Like millions of Americans I am an avid iPhone user. I have more stuff downloaded to my phone than I will listen to/watch/fidget with, but I want it there at a moments notice so I can use it. You know what I mean. One of my favorite apps on the iPhone of late (aside from the Food Network app) is Slacker Radio.
This past week I needed some new music. I tend to listen to the same stuff over and over and needed to branch out. Slacker Radio has a station devoted to the top 50 songs of 2010 ten across all of their stations. I figured I would give it a listen. I have come to a few conclusions:
1. There is a lot of popular stuff out there that isn’t very good. A lot that is, but some of it is really bad.
2. I don’t like when musicians have to sing their name at the beginning of each of their songs. No offense Jason DeRulo, but I don’t need to be reminded it is you singing.
3. Music really is a sign of the culture. This was brought to my attention in the song Billionaire by Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars. It is a catchy tune, but left me scratching my head. I wouldn’t recommend this one to anyone for a few reasons. Let me explain.
The first line of the songs says, “I want to be a billionaire so $%^&*& bad, buy all the things I never had.” Not millionaire. Billionaire. Many Americans struggle to get by from month to month and live in massive amounts of debt. The idea of being out of debt is overwhelming. The idea of having a large amount of money saved up is a dream. For most people a million dollars could be doable over a long period of time (investing wisely over time, see Dave Ramsey), but a billion dollars! That is ludicrous. It might as wells say, “I want to win the lottery so %^&*(&^ bad.” Also, what is it that you never had that will cost a billion dollars to buy?
They go on to explain through the song all of the things they would do if they were billionaires: picture on the cover of Forbes (with Oprah and the Queen), playing basketball with the president, and a bunch of other stuff. Some of the stuff they mention is noble, some of it not so much.
Like I said, I have nothing against these guys. They are doing what they do and making a living at it. The song is just a reflection of the culture. There are many who pipe dream about what they would do with all the money, not realizing they can take the first steps to a better life today. Many who fritter their money away on lottery tickets and put their hopes in things that will continue to disappoint.
I choose to make good choices. I choose to spend and save wisely. Hopefully, one day I will achieve most of the goals I have set. (Many that are included in the lyrics of the song: adopting babies, helping the less fortunate, etc.) It won’t take a billion dollars to do that. Just the decision to do the best with what God has given me…and tons of hard work.
What are your thoughts on this?
David Willis 