A Simple Desultory Philippic
Disillusionment with God or Government might seem ‘woke’, but it is something that concerns me deeply. When you are disenchanted with the biggest form of authority, whom do you turn to for truth? But, don’t be mistaken, this is not the only generation that is disappointed with its times. Wars, drugs, and scandals were always a part of the narrative, but with the changing times, we have managed to corner ourselves. Now it is a spiritual crisis and with the rise of social media, it has become more apparent.
The stifling pantomime of the political and media machinery, the second-class treatment of citizens set up a bleak premise. Politically charged music and comedy have always come across as edgy to me. This was partially due to the lack of an academic and cultural background to my opinions, where I simply believed in whatever provided me with the necessary confirmation. That did change for the better, but now I wonder how the media we consume daily becomes our gospel and how difficult it is to discern from what is right. I need to find something to keep my sanity and it is surely not God this time.
Art is one of the most elegant ways of showcasing dissent. We as a society consume literature and cinema for a confirmation bias, a bias concerning traditions, ethics, political narrative, and our interpretation of the truth. With our institutions collapsing our status quo has boiled down to pushing a political narrative far enough that we have no alternative but to devour it. So, how does the young populace of India create space for itself in this ‘Carnival of Rust’?
The most rudimentary argument one can make is if you are dissatisfied with the current nature of politics then work to change it. While this might be true in an ideal world, an ideal world shouldn’t require changing of things, thus making the argument a fallacy in itself. Our privilege and ignorance shield us from the damage. In a democracy, citizens expressing their dissent in any form are working towards changing things. We can express dissent via our opinions in social circles, our consumption of art, by challenging social dynamics, and on a larger scale working towards changing the existing political structure.
Rock music has been around for nearly 70 years now. Unlike hip-hop, Rock never allured mainstream India. The Indian Rock circuit was occupied by a few niche independent bands like Indian Ocean, Pentagram, Motherjane among others. In contrast, the western rock circuit was deeply fascinated with Indian Classical music. Pandit Ravi Shankar, the ‘Godfather of World Music’, inspired various artists like George Harrison, John Coltrane, Brian Johnson who would then change psychedelic and sitar rock forever.
Something which interests me about rock is how it managed to seize the attention of an entire generation. The culture demanded young voices and nascent gusto. The youth wasn’t simply consuming art, it was playing an active role in producing it too.
Bob Dylan is the soul of dissent in music. A prolific singer and songwriter, his work has inspired protests and literature and changed it for years to come. His singing inspired truth and freedom, cried in sadness and despair, laughed at authority and force. His understanding of war, mindless consumerism, racism, social constructs, religion, and the Bible made me view music in a verité form.
Blowin’ in the Wind (album: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan) was the cry of the Civil Rights Movement in America in 1963. In Martin Scorsese’s documentary on Dylan, No Direction Home, Mavis Staples expressed her astonishment on first hearing the song and said she could not understand how a young white man of twenty-two years could write something that captured the frustration and aspirations of black people so powerfully. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall (also from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan), Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35, Gotta Serve Somebody, Hurricane are some of the greatest pieces of poetry ever written.
Dylan met The Beatles in 1964 when he introduced them to marijuana and opened up a new avenue of songwriting for them. The Beatles and Dylan would remain competitive contemporaries throughout their careers, with Lennon and Dylan often butting heads. After Lennon departed from The Beatles along with Yoko, he underwent primal therapy, which shaped his understanding about life even more. His first solo album, Plastic Ono Band is one of the greatest pieces of modern music. He subverts everything from religion to the state of the working class, making some of the boldest statements of his career.
John Lennon is perhaps one of the most romantic musicians. We are acquainted with the term ‘romantic’ in a more 21st century ‘Bollywood’ form but that is not what it means. It was primarily a 19th-century movement in art and literature distinguished by a new interest in human psychology, expression of personal feelings, and interest in the natural world. Nature is romantic, love is romantic, art is romantic, politics are romantic, revenge is romantic. Lennon’s romantic socialist utopia finds its place among stars, giving us something to hope for. For Lennon God is a concept by which we measure our pain. Plastic Ono Band’s God is the cry of clarity after years of skepticism.
“I don’t believe in Gita
I don’t believe in Yoga
I don’t believe in Kings
I don’t believe in Elvis
I don’t believe in Zimmerman
I don’t believe in Beatles
I just believe in me
Yoko and me
And that’s reality.”
In the years to follow the music scene would see a paradigm shift. A revolution that is angrier, more dissatisfied with authority, and at times anarchic was to come. It’s the 70s and the age of Punk begins. Punk rock which came off as a noisy orgy of power chords, loud wailing, and fast drumming became one of the most important reflections of its times.
“We are piss poor but we know the truth”, is essentially how punk found itself.
Punk rock bands were known for their extreme drug usage and their gang-like culture. Their aesthetic demanded immediacy and anger. Punk Rock is deep-rooted in political angst and soon became the cry of government disillusionment among the youth. Sex Pistols in the UK and Ramones in the US were among the first to define the sound of modern punk. The Clash, which was second only to Sex Pistols in influence and impact, established itself as one the greatest punk rock bands.
‘The only band which mattered.’
If the Pistols, ostensibly at least, were nihilists come to destroy rock, The Clash were activists come to save it. Their eponymous debut album was politically charged right off the bat. Their music showcased youthful angst, dissatisfaction with the government and its services, the fear of conscription, the boredom in the streets of London.
Rock was a cultural and spiritual awakening an entire generation had. It was about young people who decided that they could no longer stay idle and mad. Sabbath, Dead Kennedys, Clash, Green Day, Lennon, Dylan, and many more sparked a wave of revolution and awareness. It came from a generation that wanted its voice to matter.
Society inspires art and art challenges society. It bridges the gap between the real world and utopia. It makes us empathetic to the contradiction that exists in the human sphere. Rock’s fascination with revolution is what makes it timeless.
Art is the perpetual motion of illusion. The highest purpose of art is to inspire. What else can you do? What else can you do for any one but inspire them?
- Bob Dylan
The quest for truth is a romantic pursuit in itself. The seekers of truth believe they solely know the means to attain it. Emancipation of the downtrodden and equal rights is what all of them want through means they think are right. For Che Guevara, it was an armed Marxist revolution that would bring about the change, for Gandhi it was a nonviolent revolution and for Ambedkar it was education.
He’s a prophet and a pusher, partly truth, partly fiction, a walking contradiction.
Though rock talks about ideals, oppression, poverty, capitalism, and inequality with passion, the bourgeois identity of its flag bearers is not lost on the audience. This is perhaps the greatest contradiction art poses. The interplay of politics and social change, the role of the individual and that of the state, and freedom and exploitation are constant reminders that the world we live in is far from fair and equal but how do we make it a better place and more importantly whose responsibility is it?
