Not being someone who listens to the radio often, when I do hear it, I usually listen so I know whats happening with music (something in which I have a particular interest). Also being someone who completely missed the John Mayer boat, hearing one of his songs on the radio is a fairly rare occurrence for me. I heard one last night called Waiting on the World to Change. It was the most passive 'Anti-War' song I have ever heard. Even the title, waiting on the world to change, is more passive than anything that I've heard in the recent past. From there, it didn't get any better either. Yes it did point the finger at those John Mayer felt were most to blame, but then he goes on to say "It's hard to beat the system, when you're standing at a distance, so we keep waiting, waiting on the world to change" Yes, it is hard to beat the system when you're standing at a distance. This is because you're not actually in the fight; it's like trying to win a boxing match when you're not in the ring - impossible.
He also says that "one day our generation, is gonna rule the population". Every generation has said that, and every generation has let the same people back into power. We're currently seeing the so-called hippie generation coming into power, the people who grew up during the 60's and were all for peace, love and freedom - nothing has changed. One of the problems is that the people who run for power are often the people who want power in and of itself and the people who do want to change things usually don't want either the power or the rest of the responsibility that comes with power.
Gandhi said this about the same issue "We need to be the change we wish to see in the world". No successful change has come about by people saying "we need to see if the change we wish to see in the world will happen" because it doesn't invite change. Instead, it invites apathy and stupidity; I don't know which is worse.
Looking around I found a few comments about the song - most of them loved it. One however said essentially what I've said. He was immediately called an 'uneducated naysayer' and told he should stop 'simply hating America'. Critics don't seem to be that worried about being told that though with one calling it 'the most spineless social-justice song ever written', an impressive award when compared with other songs (like 'I still haven't found what I'm looking for' the social-justice song that doesn't promote social justice. It only really says that we haven't found it yet)
I will acknowledge that he has changed the words for a live concert that he did - Live Earth. He changed to words to "we're not waiting on the world to change", a nice touch but one that is useless without actually doing something about it.
He also says that "one day our generation, is gonna rule the population". Every generation has said that, and every generation has let the same people back into power. We're currently seeing the so-called hippie generation coming into power, the people who grew up during the 60's and were all for peace, love and freedom - nothing has changed. One of the problems is that the people who run for power are often the people who want power in and of itself and the people who do want to change things usually don't want either the power or the rest of the responsibility that comes with power.
Gandhi said this about the same issue "We need to be the change we wish to see in the world". No successful change has come about by people saying "we need to see if the change we wish to see in the world will happen" because it doesn't invite change. Instead, it invites apathy and stupidity; I don't know which is worse.
Looking around I found a few comments about the song - most of them loved it. One however said essentially what I've said. He was immediately called an 'uneducated naysayer' and told he should stop 'simply hating America'. Critics don't seem to be that worried about being told that though with one calling it 'the most spineless social-justice song ever written', an impressive award when compared with other songs (like 'I still haven't found what I'm looking for' the social-justice song that doesn't promote social justice. It only really says that we haven't found it yet)
I will acknowledge that he has changed the words for a live concert that he did - Live Earth. He changed to words to "we're not waiting on the world to change", a nice touch but one that is useless without actually doing something about it.
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