It seems as though the concept of good vs. evil is present in almost any form of media. In any Disney movie you watch, there is the presence of the hero or heroine and the wicked villain. The same is true for most books. In fact, the creation of a story relies on the presence of conflict. While this theme has been played out in every way imaginable, it still runs rampant throughout music as well. How do we define “good” and “evil” and why have they become so pivotal to the stories that we feel the need to tell?
Song One: “Good News” by Ocean Park Standoff
This American pop trio is made up of members Samantha Ronson, Ethan Thompson, and Pete Nappi. The band first met in 2014 during a songwriting session, but they did not officially form Ocean Park Standoff until 2016. Samantha Ronson is a DJ following in the steps of her brother Mark Ronson who is best known for his song “Uptown Funk” with Bruno Mars. Ethan serves as the band’s vocalist and songwriter while Pete is a drummer and producer. “Good News” was actually their debut single released in 2016 and has harbored them success as it reached number 13 on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart.
“Good News” is a song that embraces the idea of a final Hail Mary. The speaker feels as though they have hit the bottom and is hoping to hear anything that will give them an ounce of hope. The song opens as Thompson sings “No, this is not a test.” In many songs surrounding this theme, the speaker feels as though they are being tested and want to know that what they’re going through now will pay off for them later. This speaker does not have these delusions and accepts that sometimes life just deals you a bad hand. Instead, he asks for some “good news” so that he can at least get back on his feet and be reminded of why he keeps going. The difference here is that there is no expectation that things will get better and the speaker does not feel entitled to a better life. While it’s still framed as a statement, it is less of a demand than a plea. In fact, the song takes a religious turn in the second verse when he sings “But it’s not having faith, just believe in what you can’t see.” This gives the impression that he is asking for good news not from a person, but from a higher power.
Song Two: “Necessary Evil” by Nikki Yanofsky
The jazz-pop singer was born in Montreal, Quebec and had the distinct honor of singing for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics as well as opening for the Paralympic Games. She was the youngest singer at just 13 years old to be recorded for Verve Records as a part of their tribute album to Ella Fitzgerald titled We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song on which she sang “Air Mail Special.” She was also recorded singing “Gotta Go My Own Way” for the High School Musical 2 soundtrack. In 2008, Yanofsky released her first full-length album Ella… Of Thee I Swing.
This song revolves around the concept of needing someone who you don’t want to need. “Necessary Evil” serves as a term to describe this person as a “guilty pleasure” and acknowledges a connection that is a straight up bad idea. Ultimately, Yanofsky admits that the person she talks about in her song is someone she’s using using. The line saying “So don’t you don’t you tell me no, (My necessary evil). Yea, I’m in control” signifies that she wants it to be clear that this relationship is nothing more than a way for her to quench her desires. She doesn’t want this other person getting attached because she doesn’t want to admit to the rest of the world that she is involved with them. Even though she knows what she’s doing is bad, she doesn’t want to give it up. She says “So tell me that you love these games” so that she can feel better about herself for putting this person in such a difficult position. I’m not certain that the love interest is the one who’s evil.
Song Three: “Feel Good Inc.” by Gorillaz
Unlike the other artists I’ve talked about, Gorillaz is a completely virtual band. While Damon Albarn is behind the music and Jamie Hewlett is behind the art, they have created a fictional universe in which their band Gorillaz exists. The storyline of vocalist 2-D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, guitarist Noodles, and drummer Russel Hobbs is explored throughout a series of music videos and interviews that allow fans to have a sense of interaction with the band members. The musical style of Gorillaz is heavily influenced by hip-hop and electronic sounds, but still has an alternative rock edge that makes the band distinct in both sound and concept. Their debut album Gorillaz went triple platinum in the UK, making Gorillaz the most successful virtual band according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
“Feel Good Inc.” is a metaphor for how people are often influenced by popular culture into believing that their lives are better than they are. The message of this song is that even for those who try to fight the system and rebel against the dominant culture, we are all still subject to brainwashing and consumerism. In the first verse, 2-D sings “So all you fill the streets, it’s appealing to see. You won’t get undercounted ’cause you’re damned and free.” Here, he uses the oxymoronic statement “damned and free” to imply the illusion of freedom where there is really just a deeper layer of control. The song’s theme then moves to a larger issue surrounding a fascist overtaking of the people, referring to them as “Feel Good Inc.” This corporation is used to subdue the ambitions of the collective and make them complacent with the destruction that’s going on around them. Trugoy the Dove refers to the people as “ponies at the track” alluding to how one would bet on horses at a derby. Essentially, he’s saying that the people are no more to this corporation than just animals used to do their bidding. While “Feel Good Inc.” is not a real corporation, this allegorical warning shows that feeling good can simply be a deception.
Song Four: “Evil Ways” by Santana
Santana is a Latin rock band formed out of San Francisco in 1966. While Carlos Santana is the most notable member and namesake of the band, the lineup also includes members José “Chepito” Areas, David Brown, Gregg Rolie, Mike Carabello, and Michael Shrieve. As a band, they have been awarded nine Grammys and three Latin Grammy Awards, tying them with Michael Jackson for the most Grammys awarded in one night. Santana’s influence in the music industry can be seen by having sold over 100 million copies of their albums, making them one of the top-selling music groups worldwide. In 1998, the band paved their way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The song “Evil Ways” represents a man who is dissatisfied with the lack of love in his life. In the storyline of the song, he is infatuated with this woman, but she is spending her time elsewhere. The speaker tells her she has to “change [her] evil ways” meaning that she should settle down and pay attention to him instead of leading her own life. During the verses, the speaker sings “When I come home, baby, my house is dark and my pots are cold.” This lyric implies that he has no one waiting for him when he comes home, and the presence of an empty house makes him feel that sense of loneliness more intensely. He claims he’s “gettin’ tired of waitin’ and foolin’ around” because he wants something more serious with this woman, but she won’t give him the time of day. Honestly, if I were her, I’d probably take a pass on this guy too.
Song Five: “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys
This American rock band out of Hawthorne, California was first founded in 1961. The band was formed by the brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson and rounded out by their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. The band was acclaimed for their use of vocal harmony, drawing upon 50s rock and roll, jazz and R&B to create a new, unconventional form of rock. In 1963, the band first gained recognition for their lyrics surrounding beach-going and youth culture (referred to as “California Sound”), but they later expanded their music to fit more complex themes.
“Good Vibrations” delves into the familiar concept of seeing someone and being immediately drawn to them. The Beach Boys write about a girl who gives the speaker “good vibrations” just based on impressions. In the beginning of the song, they begin to describe her and pull in their senses to convey to the listener why she’s so appealing. They sing “I hear the sound of a gentle word on the wind that lifts her perfume through the air.” From this, we get the sense that the girl in question is soft-spoken, yet still beautiful and alluring. While unassuming, she still carries the distinct scent of perfume that draws the attention of the speaker further. Although he seems not to know the girl well, he trusts his instincts. Later in the song, he claims “I know she must be kind” and uses the rationale that the look in her eyes reminds him of a “blossom world.” The speaker does not have much to go on, but it’s clear that he’s interested in getting to know this girl and what makes her so mysterious and charming.
Song Six: “Evil Twin” by Krrum
Krrum is a songwriter and producer born and based in Leeds, England. He released his debut album Honeymoon on June 15th, 2018. Krrum combines styles of R&B, pop and electronic music to create a unique combination of sounds. The songs off his album work together to form artillery of punchy, fun and sometimes melancholy music that fits the summer season perfectly.
The concept behind “Evil Twin” is influenced by creating an alternate version of yourself. Throughout the song, the speaker uses this alter-ego to take the blame for his poor decisions and harmful actions. The opening line of the song is “Looking like a Hitchcock scene.” Krrum writes this to convey a gorey and disorderly mess, much like that of The Birds or Psycho. Instead of taking responsibility, he decides he’s going to “blame it on the other [him].” In the chorus, we begin to see that the speaker feels lost to himself, saying “You’ve got me by the toes and I always knew you had the upper hand.” This dangerous admission suggests that his darker side has completely taken over and he’s struggling to try to get himself back from that place. Instead of dealing with his problems, he let the reckless side of himself shine through and now has to face the consequences.
Song Seven: “Good Girls” by LANY
LANY, standing for Los Angeles New York is a band from (you guessed it) Los Angeles that formed in 2014. Members Paul Jason Klein, Jake Clifford Goss, and Charles Leslie “Les” Priest are known for their indie pop, synth-pop and dream pop form. Their debut EP Acronyms featured their song “ILYSB” that garnered the group a considerable amount of attention. On June 30th, 2017, the band released their first album LANY following the success of their tour with John Mayer.
The song “Good Girls” follows the theme of a love that reflects the poor choices of both parties. While they know it’s bad for them, they are drawn to each other by desire. In the first verse, the speaker sings “You could break me overnight, but there’s no one like us.” He admits that this girl is a potential danger to him, but he’s not willing to give her up because they hold something special in their relationship that can’t be defined by words. He pleads for her to come back because he “[knows his] way around [her] heart.” He relies on familiarity as a selling point of their relationship, but familiarity (as it is in this case) is not always what is needed to foster a healthy relationship. In short, he’s hung up on a love that no longer suits him or the girl he desires, but he can’t see past himself yet.
When discussing good and evil, we generally believe that it’s easy to draw the lines between them. However, like what was represented here, sometimes that goodness is false or just idealized and sometimes evil is a term assigned to those undeserving of it. In truth, we let our emotions define what good and evil mean to us and that in turn clouds our judgment of what they mean intrinsically. But is it truly ever possible to disentangle these labels from our subjectivity?
Listen to the full playlist here!