Who Says Hard Rock Isn't Art?

All you rock stars out there and all you fans of rock stars, now you can point to this and prove that you're more literary than people may think you to be!

So classic/hard rock and all who run around with it are nothing more than pot heads and boozers, right? Wrong, actually. Though this stereotype does come from some fact in the extremes (extremes always shout loudest, people, on both sides) there's this really wide swath of rockers who actually have some brains and literary savvy to them. Quite a lot of them, actually.

John Williams wrote an article addressing this topic, Book Titles With That Indie-Rocker Feel that points out quite a few of these inspirations, both forward and backwards and across the table.

Apparently The Cure inspired two novels by Andrew Porter and Allie Larkin, reflected in the book titles, and The Cure themselves were inspired by a children's book called "Charlotte Sometimes" by Penelope Farmer. R.E.M and the Smiths are also cited as having literary influences in the title-naming-world. These are, of course, just a few. Rush was inspired by Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" in many areas, and their lyrics reflect that. You can bet that a number of hard core Rush fans have read the novel.

Of course, some authors get it right when they title their books after a song, and the innards of the novel reflect that. Other's don't. I admit to being in the 'not listening so closely' camp in regards to R.E.M's song "Losing My Religion", which has inspired several religious books. I'm not a fan of the song only because the idea of losing one's religion is so sad to me. And yet that's not the goal at all (and hence those who have written solely religious novels off of the title have not been paying attention). Apparently

"singer Michael Stipe has explained the phrase as a southern idiom that means running out of patience."
 

Huh. Well, I think I owe that song another listen.

But really, who hasn't been inspired by one of their favorite songs, including rock and roll? I got this close  to writing a story inspired by The Cure's "Burn". It's still on my list to-write. The idea includes the old Celtic mythology about crows being the escorts of the dead between worlds, and how they fall in love with a living woman and steal her away. Her husband doesn't quite approve of this, and from there the story builds. In my mind, the lyrics of "Burn" are the malignant voices of the crows speaking to the husband.

Besides, though there be some mindless lyrics out there in the rock world, if you listen to 85% of songs, you'll see the literary aspects and poetry behind them. Blue Oyster Cult, Styx, Rush, Journey, Queen-- all incredibly poetic and literary bands. Even Black Sabbath has some beautiful and/or intriguing lines, as 'hard rock' as they are. Music is integrally linked to the written word, and I very rarely write creatively without something playing in my ear. Because what are lyrics and songs for? To tell some form or story, whether it be real, fiction, personal, impersonal, statement-based, or merely culture-based. Some will be better than others, of course, and some will resonate more with certain people than others.

But isn't it the same with books, themselves?