Death Post

Morgan Stanley

Raman Allawirdi

Mohammed Khadeer

The articles Dead, Ahead by Sullivan, The Art of Dying by Thomson, and The Show Goes On by Newman they have similar messages about death. They all portray death as an open subject to write lyrics on. Most of the artists are not afraid to go in depth about deaths morbid qualities. Also, the articles reveal that not all songs about death have to gruesome or have a disheartening manner.

In the article Dead, Ahead by Sullivan it shows that artists make songs about death and can be popular in mainstream music. Many known artists from Buddy Holly to Nirvana have come out with popular music about death. Within the lyrics they talk about family member that have past away or friends stories that the artists want to show in a positive or memorable way. Also, rappers like Tupac has rapped about famous murders that have happened in poor neighborhoods. he wants the world to see what problem lie within these neighborhoods. The article is showing that music about death can be in many different genres and types of artists.

The article The show goes on: new sets due from sublime, Nirvana, by Melinda Newman discusses the album released by sublime. The album’s release is controversial because it was before the death of the lead singer Brad Nowell. The band argued that “[they] wanted to promote the music” (Newman 1). The band also thought of the album cover as an “artwork which serves as a tribute to Nowell” (1). The criticizers of the album believed the band released the album before the death so the album receives more recognition and the band gains more profit. We believe the band did not take advantage of Nowell’s death because it was unexpected for them and the band said “. If [they] want to exploit someone’s death, [they] would have done it a month ago” (Newman). We believe criticizers are disrespecting the music that should receive recognition because it represents “symbols” of the lead singer.

"The Art of Dying" by Graeme Thomson of the Chronicle of Higher Education talks primarily about death and how music revolves around death these days and in the past generations of music. Thomson's interviews with musicians like Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan helps him get more detail on how death plays a role in their music and their fellow musician's music. Jagger quotes " I'm a huge fan of Dylab, but he has always been a very dark writer, fixated on mortality". Thomson goes on to say that even if a song contains lyrics about death it also contains beauty, humor, and reverence. This makes the song lose the touch of death it portrays in the whole song. Thomson states "Although the worst culprits are often teen-fixated genres, which use death in a purely isolated way, with little grasp of all that came before or what may be waiting...". I agree with Thomson about the idea that emo and hard metal genres contain lyrics about death. Personally I think these types of lyrics and genres are unnecessary because it makes a person more depressed.

When Do I Keep Counting - The Killers

Ain't No Grave - Johnny Cash

Airbag - Radiohead

All Nightmare Long- Metallica

And When I Die - Blood, Sweat & Tears

Them Bones - Alice and Chains

Apocalypse Please - Muse