sisters etc.......... You get the idea !

All in all, i hate how people get labelled as one thing or another for the type of music they prefer, or choice of dress sense. Live and let live !