The social media age and dark musical themes

In their 1966 hit "It's Good News Week," Hedgehoppers Anonymous declare "Someone's dropped a bomb somewhere contaminating atmosphere and blackening the sky." The song was dark Top 40 radio satire in the made-for-satire sixties. This year, country singer Jason Aldean visits the dark side in his current hit "Try That In A Small Town."

Both recordings are what we used to call "protest songs" - well-meaning messages about nuclear war, famine and now urban-vs.-rural misconduct. In the 1960s, such songs usually attracted more attention than controversy, less rage than curiosity. Like comedy songs of that era, they were considered novelties, here today, gone tomorrow from radio playlists.

One commenter suggested listening to Aldean's song without watching the video, which I did. I also revisited Brad Paisley's 2013 duet with LL Cool Jay "Accidental Racist," another attention getter. "Try That In A Small Town" sounded less angry when played without the video, while "Accidental Racist" seemed earnest if a bit tone deaf.

I don't question these artists' sincerity, but I'm surprised when they're shocked by their song's potential backlash. We know how social media, absent in the 1960s, can fuel public reaction to celebrity opinions and give legs to every slight, real or imagined. Someone, somewhere is always primed to be offended.

"It's Good News Week" informs there's "Lots of blood in Asia now, they've butchered up the sacred cow, they've got a lot to eat." Imagine what social media would have done with that.

Jim Newton

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