If Music Could Talk

Wolter wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 11:35am

Silent Majority wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 11:34am

matedog wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 10:23am

Yeesh, just read the lyrics to Sony. Glad it went first.

There's a "dub" version which is great cos it take the lyrics out

Is it on a BAD Files volume? I haven’t dug those out in years, but I would like that. The music on it is SO much better than the lyrics.

Probably? It's also on the two disc TIBAD and on Spotify.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 11:00am

Flex wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 10:50am

the music to sony is good, and I actually rather like the vocal delivery but man those lyrics have somehow aged worse than just about anything else associated with the band, and that's saying something.

I suspect if there were an extended version we'd hear the remaining 15% of known Japanese stereotypes that weren't used in the song.

Maybe there are a few stereotypes used but it is a song about Japanese culture, and is good-natured in its delivery. Nothing seems particularly offensive to me, and certainly nothing xenophobic as alluded to elsewhere.

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:12pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 11:00am

Flex wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 10:50am

the music to sony is good, and I actually rather like the vocal delivery but man those lyrics have somehow aged worse than just about anything else associated with the band, and that's saying something.

I suspect if there were an extended version we'd hear the remaining 15% of known Japanese stereotypes that weren't used in the song.

Maybe there are a few stereotypes used but it is a song about Japanese culture, and is good-natured in its delivery. Nothing seems particularly offensive to me, and certainly nothing xenophobic as alluded to elsewhere.

No, there's no intentional malice there, but they go about considering Japanese culture from the crudest angles. That sample of the Pearl Harbor attack bulletin alone is awful—what's the point of that? Mick's better than that; this was just clumsy as fuck.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:21pm

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:12pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 11:00am

Flex wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 10:50am

the music to sony is good, and I actually rather like the vocal delivery but man those lyrics have somehow aged worse than just about anything else associated with the band, and that's saying something.

I suspect if there were an extended version we'd hear the remaining 15% of known Japanese stereotypes that weren't used in the song.

Maybe there are a few stereotypes used but it is a song about Japanese culture, and is good-natured in its delivery. Nothing seems particularly offensive to me, and certainly nothing xenophobic as alluded to elsewhere.

No, there's no intentional malice there, but they go about considering Japanese culture from the crudest angles. That sample of the Pearl Harbor attack bulletin alone is awful—what's the point of that? Mick's better than that; this was just clumsy as fuck.

Is it much different to Frankie Goes To Hollywood sampling all the Cold War stuff for Two Tribes? All just seems a bit harmless to me.

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:31pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:21pm

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:12pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 11:00am

Flex wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 10:50am

the music to sony is good, and I actually rather like the vocal delivery but man those lyrics have somehow aged worse than just about anything else associated with the band, and that's saying something.

I suspect if there were an extended version we'd hear the remaining 15% of known Japanese stereotypes that weren't used in the song.

Maybe there are a few stereotypes used but it is a song about Japanese culture, and is good-natured in its delivery. Nothing seems particularly offensive to me, and certainly nothing xenophobic as alluded to elsewhere.

No, there's no intentional malice there, but they go about considering Japanese culture from the crudest angles. That sample of the Pearl Harbor attack bulletin alone is awful—what's the point of that? Mick's better than that; this was just clumsy as fuck.

Is it much different to Frankie Goes To Hollywood sampling all the Cold War stuff for Two Tribes? All just seems a bit harmless to me.

A slight difference between sampling in a song opposing nuclear brinksmanship versus a song that relies on stereotypes derived largely from racism and other demonization. Again, this isn't to suggest that Mick sought to be offensive, only that he went about things in a crude way that could very easily appeal to genuine bigots.

Yeah, I don't think it's intentionally offensive or anything. As I said, we're all (theoretically) a tad wiser and more sensitive about such things and the song hasn't really kept up with the times. It happens, and it's a testament to Mick's lyrical craftsmanship that this is one of (the only?) really wince-worthy set of lyrics he's put out there.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:48pm

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:31pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:21pm

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:12pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 11:00am

I suspect if there were an extended version we'd hear the remaining 15% of known Japanese stereotypes that weren't used in the song.

Maybe there are a few stereotypes used but it is a song about Japanese culture, and is good-natured in its delivery. Nothing seems particularly offensive to me, and certainly nothing xenophobic as alluded to elsewhere.

No, there's no intentional malice there, but they go about considering Japanese culture from the crudest angles. That sample of the Pearl Harbor attack bulletin alone is awful—what's the point of that? Mick's better than that; this was just clumsy as fuck.

Is it much different to Frankie Goes To Hollywood sampling all the Cold War stuff for Two Tribes? All just seems a bit harmless to me.

A slight difference between sampling in a song opposing nuclear brinksmanship versus a song that relies on stereotypes derived largely from racism and other demonization. Again, this isn't to suggest that Mick sought to be offensive, only that he went about things in a crude way that could very easily appeal to genuine bigots.

Which stereotypes are derived from racism? I'm genuinely interested to know. Maybe I'm just naive but I would never have noticed any racist connotations in the lyrics until it was mentioned here.

Flex wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:02pm

Yeah, I don't think it's intentionally offensive or anything. As I said, we're all (theoretically) a tad wiser and more sensitive about such things and the song hasn't really kept up with the times. It happens, and it's a testament to Mick's lyrical craftsmanship that this is one of (the only?) really wince-worthy set of lyrics he's put out there.

Don't forget Don had a BIG hand in the lyrics on TiBAD. It was only recently we learnt he wrote the lyrics for E=mc2.

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:07pm

Don't forget Don had a BIG hand in the lyrics on TiBAD. It was only recently we learnt he wrote the lyrics for E=mc2.

Okay, it's Don's fault.

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:05pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:48pm

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:31pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:21pm

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:12pm

Maybe there are a few stereotypes used but it is a song about Japanese culture, and is good-natured in its delivery. Nothing seems particularly offensive to me, and certainly nothing xenophobic as alluded to elsewhere.

No, there's no intentional malice there, but they go about considering Japanese culture from the crudest angles. That sample of the Pearl Harbor attack bulletin alone is awful—what's the point of that? Mick's better than that; this was just clumsy as fuck.

Is it much different to Frankie Goes To Hollywood sampling all the Cold War stuff for Two Tribes? All just seems a bit harmless to me.

A slight difference between sampling in a song opposing nuclear brinksmanship versus a song that relies on stereotypes derived largely from racism and other demonization. Again, this isn't to suggest that Mick sought to be offensive, only that he went about things in a crude way that could very easily appeal to genuine bigots.

Which stereotypes are derived from racism? I'm genuinely interested to know. Maybe I'm just naive but I would never have noticed any racist connotations in the lyrics until it was mentioned here.

Less biological racism than the cultural form, where certain facets just get trotted out to emphasize an entire people. Stuff like hari kari, rice wine, cheap and imitative commodities, samurais, Godzilla, kamikazes. It's not like all that stuff is a fabrication, but that it reduces Japan and Japanese to a dumb caricature.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:18pm

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:05pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:48pm

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:31pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:21pm

No, there's no intentional malice there, but they go about considering Japanese culture from the crudest angles. That sample of the Pearl Harbor attack bulletin alone is awful—what's the point of that? Mick's better than that; this was just clumsy as fuck.

Is it much different to Frankie Goes To Hollywood sampling all the Cold War stuff for Two Tribes? All just seems a bit harmless to me.

A slight difference between sampling in a song opposing nuclear brinksmanship versus a song that relies on stereotypes derived largely from racism and other demonization. Again, this isn't to suggest that Mick sought to be offensive, only that he went about things in a crude way that could very easily appeal to genuine bigots.

Which stereotypes are derived from racism? I'm genuinely interested to know. Maybe I'm just naive but I would never have noticed any racist connotations in the lyrics until it was mentioned here.

Less biological racism than the cultural form, where certain facets just get trotted out to emphasize an entire people. Stuff like hari kari, rice wine, cheap and imitative commodities, samurais, Godzilla, kamikazes. It's not like all that stuff is a fabrication, but that it reduces Japan and Japanese to a dumb caricature.

But I love that line about Godzilla eating the bullet train.

I get your point to an extent but it's hardly Skrewdriver..

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:21pm

I get your point to an extent but it's hardly Skrewdriver..

Clearly! Several of us just see Mick (or Don ) as clumsy, not nasty.

I used the word xenophobic, I wouldn't call it racist.

Silent Majority wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:32pm

I used the word xenophobic, I wouldn't call it racist.

Yeah, this isn’t a case of malicious intent. It’s just a case where the times have changed and it comes off as lazy stereotyping.

Wolter wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:35pm

Silent Majority wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:32pm

I used the word xenophobic, I wouldn't call it racist.

Yeah, this isn’t a case of malicious intent. It’s just a case where the times have changed and it comes off as lazy stereotyping.

I can get the stereotype thing to an extent but the xenophobia thing just seems off the mark if we're using the dictionary definition. "A dislike or prejudice against people from other countries." Sorry, I just can't see it. It's a good natured yarn about the East in the same way Medicine Show does a similar job on the old West (with a heavy dash of modern consumerism).