Songs with Social Relevance

Unwritten ~ Natasha Bedingfield

This song is about going for your dreams and not letting other people dictate how to live your life. This is socially relevant because this is something everyone can relate to, and it is a positive message: be yourself. The song is really just about living and loving life, and doing so in your own way. This is shown in lyrics such as "Life your life with arms wide open" and "No one else can feel it for you/Only you can let it in." Sometimes in our society today, people are afraid to be their selves for whatever reason, and this is the perfect empowerment song to encourage all people to not be afraid to just be themselves.
The title of this song, "Unwritten," refers to the singer's "book" being "unwritten." Basically, she is saying that she still has life left to live, and she can write her book however she wants. She also tells the listeners that this is true for them as well: "Today is where your book begins." At the beginning, she also says, "I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined." This means taht she "marches to the beat of her own drum"; she is her own person and won't let other people write her life for her.

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Imagine ~ John Lennon

John Lennon may have written "Imagine" in 1971, while America was in the midst of the Vietnam War, but its message is still just as socially relevant today. "Imagine" is not a complex song to understand, it is simply telling listeners to just imagine what life would be like in a peaceful, non-troubled world. Lennon tells us to imagine what life would be like without warring countries, fighting religions, greedy people, hungry people, and everyone living as one. The main message of the song is especially shown in the lyrics at the end of each verse: "Imagine all the people" and then "Living for today" (1st verse), "Living life in peace" (2nd verse), and "Sharing all the world" (3rd verse).
In the chorus, Lennon adresses the fact that his vision of the ideal world may not come true right away ("You may say I'm a dreamer"), but he is holding out hope that it will happen someday ("I hope someday you'll join us"). Today, almost 40 years later, it still has not happened, but that is what makes the song still very relevant in our society today. In fact, America is again in another not-very-widely-supported war, just like Vietnam was. The song is just as relevant today as it was back when Lennon was alive and peforming this song.

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Stupid Girls ~ Pink

Pink's "Stupid Girls" may not be about quite as weighty an issue as world peace, but it is still very relevant in today's society. "Stupid Girls" is about how sometimes girls feel as if they have to be stereotypical "girly-girls" who don't care about anything except looks, being skinny, and getting guys. The singer is afraid that there isn't going to be enough "outcasts and girls with ambition" left, and she is upset that there aren't enough girls left that aspire to be the next president, that care about the issues the world faces, that are actually smart.
Throughout the song, Pink keeps repeating that she doesn't want to be one of the "stupid girls," but she also says that maybe she should "flip her blond her back," etc., like they do, then "maybe that guy will call [her] back." Perhaps with this she is saying that other girls face this same decision, but unfortunately, some end up going the route of becoming one of the "stupid girls." This song is relevant because the fact is that there are girls like that out there (in particular some of the famous ones), and society does put pressures on girls to be thin, to be conventionally attractive, etc.

Lyrics