By: Melody Flores
Lyrics:
The first thing you notice right off the bat is the difference in their choice of words. In Wale’s “My PYT” he has an interesting introduction: “She a couple-couple-couple years younger/But she badder than a motherfucker/Ass fatter than a motherfucker.” Throughout the song he is expressing admiration for a woman, but it’s based solely off physical attraction. This could be something people in the 60’s thought about saying, (I doubt it) but it was never something you say out loud let alone put in a song that’s about love. A little bit further in the song he says, “She penetrating my mind/I penetrate that physique/Bitches I would delete/Digging our chemistry.” To certain people, this is peak romance: your man not paying any mind to other women who are attempting to come between your relationship. To me… that’s quite literally the bare minimum but we live in a society where a lot of people don’t have their priorities straight when it comes to romantic relationships. Again, he is talking about her physical appearance rather than valuing her beyond what’s on the outside. Taking a look at the chorus in Mac Miller’s “My Favorite Part,” he says, “If it's only tonight, ayy, we don't need to worry/We ain't in a hurry, rushin' into love.” This line shows the desire to take the relationship slow and enjoy the present moment without rushing into a serious commitment. Which could be weird to the older generation since they were typically all in for their person. Mac also admits “Before things come together, they have to fall apart/It's been a while since I've been sober/This life can be so hard, I′d rather talk about you.” This is really important because although they are holding off on that commitment, he is still being vulnerable opening up about his addiction (in case you didn’t know his battle with addiction ultimately led to his death.) In the last verse, he shifts his focus from his own difficulties to his partner, which suggests that his love for her is a source of joy and relief. Now jumping to J. Cole’s “She’s Mine Pt.1,” he expresses his fear of opening up to the person you love. It’s a bit long but I’m going to pull verse one: “I wanna talk about my days as a youth to you/Exposing you to all my demons and the reasons I'm this way/I would like to paint a picture, but it'll take more than a day/It would take more than some years to get all over all my fears/Preventing me from letting you see all of me perfectly clear/The same wall that's stopping me from letting go and shedding tears/From the lack of having father/ And the passing of my peers.”. Wow the lyrical genius Jermaine Lamarr Cole. This verse reveals his internal struggle to expose himself and confront his fears, which stem from childhood difficulties. His whole song expresses the vulnerability and trust that comes with opening up to a significant other. Artists back in the 60’s only sang about the surface level puppy love.
Moving on to Rosie’s “Angel Baby,” she used lyrics like “When you are near me/ My heart skips a beat/ I can hardly stand on/ My own two feet.” She does a good job at capturing how intense and overwhelming love can feel. Her repetitiveness of the lyrics “Angel baby/ My angel baby,” does a great job of emphasizing the innocent all devoting love that was so popular in the 60’s. The love she is describing is more of a fairytale love. Her lyrics convey a sense of deep love, adoration, and longing. During “I’m so Proud” the phrase “I’m so proud of being loved by you” is repeated throughout the song. A significant part of the song is dedicated to the joy of being loved by their person. They go on to describe the qualities of their partner, the qualities that are worth being proud of. In “Love... Can Be So Wonderful,” we see the lyrics “A dream that seems so real/ Your touch showing just how you feel/ Those treasured moments spent with you sharing love/ Ooh, a love so true.” We see that fairytale love mentioned again, which is a theme in older love songs. They took pride in whom they loved. This song speaks of a deep bond and understanding between people, where their hearts speak so clearly to one another and they are content in each other’s presence.
Instruments & Production:
The next thing we should talk about is the difference in instruments, beats, and overall production. Keep in mind that there have been a lot of technological advances in the recording process of songs since the 60’s, so obviously there are going to be major differences. In Rosie’s “Angel Baby,” they only use a few instruments like the bass guitar, piano, and drums. The beat is very simple. You can hear the little mistakes in her voice, the recording not being “perfect” makes it almost feel like a love letter straight from her heart. Which basically is what it is since she wrote the song’s lyrics as a poem for her first boyfriend. This simple sound matches her lyrics because it goes with her whole love is an innocent and dreamy thing. Rosie and her friends actually recorded this song in an abandoned airplane hangar on a two-track recording machine. The lack of heavy production reflects the era’s limited studio technology but adds to the overall authenticity of the song. Around the same time, The Impressions “I’m So Proud” uses a soft guitar and smooth harmonies while keeping that simple style. Lead singer Curtis Mayfield’s voice matches the lyrics about pride and admiration; you can tell he really feels what he’s singing. His voice is light overall, giving the song a warm romantic feeling. By the 70’s, groups were starting to add strings and horns which really helped with giving love songs a dramatic grand ideal effect. Which is when The Temprees “Love… Can Be So Wonderful” came out. In addition to using most of the same instruments like guitar, piano and drums; they also used saxophone, percussion and strings. The lead singer’s voice has moments where it gets higher, giving it a sweet and gentle sound. The background singers blend perfectly with his, adding layers that make the song feel straight from the heart.
On the other hand, in “My PYT” by Wale, the beat is built with electronic drums, bass, and smooth synth melodies that repeat through the song. His voice sounds clean but slightly tuned with autotune, giving it a playful vibe. The instruments and production make the song feel confident and flirty instead of soft and dreamy like older love songs. In “My Favorite Part” by Mac Miller, the song uses electric piano, drums, and a slow bass line in the background. Their voices blend beautifully, and the studio's reverb and mixing effects make them sound smooth and balanced. This gives the song a cozy and romantic tone, like two people just enjoying being together. Which is the truth because Ariana and Mac were in love while recording this song. In “She’s Mine Pt. 1” by J. Cole, the production is simple and calm, with soft piano notes, a quiet snare beat, and light background synths. His voice sounds emotional and real, and even though it’s clearly recorded in a studio, it still feels personal almost like he’s talking directly to someone he loves. The echoes and layered vocals show how far recording technology has come since the 60s, when everything had to be done live in one take. All three songs show how modern tools like autotune, layering, and digital instruments have changed the way artists express emotion. Love songs today can sound more personal and detailed because artists can shape their voices and music to match the exact mood they want to create.
Emotional Impact:
The biggest difference in my professional opinion (someone whose name is Melody) is how the song makes us feel. Rosie’s “Angel Baby” is all the good parts of being in love with someone. To some, this is called the “honeymoon stage” but that doesn’t always need to be the case. Her song makes me think of young love, the type that feels pure and honest, like you’re the only people in the world. I think this song gave people in the 60’s some type of hope and comfort, because it painted love as something so simple and magical that everyone wanted to find. The song “Love... Can Be So Wonderful” makes love feel like something worth celebrating. It’s dramatic but in a good way, it makes love feel almost larger than life. Then in “I’m So Proud” we get that soft pure vibe back. It’s a gentle and uplifting song; I mean the song is literally about him being proud to be loved by his woman. He’s happy that she chooses to love him (out of everyone in the world) every day.
When I listen to “My PYT,” it low-key makes you want to bust a move simply because of the beats. Although I’m not the biggest fan of how he expresses love, I can see how people who are just there for the vibes of it all like being pursued in this way. In “My Favorite Part,” you feel the sweet and comforting mood, like a couple enjoying the happiness of being in love. It makes you feel the beauty of taking things slow and the importance of admiring someone for who they are vs. how they look. When it comes to “She’s Mine Pt.1” it feels like I’m overhearing him share a private confession. It makes love feel personal and kind of scary. He’s breaking down his walls to emphasize how important this person is to him. Together, these songs show how the emotional impact of love has changed over time: older songs made love feel magical and perfect, while modern songs capture the physical attraction, the struggle, and the vulnerability of real relationships.
Looking at old school love songs and modern love songs shows that even though music changes, the feelings behind it remain important. Songs like Rosie’s “Angel Baby,” The Tempress “Love... Can Be So Wonderful,” or The Impressions “I’m So Proud” make love sound simple and full of hope. While newer songs like Wale’s “My PYT,” Mac Miller’s “My Favorite Part,” or J. Cole’s “She’s Mine Pt.1” show love as something more complicated, exploring all the personal layers of getting involved romantically with someone. The differences in lyrics, instruments, and emotions prove music has moved from describing love as a perfect dream to showing it as something real with joy and struggles. Still, no matter the time period, love songs connect people because everyone can relate to the experience of loving someone. Whether it’s through the sweet harmonies of the past or the intimate production of today, these songs remind us that love will always be one of the strongest feelings humans try to put into music.
I think your article was nice to read and I do agree with you that it seems like older songs from the 60s are more talking about simple, young or innocent type of love compared to more modern day type romantic music which speaks on the struggles of a romance and what is real love. Great job with it! :)
ReplyDeleteI really like the topic you picked. I to have a song I can name for every feeling, occasion, and mood. I think that you could have recapped on the older music a little better at the end. But you did a good job of making this paper enjoyable to read all the way through. It gives good information and detail to era's. I almost wish you had done more and chosen something from each genre of music.
ReplyDelete