Reader's Club Activity-“The Songbook: Discography as Literature & Public Discourse”

The first Readers’ Club activity of the session entitled “The Songbook: Discography as Literature & Public Discourse”, was organised by the students of the Dept. of English Literature & Language on 26th August. The participants discussed the songs of popular artists such as Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Beyoncé and others who are today being taught in literature courses, business schools, and in fields like sociology and psychology, in universities around the world including UCLA Berkeley, University of Texas, NYU, and Cambridge. The idea was to look at their “discography” by listening to the songs, to understand their literary merit, psychological underpinnings, sociological perspective, philosophical relevance and exceptional story telling!

The session opened with Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan’s song “Blowing in the Wind” followed by “Love Story”, one of Taylor Swift’s best-known songs about teenage love and hope. Swift’s song is inspired by one of the greatest love stories in literature - Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet - and alludes to the idea that all love stories are fundamentally the same, regardless of their origin or outcome. Also discussed were “August”, “Cardigan” and “Betty” which too are about the same themes. Next was “Somewhere Only We Know”, a song by English alternative rock band, Keane. A nostalgic and introspective sad number, it explores the longing for a special place that once brought comfort and happiness. The lyrics evoke a sense of searching for solace and a connection to the past, while also grappling with the inevitability of change and the passage of time. The song recalls to mind, Matthew Arnold’s “The Buried Life”, “Birches” by Robert frost and Wordsworth’s “Preface to Lyrical Ballads” in each of which there is a desire to escape the harsh realities of life and a want to retreat to childhood. 

Thereafter, the students played “Take Me to Church” by Hozier, a song which has garnered significant literary relevance due to its powerful and metaphorical lyrics that explore themes of love, sacrifice, and identity. The song is rich in religious imagery and symbolism, which add depth and complexity to its message as humour and death are shown to sit next to each other. The song also touches upon issues of sexuality and identity, especially the societal judgment and persecution faced by LGBTQ+ individuals for embracing their true selves. Another song by Hozier, “In the Woods Somewhere” too was discussed as having literary merit due to its exploration of themes that are often found in literature, such as nature, mortality, and existential contemplation. The lyrics evoke a sense of mystery, darkness, and a connection to the natural world. It is also reminiscent of the Gothic literary tradition, which often delves into the unknown and the eerie aspects of existence. Yet another one by Hozier - “Eat Your Young” - is reminiscent of Jonathan Swift’s satirical essay entitled A Modest Proposal which is presented in the guise of an economic treatise. The essay proposes that the country ameliorate poverty in Ireland by butchering the children of the Irish poor and selling them as food to wealthy English landlords. 

From the Indian sub-continent, poet-lyricists such as Sahir Ludhianvi and Majrooh Sultanpuri were talked about, whose literary genius came through in powerful lyrics that could fire the imagination of the people and sway the masses. Their songs from such albums as Ludhianvi’s Pyaasa & Hum Dono and Sultanpuri’s ‘Jaata kahan hai deewane’ from CID, are seen to reflect their political ideology, especially the ideals of secularism and socialism. Next up was Adele Atkins’ ‘Million Years Ago’ which makes one wonder how lonely one’s life can get. It compels one to ponder over the feelings of loss, of youth and time.  In another song, ‘When We Were Young’, she talks about the tough feeling of being by ourselves, growing old and facing our fears. It reminds one of T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of Alfred J Prufrock’ wherein Prufrock repeats the phrase “I’m growing old. I’m growing old” even as he understands and fears that there is nothing enjoyable in ageing but feels like a bucketload of anxiety, on the contrary.

Though storytelling in popular music is a lost art, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar have done that brilliantly in their songs. Two more of their songs - from the genres of country magic and gangster rap, respectively - that were presented as examples are “The Last Great American Dynasty” and "Duckworth”. While “The Last Great…” follows the story of Rebbeca Harkness, one of the richest women to ever live in the United States, “Duckworth” follows the story of Antony and Ducky. Ducky worked at a KFC, and did whatever it took to keep the shop alive (by avoiding a robbery by a man named Antony). On the surface they look like they could not be more different than the another. But they have very interesting parallels, especially in terms of the narrative techniques used and the flip at the end. The session closed with an understanding that good writing is good writing, regardless of the medium or genre. Be it novels, ad films, short films or poetry turning into songs, all are writing opportunities that provoke serious thought!