Tankersley, K. (1997). Teenage anthems. S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

OVERVIEW

ANTHEM FOR DOOMED YOUTH (by Wilfred Owen)

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

—Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

Only the stuttering rifles’ rattle

Can patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries now for them: no prayers nor bells,

Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—

The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

And bugles calling for them from sad sires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?

Not in the hands of boys but in their eyes

Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes.

The pallor of girls ‘brows shall be their pall:

their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,

and each slow dust a drawing-down of blinds.

In Europe’s Great War (1914-1918), millions of boys (we now call them young men) were killed—many mowed down by machine guns in seemingly senseless trench warfare. Like the World War I soldiers who Owen speaks about in his poetry, many young minds and hearts are dying in America in the 1990s. The 1990s anthems recalling the demise of today’s youth may seem less than honorable, but just as tragic.

TODAY’S ANTHEMS

"And in an industry primarily about timing, the Spice Girls’ brand of pop dovetails with the American music media’s sudden decision to abandon the ‘alternative rock’ it has bludgeoned us with for the past four years. Grunge anthems about angst and agony are out; upbeat tunes about love and liberty are in." (Fletcher, Newsday)

What has happened to today’s music? It’s beginning to lose its identity again. Just when young people were getting used to depressed, angry, angst-filled lyrics, it has all changed. While this generation is experiencing an identity crisis, modern day music, too, is succumbing to mulitple personalities. Just when society concluded that the happier side of life was still woefully imperfect, today’s music is defying rock’s down beat.

Anthems once rallied troops and motivated entire countries toward a common goal. Even now, in an age of anti-patriotism, anthems still exist to bind a culture and reflect common feelings and emotions. The Rolling Stones’s "Let’s Spend the Night Together," Bruce Springsteen’s "Born in the USA," and Nirvana’s "Smells Like Teen Spirit," whether understood fully for their true meanings or not, lead among America’s pop anthems. Cultures need music to express feelings and give words to emotions. An anthem can lift one’s spirit, stirring a sense of devotion toward an ideal or greater purpose.

What has been absent in popular music for the past several years is a feeling of hope or idealism. The Los Angeles Times highlights this by revealing that the latest Gen X slacker spokesman—the musician, Beck—is going against the flow of alternative rock.

‘I’m sick to death of the so-called alternative music being so narrow,’ he says.

‘The only acceptable things seem to be very basic irony or this faux anger, angst…I look at all the music I love—country, blues, samba, hip-hop, Moroccan, whatever. There’s a kind of celebration in the music that is so sorely missing.’

‘I’m not saying that angst and irony aren’t valid. They’re so much a part of our time. But the musicians I admire—Willie Nelson, Chico Hamilton…There’s something that reaches me in that music that has this real multilevel range to it that a lot of the music I hear now doesn’t.’

To affect listeners at various levels is a goal of a musical anthem. Anthems historically began as hymns and were often founded in words of scripture. They embodied praise, loyalty, devotion, and patriotism; many of their compositions have been elevated to the genre of sacred music. In the 1990s, however, the anthem was no longer a celebration of the "good life," but rather a realistic, sober view of life. Nineties’ anthems work to unmask the seemingly ill-placed trust in God, family, and country. They serve as powerful tools for a generation working through deep pain and yearning for a common voice. However, can deeply sensitive and intense lyrics merge with a dance rhythm? Can they work together? According to USA Today, "No Doubt", they can:

Superstar albums stalled on the chart. Exciting trends failed to materialize. Record sales flattened. Tours fizzled. There’s no doubt 1996 has been a disappointing year for the music industry.

On the other hand, there’s No Doubt.

The group (No Doubt) transcended the glut of angst-filled rock with a frothy and upbeat mix of guitar rock, pop-punk, and danceable Jamaican-born ska.

This has occurred only recently. No Doubt has been around for over ten years; their first album and tour were cancelled in 1992 because of the attention given to grunge music and Nirvana-bes.

Modern music is slowly turning from the angry anthem and embracing styles with a hint of celebration in rhythm and lyrics. Generation X is again redefining itself. Clearly, one can only stay down for so long.

The following sources were used for this discussion:

• Gunderson, E. (1996, December). No doubt, a surprise: Quartet’s danceable pop defies rock’s down beat. USA Today, pp. 1-2D.
• Fletcher, T. (1997, February 3). Spice girls are hot stuff stateside. Newsday.
• Cromelin, R. (1996, July 21). Nobody’s fool; Beck casts aside the label of slacker savant–who needs all that alternative angst, anyway?—and lets out a yelp of sonic joy on ‘odelay’. Losers need not apply. Los Angeles Times, (Calendar, p.3).

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Define an anthem.
2. What songs can you think of that embody today’s culture and emotions?
3. If you wrote an anthem, what would its theme? What would be its beat? Would it be a danceable song? What music type (genre) would it be?
4. In your song, or your school’s song, what would be some key words in your lyrics? Why?
5. Which is easier to do? Laugh or cry?

IMPLICATIONS

1. Listen to lyrics. While most kids initially listen to the beat and watch the video of a song, the lyrics are still revealing. This generation is facing difficult issues. They have many reasons to be upset, depressed, and filled with angst.
2. Music sets a tone for kids; they are worn out from being depressed. They may be ready to entertain a new future and different outlook. Be prepared for and sensitive to related discussions.
3. Anthems speak for a group, yet this group is varied. Still, there are common themes and laments in their tunes. Seek the broad themes to understand and empathize with their unique situation.
4. When a depressed individual changes their outlook and is ready to heal, it is revealed in their words. The same is true of a culture. Listen to the words of the culture.

Ken Tankersley cCYS