3 Lyrics That Defined Generations

Music has always been a good cultural marker. Art has a way of reflecting society (or at times even kick starting a movement) in a way nothing else can. Below, find three song lyrics that helped define entire generations of music fans.

3 Lyrics That Defined Generations

1. Who never ever learned to read or write so well/but he could play the guitar just like a-ringing a bell (“Johnny B Goode” – Chuck Berry)

For a baby boomer, there is likely no greater musical experience than the discovery of rock n’ roll. In the ’50s, rock divided the nation between kids who were learning a hankering for amped up guitars and memorable riffs and their parents with ear plugs at the ready. Though there were many contributors to the rise of rock, we have to give Chuck Berry his flowers here.

“Johnny B Goode” was an era defining song. Berry’s playing was seared into the minds of rock fans everywhere. Even today, it stands as an effigy of the rock and roll boom itself.

2. You’ll sink like a stone / For the times they are a-changin’ (“The Times They Are A-Changin’” – Bob Dylan)

Moving ahead a few years on our list of lyrics that defined generations, Bob Dylan was a preeminent voice of the ’60s. It’s a wonder how so many things can change in just a few years. While Berry was blithely singing about rock n’ roll in the late ’50s, the mid ’60s saw an entirely new stance on music. This generation of music fans were looking for direction. Enter Dylan.

Dylan had many songs that could’ve made this list. His penchant for protest music made many listeners stop and reckon with their place in the world. However, we’ve chosen “The Times They Are A-Changin’”. This track about the shifting tides of society fell on welcomed ears as war, politics, and other cultural forces started hardening hearts.

[RELATED: Lullabies Written by Star Musicians for Their Children: Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, and Lenny Kravitz]

3. Here we are now entertain us (“Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana)

Lastly on our list of lyrics that defined generations, we have a Nirvana staple. While the generation of youngsters in the ’60s were angry, their fury held little resemblance to that of the grunge era. Kurt Cobain and the rest of Nirvana ushered in the ’90s with bang after releasing “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” After hearing this song for the first time, there was no second guessing that something was brewing.

While the ’60s saw people begging for change in the streets, the ’90s saw people take a subtler approach. Cobain definitely had qualms with the way the world worked, but instead of crying out for justice, Cobain led with an apathetic distain. His music and the generation of kids that listened to him religiously followed suit.

(Photo by Val Wilmer/Redferns)