So the other day I was in the rec. center locker room as they were playing the local hits radio station whose typical playlist has a good to crap song ratio of about 1:50. Nickelback’s “If Everyone Cared” came on. Now I’d heard this song numerous times before, and I’ll even admit that in High School I sorta liked Nickelback. But as I listened to the lyrics I was reminded just how lame and blatantly commercial popular music is these days. Here’s an excerpt:

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you’d be mine
But here we are, we’re here tonight

Singing Amen, I, I’m alive
Singing Amen, I, I’m alive

[Chorus:]
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we’d see the day when nobody died

And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We’ll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along

And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we’d see the day when nobody died
When nobody died…

Awww, how sweet. Except, wait, the human mortality rate isn’t linked to peace, love and happiness at all! Last I checked it was still at 99.9999% (the primary exception having lived about 2000 years ago). If anything, you’d have less death if everyone hated each other and drove our race to extinction. Only then would you “have a day when nobody died,” because there would be, well, nobody to die. Not saying this is a good idea, of course, but simply that Nickelback’s song is a load of absurdly sentimental drivel that is a pathetic excuse for the creative poetry that song lyrics are supposed to be.

In contrast, consider this:

A certain measure of innocence
Willing to appear naive
A certain degree of imagination
A measure of make-believe

A certain degree of surrender
To the forces of light and heat
A shot of satisfaction
In a willingness to risk defeat

Celebrate the moment
As it turns into one more
Another chance at victory
Another chance to score

The measure of the moment
Is a difference of degree
Just one little victory
A spirit breaking free
One little victory
The greatest act can be
One little victory

A certain measure of righteousness
A certain amount of force
A certain degree of determination
Daring on a different course

A certain amount of resistance
To the forces of the light and love
A certain measure of tolerance
A willingness to rise above

Now that, penned by drummer extraordinaire Neil Peart of Rush, is a far more realistic commentary on the challenges we face and what it takes to make a difference. Not as uplifting, perhaps, but merely imagining how great a world it would be if everyone was perfect is for hippies and children.