Do music lyrics impact your mood, thoughts?
Most teenagers think it doesn’t affect them at all, but many adults disagree.
This is why Damien Lolar, the new head coach of the girls basketball team, took time out of a team meeting to discuss the pre-game playlist. When he asked the players if they thought their music choices reflected on them as people, they said no.
“I don’t think it necessarily affects the way I act or how I interact with people,” said first-year student and basketball player Isa Griefenhagen. “I feel like it just sounds good.”
Explicit lyrics are a controversial topic. Different time periods and genres bring new ideas with their tune.
David Hoffner, Minnehaha’s executive director of faith formation, has been a big fan of hip hop for years. He also listens to a lot of worship music.
“I recognize how it [music] can put me in a different mind,” Hoffner said. “If we go to religious history, people learned songs. The songs were the teachers, the songs catch on, we remember songs, and then it changes what we believe right?”
Music can play many roles. Some say it entertains, some say it teaches, and some say it inspires. According to the Utrecht University it can also be a role model.
Utrecht researchers performed a study on whether or not listening to hip hop and heavy metal music affected teens’ tendency to show indirect or direct aggression. They found that it did in fact make teens more likely to shoplift or vandalize.
On the other hand, many rap songs contain lyrics that describe anxiety, depression or even suicide. This brings a positive impact where rap music is encouraging fans to get help with their mental health, and normalizes mental health issues.
Music represents culture. Different genres were born in the midst of social issues and eras of difficulty. Every genre gives people a peek into another way of life.
Paulita Todhunter, Director of Diversity Initiatives at Minnehaha Academy, recognizes the importance of lyrics that may be harder to listen to.
“The general vibe of hip hop back then was to inform people about what was going on in the world in a world that other people may not know about,” said Todhunter. “So if you weren’t living in inner cities, if your family wasn’t challenged with poverty, you may not know some of the struggles. So I think sometimes, different genres are perceived in a negative way because of misunderstanding.”
Sure there are a lot of swears in Tupac’s “Too Many Tears,” but if people are actually paying attention to the lyrics they can see a new facet
of this song that shows the hardships of his life and even the sadness in his certainty of early death.
At the University of Sussex, Tobias Greitemeyer studied the effect of positive or pro-social lyrics on human behavior. He found that they often led to more positive thoughts and even helpful behavior.
Participants in the Sussex study who listened to positive lyrics had increased empathy and were more likely to donate to a non-profit organization.
One song that was tested was called “Love Generation” by Bob Sinclar. This song has a theme of the importance of love and unity.
This being said, music and the lyrics we listen to have a big impact on society. If everyone turned on some happy tunes we could change the world, one listener at a time.
“At the end of the day it’s the power of language and words,” said Hoffner. “We know that from how we speak to each other.”