Someone posted this song awhile ago. I quite enjoy it, but I also question what it means. As well as questioning the motivation behind a lot of mainstream “record industry” funded ‘messages’. I do really like The Warning, a new generation of very talented and beautiful ladies from Mexico making great Rock music … though I saw that they just got signed to Universal Music Group (IIRC), so they have major funding to put forth their message.
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At first I didn’t think much about it, but when I dove into the lyrics (see below) I became very curious. Especially with the few seconds at the end of the video when the “eyeball” flashes with AI/robotic/digital precision. What does that mean?
I might venture to propose that they are asking the question: Should we ‘Evolve’ to a “trans-humanist” reality through new pharmaceutical technologies (I’ll leave it to your imagination to guess those) and an AI programmed world, or is that “wrong”, per their lyrics. Honestly, I don’t know what they are proposing, and only a review of the lyrics really reveals any sense of what they might be talking about. Still, it’s quite obscure what they intend to convey.
Here are the lyrics:
You don’t know how bad it’ll get
A simple moment to forget
I’m not in danger
I’m the danger
Gold shall not define your worth
It’s not destruction, it’s rebirth
I’m not in danger
I’m the danger now
Show me what it means to change
Help me become something
More than just a vessel in disguise
Pain is the price to survive
To evolve
Dry my tears 'cause I’m a weapon
Weapons never weep
I’m not in danger
I’m the danger
Start the clock and keep it running
It’s the one to beat
I’m not in danger
I’m the danger now
I’ll show you what it means to change
Help me become something
More than just a vessel in disguise
Pain is the price to survive
To evolve
Help me become something
More than just a vessel in disguise
Pain is the price to survive
Is it wrong or right
To evolve?
While listening to this the thing that grabbed my attention the most is the production. There’s a nice, tight, punchy sound with this. That’s fairly common to have these kind of strong productions even with some indie bands. The song has a good feel to it also, but I’m not sure anything here would make me a fan of theirs. I’d have to hear more of their songs and see what their batting average is like. I’m probably quite jaded because I find that songwriting isn’t evolving very much. My favourite part of the song was the part at the end of the chorus when they deviated from the typical chord and melody choices used through the rest of the song. I’m being overly critical but I’ve heard so much of this type of music for a long time, though this is a very respectable effort. I just don’t see the uniqueness or depth in it. But as I said, I would really have to listen to many of their songs multiple times to really make a sound personal judgement.
As usual I got caught up in the music/ song and didn’t focus on the lyrics, though I did read them briefly. I’m so tired that the meaning evaded me. I tend to focus less on lyrics than the feeling that the song evokes. I’ll give this another listen with more focus on the lyrics when I’ve had some sleep, though who knows if I’ll understand what their message is.
This is my favorite song of theirs. Some of their recent other ones are okay, but don’t have the same impact IMO. I don’t know if that means it’s a great song, or if some obscure force made this one particularly addictive …
I wonder if that’s the goal, frankly. With a lot of things. You won’t actually think about what is being said, but just the feeling. It goes into your subconscious mind nonetheless. In this case, they may have a positive intention, or a negative one, I really can’t tell. “Oh, cool girls rocking out and yabbering about some Evolving thingamajiggy” … is that all it is? We may never know. But I think we should think about what is being put forward as musical and artistic “content” for the masses. Don’t you?
BTW - For this video they tried a new technique which their crew was very proud of, recording with 14 iPhones rather than expensive (?) video equipment. There was also a drone flying around. It’s an interesting and unusual video to say the least. Why the lighting switched to Red in the latter half is debatable. Optical effect, or demonstrative of demonic intent? Again, I’m just asking questions here.
Maybe it’s as simple as a song about 3 young women who are growing/evolving into mature adults and find it painful and difficult to be taken seriously because the world just looks at them as eye candy with instruments.
That’s entirely possible. Anything is possible. Now that I think about it, the red lighting could signify blood. Or perhaps, some huge powerful electricity sucking red floodlights were just what they happened to have laying around at the time.
It was really the digital/cyborg eye thing at the end that got my attention and made me think more deeply about what the song may mean. Maybe that was supposed to be the eye candy.
And also the line in the lyrics that seems most clear: “Is it wrong or right / To evolve?” It sounds like a moral question. Not necessarily something an insecure self-doubting person would be asking.
Or is it a career question ? Should I stand there playing my instrument while looking good or should I evolve and rebel against what society considers as the status quo ?
I’m not seeing the existential angst you are describing, in what they are doing. They seem confident and accomplished, and quite aware of their success. As with any true artist, they are likely only trying to prove something to themselves with their musical expression and accomplishments. I don’t see painting them as helpless victims of mass judgement. Perhaps you’re not giving them enough credit, ironically?
I’m simply asking what it is they’re trying to say. What is their message? Which I ask of any artist when I stop to consider it.
I think that is the main goal with music. To create a “feel” or “vibe” that the listener will enjoy and get hooked on. Lyrics have always been secondary to me and I think to most listeners, though it’s a bonus if a song has both a great vibe and great lyrics. Most popular songs have less than stellar lyrics. Often the listener gives their own meaning to lyrics even when the writer has written the lyric to be concise in it’s meaning. I noticed that I do that a lot. If I really like a song, I personalize the lyrics and interpret them for myself, unconsciously. If I don’t like a song then the lyrics are usually meaningless.
I think any thought or idea put forth is valid if the artist/ writer feels it’s valid. Thoughts, ideas and perspectives should be allowed to be voiced, no matter how distasteful some people may find them. Right now the world is trying to silence voices that they don’t appreciate. Actually it’s always been that way. We’ve got to learn to be more tolerant of differing opinions and thoughts.
Interesting that they filmed this video using 9 iPhones. I’m not surprised at the quality though because iPhone cameras are damn good now days.
Yes, which is why I brought up the major record label thing. Like the processed food industry which tries to get people addicted to sugar and salt, etc, there seems to be a big business in making things addictive and profiting off of it. So I always wonder what gets “in the mix” psychologically from the powers that be (including video imaging). Of course, indie producers can do the same thing if they are aware of it. Some “ear candy” can be pleasant and harmless, but “sweetening” can also be used with unsavory motives - at least to be more addictive and sell more records.
Yes, absolutely. Having our own interpretation is pretty much unavoidable. Even when a songwriter expresses what the song means to them, it may only convey their overall intention. And I do explore intention when evaluating a song, both lyrics and music, as well as production and the “Official” video if they make one. Due to the big business aspect of major record companies, I’m initially skeptical and suspicious of their influence and their motives. Yes, it would be nice to not have to worry about that, but it’s literally the case with any kind of media you consume these days. Everyone has an agenda and a profit motive - at least when large sums of money are involved. And psychological manipulation (PsyOps) has been developed to a fine art for such purposes.
Yes, I wasn’t intending to advocate for censorship or anything like that. Simply discretion and discernment on the part of the consumer. I’m sure you remember the big hoopla back in the 80’s with the PMRC (in the U.S., Parents Music Resource Center) - Tipper Gore, et al. They said they only wanted to inform parents of content, but artists and record companies threw a fit about the First Amendment (Free Speech), because the labeling (offensive content) potentially could hurt their record sales (though sometimes it actually helped due to the publicity and controversy). That was a pretty big test for our society at the time, but pales in comparison to Big Tech censorship these days.
And they’re not cheap either, plus they used a drone with probably a good camera as well. They may have saved some money on production that way, but maybe not a huge amount. Good gear still costs a fair amount. I believe much of the last 1/3 of the video is the drone flying around, with some phone camera shots thrown in here and there. I’m wondering if the red ‘light’ was just a digital filter in the video post production. I don’t know a great deal about that, but it could have been a simple and cheap production effect in the video software.
Something else I had been noticing in the video is the frame rate or speed of the video, and also the frame/speed of the performers in action. The video seems sped up at times, or perhaps a fast frame rate all the way through. It seems to give it an added visual intensity. So basically I’m wondering if that was used as an effect in presenting the video and the performance (in sync with the studio recording, presumably). Altering the speed of a recording has been done for decades, to change the tempo, and with tape would change the key/tone also. Also done as an effect (some old songs by KISS and Sweet come to mind). With digital algorithms you can alter the speed/tempo of the audio while maintaining the key and tone.
So I think there’s potentially the manipulating of song speed, and also the video speed and related production techniques. I would guess this happens more often than we realize, to create a certain effect. On this song, try muting the audio and just watch the video action. There seem to be a lot of clues. I had particularly noticed the lead singer/guitarist movements, facial expressions, and hair flipping. The motion seems unrealistically fast. Almost like they’re superhuman. Maybe they evolved.
Attempting to understand the motives behind music is always interesting. Sometimes there really is no defined “motive” other than to flesh out a riff or melody with suitable music, and as in this piece, add a little menace.
I only watched/listened once, and picked up the feel that the lyric tried to impart the feeling of being in control through a chaotic life experience of some sort, possibly an outside force or entity trying to impart draconian rules on the society the musicians feel they are a part of.
In any event, my biggest impression is the video is simply a tool to show that 3 women are making the music happen, and trying to exhibit a level of ferocity that would put them into the male rock arena. Without the video, it seems to me to be a relatively mundane piece of hard rock/alternative music not bringing anything new to the table.
I think that’s pretty close to my analysis, and it is not at all difficult to make that case when we stop and take a look around at what’s happening in the world.
I quite like the song on its own, but the video clearly takes it to the next level in terms of a multimedia experience. I’m not too worried about new things on the table when we’re just trying to hang on to what we have now … before it gets censored out of existence by Big Brother.
It is good, and I’m trying to be more open minded about music in general, as far as how it is presented. I noticed the mention of IPhones being used, which is impressive in terms of the quality of the production, and probably the cost savings. If it moves you, have at it. I probably wouldn’t recognize groundbreaking if it smacked me anyway.
But perhaps groundbreaking is becoming extinct, due to saturation? Just a theory I have. Pop music ran its course, after reaching a zenith with The King of Pop (MJ)? Pop is in a sad state these days, according to pundits. Many have said “rock is dead”, only to have been proven wrong, but for how long can it resurrect itself? There will always be niches that can sustain creativity, but have the big mainstream ground-breakers become the extinct dinosaurs of the reptile kingdom? Has it all been done and said, and we’re just recycling and rehashing the formats?
Everything in history is cyclical, including music, I’m sure. There was a Golden Age of radio, television, and music in the 20th Century. New technologies led to new innovations and new genres. But at some point, radio became formatted and formulaic, same for TV sitcoms and romcoms. And more corporatized - a near certain death of actual groundbreaking creativity and innovation. I think the same thing has happened in music, and to some degree we were fooled into not believing it because the new cool techno-gadgets kept evolving. Alt/Indie music helped for awhile, and maybe if we redefine groundbreaking, we’ll still find it in mini-reptile form (to use the evolutionary comparison).
There was only one Beatles, only one Stones (still touring BTW), only one Jimi, only one Brian May, only one EVH, only one SRV, only one Metallica, etc. All were ground-breakers that we still celebrate, they caught the incoming wave and surfed it in, but it kind of seems like the big waves no longer make it past the sandbars of entropy.
Just spit-balling here… but I like to think it’s about them as a band and having taken a non-traditional path to success. They didn’t give in when others were telling them what kind of music they should play and how to market themselves. Rock is dead? No… “I’m not in danger, I’m the danger.” A danger to the established industry, in that they got to where they are without a giant label and without having to compromise their artistic intentions. They are not satisfied with being a ‘vessel in disguise’ into which a record label can just pour formulaic pablum to generate cash from a non-discerning consumer. They had to ‘evolve’ on their own, and the journey was sometimes painful and frustrating… but the payoff will hopefully come and their integrity remain intact. Or maybe I’m totally off track… But I like my interpretation.
We may never know. But I think we should think about what is being put forward as musical and artistic “content” for the masses. Don’t you?
Now that I think about it, the red lighting could signify blood. Or perhaps, some huge powerful electricity sucking red floodlights were just what they happened to have laying around at the time. 
But I like my interpretation.