The Impact Of Suggestive Music On Our Society

With the advent of Elvis Presley and The Beatles back in the mid 1950’s and early 1960’s, this writer has seen a steady moral deterioration of our society (the devil operates by degrees – Matthew 4:1-11). When Elvis was first introduced in 1956 on the Ed Sullivan show, gyrating his body all over the stage with suggestive moves, my view of that event was that the future morals of our society were in trouble. Looking at all of the screaming girls and women who attended that performance, only served to substantiate that view.

Many folks do not know that the term, “rock and roll” is a “Black Eng. euphemism for “sexual intercourse,” used in popular dance music lyrics and song titles since at least the 1930’s. Referring to rock ’n’ roll music, the infoplease.com website provides us with the following observation: “Rock ‘n’ roll was for and about adolescents. Its lyrics articulated teenage problems: school, cars, summer vacation, parents, and, most important, young love. The primary instruments of early rock ‘n’ roll were guitar, bass, piano, drums, and saxophone. All aspects of the music—its heavy beat, loudness, self-absorbed lyrics, and raving delivery—indicated a teenage defiance of adult values and authority”

If we look at rock groups such as “Kiss,” we see the suggestive lyrics in their songs, which undermines anything that is pure and holy. We see their long hair, their wild looking makeup, and wonder if we’re looking at males or females. Their dual sexual identity and their ungodly behavior they are trying to promote, is very confusing to the younger generation — so much so, that our society today is promoting same-sex marriages. The sad part of all of this is that many in our society are accepting these perverted lifestyles, hook, line and sinker, all under the guise of “tolerance” (remember the devil is the great “deceiver” – Revelation 12:9; cf. 2 Timothy 3:13).

It was the Greek philosopher Plato, who once stated: “If I can write the songs of the nations, I don’t care who writes the laws”  (source). It was also Plato who stated: “Education in music is most sovereign because more than anything else rhythm and harmony find their way to the innermost soul and take strongest hold upon it” (source). Plato realized the great impact of music upon the psyche (see #1 definition.).

The Proverb writer issues this wisdom: “For as he [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Dear reader, it does not take a higher education degree to realize that what Solomon stated in this verse is the truth. What we ingest into our minds, through the medium of our eyes and ears, we will one day become. If we entertain and ingest filthy thoughts, lyrics and pictures through music, or any other outside medium, we will soon become filthy in our thinking. And our thinking will soon effect our actions (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; cf. 2 Timothy 3:13).

The bottom line is this: The impact of suggestive music on our society is great! Parents and grandparents should be aware of what their children and grandchildren are looking at and listening to, for it will effect what they will become in the future. Dear reader, let us seriously think about the above thoughts, and then take any necessary action.

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets