Grant County Preventioners: Students Reflect on the Impact of Song Lyrics

This group is led by Radiant Health employee, Christina Johnson, who currently serves as the DELTA Focus Prevention Coordinator.

Meeting on a weekly basis throughout the school year, the Preventioners discuss and brainstorm ways to promote healthy relationships and build an environment where violence is not acceptable. During one of their meetings, the group read the lyrics to the Billboard hit Love the Way You Lie by Eminem featuring Rihanna. After they read the lyrics, they were asked to write down some of their reflections. Below are their responses.

QUESTION: “What is something you’d like your peers to know about the music we listen to and sing-along with everyday?” 

LAURA: “Some of the songs we hear every day have meanings that no one realizes, unless they listen closely. People don’t ever seem to notice how awful the content of some of the popular songs are. One song that shows this would be Love the Way You Lie by Eminem ft. Rihanna. If you actually listen to the words, it talks about an abusive relationship. I would like to think people know that these relationships are never good ones, but I feel that people think abusive relationships are more acceptable because of these songs. No one makes a big deal about the songs, so they think no one would care about the actual actions. I hope people realize how bad this truly is.”

Some of the songs we hear every day have meanings that no one realizes, unless they listen closely.”

KALLI: “Reading the song we just listened to and discussed as a group (Love the Way You Lie by Rihanna and Eminem), I would probably try to rehash the conversation we had to my peers. I would want them to be reading the lyrics while they listened to it because I have noticed that when people are listening to or singing a song, it is easy to forget the lyrics or not pay attention to the story behind the song. We are exposed to this sort of thing regularly in our fallen world and it has become normal to us. We don’t even try to ignore it anymore and it is sad how much of this stuff we see through books, magazines, the internet, television, and our music. I just really want my peers to think about the story behind the song and reflect on it because it is not okay or ‘just lyrics.’”

ANONYMOUS: The media is such a big influence on society today. It’s sad because so many teens are made to think that drinking, drugs, sex, and getting into fights is okay. They act out and do whatever they want. They act on impulse and that only ends up hurting them and those around them. Teens need to really stop and think about what their actions will bring before acting on them.

I just really want my peers to think about the story behind the song.”

KATELYN:  “I want my peers to know that just because social media or Hollywood glamorizes actions of celebrities; it doesn’t mean that we have to endorse the music, tv, movie, etc. We should all stop and think about what we are potentially promoting. I think there are various actions we can take to stand up against this behavior and endorsement, whether it be writing a letter or making a vine, etc. Small steps are what climbs mountains and makes changes.”