Well Versed

The volume rises as the singer's screams get louder. Your head bobs up and down in sync with the beat; faster, louder, your hands move rapidly over the strings of your air guitar. "Turn that darn devil music down!" yells one of your parentals while pounding on the other side of your door.

You're just trying to relax...Parents just don't understand.

Everyone has their own tastes in music, everyone wants to have something they can sing along to just to express their emotions. Whether it's depression, happiness, anger...or even a mix of everything. Sometimes lyrics can even make you think. Think about life, love, happiness, the purpose of life, sex... Okay, okay I know! A teen thinking about sex. What a surprise. But at least it's a teen actually thinking, right? Lyrics can help one focus...Picture that brainiac student in your English class. You know what they listen to? Mozart. Beethoven. Alright, maybe that's a little too cliché. But certain songs with lyrics can actually help one focus in their studies.

Lyrics have the power to empower. Of course like everything, there is another side to lyrics... A darker side if you will.

PEER PRESSURE. JUDGING. NEGATIVE INFLUENCES.

Of course stereotypes don't help this situation at all. Let's take a look at the 'gangsta' species for example. What do they listen to? Rap!...and the 'preppies?' Paris Hilton!

What teenagers admit they listen to label them as much as the clothes they wear, or the background they come from. Anyone who listens to rap must be a gangster and have horrible habits like wanting to 'get crunk' and 'ride dirty.' Anyone who listens to 'punk' must be a skater, and listeners of 'screamo' must be emo.

Many people believe certain explicit lyrics that glamorize prison, drugs, demean women, or play up feelings of hate against one another are wrong. The certain artist of the song will argue that they are just expressing their right to free speech or, "Don't like? Don't listen!" This line of thinking is mostly associated with the genre of rap. Many people say they listen to the music for the beat, or they don't care what the artist is saying because it doesn't apply to them, aka, "They are not talking about me! I'm not the woman in that song!"

Even though I personally find some of these lyrics offensive, I can't help but sing along to the certain songs. I also agree that if you don't like the music, don't listen. While lyrics are influential, I think teenagers should not necessarily think about the message behind the music but just enjoy the song for what it is. Categorizing all teenagers by saying that music with explicit lyrics will influence us to do the actions in the song, is nonsense. Also, we have to remember that the artists are just trying to give us what sells. They aren't making records out of the kindness of their own hearts. They try to figure out what's popular, and feed us.

Despite the controversy surrounding lyrics, most teenagers see lyrics for what they are: powerful words, makeshift mood rings, having the power to switch our emotions. But most importantly lyrics can take us to another world for those three minutes plus. A world where we are happy, or in love, over heartbreak, or everyone's favorite superstar; just caught up in the moment singing along with friends or dancing to the beats.

Whether or not lyrics influence teens - we already know the answer. The question is in what way will we let those lyrics influence us?

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