Issues with lyrics, content, and rules in the band.

[MattDan]

So im having a dilemma. I wrote some lyrics for a song that was never used and my vocalist wants to use them for a new song we wrote. The title was Quetzalcoatl, the mesoamerican Serpent God, and the lyrics are about him and the known rituals involving him. But he didn't want to use the name for fear of "cultural appropriation ". I explained to him that my grandparents are from Mexico and I'm half hispanic. But because I'm fair skinned like my mother he claims it appropriation. So the name was changed but the topic is still there. I feel it's more insulting not to give that credit to that/ my cultural background and not name it for who its about. 

I was inspired to write this because of my family history in Mexico and I wanted to write a song about one of their chief gods and express my love for my deceased grandparents.  And what drove me to this is that one of our first songs we wrote was about the Brazilian mapinguari. Mind you he wrote the lyrics to this with no complaint or objection. 

I want to know what the metal community thinks. Am I wrong to write this because my father had a ginger fettish and my skin should or would keep me from writing songs like this? Please give your opinions but be polite. 

 

[FatherAlabaster]

Weird. Sorry, this sounds like a bullshit situation. It doesn't sound like cultural appropriation at all, and if you wrote the lyrics, the title should be your choice IMO, unless you have another arrangement in place already. You've got to be on the same page as the people you're playing with. I could see a group turning down something truly objectionable, or maybe having a discussion about what titles and subject matter are the best fit, but this isn't that. Sounds more like ego. If you can live with a compromise and everything else about the band is great, then let it go; if it feels like an important enough issue that you would regret not standing up for yourself, then you should do that.

[Balor]

I agree with @FatherAlabaster.  So long as your lyrics come from a position of authentic interest or respect, cultural appropriation should not be a problem to any fair-minded person.

[Requiem]

Pretty sure writers, musicians and artists can address topics that are outside their own immediate cultural circles, last time I checked. 

As a guy with grandparents from Mexico @MattDan, it sounds very much like your own culture anyway.

Not sure if this post was a joke, spam or what. I smell a bit of a rat, especially as this was your one and only post.  

[Vampyrique]

Hast thou not, O my  brother, convened with Quetzalcoatl himself and sought permission to appropriate said culture of He? Perhaps a humble token who, extant, represents the whole of the people can grant thee dispensation in accordance with the politica rectitudo of our current sinistral trend in time before it ceases to be?

How my ironic superiority complex doubly strikes me with pangs of guilt when Nile's music floods my headphones. Rather, it is a vile river of shame that is needlessly bled to their name. How dare it be that such fools can exist without Ra's eternal blessing! 

[MattDan]

This is my only post because I generally never have issues like this. So the forum is a first because of that, and I'm not to knowledgeable with online stuff. He and I are very opposite about everything in our lives and beliefs. But we are usually very civil and I would say become good friends. But since we started writing the second album, I wanted to implement some of my lyrics, and it seems like he doesn't like my input or feins it and never brings it up again.  But again this is the first band where there are so many lines we're not allowed to cross.

2 hours ago, Requiem said:

Pretty sure writers, musicians and artists can address topics that are outside their own immediate cultural circles, last time I checked. 

As a guy with grandparents from Mexico @MattDan, 

 

[Sabazios]

Maybe I'm too old skool, but I feel Cultural Appropriation is such a bullshit thing anyway, I mean surely that makes Iron Maiden like Racist or something right? they have songs about ancient Egypt, for example and I don't think they're Egyptian are they? I'm not out to offend anyone, but yeah I think if we had to worry about stuff such as this, well I couldn't use the name Sabazios as I'm not Phrygian... etc...

[MetallValkyrien]

On 5/21/2020 at 10:09 AM, MattDan said:

So im having a dilemma. I wrote some lyrics for a song that was never used and my vocalist wants to use them for a new song we wrote. The title was Quetzalcoatl, the mesoamerican Serpent God, and the lyrics are about him and the known rituals involving him. But he didn't want to use the name for fear of "cultural appropriation ". I explained to him that my grandparents are from Mexico and I'm half hispanic. But because I'm fair skinned like my mother he claims it appropriation. So the name was changed but the topic is still there. I feel it's more insulting not to give that credit to that/ my cultural background and not name it for who its about. 

I was inspired to write this because of my family history in Mexico and I wanted to write a song about one of their chief gods and express my love for my deceased grandparents.  And what drove me to this is that one of our first songs we wrote was about the Brazilian mapinguari. Mind you he wrote the lyrics to this with no complaint or objection. 

I want to know what the metal community thinks. Am I wrong to write this because my father had a ginger fettish and my skin should or would keep me from writing songs like this? Please give your opinions but be polite. 

 

Wow thats really ironic, he is trying to "protect a culture" while harming someone whos part of it. You have every right to write about this especially having connections to the culture, and even if you did not have connections having an intensest in something doent make it bad. I personally would tell someone to choke on their own vomit if they tried to do this to me, and make more lyrics just to spite them. Metal is suppose to be rebellious, make it anyways.