We've had a rough last year–especially the last several weeks. Our Federal Government has been terrorizing cities all over the country, kidnapping and murdering its own citizens who are exercising their constitutional rights–and Minneapolis is the epicenter. With so much darkness in our country, it can be difficult to find even a needlepoint of hope–that tiny glimmer of light that assures us all hope is not lost. This, my friends, is the point at which I urge you to turn to music.
At Music Jawn, we wholeheartedly believe that music is one of the most effective and lasting forms of protest–especially here in the United States. From Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" to Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On?" to N.W.A's "Fuck tha Police" to Green Day's American Idiot, contemporary musicians have been crafting lyrics that vent their frustrations with various social and political issues for the last century. Still, protest songs were few and far between, with many popular artists opting to remain "politically ambiguous," especially in the last decade. Thankfully, this is changing fast–and we promise to highlight as many artists who are trying to move the needle as we can.
"The Cruelty Is the Point"
As they put the final finishing touches on their debut LP, Weightbearing, NJ/PA-based indie rock band Loose Panic dropped the first single from their forthcoming release at the end of last week. The song's title "The Cruelty Is the Point," was adapted from journalist Adam Serwer's 2021 book, The Cruelty Is the Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump's America. Lead vocalist and guitarist Jarret Crawford originally penned the lyrics at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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"It was a reflection of my anger at the government's inhuman family separation policies, and their inept and dangerously disinformed COVID-19 response," he explained. Crawford hoped the song would serve as a historical record of the pandemic era, but the track has taken on new meaning in the wake of what's been happening in the United States over the last year. "['The Cruelty Is the Point'] has taken on a new relevance in the wake of vastly more aggressive detainment and deportation policies and tactics, the state-sanctioned murders of American citizens protesting those policies, and the slanderous lies the administration has told about the victims."
"The Cruelty Is the Point" marked a departure from Crawford's typical songwriting workflow. "I usually start with a guitar chord progression or melody and build from there," he says. "[This song] began from a drum beat I programmed into GarageBand."
The song is expertly structured–tension builds slowly throughout the first half of the track, Crawford quietly singing the first two verses as guitars wail in the background, before finally exploding into the thunderous chorus as Crawford yells "I will hurt you, 'cause I want to." It mimics what the American experience over the last decade–a seemingly slow build-up of smaller things, stuff we can easily turn our heads away from, finally reaches a boiling point–an eruption of chaos we can no longer ignore.
Speaking of things not to ignore, "The Cruelty Is the Point" should be played at the maximum allowable volume as a reminder that this government does not have our best interests in mind. Equal parts rage and catharsis, it will give you the energy to continue the fight.
Loose Panic's Weightbearing comes out later this year.
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