Since I recently watched and fell in love with Waiting for "Superman," I heard and fell in love with John Legend's song in the movie as well.
But, upon watching the music video, I have changed my mind a bit.
The lyrics call out for help over and over:
Wake up everybody
No more sleepin' in bed
...Time for thinkin' ahead
...There is so much hatred
War and poverty, whoa, oh
...The world won't get no better
We gotta change it, yeah
Just you and me
...Wake up, all the builders
Time to build a new land
I know we can do it
If we all lend a hand
....The world won't get no better
If we just let it be, na, na, na
The world won't get no better
We gotta change it, yeah
Just you and me
...Wake up, everybody
Need a little help, y'all
Yes I do, need a little help
Need a little help, y'all
Need a little help y'all
Wake up everybody
Wake up everybody
Again, lyrically, it is a beautiful song.
The problem, however, came in the music video: Watch the final bit of the video, starting from 3:50 where they call out that they "need a little help y'all."
It seems that he is only referring to the male workers when he says "y'all;" the following MEN are all presented in the last minute or so of the song:
- doctor (with a female patient in the background)
- cop
- a man in a suit - perhaps a teacher or a lawyer?
- cab driver
- construction workers
The ONE AND ONLY WOMAN is presented in that same group of images... with her three kids. Disclaimer: I am not at all belittling mothers... I want very much to be one when I am older.
However, I am belittling this video. Women can be more than mothers.
If John Legend really wants the world to change then he should engage the other half of the population.
The sad thing is that his version of "Wake Up Everybody" is not original.
It is a remake of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes title track from 1975!?! It has been 35 years since that song was originally released!?!
And there is still "so much hatred, war and poverty."
We need to wake up EVERYbody.... men and women.
The world won't get no better
We gotta change it, yeah
Just you and me
...Wake up, all the builders
Time to build a new land
I know we can do it
If we all lend a hand
I really love this song (the new and old versions) but now that you mention it, I do have to agree with what you said about the video. Women actually make up MORE than half the population, so it's time for men AND women to wake up!
ReplyDeleteI love love love John Legend's voice and the causes he mentions in his songs - but then he has other songs about cheating on women... so I'm not sure how I feel about him in general. But, I love that you also enjoy him, and let me know if you want me to burn you some songs :)
ReplyDelete