By Sydney Kerbow | Copy Editor
Music is just one of the many things that have changed throughout history, but the world seems to change with it. Like art, it can express oneself in ways that written words wouldn’t be able to do.
To fully appreciate the medium, I believe one should educate themselves on the history and story of their favorite music.
Does this mean that I think everyone who listens to music should enroll in a music history or theory course? No, not necessarily. Just like anything else a person is interested in, I believe we should lean into that curiosity and see where it takes us.
As someone who has always had a soft spot for music, I find it easy to go down the rabbit hole and explore more of the “lore” of my favorite artists. When doing this, you will find a lot of surprising facts, and it will soon make sense as to why some artists write about or compose a song the way they ultimately do.
A great example of this is The Beatles. By just a bit of research, you can discover the rich history of the band. For instance, on the band’s ninth studio album, aptly named “The Beatles,” also known as the “The White Album,” the song “Julia” tells about the untimely death of John Lennon’s biological mother. Knowing this, the listener has a deeper relationship to the song and makes the listening experience all the more interesting.
Other artists, such as Taylor Swift, are notorious for writing songs based around a certain personal event, like Swift’s song about her relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal, “All Too Well.”
This turns a song into a story, and the rabbit hole can only go deeper from there.
The next time you have a free moment, put in your AirPods and play your favorite song, then everything else is just one Google search away.
Every song has a story. It’s up to you to find it. Don’t be afraid to dive into the lore of your favorite songs and artists.
