Music: A universal language used to express the world’s most beautiful feelings that otherwise wouldn’t be understood. A form of art that most, if not, all of mankind is a part of. For me, music is just another language of love; love for culture, love for Earth, and love for others. As a young black music enthusiast, I worry about an issue that I think doesn’t get talked about enough: Musical appropriation. It’s not new, unfortunately. My best example is the song “You Need Love” by Willie Dixon, a blues song that beautifully portrays what love may look like for the artist. However, when these lyrics are spoken or sung, Willie is not the artist everyone thinks about. Instead, what comes to mind is the song “Whole Lotta Love” by the popular ’70s band Led Zeppelin, arguably one of their biggest hits, igniting the band’s take off. Comparing the lyrics side by side, the resemblance is uncanny. Sure, one could argue that the two songs sound completely different, but without the electric guitars and heavy drums, it’s hard to point out anything that’s changed; same chord progression, same vocal runs, and the exact same rhythm and rhyme. The blues song was created in 1962, while the Led Zeppelin song was released in 1969; which was quickly followed by the band’s “peak” in the ’70s, when some labeled them the “Best rock band of their time.”
Leo is working on this topic for her senior thesis at The Met School, which will result in a live performance highlighting before and after versions of selected songs. Look for follow-ups in April in these pages and a concert in April or May, to be announced.