Songs are often poetry put to music, and some of my favourite singers and songwriters enthusiastically embrace this poetic heritage, and use their song lyrics to tell a story, create a mood or convey an emotion, drawing listeners into their world.
A fantastic but sadly poorly known example of this is American singer/songwriter Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, better known simply as Rodriguez. Rodriguez released his debut album Cold Fact in 1970, and while the album was a commercial failure in the United States, it enjoyed considerable success overseas, particularly in South Africa and Australia. Cold Fact reflects Rodriguez’s upbringing as the child of poor, Mexican-immigrant parents growing up in the urban jungle of Detroit, Michigan. Rodriguez’s songs are urban anthems, touching on hard-hitting subjects like drugs, sex, social injustice, poverty, corruption and cultural unrest. Angry protest songs with titles like “This Is Not a Song, It’s an Outburst: Or, the Establishment Blues”, “Inner City Blues”, and “Rich Folks Hoax” are as biting and as relevant now as they were when Rodriguez penned them over forty years ago.
My favourite song on this album is also one of the shortest. “Forget It” is written as a young man’s response to an ex-girlfriend, in which he tells her that he’ll be just fine without her, and that when it comes to their relationship, she should just “forget it”. While the basic premise is nothing all that original, it’s the raw, honest emotion seeping between the lines that makes this song so powerful and poetic. There’s a quiet desperation in the young man’s voice that suggests that he’s singing more to himself than to his former lover, and that really he’s trying to convince himself that he’s going to be alright after all.
Here is an excerpt from the song:
“If there was a word,
But magic’s absurd,
I’d make one dream come true.
It didn’t work out,
But don’t ever doubt,
How I felt about you.
So thanks for your time,
And you can thank me for mine,
And after that’s said,
Forget it.”
Everything in this song is stripped back, placing the emphasis on the lyrics, and on Rodriguez’s voice. There can be such power and beauty in simplicity – sometimes a song does call for soaring background vocals, sweeping orchestral arrangements or thumping beats, but sometimes all that is needed is a singer who, with their words, can open their heart, share their emotions, and invite you just for a moment into their life.
Do you have any favourite singer/songwriters? I’d love to hear about them!
Happy Friday, everyone!
“There can be such power and beauty in simplicity…”
Yes.
I am grateful to learn about this new-to-me artist. One singer songwriter I love is Dar Williams…and Sara Bareilles.
Happy Poetry Friday. I think you may be able to make a great playlist after this post and its subsequent comments! xo
Dar Williams is new to me! I’m actually really looking forward to listening to everyone’s suggestions!! 😀
I’d never heard of Rodriguez, but I agree with you that poetry sung simply can be so beautiful. I always think of one of Adele’s performances of Someone Like You, where she just stands there with just a piano and sings her heart out. She’s definitely one of my favourite singer/songwriter. The other one is Ingrid Michaelson, who writes lovely lyrics too. Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend!
Yes, I absolutely remember that performance by Adele, it gave me chills! Her voice was perfectly imperfect – not smoothed out and auto-tuned by computers, but quivering with real emotion, which made the performance just so much more powerful. Some of my favourite singers aren’t the ones who always sound perfect, but the ones who sound raw and real!
Ingrid Michaelson is new to me, I look forward to exploring her music!
You have opened my heart, Jane, to Mr. Rodriguez.
And at such a perfect time in this country.
Appreciations.
I LOVE the work my singer-songwriter pals, Adrian Fogelin & Velma Frye
who are beloved here in North Florida & somewhat beyond. On a more-known scale
I have always appreciated the messages in Tom Waits’ songs.
YAY new singer-songwriters for me to explore and experience!! Yes, Tom Waits has long been a favourite of mine, too!
It’s heartbreaking to realize just how many of the injustices that people were singing about forty years ago are still so present in our society today – we’ve come a long way, but there’s still so far to go!
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. You always make me think in a new way. I love it!
I love music…but I enjoy whatever music I happen to hear and be around. I never was stuck on any singer in particular EXCEPT Billy Joel. I think his storytelling in song is why I kept going back for more. Recently, I had a station activity in my library where students had to read the lyrics of some Woodie Guthrie songs and find examples of assonance & consonance for their Language Arts lesson and details about the Dust Bowl for History lesson. Looking up his songs and seeing the sheer volume of work from him — story telling in song– peaked my curiosity. I want to find out more about his work.
Have a great week.
I’m glad to hear that, Linda!
“Storytelling in song” – yes! Singers like Woodie Guthrie are timeless, but they also speak for a time, a place, a people – they give voice to an era and its spirit. Utterly fascinating.
What great Lyrics, Jane. I’ve never heard his music. I’m with Amy. I love Sara Bareilles. Also the Sound of Silence and other Simon and Garfunkel. Aretha Franklin for anthems. Katy Perry and Taylor Swift both have great messages for girls in Roar, Firework and Shake it Off. I love Pink singing Bobby McGee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwmUMvhy-lY Happy Poetry Friday, Jane!
So many favourites here, both old and new! I love new singers who are carrying the tradition of the songwriter forward and introducing new generations of listeners to songs with messages!
So glad you introduced me to Rodriguez, Jane. I totally see what you mean about the emotion between the stripped back lines. A favorite singer-songwriter of mine, for at least 30 years now, is Joni Mitchell. I think you’d be hard pressed not to call her work poetry, as well.
Oh, absolutely! Joni Mitchell is a treasure, and absolutely a poet. AND she’s a fellow Canadian, which makes her even more amazing! 😉
Wonderful to hear of this artist, Jane, and the words from the song, plus your thoughts, too. I just got the PB bio of Pete Seeger, and while he just one of my favorites, he’s in my mind again from all the years of his wonderful protest songs. One written by Malvina Reynolds that opened up a new way of looking at the way people live is “Little Boxes” where she says “little boxes made of ticky tacky. . . and they all look just the same”. Pete made this song famous, among so many others that made his audience look again at our society. Thanks for your post stirring up memories!
I love the connections you have made here, Jane. In my post this week, I talk about getting down to the “bones” of things. What you said about stripping back the song and paying attention to words and voices really resonates with me!
It somewhat reminded me of the stripped down psychiatric advice in a skit by Bob Newhart…”Stop it! Just stop it!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arPCE3zDRg4
Just so you don’t miss it – the Scavenger Hunt poem is up today with your line in it:
http://mainelywrite.blogspot.com/2017/03/sol-ends-and-poetry-friday.html
I really like the lyrics to “Forget It.” The words are simple and direct. I’ll look for Rodriguez and follow your links to learn more about his music. Thanks for introducing us to this artist!
Ooo, thanks for the introduction to Rodriquez. We’ve lost many poet/songwriters in recent years – David Bowie – has been a favorite of mine for years. Thanks for sharing, Jane! =)
Thank you for sharing a poet/singer who is new to me. I am struck by “there is such power and beauty in simplicity.” That reminds me of a college friend who wrote and sang her own songs with just a guitar accompaniment. I wore out the cassette tape I had of her music.
I’m sure I saw a documentary about this singer some time ago. If it’s the same man, I remember thinking, why have I not heard about this brilliant musician / songwriter?
I agree, song lyrics can be pure poetry. In that department, I love the songs / poems of Leonard Cohen and Paul Simon.
Thanks for sharing “Forget It” with us, I loved it! Music is so powerful and when matched with the right words it’s wonderful. So many Singers I admire, Leonard Cohen is high on the list, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin-many rhythm and Blues performers, then there’s classical and folk-the eclectic like Jonathan Richmond-too many to include.
Well, yes, we are on the same page with music and songwriters! I’ll be celebrating Malvina Reynolds all month long!