Lately, I’ve been highlighting a lot of UK reggae bands, so I thought I might as well continue the vibe with this post. Shanty is a London based band that I have had on my radar for a long time, but it always seemed I had other tracks in my queue that I felt were more important to share. The amount of time I can devote to TickuTalk is very limited, so I try and put out the biggest tunes I can, and I have many posts in draft mode which never see the light of day (even though they may be very deserving). Well, I could not deny Shanty any longer, and they have officially arrived (in terms of TickuTalk at least, lol).
Behold their latest track, called “Nowhere to Nowhere”. I’ve always loved the voice of the lead singer of Shanty, but this tune in particular really struck a chord with me. To me, it is a timely piece that speaks to the disillusionment of youths around the world. I am certainly in no position to complain about my quality of life, and while I will be the first to admit that I often joke about the laziness or entitlement of the “millenial” generation, I do feel their plight. Being a middle-aged adult in the “golden era of the central banker” is hard enough, I can’t imagine trying to start a life in it. I genuinely worry about what hardships my children will face in a world where inequality between the haves and have-nots has never been greater, and continues to grow.
Song lyrics, as always, are a matter of interpretation. Sometimes, when I listen to this song less intently (i.e. if it’s on in the background while I’m working), it speaks to me in a different way. The chorus of “going nowhere to nowhere” reminds me of the mental rut I seem to find myself in sometimes when I’m at work. The persistent, nagging thought of, “What am I REALLY doing here?” that I try to strategically avoid every time I consciously find myself participating in the machinations of Babylon. I think one of the reasons I love roots reggae music so much is that it serves as a goal; as an ideal to strive for. It reminds me that there is a higher purpose in life we must endeavour to find, while at the same time, being aware of our own shortcomings so we can start to change. It’s a bittersweet revelation that can somehow only be manifested in a positive way through reggae music. You can listen to depressing blues or country music that may be able to convey a similar message, but no other genre is as good at explaining how bad things are while giving you genuine hope that things will get better. Hope you all enjoy this tune.