Read Between The Frets: The Philosophy of Rock Music

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” -Decca Recording Company rejecting the Beatles, 1962¹

Philosophers or Musicians?

Rock music today would not be the same if it weren’t for the influence of musicians like Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and the Who. These bands stand out as some of the major innovators in rock music, and they all come from the same era. The 1960’s and 70’s were a great time for rock music and carried the genre into uncharted territory. The music during this time was exploring new psychological and political themes—the music pushed for change and deviation from the straightedge conformity of the 50s into full freedom of expression.

The issues that were most important at the time were that of violence, war, and civil rights. People were not worried about things like the economy or job shortages, because those seemed to be a given. Young people were mostly concerned with being drafted and shipped off to Vietnam; forced to fight their parents’ war.

But the change in music brought with it more than just a new sound or fashion trend. The social and political climate changed dramatically from the stiff, clean society of the 50’s and into the dirty, longhaired, drug-using hippie movement of the following generation. The core of this change was the music. Young members of society based their fashion, politics, and other ideals (perhaps to the dismay of their parents) on those of popular rock music.

This turning point was not only significant at the time it was happening; the effects can be seen permeating music, politics, and society as a whole—even today. Music was at the center of this event, and the musicians were the directors of the masses.

Musicians, such as the Beatles, were viewed as more than simply talented musicians; they were seen as prophets with knowledge and ideas that deserved attention. But the fact is that most of these people were no more educated or qualified to deserve such a status than an average college or art school graduate.

BEYOND THE 50’s

The society in the U.S. at the time was the perfect backdrop for this type of musical movement to take place. After the veterans of WWII had returned home and started what became known as the “baby boom,” most families settled into an easy-going lifestyle. It was a humbler time then. People took things at face value with a greater level of trust.

All the people born during baby boomer generation began to enter their teens and 20’s around the same time—approximately during the mid 1960’s. With the Vietnam War in full force during that time, many were being drafted to go fight for their country. When you combine the normal teenage search for identity and rebellion with a society that is forcing teens into war, you get a rather potent result. Tensions were high amongst the large amount of young baby boomers.

Also during this time the major shift in music came with the British “invasion” of American rock music. British bands such as the Beatles, who made their American debut on Febrary 9th, 1964 on The Ed Sullivan Show, were becoming extremely successful among young Americans.

It is hard to fully determine what sparked the cultural change amongst young people of the time. The culture mimicked the musicians and the music was influenced by the culture (example: “Woodstock” by Crisby, Stills, Nash and Young). What is clear is that the music had profound effects on many people and society. Musicians were viewed as prophets of religious and political ideology.

Standing out, being different, and protesting had become cool and fashionable. Even something as simple as growing your hair long or wearing a flower behind your ear was considered as a sign of protest; a sign of denouncing the old styles and norms of dress and appearance.

Many successful bands from the 1960’s carried into the 70’s, but several other major players also emerged. While not quite as much “hippies” as, say, Jefferson Airplane, bands such as the Who and Led Zeppelin still carried on some of the 60’s themes and values (such as peace and spirituality) through their music, albeit with a harder sound.

“This was something more explosive than the Woodstock Generation had ever experienced. Word spread across the States like wildfire and everyone wanted to see this newest example of the British invasion. Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones became mega rock starts and the endless cycle of tours and recordings continued for a turbulent decade.”²

The 1970’s turned rock into a larger business than ever before. As rock music became increasingly established, it lost much of the rebelliousness that it had been originally founded on. For some, the late 70’s rock music was the beginning of the end for the hippie movement, but modern rock was only just beginning.

DRUGS

Rock music during the 60’s and 70’s was also heavily influenced by drug use. Several types of drugs that are illegal today, such as LSD, had not been disallowed during the early and mid 60’s. Many artists viewed psychedelic drugs (such as mushrooms, LSD, marijuana, etc.) as “mind-expanding.” Drugs were not simply a means for recreation, but were instead looked upon a means to gain a deeper meaning, a more comprehensive view of what is real.

Many musicians joined Timothy Leary, a Harvard professor who frequently used such drugs and spoke out in favor of them, in his movement at the time. The lyrics of many songs dealt directly with drugs: either describing the feelings or visions one gets while high, or speaking about them in a positive light.

An essential example of this is the Jefferson Airplane song “White Rabbit” (1966). This song uses the story of Alice in Wonderland as a metaphor for a LSD trip—speaking about swallowing pills to gain access to different worlds. In addition the line “And the ones that mother gives you / Don’t do anything at all” seems like a direct statement of rebellion.

One pill makes you larger

And one pill makes you small

And the ones that mother gives you

Don’t do anything at all

Go ask Alice

When she’s ten feet tall

And if you go chasing rabbits

And you know you’re going to fall

Tell ‘em a hookah smoking caterpillar

Has given you the call

Call Alice

When she was just small

When men on the chessboard

Get up and tell you where to go

And you’ve just had some kind of mushroom

And your mind is moving low

Go ask Alice

I think she’ll know

When logic and proportion

Have fallen sloppy dead

And the White Knight is talking backwards

And the Red Queen’s “off with her head!”

Remember what the dormouse said:

‘Feed your head

Feed your head

Feed your head’

Many performers and musicians during the 60’s and 70’s were known for performing on stage while on drugs or intoxicated. Jimi Hendirx was known for doing all sorts of drugs before playing guitar, and some even challenged that he could only play well while high. Paul McCartney of the Beatles was quoted as saying, “[LSD] opened my eyes. We only use one-tenth of our brain” in an interview with Life magazine.³

Many listeners were influenced by the musicians and the messages in the music; drug usage among young people grew exponentially. At concerts such as the famous Woodstock ‘69, a large percentage of the audience would be on some type of drug. Generally this was done in an attempt to “enhance” the experience of the music.

During the 1970’s drug use continued to prevail among the music industry, but the message of drugs being a method of reaching greater enlightenment was somewhat diminished and less of a theme in rock songs. Drugs were used more for recreational purposes by that point than anything else.

RELIGION

Meher Baba

“Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that. I’m right and will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first, rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity.” - John Lennon⁴

Religion and spirituality were common themes in rock music during the 60’s and 70’s. Part of the philosophical perspective of this generation was deeply rooted in the spiritual and the unknown, which made religion practically unavoidable. Eastern religions became a new point of interest among many musicians (and thus the young society) as they often expressed similar ideas of love and psychedelic imagery that the music was known to provoke.

The Beatles are a prime example of the impact of religious messages in rock music. Band member George Harrison took an interest in India and sitar music during the mid 60’s. His interest eventually filtered into the band as a whole, and they all ended up taking a trip there for spiritual inspiration. The transcendental religious views of Indian religions became staples of several songs by the Beatles, such as “Tomorrow Never Knows.”

Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream,

It is not dying, it is not dying

Lay down all thought, surrender to the void,

Is it shining? Is it shining?

That you may see the meaning of within

It is being, it is being

Love is all and love is everyone

Is it knowing? Is it knowing?

That ignorance and hate may mourn the dead

It is believing, it is believing

But listen to the colour of your dreams

Is it not living, is it not living

Or play the game “Existence” to the end

Of the beginning, of the beginning

Another example is the Who’s lead guitarist and songwriter, Pete Townshend, who likewise became fascinated with Eastern religions for a period of time. Several songs by The Who reflect these values or have references to Indian religious icons. During recording of the band’s release Tommy, Townshend became deeply interested in the Meher Baba, a self-proclaimed Indian Avatar⁵ who lived his life under an oath of silence. The famous Who song “Baba O’Reiley” was a direct reference to Meher Baba.

A LASTING LEGACY?

Bands during the 60’s and 70’s are still believed to be some of the best that have ever lived. Their impact has not been forgotten; in fact many young people today consider themselves as huge fans of many “classic rock” groups from that era (partly due to the impact of games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero). But what about the message and ideals behind the music? Do they still have the same impact today as they did during its time? The answer is almost certainly no.

Society has changed as time has passed; people have different beliefs and concerns. Partly due to the expansion of mass media through radio, TV, and the Internet, people take the messages and ideas projected onto them with a grain of salt. In addition, there are simply more diverse messages and trends out there for the public to become exposed to or access themselves. This does not just apply to musical genres; now almost anyone can make their voice heard over the Internet or join together with like-minded individuals from around the world. While we do have a war going on, many consider our fighting in Iraq to be distant and foreign. With no draft and little day-to-day media coverage, young people can easily forget that the war is even going on because it doesn’t affect them personally. Issues such as the job market and the economy are the chief concerns of the day.

Modern music now could be considered shallower than rock music from the 60’s and 70’s. Artists such as Britney Spears and N-Sync have topped the charts with music that holds virtually no meaning beyond simple escapism. The spirit of rebellion, peace, and understanding is all but vanished from popular music. The only real exceptions to this come from the few protest songs that occasionally make it onto the air, but with far less effect than they did in the 60’s or 70’s. The philosophy behind popular music has changed, but if it was for the better or worse is up to interpretation.

Rock music from the 60’s and 70’s aught to be respected for its musical prowess and social impact when it was released, but it is foolish to believe that that same music can have the same impact on today’s society or value as a philosophical or political tool. The members of the hippie generation are now grown; many are business leaders and professionals. The next example of productive counter-culture in music has to come from the current generations of young people.

Furthermore, it is easy to look at all the positive effects music from the 60’s and 70’s had on young people in society and overlook the public’s naivety. Did these musicians really deserve to be viewed as mentors or prophets, or were they nothing more than average people with talent and power? By that respect, the fact that no musicians today have been able to manifest such power over the public may be considered a good thing. Maybe people now are smarter, or maybe the music has gotten dumber.

¹ http://www.ducksdeluxe.com/quotes.html
² Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, By Chris Welch
³ http://logosresourcepages.org/Music/beatles.htm
⁴ http://www.tv.com/the-beatles/person/89237/biography.html
⁵ http://www.avatarmeherbaba.org/
⁶ http://www.spectropop.com/hmadanibrief.html
⁷ http://www.edudeposit.com/browse-general-interest-topics/32-society-life-and-family/268-the-influence-of-the-60s-and-psychedelic-music-and-culture-on-modern-society