John Mayer - Waiting On The World To Change [Week 2: Pop & Alternative]

The first comment on this video on Youtube reads, "Stop waiting for the world to change, and start changing the world." Of course, that is what John Mayer's message here is all about. What I noticed instantly about the video is that he views everything in a dim gray light. The whole city, throughout the video, looks dreary and relatively empty. There isn't the normal urban bustle of cars and crowds - it seems as if the artists protrayed (including himself) are on their own. It is as if there is no one to read/listen to the messages they are painting/singing. This illustrates the feeling in his lyrics. Our generation waits for the world to change because we feel like no one would listen to us if we ever tried to take action.

During our classes this summer, we have talked a lot about previous generations. We had the hippie movement, followed by punk, disco, and hip hop. There were songs about civil rights, and the Vietnam War. For a couple of decades it seemed as though the youth were passionate about changing the world. They thought they were really going to make a difference - and they would do it (laregely) through music. I think it is funny that so many of our current artists are singing about our generation's apathy. Here, John Mayer says "we're just waiting." Green Day says we are an "idiot America... controlled by the media." To me it seems like artists are asking "What happened guys? You are supposed to have strong opinions about everything by the time you're in college! Why does no one care enough to cause a scene anymore?" I can't count the number of times I have been urged by authority figues (in school, church, and the community) to find something I am passionate about and get involved. In the 60's and 70's it seemed like no one had to make such a request - the teens and young adults jumped in to everything so whole heartedly they were often in over their heads before they realized it. Our class discussions have often analyzed whether the various movements have been appropriate and effective in their means of political expression (we decided, for instance, that punk was not constructive by any stretch of the imagination). Today the question that seems to linger in the air is is it better to fight foolishly, or to not fight at all?  

What I like about John Mayer is that he includes himself in the generalization. It is not "you keep waiting" it's "we keep waiting." He understands us, and he is with us in our modern plight. And I would have to side with John Mayer in saying I'd like to make a difference but its hard when you are standing at a distance; I care, but I know the fight isn't fair. It's hard to know what to do when most "movements" of the preceeding generations often appear to be misguided failures. Why start another?