Iraqi Music Tinged by Violent, Turbulent Times
With musical trends typically reflecting the times of any particular society, Iraqi music today is increasingly characterized by themes of war and violence.
“The singer was standing next to a cemetery, addressing a sad widow who had just buried her husband. He owes her deceased husband money, he says, so he will kiss her, as a settlement!” This is the subject of an Iraqi song that is widely popular among youth. The song has been harshly criticized by intellectuals and the Iraqi people for satirizing death and its inappropriate lyrics.
This song is no exception. For years, this style of song in Iraq has become more aggressive in terms of its lyrics, melody, the use of drums and even the sounds of bombs and airplanes. In many cases, this style has made use of the vocabulary and suffering of everyday life in Iraq.
In Iraqi songs, it is no longer strange to hear a lover flirting by saying, “You are like an air raid,” “Waiting for you is like waiting at a military checkpoint,” “Your eyes look like a cannon shell,” and “I wish I was an explosive device in front of your house.” In an environment surrounded by troops and weapons — where the smell of gunpowder constantly hangs in the air because of the frequency of bombings — the excessive use of these terms is enough to change flirting styles and even public discourse.
Youth music is inspired by this reality. The voices and drums go in line with the sounds of explosions on the battlefield.
