Good or Bad?

With today being the Martin Luther King Jr. official holiday, many folks will be writing specifically about him and his very strong significance in history.   I cannot add much of interest to that.  He was a very important and valuable figure.  He did work that was enormously positive.  On a friend's blog I lamented how he and several other folks who have come to define major national and global events in the 1960s.... and that at that time, there felt like a purpose and a hope for the future.  I also commented on how back in the 1960s I would never have thought our society would then have brought forth political "leaders" such as Reagan in the 1980s and our current Trump eras.  It is shocking and sad.

However, what I thought I would comment on a bit is how art can sometimes be viewed in contexts by different people in ways that I suspect artists may not have intended.  Three cases in point in song come to mind:

Abraham, Martin & John - This song, a tribute of sorts about good men who were assassinated because of their work.  This song is one that easily harkens one back to the feelings of hope and promise that many of us felt in the 1960s and juxtaposes how harsh things can be and are as well.  

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - This song, another song about an historical tragedy.... the destruction and sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a strong song that can bring forth tremendous emotions and remembrance.  

Ohio - This song, about the deaths of four Kent State University students on May 4th, 1970 also is about a horrific even of the era.  The emotions this song can evoke is also profound.  

The above three songs are exceedingly well known (at least by a certain age demographic) and each has exerted influence on a whole lot of folks, myself included.  And, at least for ME, I find each of these songs to be poignant reminders of good (the good leaders, the hard working folks, the protestors) and bad (their tragic deaths).  

But, what I also try to grapple with is that there have been many who denigrate the art of the three songs (as examples of many such things) as being in "poor taste" or in being "money grabs" because each song was a commercial success.  

While I can somewhat understand the ideas that some put forth that these songs did to some degree each "capitalize" on these very tragic events, I am much more of the opinion that each of these songs (and hell... art in general) was created to allow the artist to express his emotions about horrors that moved each of them.  To me, the better way to view these songs (and similar other types of art) is that each one is.... like any art in general.... a way for a person to communicate their thoughts and ideas and emotions.... with the hope of sharing these ideas with others.  

It is with this view that I listen to the above songs... I hear the musician's pain and emotion.... I can feel that pain and emotion again myself over the events when I hear these songs.  I see the songs as art, and as art about history... and at least for me, I cannot see these songs as anything but good.  

PipeTobacco