Songs Reflect, Depict and Impact Los Angeles - Essay Sample

Introduction

Songs have varying influence on society, and some are composed to depict certain phenomena or portray specific attachment to the community. Various songs reflect and have a direct impact or even speak directly to Los Angeles. The first example of the songs that depict Los Angeles is the song by Flying Burrito Brosm "SinCity" of 1969, which seemed like a warning to Los Angeles as the songwriters perceived it. The song depicts the dark aspect of L.A. and how people with potential get consumed by the darkness with the example of Gene Clark from Byrds, who came from Kansas with great talent and ideas but ended up being consumed by the darkness.

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The song by Elton John "Tiny Dancer," which earned Elton John his initial attention in Los Angeles, tore through the strings of shows at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. The song expresses his long-term connection with the city, and John Elton appreciates L.A. of all outdoor venues in the country to be having two of the best in the Hollywood Bowl and the Greek with authentic sound at each with a lovely setting.

Another song is by Los Tigres del Norte "Contrabando y Traicion," which is a 1972 song of Spanish language about the experience in Los Angeles that is irritatingly understated on most lists about the city. The song inspired the genre of narcocorridos, which are ballads about the drug trade. However, the song is about a couple who were in love and smuggled marijuana from San Ysidro to Hollywood, and the song was even turned into a telenovela on Telemundo. Hence, the song portrays the significance of Los Angeles and the culture of the drug trade in Hollywood. The Kink also produced "Celluloid Heroes" in 1972, which represents the streets of Los Angeles as a poetically tragic place. The song perceives the streets of L.A. as a sad place in which one can achieve complete success in one day and total downfall the next day. Hence, the artist portrays the potential of the L.A. streets to brood success even though they can clear off successful status and, consequently, dynamic in a way that makes it tragic.

The song by Davis Bowie entitled "Cracked Actor" of 1973 portrayed a reflection of Los Angeles when Bowie took a two-week break touring and even stayed with a 46-person entourage at the Beverly Hills Hotel in autumn 1972. Bowie wrote the song to depict a failed thespian during his time of the stay. The song portrays the moments spent at Beverly Hills Hotel expressing from the afternoons spent by the pool to the nights at Rodney's English Disco on the Sunset Strip as well as the charged limousines to their rooms. Hence, the song portrays a complete experience of touring around L.A. with the emphasis on the expenditure of Bowie and his company.

Similarly, the song by Loudon Wainwright III, "Hollywood Hopeful," depicts the experiences of staying in hotels in L.A. in Hollywood by 1975 and emphasizes on the hope that intoxicates Los Angeles. Wainwright stressed that he never sold enough music records to be on a billboard, although he was still hopeful of the time. Consequently, the song "Desperados Under the Eaves" by Warren Zavon of 1976 attempts to portray that she is trying to remember not to take herself seriously. The song is an idealistic depiction of the devastating conditions in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Even though the song may be perceived as more satiric, it is not more cynic as it is recognized.

Conversely, the song "Hollywood Nights" by Bob Seger of 1978 is a direct reflection of the experiences in Los Angeles as Seger portrayed her stay at Hollywood hills above La Cienaga on Miller above the Sunset Strip. The song reflects the experience at Hollywood at night as the artist repeatedly recites the lyrics, 'Hollywood nights, Hollywood Hills, above all the lights, Hollywood nights' which is a depiction of the experiences. Similarly, "Sunset People" by Donna Summer also reflects on her first time when she visited Los Angeles, which she supposed to be more like heaven.

Another song that reflects on Los Angeles is the song by Steely Dan, known as "Babylon Sisters" of 1980 that portrays how his experience was limited to the ABC-Dunhill building on Beverly Boulevard for the first few years. The song reflects on how the country is transfixed on the destructive fires going on in Southern California as the fate of almost millions of people is established upon something that man can hardly control. Hence, the song depicts the setting within Los Angeles and makes Biblical reference to a fallen people, fallen women, and fallen and degenerate lifestyle as he comes to realize that he is aging, and that is not appropriate for the shallow experience. Similarly, the song by band X "Los Angeles" of 1980 is also an indictment of the city as it reflects how a partial insider fed up with the multiculturalism of the town burns with energy. Even though the song can be interpreted as forceful music to be passionate and exciting, it highlights some of the bad experiences of the city.

Additionally, there is also another song named "I Love L.A." by Randy Newman from 1983 reflects the culture of Los Angeles such as sun-worshipping and other aspects that build up the image of L.A. such as the tongue-in-cheek homage to the car-cruising. Even though the song made unsavory reference to the city, it is considered an anthem for the town in the way it expressed complete irony. Also, the song "Los Angeles is Burning" by Bad Religion of 2004 is a reflection of Los Angeles when the Santa Ana winds began to blow and fan wildfire flames, and the Angelenos started to lose their minds. The song acts as a metaphor for the deluded reality and paranoia induced by the media as the valley-based punk veterans draw on the perennial inferno. The music track seems to have been based on the 2003 massive firestorm.

On the same note, the song by Shalamar, "Don't Get Stopped In Beverly Hills," was a protest track and a not-so-subtle anthem of the practices of the police who were stopping commuters traveling the tony city for little more than driving while black. Hence, the song criticized in its indirect way the racial conflict that plagued the region in the early '90s. Accordingly, the song addresses the racial injustice that is experienced mostly by the blacks along the geographical zone of Beverly Hills, extending down to Rodeo Drive. Similarly, the Decembrist songwriter for the song "Los Angele, I'm Yours" expresses a love-hate relationship for the city of Los Angeles. The song emphasizes that Los Angeles has several weaknesses as a city and a whimsical charm that keeps attracting people back, no matter if it is out of untainted love or borderline compulsion.

The song "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" by John Misty in 2012 embraces black humor that Josh Tillman claims were motivated by the secretly miserable comedians of Los Angeles. The song's concept is established on the real-life romantic encounter that Tillman had at the famous cemetery of Hollywood, and that happened just after his return to Los Angeles from the funeral of his grandfather on the East Coast. Consequently, there is also "The Neighborhood" by Los Lobos of 1990, which is a reflection of the neighborhood in which Los Lobos was raised near the intersection of Brooklyn and Eastern avenues in East Los Angeles. Los Lobos describes the community as a funny place that almost seems to be in the middle of nowhere. The song reflects on the neighborhood, which remained like the homeless after even the gang left the area because it was considered to be nobody's territory.

Consequently, other songs reflect on Los Angeles, and the list is endless. Another example is "California Dreamin'," which made the initial start of the counterculture movement of 1960, and the song is a survivor of the test of time. The song is iconic in that it explores the feelings of nostalgia, which is standard on the East Coast where the 'leaves are brown, and the sky is grey,' which is the sentiment that inspires the chorus of the song. Another song titled "California Love" is also regarded as an anthem for the west coast as it reflects the love relationship with California. It expressed the freedom from depression and the heavy negativity of black ghettos. The rappers of the song, Tupac and Dr. Dre, ignore critical and historical knowledge and prefer to give an excellent conscienceless image of their native region.

Conclusion

In summary, this essay has examined some of the songs out of an endless list of songs that reflect, influence, and speak directly to Los Angeles. Most of the songs reflect the living conditions in specific neighborhoods like California, Rodeo Drive, and Beverly Hills. Others are also an account of the memories of good times spent in Los Angeles. However, other songs also portray social conflicts like racial prejudices in some of the neighborhoods in Los Angeles.