Music Essay

John Butler, the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of The John Butler Trio was born in California in 1975. At the age of eleven, his family moved to Australia where he grew up. John found a love for playing instruments and music in general. He played his first instrument, the ukulele, when he was two or three years old. Learning the guitar at sixteen, John walked up and down the streets and saw graffiti and social commentary, which inspired him. He began expressing his views and feelings through music. Butler spent his time busking in front of large crowds at markets, or just plugging in his amp and playing on the streets. Rather quickly, people began to ask for tapes or recordings of John's songs; so much in fact that in 1996, being completely self-funded, he released his first tape which sold approximately 3,500 copies, leading to his first CD. The band came together in 1998 and originated in Fremantile, Australia. John Butler, along with drummer and percussionist, Michael Barker, and bass and double bass player, Shannon Birchall, incorporate blues, reggae, country, folk, funk, and even rock in their music, which John considers to be under no specific genre. I think their music could be placed under a mix of Rock, Alternative and Folk. Their inability to be categorized as a certain type of music expressing their ability to hit a bunch of different targets. Their inspirations come from Reggae artist Bob Marley, civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., and other artists such as The Meters, Jeff Lang, De La Soul, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Sabbath, and much more. Also, John Butler holds high thoughts about rapper Eminem. When in an interview, Butler said, "Feeling able or free to criticize the government, to say what you're feeling or thinking...That's what's so great about Eminem...he said what you were thinking...it was scary, but he was saying what you were thinking." I view The John Butler Trio as three guys having fun, but lacking fear in expressing how they feel about society and the way our world has turned out.
The John Butler Trio views music as one's ability to really touch people, inspire them, and be inspired by them. Through music, artists can affect people when putting as much soul and truth into it as possible. John Butler puts out messages about social equity, justice, and the human spirit. In his song, "Used to Get High," I believe he talks about how people have conformed to society and are constantly being brainwashed. In my opinion, he utilizes drugs and getting high as a metaphor for society. In the opening line, "I used to get high for a living," Butler explains experiencing pleasure from what society has to offer like someone would feel from using drugs. The repetition of this line explains how he doesn't find that pleasure anymore or fall into that pleasure; instead John Butler lives within his individuality, his own beliefs, and himself. The next and fourth lines, "Believing everything that I saw on my TV; Eating all the bull@#$% food that they sold me," expresses how the media puts forth advertising and subliminal messages creating a mindset in all it's victims. I think that John Butler is trying to bring across the message that Americans and even people all around the world are tricked into thinking certain things will bring you complete happiness. Therefore they put emphasis on the wrong things making them the most important aspects of their lives. The next line, "Thinking that my destiny was out of my control," explains how before he never thought a thing about his future or where he was going and just figured that he would, "go with the flow," but now he realizes how we can all control our own future. The following stanza lists food, "super size, large fries, big mac, coca cola," and drugs, "speed, weed, ecstasy LSD, Prozac, ADD tablets, coke, and smack," explaining certain things people use for pleasure. I believe that John is trying to explain that a lot of people stop receiving pleasure from the media and television, so they progress to eating or even something as serious as drugs. Butler goes on to sing, "Man, it don't bother me 'cause we're all on something...you know I'm clawing at the walls trying to get my fix," explaining how the media acts as a drug for everyone so all these other serious things aren't as bad or don't bother him and he has even fallen victim to the media's poison. The next stanza, after the refrain, I think talks about man's downfall in society and that we are on a route to destruction, "Escape, can't wait all trying to get away from this place man that we're feeling, can't deal can't feel what's real...No doubt the route you're on." Also, "Can't find the clout that you've been needing," expresses how many people focus only on getting ahead in society or getting connections with wealthy, powerful and popular people. Many people, I believe, spend their whole lives trying to make their way to the top of the social ladder and once they get there, they are alone and unhappy. John Butler explains that while people constantly strive to get to the top, they give up all power and control to corporate giants, and eventually they have to deal with the situation. The artist somewhat switches gears after repeating the refrain again and talks about everything the government is doing in our country like, "Getting lazy with their foreign relations, starting wars, closing doors...Economic rational calling fouls with the workers, just trying to make it pay, cost cutting, head butting." Eventually, the economy takes control and, "Big business do what they like and you do what they say." I believe in the next lines, "What's wrong get along, just prolong the thoughts you got going on, on the inside, appease, stand at ease, just try to please all the apathy that you're trying to hide," explains how many people recognize what's going on and they either pretend to ignore it, or don't do anything because they are waiting for someone else to step forward. The end of that stanza, "all the apathy you're trying to hide," depicts that John Butler is poking fun at Americans saying we really lack passion for things going on in our world today and exemplify our apathetic emotions very openly. Others, however, can't even realize how they got to where they are. Everything is just a blur, as expressed in, "How now brown cow did we get from this standing place and now we're kneeling." The repetition of the line, "You must contend with the monster that you're feeding," expresses that its too late to stop what has happened, so now we have to deal with it and then try to turn it around. For the last lines of the song, John Butler and his band repeat the refrain placing emphasis on how they used to be just like everyone else, just sort of going through the motions, but now they realizes the truth and are changing their ways.
Through music, I believe the John Butler Trio is trying to change the world, one note at a time. Along with the messages of their songs, the John Butler Trio has created an organization called The JB Seed. This organization is an arts grant fund bringing together and bringing out emerging artists and their talents. Also, on The John Butler Trio's MySpace website, there are multiple links to websites of organizations working for the betterment of our world, such as, "The Hub," "ANAWA," "The Wilderness Society," and many more. Also, in the music video, while playing their song, a little boy walks up to listen and is the only one out of the crowd really paying attention. The little boy is the only one really affected by the music, which I think brings about the idea that messages, like the one in, "Used To Get High," need to be directed towards the youth of society because they are the future and they can turn things around. I feel that John Butler explains a message through this song that he holds a great deal of belief in. This artist depicts the band aid to society and it's flaws.

Lyrics to Used To Get High :
I used to get high for a living
Believing everything that i saw on my tv
I used to get high for a living
Eating all the bull@#$% food that they sold me
I used to get high for a living
Thinking that my destiny was out of my control
I used to get high for a living
There's lots of different reasons and i'll tell you so

Super size, large fries, big mac, coca cola
Go on man, pick your poison
Speed, weed, ecstacy, LSD
Man, it don't bother me cos we're all on something
Caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol
You know i'm clawing at the walls trying to get my fix
Prozac, ADD tablets, coke, smack
Now you know i am turning tricks cos

I used to get high for a living
Believing everything that i saw on my tv
I used to get high for a living
Eating all the bull@#$% food that they sold me
Yeah, that they sold me

Escape, can't wait all trying to get away
From this place man that we're feeling
Can't deal, can't feel what's real
All trying to conceal all this time we're stealing
No doubt, the route you're on
Can't find the clout that you've been needing
'Til then my friend you must contend
With the monster that you're feeding

I used to get high for a living
Believing everything that i saw on my tv
I used to get high for a living
Eating all the bull@#$% food that they sold me
I used to get high for a living
Thinking that my destiny was out of my control
I used to get high for a living
There's lots of different reasons and i'll tell you so

Got links of the cheney
Getting crazy, getting lazy with their foreign relations
Starting wars, closing doors
Trying to bring about one quicker, man, revelations
Economic rational calling fouls with the workers
Just trying to make it pay
Cost cutting, head butting
Big business do what they like and you do what they say
What's wrong get along, just prolong all the thoughts
You got going on, on the inside
Appease, stand at ease, just try to please
All the apathy that you're trying to hide
How now brown cow
Did we get from this standing place......
And now we're kneeling
'Til then my friend you must contend with the monster that you're feeding

I used to get high for a living
Believing everything that i saw on my tv
I used to get high for a living
Eating all the bull@#$% food that they sold me
I used to get high for a living
Thinking that my destiny was out of my control
I used to get high for a living

There's lots of different reasons and i'll tell you so