The songs “Wreck Beach/Totem Park” and “Caribou Ghosts and Untold Stories” make our world and community better. They illustrate taking a stand against another’s forced beliefs through the lyrics “I’ll sit on the beach till they put me in cuffs” and “rebellion is on our way. This betters our world because it creates freedom. Instead of being obligated to practice a religion or speak a certain language, this uprising allows for a diverse community. The lyrics “actions call others to action” help make a positive change because when someone sees another taking the initiative to improve a society’s thinking or actions, it gives others the courage to do so. Seeing someone else doing these actions allows others to register that said acts are possible.
These songs represent that “something” is unfair when they state phrases such as, “Cemеtery city the truth about where I grew up,” “A virgin place, the cleanest slate and all the whitest lies,” “We had our reservations, yeah we knew something wasn’t right,” “We don’t have to plan for the win, we always lose anyway,” and “Catharsis is still elusive, we’ll save that for another day.” The word “something” represents equality and rights. These songs depict how Indigenous people are/have been treated, and the injustice that continues to occur.
These songs make me feel unsettled, distressed, and scared. In the first song, “Wreck Beach/Totem Park” by The Zolas, I had more feelings of regret and despair, whereas when listening to “Caribou Ghosts and Untold Stories” by Leanne Simpson, I felt heartbroken and mournful. I think the first song is more compelling because it makes me want to understand the meaning of every word. I want to know what the writers experienced to make them produce this song.
In the Zolas’ song, “[sitting] on the beach till they put [them] in cuffs” is their highest value. Essentially, fighting for their way/rights, until they are forced not to. As for the Simpson song, sticking together and not losing their culture is most important to them. This is evident through the lyrics “Caribou ghosts and untold stories.”
After analyzing these songs, it is obvious that music conveys different perspectives. For example, the lyrics “I’ll sit on the beach till they put me in cuffs” and “Meet me at the underpass, rebellion is on our way” illustrate differences. Although both phrases are representing fighting against power, one group has more risk when standing up. The Zolas “[sitting] on the beach” until they are put “in cuffs” shows a form of protest. Because their song is from the white perspective, they have less consequences when standing up against people of higher authority. As for the Simpson song, “rebellion is on our way” illustrates danger and risk. This is because as a minority group, fighting for themselves is not made easy by individuals such as law enforcement, or in this case, white settlers.