Songs as a reflection of the love market (rings so true!)

[Winston]

I never realized this one, but it rings so true!

http://forum.internationalliving.com/vi ... c&start=15

"Love market’s singing indicators.

When traveling from place to place one becomes exposed to local radio programs be they in a taxi or a car you rent or wherever. If you listen to love songs, I mean, local love songs, you will become aware of an interesting phenomenon- namely, the kind of lyrics and the type of performers change as you move from country to country depending on the particular characteristics of their national “love market�. What I mean is this-in some countries it is mostly girls singing about guys and in some countries, it is mostly guys singing about girls. Example: let’s say, you are in Thailand. If you listen to Thai music on the radio, one of the most frequent love song types seems to be that of a woman who has been abandoned by her male lover. There is often a song or two by a woman who loves a man but who does not know how to attract him.

This indicates the particular characteristic of the Thai ‘ love market’- there seems to be a great number of good girls and the number of ‘worthy’ guys just does not seem to be anywhere near it. In other words- based on the songs you hear there, Thailand is clearly the guy’s market with many available women to choose from.

In the US, a large number of love songs is sung by a young man who is sweet and caring (judging by his voice) and who sings very beautiful things to a girl. Think about such popular songs as “ Nothing’s gonna change my love for you�, most of the love songs by Barry Manilow, and other such very warm and passionate songs-all of which are basically written by a man who is courting a woman. It seems to show that the US is a ‘girls’ market’- guys really need to be sweet and sharp when it comes to courting as competition for women seems to be very keen there.

The funny thing is that when you get to the Philippines, you will get to listen to the same American songs but now they are sung by ‘a girl to a guy’. It shows again that the Philippines is a guy’s market- good guys are hard to get. So, women now sing such American courtship songs to them. One of the most popular songs sung in the Philippines by a lady singer is “I’ll always love you, deep inside this heart of mine� which is sung by a man in the US.

In the UK again, most courtship and heartbreak songs are sung by men. Think about the Beatle’s songs “I wanna hold your hand� and ‘I can’t stand losing you’ by “The Police�. You would be very hard pressed to find a song by a British girl who is singing about losing a guy. I guess the dynamics of the British love market are severely slanted against men.

In Spain, love songs seem to be sung mostly by guys to girls. In Russia, lots and lots of songs are sung by women about unworthy and irresponsible guys and how they do not love them and abandon them. In the neighboring Ukraine, again, the songs are mostly sung by guys courting a girl.

In Puerto Rico, sad songs by an abandoned woman are a rather frequent occurrence on their radio waves. That again reflects the severe economic realities of an Island whose many men leave for greener pastures on the US mainland leaving many local women behind to compete for the few eligible men that stay behind. Since women outnumber men in that US territory, when men choose wives, some women will remain holding the bag and singing such songs. I have yet to hear a Puerto Rican song of the kind of “Oh, baby bay it’s a wild world� in which an America woman abandons her man leaving him singing such a sad and bitter song.

Of course, the above does not indicate that in any given country ‘all’ songs will be either by guys courting women or by women courting men, just that the frequency and the number of either one will be different- their ratios will be different. By counting the ratios you will be able to figure out basically if you will be able to score on their love market or not.

Some songs also indicate the economic realities of certain countries (duh) and how they pertain to the ‘love market’. In Thailand, again, many a song is written by a poor guy who does not seem to have enough money to live a good life which often implies marriage. In that country you need to pay a ‘bride price’ to the family of the girl if you want to tie the knot, and if you have no money or not enough of it, marriage may be something that you will still need to save for, for a long, long time. This is directly and indirectly reflected in the lyrics of the songs. Few if any Thai songs are sung by a rich guy who is courting a girl or who has been abandoned by one. There is just no such thing in that “Paradise for Men’ land.

If you are an international love seeker and are thinking of heading to a country hoping to find some romance in it, it would be a good idea to buy some of their popular song collections and listen to them. If you do not speak the language, ask a native speaker to translate some for you. You will get a good picture of what opportunities will await you there.

It is not the traditional way to determine how well the country will accept you as a potential hunter of their romantic treasures but a rather accurate one. Try it. It may save you from prospective disappointments and heartaches, as well as unnecessary loss of your time and money."

[kristy_571]

wow. good post. most songs here in the US are about women shaking their asses(ts).

[Jackal]

wow. good post. most songs here in the US are about women shaking their asses(ts).

I was just going to say that. A lot our pop songs are about the elite American whore-goddesses pouring their hearts out to their American fratboy/jock/gangster of their dreams. Us little people like to "listen in" and see what life is like in this elite world of people who have an easy time finding sexual partners. These songs show a typically American voyeurism, how we love to peer in at the "in" crowd eventhough most of us will never be one of them. It's like Entertainment Tonight for your stereo.

[Grunt]

You mean the "in" crowd that has a 70% divorce rate, 33% paternity fraud, one or more STD's, and has no clue the dollar has lost 40% of its value since Bush came took office?

The horrible reality about life in America is, people tend to watch others in a vain effort to fill the emptiness in their own lives. There is something to be said for a preference to actually do something, as opposed to watch someone else do something.

Or, worst case scenario, you finally come to learn that the only thing worse then being rejected by idiots, is being embraced by them. Then you'll be where I am.

[kristy_571]

You mean the "in" crowd that has a 70% divorce rate, 33% paternity fraud, one or more STD's, and has no clue the dollar has lost 40% of its value since Bush came took office?

The horrible reality about life in America is, people tend to watch others in a vain effort to fill the emptiness in their own lives. There is something to be said for a preference to actually do something, as opposed to watch someone else do something.

Or, worst case scenario, you finally come to learn that the only thing worse then being rejected by idiots, is being embraced by them. Then you'll be where I am.

I finally see where you're coming from Grunt, because I can totally relate to that.

[kristy_571]

wow. good post. most songs here in the US are about women shaking their asses(ts).

I was just going to say that. A lot our pop songs are about the elite American whore-goddesses pouring their hearts out to their American fratboy/jock/gangster of their dreams. Us little people like to "listen in" and see what life is like in this elite world of people who have an easy time finding sexual partners. These songs show a typically American voyeurism, how we love to peer in at the "in" crowd eventhough most of us will never be one of them. It's like Entertainment Tonight for your stereo.

I hate "Entertainment Tonight". I avoid that show like the plague. And I would rather go for the brooding quiet boy in the corner reading a Jack Keraouc book than the empty headed jock/frat/wanna be gangsta. To me they are obnoxious. And also with age (as in, I am no longer a teenager, in my twenties kind of older), I tend to find that the men with more brains tend to be more of a turn-on to me.