Shania Twain is number 1 NOW!

(For anyone who doesn't know, last Friday (29th September) Shania Twain released a new studio album titled NOW and is currently number 1 in the UK Album Chart.) 

I try not to spend too much time with things I don’t like. There’s nothing worse than just critiquing something and not offering anything positive or constructive. However as much as I love Shania Twain, (as many of my friends will vouch for!) it wasn’t just that which motivated me to write this blog. It was the petty, ageist, and misogynist way in which both Wolf Alice and NME have talked about Shania Twain on social media over the last few days.

This week’s chart was contested between Shania Twain and Wolf Alice – I assume they are a slightly alternative band, I haven’t listened to them myself, but I imagine they’re slightly rocky and alternative for NME to be showcasing them. Wolf Alice were leading on the Monday mid-weeks chart and by Wednesday Shania Twain had overtaken them. It was at this point that the band’s drummer, Joel Amey decided to put out on facebook:

“My poor, fat, nine-year-old self had to dance back and forth to an endless loop of ‘Man, I Feel Like A Woman’ while cursing the name of Shania Twain.

“Time passes and memories fade. By lo! 15 years later, like a country star makeover of ‘It’, she has returned from her slumber to take on the real life Loosers Club Wolf Alan from taking the top spot. Together we can put an end to this madness.”

As much as NME would like me to treat this as a joke and not take it so seriously, there is an underlying attitude and dynamic here that is real. Shania Twain is a perfect foil for Wolf Alice’s “real” and “new” music. Shania Twain is linked to child hood memories and associated with embarrassment as Joel Amey describes his funny childhood memory. She then continues to be a source of embarrassment and uncool by being compared to a clown and by describing as having ‘returned from her slumber’ Joel evokes a certain condescending attitude and stereotype towards people he considers old – namely anyone Radio One no long consider relevant anymore.

This particularly touches a nerve with me for two reasons. First is my own personal history of listening to my music of which Shania Twain was a big part of since I was 12 years old, and my music is a big part of my identity and my collection is something that I am proud of, but was also something I was bullied over and continue to have the piss taken out of me over. My taste in music has never been cool. More importantly for Shania Twain is how Joel almost relishes in his ignorance and insensitivity of her live in these past 15 years in which she experienced the breakdown of her marriage and contracted Lyme’s diseases, which resulted in her having to learn how to sing again. Shania Twain’s new album may never have been made and so to reduce her to a caricature or someone whose life stopped in 2002 is disrespectful and perhaps reflective of how we view people above 40.

This was also followed by NME and HMV revving up this chart battle and pushing Wolf Alice as the album people should buy out of the two. Shania Twain has never mentioned Wolf Alice at all, only promoted her own album, and expressing her joy of being able to release music again. Of course this is probably not the complete Shania Twain and her social media and conventional media presence is very disciplined and perhaps reminiscent of an earlier time when we did not follow celebrities’ every move via social media and there was more of an aura of mystery around them. However this in comparison to the undignified way in which NME and Wolf Alice have approached this chart battle has shown Shania Twain to be taking the high road. That’s not to say that all of Shania Twain’s fans have been behaving perfectly on social media either, however she has not been involved.

To Shania Twain’s album itself, a lot of its meaning and my experience of listening to it is brought about by the context of Shania Twain’s music in the past. That’s not to say that the album is not good music, but to think of it on its own is disingenuous. The album is called NOW referring to this is Shania Twain as she is now which evokes the past Shania and the old songs that gave her a fan base, but also reminds us that this is not the same. Indeed her voice is deeper and her songs are not as uplifting and anthemic as the ones on Come On Over. The songs reflect being disappointed and broken by the world, but also resilience and resolve to hope for the future. The songs are not quite as immediate as her previous albums, however the mellowness reflects the changes in Shania Twain’s life and perhaps in the world since the early 2000s. It certainly reflects my own changes from pure optimism and childhood abandon to seeing the world in a more, pragmatic and sober light. Nevertheless, like Shania I’m still trying to make the most of now and hoping that ‘life’s about to get good.’   

After Manchester, Only Kindness Matters

As I woke up the day after the terrorist incident in Manchester I turned to a song that I turned to when I heard the news about Orlando in June last year: “Hands” by Jewel. It’s not particularly surprising considering the song was performed a lot following 9/11. Hands is a song that speaks about mortality, vulnerability and the resilience of the human spirit in ‘times like these.’ What I also remember from that time is that less than two weeks later Jo Cox was murdered. Following this there was a suspension of all campaigning activities in the Brexit referendum until the start of the following week, and in the interim there was a cross party outpouring of public sympathy, paying respects and commemorating of Jo Cox. In this period there was a time to reflect on the way we conduct politics, the way we speak of our MPs and the way that we debate and argue with one another. Unfortunately once campaigning resumed all that seemed to be forgotten with the Jeremy Paxman TV debate I remember being particularly hostile and unpleasant. Once the Brexit result happened Labour then proceeded to fight amongst themselves and it was as if Jo Cox had been forgotten about and people on both sides of the Labour party were now resorting to dehumanizing and personal attacks.

Now that General Election campaigning has resumed, through analysisng Jewel’s song “Hands,” I would like to explore ways of relating to one another that do not have to be so hostile. After Manchester people across political parties came together to show kindness and support one another. They were able to recognize even within political opponents and those they strongly and even morally disagree with a kind of common humanity enough to come together and pick up the pieces after a terrorist attack.

So I turn to Jewel. Jewel is an American singer songwriter, who, like many of the singers I listen to is close to country music. She came to great attention, especially in the US during the mid 1990s female singer-songwriters with the emphasis on self-expression such as Tori Amos, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morrisette and Sarah McLachlan gained mainstream critical and commercial success. After suffering an unstable childhood, Jewel focused on her singing and songwriting and her debut album Pieces of You (1995), which she described as ‘imperfect, full of mistakes and guitar flubs, but it is honest’ (Jewel, 2015: 173) went on to sell 12 million copies in the US alone. Her second album Spirit (1998) was also successful, if not at the same scale as her first, and it is from this album from which “Hands” is taken.

The song presents the protagonist in a scene of desperation, although we are never told exactly what the situation she is in. The song’s video features a collapsed house with people digging through rubble to rescue people – music videos often use imagery for evocative rather than literal purposes. This focus on the emotion of the situation, rather than the specifics enables this song to resonate and connect across different circumstances and still be just as poignant. What is notable about the protagonist is that even at the very beginning she is calm and resolved:

‘If I could tell the world just one thing,

it would be that we’re all OK.

And not to worry ‘cause worry is wasteful

And useless in times like these.’

Although the first line could be just a brave face to try and keep things calm, it is clear from the following lines that Jewel putting on a brave face is not because she is in denial of the situation. Her reason to ‘not worry’ is not that there is nothing to worry about, but that ‘worry is wasteful and useless.’ In fact the reason Jewel is putting on a brave face is a more mature acknowledgement of how serious and desperate the situation is that there is not time to worry, to waste and for things not to work. In putting a brave face on and telling the world ‘all ok’ is a conscious attempt to keep the situation and the people around her calm so that a better resolution can come about.

Jewel continues this idea that worry and panicking is ‘useless’ and that the situation requires her to be the best person she can be:

‘I will not be made useless

I won't be idled with despair

I will gather myself around my faith

For light does the darkness most fear.’

Worry is intensified into ‘despair’ and similarly the frailty of uselessness becomes closer to a moral fault or sin as it relates to being ‘idled.’ Jewel recognizes the potential and even compulsion to crumble in this situation and yet she resolves to be a stronger and better person: ‘I will gather myself around my faith.’ In this personal resolve, Jewel is able to salvage what she can, the ‘light;’ rather than let the desperate situation (‘the darkness’) completely claim her.

The song now reaches an almost euphoric chorus as Jewel’s resolve enables her to have complete control over herself. As the powerlessness of her situation, the feeling which can often come after a terrorist incident, is replaced as she reaffirms her control and agency over herself, her actions, her reactions, her ‘hands’:

‘My hands are small, I know,

But they're not yours they are my own

But they're not yours they are my own

And I am never broken.’

Jewel acknowledges that this is not enough to change the situation, it cannot take away the destruction her hands are just her hands, they’re ‘small.’ However they are a step to make a positive change and keep her resolved. As a result she refused to be broken by this: ‘I am never broken.’ In these small steps she is able to move towards a bigger change. By the end of the song the individual declaration ‘I am never broken’ becomes a ‘we’: ‘we are never broken.’ Collectively, people, communities and society are able to salvage a better way.

The middle eight of the song is the first step to Jewel transitioning from her own, individual resolve to a more community or collective resolve and change. The middle eight is simply the line: ‘in the end only kindness matters’ repeated. However the tempo of this line is fairly slow allowing the sentiment to sink gradually into the listener’s mind. When meaningless acts of terror happen, it doesn’t matter who you are, or what previous disagreements or grievances you had with one another, when people need to pull together, they need to support one another small acts of kindness can mean a great deal. In these desperate moments when we see our vulnerable and basic humanity: ‘only kindness matters.’ This kindness melodically is presented as intense and thereby a seemingly simple act is presented as being so powerful. In devastating acts of terror, small acts of kindness can mean the world. However, there is a tragic irony that this fundamental human kindness is only acknowledged at times of raw desperation, and it appears that as soon as we are out of the immediate danger or aftermath of a tragedy we forget what potential for compassion and humility we are capable of.

The coda of the song unties the community, the individual Jewel’s ‘hands’ and God with the repetition: ‘We are God’s hands.’ In discarding common human weaknesses of worrying and idleness that prevents action and people working to come together, Jewel is able to hold herself together and help transform the community around her from one of disintegration, hopelessness and divison, into one of hope, selflessness and compassion.

The religious element of this song may be off putting to some and perhaps both my reading and the song is too sentimental. However there is an acknowledgement of the struggle, suffering and hard work to reach this state: the struggle to abandon idleness and worry and keep resolved. Further following terrorist acts the outpouring of international prayers can sometimes be scoffed at as at best a substitute for acting and at worst ‘what got us in this situation in the first place. However genuine prayers are rarely a substitute for action. Prayers bring resolve, bring clarity to a situation that can help people cope and strive towards change, at least for me, I don’t know anywhere near enough about theology to describe the significance or purpose of prayer for anyone else. However in the case of this song when Jewel sings before the final chorus: ‘I will get down on my knees and I will pray’ this act of prayer is placed in a context of being resolved enough to take meaningful action to salvage a desperate situation. Considering Jewel rejected any human tendency that did not help the situation as ‘useless’ and she vehemently refused to be made useless, if prayer would not help in any way then Jewel would not be doing it. Further, this process of coming together starts with how the individual comes to terms and processes the tragic situation. If prayer is part of how someone is able to be useful and help, then that prayer should be taken seriously.

“Hands” demonstrates that the vulnerability exposed after a tragic situation has the potential to reveal what humanity could be capable of, the compassion and kindness with how we could treat one another. I do fear that people will forget the cross-party and cross-community solidarity and compassion they demonstrated during this time; however I do hope (and pray) that some day we might be able to conduct politics and interact with one another in a way that does not forget the things we discover about each other when it matters the most.

Sources:

Jewel. 2015. Never Broken: Songs are Only Half the Story. New York: Blue Rider Press

Theresa May’s ‘Jingoistic’ Election

Theresa May has decided to hold a snap general election in June. As much as I am worried that this election has a high chance of wiping out the Labour party, the most distasteful part of this whole election is the manner in which she has called it, and the authoritarian justifications Theresa May has given for holding it: parliamentary opposition to Brexit. I will start by looking at her speech, drawing out two interrelated problems: the way that opposition or dissent is presented as threatening to national security; and secondly the appeal to unity. I will then take these points further by looking Mary Chapin Carpenter’s song: “On With The Song” to explore how dissent and unity are not oppositions and in the silencing of dissent to preserve a false perception of unity only sows resentment and does not build any real resilience necessary for communities and people to live and come together positively.

So I'll start with the speech Theresa May gave on Tuesday 18^th April. May gives the following reasons for holding a general election:

"If we do not hold a general election now their political game-playing will continue, and the negotiations with the European Union will reach their most difficult stage in the run-up to the next scheduled election.

Division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit and it will cause damaging uncertainty and instability to the country.”

By ‘political game-playing’ May is referring to basic parliamentary scrutiny and debate. She criticises the Labour party who ‘has threatened to vote against the deal we reach with the European Union'. As the opposition and as elected representatives, Labour have the right to vote against any deal with the European Union. In fact, in light of the war on terror that is about protecting the free world and democracy, the right to dissent, to disagree, to criticise and to oppose is part of living in a free, liberal democracy (Katz, 2008: 157). Further, was the vote to leave not also a vote for democracy? Her use of the word ‘threatened’ also works to associate labour as a threat to national security and stability. Throughout the speech, May makes various references to this threat: ‘I am not prepared to let them endanger the security of millions of working people across this country’ and links all other parties opposing the governments’ kind of Brexit with being ‘unstable.’ Further, the problem for May with dissent is disunity as she describes ‘division in Wesminster’ as risking the success of Brexit. In this speech, May also makes the claim that ‘the country is coming together, but Westminster is not.’ I do not know what she is basing this claim that the country’s divisions are healing on. Theresa May has certainly not done anything to heal them, aside from recycling a pleasant sounding, but rather vacuous speech about the ‘Just About Managing’ over the past year. Dissent and parliamentary opposition is here a threat to May and the Conservative’s (false) sense of unity. 

What has influenced my thinking behind this, as with many things in life, has been my 13 or so years long relationship with country music. Theresa May’s rhetoric bares striking resemblances to the country radio’s backlash to the Dixie Chicks’ criticisms of President Bush and the Iraq war. For those unaware of the incident, the Dixie Chicks’ criticism of the president led to the band being denounced at traitors, boycotted by country radio, labeled ‘Sadam’s Angels’ and the band were subject to death threats. One person commented ‘freedom of speech is fine. As long as you don’t do it in public.’ The Dixie Chick’s dissent, then, was treated as a threat to the country’s stability and national security. The aggression with which the band’s detractors attempted to silence them demonstrates the US approach to bulldozing over difference in order to preserve a façade of unity. The irony was lost on many of the detractors, as with May and the hard brexiteers, that freedom and democracy was the whole point of the war on terror and Brexit in the first place.

So now to Mary Chapin Carpenter, a singer-songwriter from Princeton, New Jersey whose music is often classified as country, although her discography and sound borrows from rock and folk. She achieved commercial and critical success in the 1990s with the albums Come on Come on (1992) and Stones in the Road (1994). However her later albums were less commercial, such as the one I take the song from The Calling (2007).

Carpenter’s song ‘On With The Song’ was written in response to the conservative backlash to the Dixie Chicks.  The song references the backlash in the lyrics:

            “This isn’t for the ones with their radio signal

              Calling for bonfires and boycotts, they rave.”

These lines refer to former fans of the Dixie Chicks burning their CDs and country radio boycotting their songs. There are also indirect references to George Bush and the Iraq war, criticizing Bush for going to war and his arrogance in this:

            “This isn’t for the man who can’t count the bodies

              Can’t comfort the families, can’t say when he’s wrong.”

The majority of the song, however contains little direct references to the either the Dixie Chicks or George Bush. Instead the song explores more deeply the dynamic of the situation. Carpenter has said ‘topical songwriting is a real gift, and it’s hard not to be pedantic and show up with the sledgehammer message. Songs that do that, I’m kind of allergic to.’ In this vain, the song is still political, but refuses to be a ‘sledgehammer message.’

The song is concerned with exploring ideas of unity and dissent and how unity is something that should not be forced onto people in a way that bulldozes over differences. The song opens with the lines:

            “This isn’t for the ones who blindly follow

              Jingoistic bumper stickers telling you

  To love it or leave it and you'd better love Jesus

  And get out of the way of the Red, White and Blue.”

This opening verse sets up a militarized ‘jingoistic’ nationalistic setting where dissent and disagreement are seen as threats to the nation as they get in the way of the path that the nation needs to take. This has striking similarities to the way in which Theresa May is going about Brexit. Approaching the negotiations in a negative distrustful way, for example refusing to guarantee the status of EU nationals in the UK and refusing, publically at least, to give any leeway around how the UK leaves the EU, the UK must leave both the Customs Union and the Single Market. Furthermore, anyone slightly ambivalent or worried about the impact of Brexit is told to ‘love it or leave it’ or be dismissed as simply ‘Project Fear’ for suggesting that there may be some hard times ahead. In this ideological optimism, this false display of unity, ‘the truth goes missing’ and we lose valuable insights. We would be able to benefit from these, if only the prime minister would work more collaboratively and try to build consensus across difference, rather than trying to bulldoze her way over everyone.

The tempo of the song becomes faster and the sound more uplifting as the song reaches a chorus where Carpenter turns to the people who the song is for. The earlier stanzas were slower rejecting the false unity that the Republicans were demanding, the slower tempo and steady vocal reflecting resolve and stoicism. The chorus celebrates dissent and people who ‘stand their ground’:

            “No, this is for the ones who stand their ground

  When the lines in the sand get deeper

  When the whole world seems to be upside down

  And the shots being taken get cheaper, cheaper.”

The lines seem to accept that the odds are stacked against them and the fight will be difficult: ‘the lines in the sand get deeper.’ Whilst they ‘stand their ground’ against the Iraq war or hard brexit, Carpenter also seems to be suggesting that it is not just these political issues that need resisting, but the manner in which the Republicans and Conservatives are conducting politics. Where politics is just a game of cheap shots to discredit their opponents and where any form of opposition is a 'threat', a true form of resistance is to reject the methods of division and disgust, and instead work across difference and bring about compromise.

So back to where this blog started, Theresa May’s approach to this general election is no responsible way to run a country. The response to a divided country, as revealed by the Brexit referendum is not to pretend that ‘the country is coming together’. We need to be open and acknowledge that not everyone is happy with Brexit, and further, whatever solution we come to, resolution and positive change will not 'mean that everyone is happy' (Schulman, 2016: 22). Best to be frank about this now and try to work across these differences, rather than make empty speeches about unity and the country coming together and label anyone who disagrees with you as enemies of the people. 

Sources:

Andes, Tom. 2012.  "The Rumpus interview with Mary Chapin Carpenter" The Rumpus. Available at: http://therumpus.net/2012/08/the-rumpus-interview-with-mary-chapin-carpenter/ [Accessed 21 April 2017]. 

Katz, C. 2008. “The Eternal Irony of the Community”: Prophecy, Patriotism, and the Dixie Chicks. Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies. [Online] 26(4), Summer 2008, pp. 139-160. Available at DOI: 10.1353/sho.0.0192 [Accessed 12 March 2016].

Kopple, B., Peck, C. 2006. Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing. New York: Cabin Creek Films.

Schulman, S. 2016. Conflict is not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair. Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press.