Ellie M. Hassima presented an essay in 1996 at the meeting of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music. Her essay focused on the Cure’s song, “Killing an Arab”, and it explores the effects of using the ‘Other’ in such music.
“Killing an Arab” was inspired by the famous Albert Camus 1942 novel, The Stranger. Considering Camus, according to Hassima, was completely against independence for Algeria and was in complete support of France’s presence in the country, it would be easy to assume that the novel is a racist, pro-colonist text and therefore the Cure song would also be racist and pro-colonist. This is not necessarily the case, as Hassima points out through a very detailed analysis of the songs musical score and lyrics. I cannot help but feel that the analysis was so deep that even the Cure were not aware of the lengths they apparently went to in order to create a an anti-racist song. Even still, she manages to point out some features of the song which depart from the novel and show a much more sympathetic approach to the Arab’s position.
I should mention that at the time of the song’s release, 1986, there was a very anti-Arab feel in the U.S. and for the everyday listener it was easy to misconstrue the lyrics “killing an Arab” to literally mean killing an Arab - therefore it was easy to interpret the song as an anti-Arab chant. The Cure and
their record company, Elektra, went to great lengths to reconcile this misconception. They applied a warning label to all albums from 1987 onwards, they requested that no radio stations play that song, and they held a benefit concert donating the proceeds to orphaned Lebanese, Palestinians and Americans (Hassima, 2000, p.61). These gestures did much to appease the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). With this it seems that the Cure, through going to such lengths to prove their good intentions, did not produce a racist song however I am sure that the everyday listener still interpreted the lyrics many times over as being anti-Arab. If this
is the message that is received when listening to the song the bands intentions are really not very important at all.
Hassima (2000, p.69), while arguing quite well in favour of the Cure, in the end proposed this plea;
“Unpacking not only how racial difference operates in the lyrics and music of such songs but also how it is received by a general population allows us to underscore the rights of racially marginalized groups to exist as equals within a cultural economy, to be able to turn on the radio without finding themselves marked as the objects of ridicule and violence. Acknowledging the existence of those who bear the actual burdens of such songs provides a starting point in ceasing domination through forms of cultural expression, only after which will popular music be able to fully realize its potential to contribute to the collective social good.”
It seems while Hassima believes in the Cure’s good intentions she is aware that it doesn’t matter if the audience is receiving a different message. I believe her most valuable point is that we need to acknowledge “the existence of those who bear the actual burdens of such songs” (Hassima, 2000, p. 69). It is easy for those who enjoy the music but are not reflected in the potentially negative lyrics to say ‘oh, it’s just a song’ – it is not so easy when because of that popular song your lives are being impacted. She demonstrates with this example the power a rock song can have over its audience and the impact its interpretation can have on a minority group.
References
Hassima, Ellie M. 2000, ‘From L’Estranger to “Killing an Arab”: Representing the Other in a Cure Song’, Expressions in Pop-Rock Music: A Collection of Critical and Analytical Essays, ed. Walter Everett, Taylor & Francis, pp. 59-74 http://books.google.com.au/books?id=tAA73ebsa0sC&dq=rock+music&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
“Killing an Arab” was inspired by the famous Albert Camus 1942 novel, The Stranger. Considering Camus, according to Hassima, was completely against independence for Algeria and was in complete support of France’s presence in the country, it would be easy to assume that the novel is a racist, pro-colonist text and therefore the Cure song would also be racist and pro-colonist. This is not necessarily the case, as Hassima points out through a very detailed analysis of the songs musical score and lyrics. I cannot help but feel that the analysis was so deep that even the Cure were not aware of the lengths they apparently went to in order to create a an anti-racist song. Even still, she manages to point out some features of the song which depart from the novel and show a much more sympathetic approach to the Arab’s position.
I should mention that at the time of the song’s release, 1986, there was a very anti-Arab feel in the U.S. and for the everyday listener it was easy to misconstrue the lyrics “killing an Arab” to literally mean killing an Arab - therefore it was easy to interpret the song as an anti-Arab chant. The Cure and
their record company, Elektra, went to great lengths to reconcile this misconception. They applied a warning label to all albums from 1987 onwards, they requested that no radio stations play that song, and they held a benefit concert donating the proceeds to orphaned Lebanese, Palestinians and Americans (Hassima, 2000, p.61). These gestures did much to appease the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). With this it seems that the Cure, through going to such lengths to prove their good intentions, did not produce a racist song however I am sure that the everyday listener still interpreted the lyrics many times over as being anti-Arab. If this
is the message that is received when listening to the song the bands intentions are really not very important at all.Hassima (2000, p.69), while arguing quite well in favour of the Cure, in the end proposed this plea;
“Unpacking not only how racial difference operates in the lyrics and music of such songs but also how it is received by a general population allows us to underscore the rights of racially marginalized groups to exist as equals within a cultural economy, to be able to turn on the radio without finding themselves marked as the objects of ridicule and violence. Acknowledging the existence of those who bear the actual burdens of such songs provides a starting point in ceasing domination through forms of cultural expression, only after which will popular music be able to fully realize its potential to contribute to the collective social good.”
It seems while Hassima believes in the Cure’s good intentions she is aware that it doesn’t matter if the audience is receiving a different message. I believe her most valuable point is that we need to acknowledge “the existence of those who bear the actual burdens of such songs” (Hassima, 2000, p. 69). It is easy for those who enjoy the music but are not reflected in the potentially negative lyrics to say ‘oh, it’s just a song’ – it is not so easy when because of that popular song your lives are being impacted. She demonstrates with this example the power a rock song can have over its audience and the impact its interpretation can have on a minority group.
References
Hassima, Ellie M. 2000, ‘From L’Estranger to “Killing an Arab”: Representing the Other in a Cure Song’, Expressions in Pop-Rock Music: A Collection of Critical and Analytical Essays, ed. Walter Everett, Taylor & Francis, pp. 59-74 http://books.google.com.au/books?id=tAA73ebsa0sC&dq=rock+music&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
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