Pink: I'm Not Dead
I picked up a copy of Pink’s latest, I’m Not Dead, having been encouraged to listen to “Stupid Girls.� Not being much of a pop-rock fan, I figured I’d hate the rest of the album, even if my youth might learn something from the recommended track. I found myself pleasantly surprised at the various levels of depth to the album (while I’ll admit that a few of them were what I expected.)
So, I’ll mention the songs that caught my attention, and “Stupid Girls� leads off. Pink attacks the way that people in general (specifically aimed here at young women) sell out their dreams (of running for president or anything else) to become what they think others want them to be. Desiring for someone to take care of them, the singer says that these people make themselves stupid—betraying themselves completely.
Funny thing is, seems like Pink is just as guilty as those she condemns in “Who Knew,� where she fell for the words of a man who swore their relationship would last forever. “When someone said count your blessings now/’Fore they’re long gone/Guess I just didn’t know how,� Pink sings. What remains to be seen throughout the rest of the album is whether or not Pink can count her blessings now—the next few songs reflect her years of hurt at the hands of others.
“Dear President� with the Indigo Girls is a break from Pink’s relational hurts and significantly packs more punch than many of the less serious tracks. Asking the president to walk along with her as an equal, she sings, “What do you feel when you see all the homeless in the street? Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep? What do you feel when you look in the mirror? Are you proud?� She takes shots at “no child is left behind,� as well as the views on abortion and homosexuality promoted by the current president. I found this track more insightful than others in light of Pink’s album but also compared to the war-bashing songs that have become the latest fad on the average artist’s album. Pink is more focused on America’s struggles than on the war, and also makes insightful comments about the use of religion as a means to further politics. It seems that Pink, like the founding fathers, believed that there should be a separation of church and state!
Many of the songs on the rest of the album I could do without, but “Runaway� and “Conversations with My Thirteen Year Old Self� stand out. In both songs, Pink reflects on her own youth, crying out for help from others (God, her older self, etc.) to help her through a difficult period. Hopefully over time, Pink herself will become a stronger role model for those youth—right now her message and mode of communication are still a work in progress.
So, I’ll mention the songs that caught my attention, and “Stupid Girls� leads off. Pink attacks the way that people in general (specifically aimed here at young women) sell out their dreams (of running for president or anything else) to become what they think others want them to be. Desiring for someone to take care of them, the singer says that these people make themselves stupid—betraying themselves completely.
Funny thing is, seems like Pink is just as guilty as those she condemns in “Who Knew,� where she fell for the words of a man who swore their relationship would last forever. “When someone said count your blessings now/’Fore they’re long gone/Guess I just didn’t know how,� Pink sings. What remains to be seen throughout the rest of the album is whether or not Pink can count her blessings now—the next few songs reflect her years of hurt at the hands of others.
“Dear President� with the Indigo Girls is a break from Pink’s relational hurts and significantly packs more punch than many of the less serious tracks. Asking the president to walk along with her as an equal, she sings, “What do you feel when you see all the homeless in the street? Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep? What do you feel when you look in the mirror? Are you proud?� She takes shots at “no child is left behind,� as well as the views on abortion and homosexuality promoted by the current president. I found this track more insightful than others in light of Pink’s album but also compared to the war-bashing songs that have become the latest fad on the average artist’s album. Pink is more focused on America’s struggles than on the war, and also makes insightful comments about the use of religion as a means to further politics. It seems that Pink, like the founding fathers, believed that there should be a separation of church and state!
Many of the songs on the rest of the album I could do without, but “Runaway� and “Conversations with My Thirteen Year Old Self� stand out. In both songs, Pink reflects on her own youth, crying out for help from others (God, her older self, etc.) to help her through a difficult period. Hopefully over time, Pink herself will become a stronger role model for those youth—right now her message and mode of communication are still a work in progress.
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