When 'Relax' from the 80s Would Have Flopped in the 50s: Laughter or Bewilderment?
Remember the scene in Back to the Future when Marty McFly plays some 80s rock for the 50s teens at the dance? They all stop dancing and just stare at him in utter bewilderment. That kind of reaction is pretty much how it would be if any 80s rock music were played for people in the 50s if you could invent a time machine and accomplish that.
'Relax' by Frankie Goes to Hollywood: A Time-Traveling Musical Enigma
The iconic 80s hit 'Relax' by Frankie Goes to Hollywood encapsulates the very essence of 80s rock. However, if this song was to be played for people in the 1950s, it would likely evoke nothing short of confusion or outright laughter. Simply put, the lyrical content, musical style, and cultural context woven into Relax are worlds apart from what 1950s audiences would have known or appreciated.
The Lyrical Content: An Absolute Time Warp
When we consider the lyrics of Relax, it is easy to see how they would stand out as a bizarre and nonsensical piece in the 1950s. The song features lyrics such as:
“You know what it is to relax. / And if you're fun, so much the better.” “It really is only a matter of choice. / And if you can't cope then you know you need more days off.” “When you don't feel good, have you stopped to realize? / That you don't feel good, that you know you'll never be pleased?”50s songs typically had simpler and more relatable content, centered around love, romance, and old-timey laments. Modern pop culture’s commentary on work-life balance, mental health, and relaxation would be utterly foreign to a 1950s audience. The abstract nature of the lyrics might simply result in bewilderment rather than enjoyment or even amusement.
Music and Cultural Context: A Contrast of Eras
The musical style of Relax further separates it from the sounds and compositions of the 1950s. The punk and electronic elements mixed with a distinctive and memorable chorus might have shocked and even frightened the 50s crowd, as it was not what they were used to. The iconic synthesizer and the distinctive bassline of the 80s would be mind-boggling, as the 50s was dominated by acoustic instruments and simple chord progressions.
The 1950s audience would likely find the song’s energy, tempo, and overall production values too unfamiliar and overbearing to embrace. The stark contrast in music styles would result in a reaction of bewilderment or even offense. They might not recognize the music as belonging to even the contemporary era of their time, let alone be able to relate to it.
Back to the Future: A Time-Travel Adventure
The idea of time-travel aficionados or enthusiasts attempting to share 80s music with the 50s generation in Back to the Future is a classic plot device that highlights the humorous and absurd nature of modern music in a historical context. If we could actually travel back in time, it’s quite ironic to think that a song like Relax might be met with a confused audience, perhaps even leading them to question the sanity of the one attempting to play it!
In conclusion, if we could somehow make 'Relax' from the 80s accessible to the 50s generation, it’s likely that the outcome would be as amusing as the thought of a 1950s audience hearing a song from the future. This thought experiment not only entertains us with sights of preposterous scenes but also serves as a humorous reminder of how music and culture evolve over time.