by Kenny Anderson
“Music speaks to all, it's so dear to us; music makes us think” – Gary Bartz
As a Black man I came of age in the middle 1960’s and the 1970’s, during this period I was heavily influenced by Malcolm X, Dr. King, SNCC, George Jackson, and the Black Panther Party.
My growing Black consciousness during this period was not only influenced musically by the specific freedom songs of the movement but also in general by the following insightful songs:
*Listening often to Earth, Wind & Fire’s song “Keep Your Head to the Sky” I learned to be inspired ‘stay-up’, to have self-confidence in ‘rising above’ adversities; to see ‘beyond’ my circumstances:
“Step right up, be a man
you need faith to understand,
So we're saying for you to hear
Keep your head in faith's atmosphere.”
*Listening often to Earth, Wind & Fire’s song “All About Love” I learned about ‘inner and outer’ behavior; about understanding one’s ‘higher-self’ genuineness versus one’s superficial ‘fake and tripping’ self:
“You know, for instance we study all kinds
of sciences, astrology, mysticism, world
religion, so forth you dig!
And like coming from hip place all these things help because it gives you insight into your inner self - have mercy! Now there's an outer self we got to deal with,
you know the one that likes to go to parties, one that likes to dress up and be cool
and look pretty on ego-trips and all this.”
*Listening often to Teddy Pendergrass’s song “You Can’t Hide From Yourself” I learned about facing ‘confronting’ your personal problems straight-up; ‘being responsible and accountable’ because there is no escaping them; that running ‘escapism’ from oneself is ‘futile and irresponsible’ only resulting in a weak character:
“You can't hide, you can't hide
Look in the mirror, there you are
Walking down the street, well
Look in the store window, there you
There you are, you can't hide no, no, no
You may run, no, but you can't hide
You can't hide brothers, you can't hide!”
*Listening often to Gil Scott Herron’s (GSH) song “The Bottle” highlighted to me making me much more aware of the consequences of alcoholism on Black men:
“See that Black boy over there running' scared
His old man got a problem, he pawned
off damn near everything, sold his old woman's wedding' ring for a bottle.”
*Listening often to Gil Scott Herron’s song “Pieces of a Man” made me want to ‘analyze’ deeply know how white supremacy psychologically broke so many Black men down ‘fragmenting and debasing’:
“I saw my daddy meet the mailman
And I heard the mailman say
"Now don't you take this letter to heart now, Jimmy
Cause they've laid off nine others today"
But he didn't know what he was saying
He could hardly understand
That he was only talking to
Pieces of a man.”
*Listening often to the Temptation’s song “Message to a Black Man” enhanced my sense of wanting to pursue assertive Black manhood; that you must be ‘demanding’ having a sense of boldness toward racial oppression:
“Think about it,
I have wants and desires,
just like you.
So move on the side,
'Cause I'm coming' through! No matter how hard you try,
You can't stop me now.”
*Listening often to McFadden & Whitehead’s song “Aint No Stoppin Us Now” became a personal motivational remembrance theme for me; a daily reminder to be determined and persistent ‘keep it moving’; ‘resistance mantra’ of no acceptance and no excuses:
“I know you'll refuse to be held down anymore!
Don't you let nothing, nothing
Stand in your way!
I want ya'll to listen, listen to every word say, every word I say!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!”
The music I’ve highlighted have been singing books for me for well over 40 years, I’ve never stopped listening to these songs; they provide a music sanctuary in the midst of ‘kill-kill/booty-licious’ asshole eating Rap and R&B along with so many of my peers back down memory lane 'oldie but goody' music focus only on ‘love-love’ panacea relationship songs.
What happened to listening to music that makes us think, that gives us insight to self-improve?
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