‘Rockstar’ by Nickelback : A Universal Truth
We live in a world where people misconstrue many things, one of them being good music. You will find numerous theorists who cannot transform thought into action. Yes I am talking about the proverb (think before you speak) which people often propagate but never follow.
Down the years people have ranted about how the Canadian rock band Nickelback is junk, especially their song ‘Rockstar’ (Album: All The Right Reasons). The song was released in 2005 but it came second on the UK Singles Chart in 2007 and first on the UK Singles Downloads Chart in 2007. The actual meaning of this rock song is very subtly indicated through the use of irony. Those who think the song to be “hedonistic”, “indecent”, “sinful” or simply “cool” to emulate have only seen the surface, but what appears to be so is not always so.
On the surface the lyrics seem to be vouching for a life of “fortune and fame”, a life that “big rock-stars” often lead but the irony lies in the fact that the demands for a life this glamourous are all absurd, extraneous and unnecessary. The wannabe rock-star’s absurd demands include — “a bathroom” to play baseball in, “a king-size tub” for 10 people including himself, “a credit card that’s got no limit”, “a big black jet with a bedroom in it”, a star with his name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, “eight bodyguards” to beat up people, “a front door key to the Playboy mansion” and the desire to date a “centerfold” or celebrity on the cover page of a magazine who will be a “gold-digger” and exhaust his bank balance.
The chorus also highlights the absurdity of stardom which, if it gets to one’s head can make the star completely do away with rationality as he/she lives a life of debauchery where innumerous hook-ups happen and drugs “come cheap”. In the song ‘I Took A Pill In Ibiza’ (2016), Mike Posner warns his fans in “Lafayette” about stardom and drug-addiction saying — “you don’t wanna be high like me” because once the effects of a drug wears out and the “roller-coaster” ride is over, all that comes to consciousness is the heavier feeling of loneliness and isolation. Now what induces a star to consume toxic drugs without moderation is up to debate but the main reason is a much higher income than commoners. In many cases drugs are consumed to numb the feelings that one experiences but the effect is short lived and the consequences that Posner talks about are destabilizing. The chorus of ‘Rockstar’ also shows that the wannabe stars desire to emulate their role models by “driving 15 cars” and preferring to “stay skinny” through starvation. This brings to my mind the patriarchal notion of what a female model should look like. The modelling industry insists on “slim” and toned figures but what they do not acknowledge is that it comes at the cost of optimum health. Rather than being in shape, models who have to follow these festered age-old norms look more malnourished than anything else. We talk of progress but nothing much has changed in this regard or maybe things are slowly starting to change (fingers crossed). This substance-lacking world which Nickelback talks about in ‘Rockstar’ is similar to the backdrop of an Ed Sheeran song. In Sheeran’s song ‘Beautiful People’ (2019), the singer states that his “only fear” is that he and his partner might become “Beautiful people”. In this song as well there is a sense of irony. Again what seems so is not actually so. The title ‘Beautiful People’ is not to be taken literally since it showcases the hollow life that people often lead. On the outside everything appears “Beautiful” in the temporary world of glamour and glitz but in reality people are “Surrounded, but still alone” and many often end up with “broken homes” as temporariness becomes part of who they are. Sheeran subtly indicates that the relationship that a “Beautiful” person forms with another is as temporary as the changing world of fashion and the hook-up culture that is highly popular today is reminiscent of what the song points at. The hook-up culture roots for an emotionless dispensation of the individual after the acquisition of temporary pleasure and that is definitely not what Sheeran’s song vouches for as the singer wishes that he and his partner do not join the bejewelled bandwagon of the so called “Beautiful people”.
The old English proverb — “All that glitters is not gold” still rings true to this day and can be applied to the context of all the three songs mentioned above — ‘Rockstar’, ‘I Took A Pill In Ibiza’ and ‘Beautiful People’. To judge a song based on its surface meaning is criminal especially if the song is speaking about a universal truth. One must not forget that in most cases truth lies beneath the surface. Since lyrics like these give us the full experience of things we may not have experienced, we must not take them for granted. Everyone loves the flow and rhythm of the music but not many people stop to analyze the lyrics. ‘Rockstar’ belongs to the genre of rock and it has a “feel-good” music with catchy beats and rhythm which induces positive vibes along with the husky and energetic voice of Chad Kroeger. This positive vibe camouflages the real meaning of the song. Ironically the song does not clamor for the life of a ‘Rockstar’: Instead it subtly reveals the charade that “Beautiful people” put up on display.
