Song Lyrics Don't Reflect The Personality Of A Generation

So, a psychology professor, Dr. Nathan DeWall at the University of Kentucky, analyzed hit songs between 1980 and 2007 and found a correlation between egotistical song lyrics and increasing narcissism in society. (see http://www.npr.org/2011/04/26/135745227/study-narcissism-on-rise-in-pop-lyrics)

I don't buy it. Statistics alone can't derive the meaning of song lyrics. This study ignores the nuances of song writing like metaphor, sarcasm and irony. (Although I will admit that pop music isn't known for subtlety. See e.g., Rebecca Black - Friday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2LRROpph0) For example, the Prof. Nathan DeWall cites Weezer's song, "The Greatest Man in the World" (see e.g., http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYrz-M2Zc8E) as one such narcissistic song. Sure, without even hearing it, it sounds narcissistic; and that would be the case if Rivers Cuomo wasn't being sarcastic.

To analogize, this study is like a regular computer playing jeopardy compared to the IBM supercomputer, Watson, playing Jeopardy. It might give us some interesting results, but they are not going to be correct.

If anything, I think the increased frequency of narcissistic lyrics is a reflection of the music industry itself, rather than of the personality traits pop musics listeners. The record companies today are hit machines (see http://www.thejazzlawyer.com/2011/02/25/you-want-a-fucking-record-deal/) and don't particularly care what ridiculous garbage is on the radio so long as it makes money. This is especially true since record companies don't make money selling records anymore. Today, record companies sell image not music. (see 360 deal, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/arts/music/11leed.html)

So maybe superficiality rather than narcissism is the real culprit here. But hey, that's pop music for ya.