While scanning through the FM dial the other day in an effort to avoid terrible overplayed love songs, I was reminded of the other terrible songs the music industry wants us to hear. I'm sure most are aware that country music has largely become a joke, but rock seems to have fallen pretty flat, too.

Rx (Medicate), Theory of a Deadman

Remember when Rock n' Roll was about sex, drugs, fast cars, and fun? Apparently you can get by with singing about using drugs while complaining about not having fun. I know there's an audience for angsty music, but this? I mean, I certainly remember grunge, nu metal, emo, and various other trends over the past few decades, but this song just is not fun.

I am so freakin' bored
Nothing to do today
I guess I'll sit around and medicate

I understand that the song is intended as a commentary on the opioid epidemic and drug abuse, and apparently it speaks to a lot of people, but it just falls flat to me. I find songs with a message to be either tedious or preachy, and the worst combine both. I suppose it's fortunate that this one is merely tedious. In addition, as someone who suffers from chronic illness, I can understand the desire to escape into drugs, but not due to boredom. There are times when the fatigue and pain make doing fun stuff impossible. If I were to use drugs, it would be to escape pain, not to solve boredom.

Maybe this song just doesn't speak to me, but I still stand by my assertion that rock should be fun, and this song isn't.

Scare Away The Dark, Passenger

This song is a bit on the opposite end of the spectrum. Instead of dull and dreary, this one tries to be joyful and triumphant. It also falls flat though. Passenger's voice has always struck me as... less than pleasing to the ear, but your mileage may vary. He's also in that overcrowded market segment of "white guy with an acoustic guitar" that tries to escape criticism by being "folk indie rock." Nope. You're a whiny white guy with a guitar trying to sound soulful by spewing empty platitudes.

Well, we wish we were happier, thinner and fitter
We wish we weren't losers and liars and quitters
We want something more not just nasty and bitter
We want something real not just hashtags and Twitter
It's the meaning of life and it's streamed live on YouTube
But I bet Gangnam Style will still get more views
We're scared of drowning, flying and shooters
But we're all slowly dying in front of fucking computers

Yeah, you're just a pretentious asshat. Social media isn't a scourge on civilization, and technology benefits us all in innumerable ways. Yes, stupid things sometimes become inexplicably popular. We see it in Facebook shares, on Youtube, and here on Steemit, but so what? These tools have also allowed us to connect with people around the world, find old friends, share with distant family, and more.

Sure, sometimes people do need to get outside, meet real people, and do new things, but the song's overwrought sentiments are just an absurd oversimplification of real problems and misdiagnosis of the causes behind them. But there is another problem in his lyrics much earlier in the song, too.

We wish our weekdays away
Spend our weekends in bed
Drink ourselves stupid
And work ourselves dead
And all just because that's what mom and dad said we should do

Work isn't fun. I get it. Some people have poor priorities. I get it. But you know what? Econ 101: Consumption requires prior production, and the modern economy of specialized activity is very productive. We work in order to achieve the goals of food, shelter, and recreation. We defer enjoyment in order to invest effort now for future pleasure. It's not some kind of conspiracy or mistaken idea of past generations, it's the reality of the physical universe in which we live.

We should run through the forests
We should swim in the streams
We should laugh, we should cry
We should love, we should dream
We should stare at the stars and not just the screens
You should hear what I'm saying and know what it means

Sung by someone who has clearly never actually lived anywhere close to wilderness. Life out here is hard, too. Forests are not a magical escape from drudgery. Cities do not preclude laughter, love, or dreams.Admittedly, we can actually see stars at night here, so there's that going for ya. But I hear what you're saying, and it really doesn't mean much at all you self-righteous entitled jerk.

Your turn!

Am I missing something here in my senseless attacks on artistic masterpieces? that possibility certainly exists. Or if I am on the right track here, what other songs lead you to similar criticisms? Comment below!