Task 1 – Music e-portfolio Globalization and

Art and the world The Earth Song – Michael Jackson sustainability
Mercy Mercy Me – Marvin Gaye

Art exposes 21st century issues

Yes, I do agree with the statement of inquiry, as I believe that in this modern century art plays a major role in influencing
everyone’s day-to-day life, and different forms art such as music, paintings, and drawings also help in connecting people from
different parts of the world and bringing them together to ponder upon serious issues happening in our world, as everyone
has some connection towards art.

Global context Key Concept Related Concept

This global context of globalization and
sustainability strongly relates to the
statement of inquiry, as globalization is
all about how everything is
interconnected and how the decisions,
we make can impact humankind and
the environment. My songs also relate
to the global context as they explore
how the different decisions, we make
negatively impact the environment.
The key concept – change, refers to
artists using different forms of art to
inspire change in the lives of millions
of people all around the world. The
songs I have chosen closely relates to
the listeners as they both ask the
listeners to think about how the
decisions, they make negatively affect
their environment. This makes the
listeners strive for change in their
daily lives.
The key concept – presentation,
refers to me presenting in such a
manner that is easy to understand for
the viewer. The tasks I will create in
this e-portfolio will be presented in a
neat and clean manner so that my
work is not cluttered. I will be aiming
to create and presenting the tasks in a
way that creates a balance between
each of my tasks so that the reader
doesn’t get overwhelmed.

My Goal for task 1

My goal for task 1 is to analyse two different musical pieces creates by some of the most influential artists of this generation. I
will be exploring how the songs I have chosen will relate to the statement of inquiry through doing research using both
primary and secondary sources and thinking of how these two songs help in exposing 21st century issues through their lyrics
and musical features. Additionally, I will also be proactively thinking about the decisions I make as a human that can
potentially negatively impact the environment around me. This will further help in improving my understanding of the global
context by showing me how the decisions I make affect other people all around the world due to the interconnectedness of
this world.

About Michael Jackson Original Context

Michael Jackson: Known as the "King of Pop," Michael Jackson
was a best-selling American singer, songwriter, and dancer. As
a child, Jackson became the lead singer of his family's popular
Motown group, the Jackson 5. He went on to a solo career of
astonishing worldwide success, delivering No. 1 hits from the
albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad. Michael Jackson was
born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. Jackson began
performing with his four brothers in the pop group the Jackson
5 when he was a child. The group scored its first No. 1 single in
1969, with “I Want You Back.” By age 11, Jackson was
appearing on TV, and by age 14 he had released his first solo
album. Ever since he was a kid, he has always dreamed of
achieving things never done before by anyone in his state. In
total Michael Jackson’s music career lasted for four decades in
which he released ten studio albums. (taken from Britannica)
Michael Jackson had written “Earth Song” in 1995, in a
hotel room in Austria because he was feeling a lot of pain
and suffering of the plight of mother earth. One of the
biggest reasons he wrote this song was because while
Michael Jackson was touring the world, he could see the
damage us humans were causing the environment, as
after all his shows there were plastic bags, cups, plastic
water bottles, trash bags and more. These factors really
started to worry Michael Jackson, as he could see first-
handily how the decisions we make can massively impact
the environmental fabric of this world. At that time
Michael Jackson was seen as an idol among many people,
and he was arguably the most popular man on earth. This
gave him a stage to freely express his thoughts and
opinions on how humans are negatively impacting the
environment, he took advantage of this platform and
decided to make the “Earth Song” in an effort to change
the decisions made by people that could affect the
environment in a negative way.

The importance of this song to me:

This song is important to me, as Jackson’s creative mind
in music really shines in this song and it astonishes me.
Additionally, I am also an environmentalist and this song
addresses a lot of issues more people should know about.
Relation to the statement of inquiry – Art exposes 21st century issues:
This song has a lot of connections to the statement of inquiry. This song exposes the 21st century issue of human ignorance
towards the environment and how the decisions we make daily can potentially impact our environment in a negative way.
There are a few people who were already informed about this issue, but there are still multiple people who are not well
informed and up to date with this issue. This song was one of the biggest hits and topped hundreds of charts globally. Due to
its success this critically acclaimed song helped in further exposing and spreading awareness of the negative us humans have
on our environment. This song made people think about their day-to-day life and the decisions they make that has a negative
impact on our environment This is just one example of how art can expose 21st century issues and how they can influence
millions of people all round the globe, but there are multiple ways different forms of art such as theatre, painting, literature,
architecture, and more can expose a variety of issues that needs to be addressed.

Musical analysis:
Tempo: 138bpm
Instruments: harp, piano, voice, tambourine, electric guitar, backup vocals, drums, symbol, and trumpet
Key: G# major
Time signature: 4/4
Genre: Pop soul funk and dance pop

Lyrical analysis

What about sunrise? What about rain? What about all the things that you said we were to gain? What about killing
fields? Is there a time? What about all the things that you said was yours and mine?

In the first verse, Jackson uses imagery to form an image of an environment that is struggling due to the human’s greed for
economic and political prosperity in the listener’s head. This use of imagery is extremely accurate as in the 21 st century people
are completely ignoring the fact that there are a variety of issues with the environment such as depletion of natural
resources, climate change, overfishing, and more. But instead of worrying about these serious issues they are more worried
about the financial and political state of the world. In these lines, Jackson also calls out the ignorance of humans. Jackson
begins the song by explaining how some of the most common natural phenomena such as sunrise and rain are beginning to
disappear due to human activity, as many countries such as Somalia, Kenya, and Sudan are experiencing massive droughts
due to rainfall not happening there, and this is due to climate change which has been caused because of human greed. This is
really an eye-opener for the listeners as they are slowly beginning to understand how their actions are really affecting the
environment. Additionally, Jackson also talks about the economic and political benefits we are promised, but all these
promises are fulfilled at the cost of our environment being damaged. By opposing these two completely opposite images of
beauty in the form of rain and sunshine and the image of destruction and devastation in the form of killing fields, Jackson
successfully sends a message to the listeners that if we do not stop destroying and damaging our environment, the beauty of
nature may disappear soon.

What have we done to the world? Look what we've done. What about all the peace that you pledge your only son?
What about flowering fields? Is there a time? What about all the dreams that you said was yours and mine?

Jackson begins this verse by asking not only his listeners but humanity about what they have done to this precious earth, and
Jackson begs everyone to open their eyes and ponder upon the harm they have caused to the environment through their
greed selfishness. Throughout these lines Jackson has used the direct address pronoun of “we” to create a sense of
responsibility in the listeners that they need to come together as one to combat the damage caused to the environment. He
also uses “we” to show that he too has a sense of responsibility and guilt that is common with everyone. Jackson has also
made a historical allusion to when God sent his son to bring peace upon the earth and cleanse it from its sins in return for the
huge price of his life. In these lines, Jackson describes how humanity is taking god’s sons death for granted by destroying the
very thing he risked his life for through different actions such as: deforestation, overpopulation, pollution, and more, further
increasing the sense of responsibility to heal the environment on the shoulders of the listeners. Jackson then talks about
flowers which are symbols of joy, love, and hope, and how the flower fields are slowly dying and disappearing, and all that
remains are fields with dead flowers. This shows the listeners how the sense of love, joy, and hope are dying and disappearing
in the real world as well. Jackson also talks about how our dreams are slowly disappearing, and after a while all that will be
left is the sorrow and guilt of all the potential dreams everyone could have achieved. Jackson asks the question “is there a
time?” This question shows the curiosity of Jackson of knowing if there will ever be a time without pointless war, destruction,
and environmental damage.

What about animals? (What about it?) We've turned kingdoms to dust (What about us?) What about elephants?
(What about us?) Have we lost their trust (What about us?)
In these lines, Jackson talks about how we have been putting animals in danger for a very long time for our own selfish needs
and how we abuse innocent animals for our own needs such as: using animal skin for clothing, using animals for product
testing, and more. This really makes the listeners question whether what they are doing to these innocent animals are
ethically correct. Additionally, Jackson also talks about how humanities have turned animal kingdoms into dust through
climate change, deforestation, and pollution, and how we destroy their kingdoms selfishly for us to build our own kingdoms
and homes. Jackson has used anthropomorphism to question whether the elephants have lost their trust in humanity, as
elephants are some of the friendliest animals in the world that help humans in distress. This question of trust does not only
imply for the elephants but the entire animal kingdom. Jackson has repeatedly used the phrase “what about us” to show the
listeners that we are still blessed to have our own homes and kingdoms and safe lives which these innocent animals lack.

Musical Analysis

Chord Progression:
Jackson makes the Earth Song in the key of G# minor, in a 4/4 at 138 bpm. The song follows a very common and 7-part basic
rondo format: A→B→A→B→C→B→D. I believe Jackson used this rondo to set up the principal theme of beauty in nature
by talking about sunshine and rain, but then he would alternate it with one or more different themes of the destruction of
nature by talking about killing fields and more. The song’s intro and verse has a i -IV -i -IV - i -I V -V played in them. The song
has a chord progression played in G# minor of: G# minor – C# - G# minor – C# - G# minor – C# - D# major. To build up these
chords, the notes within each G# minor chord is B-B-A#-G#-D#, the notes within each C# is E#-G#-E#-C#, and the notes
within the D# is D#-C#-B-A#. The song alternates between the i and IV to beautifully compliment the vocals, as the lyrics
obey a two-line structure, and so to go with the lyrics the chords must replicate the same structure, which it does following
a i – IV structure. The V chord is played in this song is played to assist in in adding some much-needed energy into the song
that creates a build-up to hint the viewers that something important is upcoming after this part of the song.

The chord progression is then suddenly changed during the song’s pre-chorus, when instead of the original progression a
new VI -VII sus4 VII -III -i -iv (add 9) -iv -V progression is played. The chord progression is: E - F#sus4 – F# - B – G# minor – C#
- D# major. The method of starting on the VI, Jackson cleverly finds a way to create a sense of resolution from the build-up
that started at the end of the verse at progression part: V. After this, the chord progression follows a suspended 4 to the
major chord pattern. By doing this Jackson creates an additional aspect to the resolution created previously which was
made by the VI chord, because the excluded major third generates a sense and feeling of openness in the chord. The chord
progression then goes back to the original i -IV -i -IV - i -I V -V chord progression that is played in the beginning verse.

Jackson has taken a very interesting and unique decision to end the song. Jackson decided to end the song on the F which is
the V dominant, instead of ending it on a Tonic B ♭. This is known as an imperfect cadence. This is used to make the ending
of the song feel incomplete and making it seem ‘open’ for the listeners to interpret what comes next and what action they
must take to ensure their decisions will not negatively impact the environment.

The usage of instruments and the arrangement of the song:

As mentioned in the short musical analysis of this song, the instruments used in this song are: harp, piano, voice,
tambourine, electric guitar, backup vocals, drums, symbol, and trumpet. These instruments are used to create different
moods and tones throughout the song, and few are also used to symbolize elements of nature. For example, the stringed
instruments such as the harp and the electric guitar are used to create a very harrowing and sentimental mood, the pianos
are used to boost and accompany the dynamics of the stringed instruments and to create a mood of mysteriousness and
calmness through using different versions of higher pitches and lower pitches. Jackson has used a variety of different
instruments to create a very distinctive and stunning listening experience for the listeners.

In the different verses of the song, Jackson has utilized only the piano and the keyboard to focus the listeners attention on
the vital lyrics that explain the damage humanity is causing the environment. In the pre-chorus the stringed instruments are
used to assist in increasing the energy and generating tension amongst the listeners. Jackson has also used a very popular
West-African instrument called the tambourine to add rhythm throughout the song. Jackson introduces the drums in a later
part of the song to symbolize an important element of nature. Jackson also utilizes the harp to occasionally play a glissando,
which is the sliding of one pitch to the next, this is utilized to create movement within the song.

In the second verse, the viewers are introduced to background vocals to ensure that there isn’t a huge loss in energy
amongst the chorus and the verse. These vocals purely just hum the exact notes of the chords that are being played.
Jackson has also used a guitar to create some tightness and tensity in the song, as it seems that at any moment this guitar
will be let loose.

In the second verse the viewers are finally introduced to the drums. These drums are playing a straightforward backbeat.
Jackson has mixed these drums to ensure that the snare is extremely zestful and somewhat distorted. Jackson has also
added more reverb to the snare. I believe Jackson has used these drums to symbolize the heartbeat of our planet, as the
snare closely imitates a heartbeat which I believe is used to symbolize the heartbeat of mother earth.

Vocals:
This song consists of a variety of vocal arrangements that are constantly changing based on emotions. For example, in the
beginning in the song Jackson’s vocals are very clear and understandable, to symbolize how the earth used to be after
humanity negatively impacted them, but as the song progresses Jackson’s vocals become much more distorted and starting
to sound as if he is screaming in agony. I believe this symbolizes mother earth’s cries for help, as if these are her dying
breaths, and how over a period us humans have damaged our own planet for our own selfish needs.

About Marvin Gaye:

Marvin Gaye was a soul singer-songwriter with Motown in the 1960s and 1970s. He
produced his own records and often addressed controversial themes such as politics,
environmental damage, and mental health. Marvin Gay was also known as the "Prince of
Soul," was born in Washington, D.C., on April 2, 1939. Throughout his childhood, Gaye
often found peace in music, mastering the piano and drums at a young age. Until high
school, his singing experience was limited to church revivals, but soon he developed a love
for R&B and doo-wop that would set the foundation for his career. Marvin Gaye went on
to have a very successful career releasing 25 studio albums and being inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of fame. (Source: Britannica.com and Biography.com)

Original context:
Marvin Gaye wrote this song to address the rising issues of climate change and the serious damage humanity is causing the
environment. Marvin wrote this song after he experienced a traumatic event that changed his life forever. On March 16,
1970, hardly any months after collapsing in Marvin’s hands, Marvin’s long-time collaborator and close friend – Tammi
Terrell, unfortunately passed away due to a brain tumour. Her death brought Marvin a lot of pain and grief leading to
Marvin not touring for several years. While he was on his break, he noticed that many people stopped truly caring about the
environment and not seeing how their damage is slowly deteriorating because all because of their selfish and greedy
actions. Marvin observed that humanity had lost its way because of the prevalence of industrialization and corporate greed.
Marvin knew that he had to do something about it to spread awareness about this serious issue before it is too late. This is
when Marvin decided to create Mercy Mercy Me to not only spread awareness about this issue, but to also honor the legacy
of his closest friend. At the time Marvin wrote the song there were a very small number of artists that were truly addressing
the issue of environmental damage, making Marvin was one of the first R&B artists to ever address this issue. Many people
consider Marvin as a catalyst for artists to start addressing the topic of environmental damage in their songs.

Relation to the statement of inquiry – Art exposes 21st century issues:

This song deeply connects to the statement of inquiry. This song was written at a period of time at which artists were not
addressing issues such as environmental damage. It was very rare for an artist to speak about such a topic in a song as they
usually didn’t perform that well on the charts compared to rock songs or dance songs, but Marvin was not afraid of how the
song performs, instead he wanted to expose the important 21st century issue of environmental damage to his listeners.
Which Marvin successfully did as Mercy Mercy me charted as position number 4 on the global charts sending huge
shockwaves around the globe. The success of this song truly exposed the major issue of environmental damage and it also
assisted in spreading awareness about the issue and urging his listeners to take action. This song evidently speaks about
human activity and the negative impact it has on the environment as it can be inferred from the lyrics. Through this song
Marvin was able to inspire others to thrive for change and making them feel much more confident about opening up and
expressing their thoughts and opinions on the damage humanity has caused the environment.

Connection to the global context - Globalization and sustainability:

Mercy Mercy me by Marvin Gaye strongly links to the global context of Globalization and sustainability. I believe this
because in the song Marvin addresses his thoughts and opinions on the impact of humanity on the environment, which is an
essential area to explore within the global context of globalization and sustainability. Throughout the song Marvin has
explained how humanity had damaged and destroyed the environment through pollution, overpopulation, and more. This
truly brings the attention of the listeners to this serious issue, as they are hearing such an influential person express his
thoughts on this subject. Marvin effectively uses emotive language to create lyrics that will affect the viewers at deep level,
but still sending a clear message about the damage that humanity has caused to this earth.

The impact the song has had on me:

This song has massively impacted me as I am a huge fan of jazz and I am also an environmentalist, and Marvin has effectively
combined these two aspects and perfectly created a song that makes me think about the damage humanity has caused.
Musical analysis:
Tempo: 93 bpm
Instruments: piano, grand piano, drums, synthesizer, organ, soprano saxophones, steel drums, synthesizers, electric guitar
Key: B minor
Time signature: 4/4
Genre: Soul, Smooth Soul, Soul Jazz, Smooth Jazz

Lyrical analysis

Woah, ah, mercy, mercy me. Ah, things ain't what they used to be (ain't what they used to be), where did all the blue skies
go? Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east.

Marvin starts this song by asking someone/something to mercy him, I believe Marvin has used to personification to make
the earth seem like a real human being that is begging for mercy from some physical action that is painfully excruciating, and
those actions are the actions humanity takes such as pollution, overfishing, climate change, burning fossil fuels, and more
that have all been caused due to the materialism and gluttony of humanity. In the next lines Marvin reminisces of the old
times where humanity is not blinded by political and economic success, but instead truly worried about the planet and took
actions with responsibility and carefully considering whether it will negatively impact the environment. Marvin then asks
where all the blue skies have gone, the blue skies have disappeared because of air pollution in the form of smog and smoke
that has been produced by factories which are used to produce goods for us humans. This smoke and smog have covered
the skies changing the colour from blue to greyish black. Marvin continues with the topic of air pollution by talking about
how we humans all around the globe from the north, south, and east are so normalized to pollution that we are completely
fine with inhaling air injected by poisons. These poisons are very dangerous for humans as they can cause lung damage,
birth defects, heart failure, and death, but we aren’t slightly moved by these dangers as we are already so normalized to
things like this happening on our planet. I personally believe this can also be inferred as a way mother earth is striking back
at humanity for what pain we have put her through because she is blowing these poisonous winds in all directions.

Woah mercy, mercy me, yeah. Ah, things ain't what they used to be (ain't what they used to be). Oil wasted on the ocean and
upon our seas. Fish full of mercury

In these lines, Marvin repeats the phrase of “mercy, mercy me”. This is used to get the message of mother earth which is -
she wants some mercy from the damage caused by humans, across to all the listeners. Marvin uses repetition again when he
talks about how things in the present aren’t the same as what they use to be in the past. This use of repetition sends a
message to all the listeners about how Marvin wants to go back to the past to live in a time where humanity is caring,
unselfish and responsibly taking actions towards saving the environment. Marvin then goes on to talk about how oil (which
is a pretty valuable resource for mankind) is simply being dumped in our oceans after they go to waste. This can be very
dangerous, as when oil enters the ocean it harms the sea creatures, ruin beaches, damage the ecosystems in the ocean, and
it can potentially make seafood unsafe to consume. The line about oil damaging the ocean can also be inferred as oil rigs
constantly spilling oils into the oceans due to people not taking proper responsibility in taking care of these rigs a few
examples of oil rig spills are the Horizon oil spills that took place between April 20, 2010 – September 19, 2010 due to the
United States government’s greed on making money and setting up an oil rigs in the middle of the ocean. In the next line
Marvin talks about how some fishes are full of mercury which is scientifically correct, as some fishes like sharks, swordfish,
tune that are considered as the ‘apex predator’ of the oceans are full of Mercury. I believe that this is also some sort of way
for mother nature to strike back at humanity, as few people might be prone to Mercury poisoning through eating fish
because at times Mercury can be deadly to the human body. I believe this is a defence mechanism implemented by mother
earth, to stop humanity from overfishing as there is always a risk that their health will always get damaged, just like the way
they are poisoning mother earth.

Oh Jesus, yeah, mercy, mercy me, ah. Ah, things ain't what they used to be (ain't what they used to be). Radiation
underground and in the sky. Animals and birds who live nearby are dying

In the lines, mother earth is begging for mercy once again, but instead of begging for mercy from humanity, she is begging
for mercy from Jesus himself. This religious allusion is used to show the listeners how mother earth has given up her efforts
in begging for mercy from humans as they show no signs of change and trying in healing her. It has gotten to such a point
that now she has no other option but to beg for mercy from Jesus. Marvin has used reptation once again to emphasize the
importance of changing our habits to save the world. In the next lines Marvin talks about how human activity is causing the
process of the decay of radioactive materials in the earth to speed up. This can be very harmful not only to us humans but
animals as well because radiation can damage living tissue by changing the cell structure and also damaging the DNA of both
animals and humans. Additionally, it can also disturb the nutrient cycling within our ecosystems which can lead to massive
destruction of the homes of multiple animals, which could cause huge amounts of deaths in the animal kingdom. Marvin
also addresses the serious issue of radiation in our air that exposes us to radioactive elements which we take into our
bodies through the air we breathe every day. Many people do not understand how serious of an issue this, so Marvin is
trying his best to warn people about this issue before it is too late. Marvin also addresses the sensitive topic of how human
actions are leading to death of hundreds of animals. This topic is very prevalent in the 21st century, as there has been a
drastic increase in the number of death of animals due to climate change, pollution, and the destruction of their
ecosystems. These deaths will keep on increasing unless we come together and fight for these innocent animals.

Factual questions:
1 – What are 21st century issues?
ANS 1 – In the 21st century there has been a massive increase in the number of issues in our world compared to any other
century. Many people believe that this is due to the change of the fabric of society. Some of the major 21st century issues
are - Poverty, Deforestation, Food security, Water security, Terrorism, Extremism, Low carbon energy, Sustainability,
Identity crisis, Gender equality, Geopolitics, Housing crisis, Mental health, and more. These issues can be faced if we all
come together and strive for change.

2 – Which artists have been inspired by 21st century issues?

ANS 2 – 21st century issues have been a huge topic of discussion amongst many people around the world. Many artists have
used their influence and their platforms to express their thoughts and opinions on this topic. Artists use these issues as an
inspiration to make pieces and songs that could potentially inspire other people as well. Few examples of artists that have
been inspired by 21st century issues are – Childish Gambino, Paul McCartney, Ana Mendita, Agnes Denes, Maya Lin,
Kendrick Lamar, The Beatles, REM, The Beach Boys, Davalois, Fearon and more. These artists have used different
inspirations as environmental damage, mental health, and more to create amazing pieces of art that inspire millions of
people all around the world.

3 – How does art evoke an emotional response?

ANS 3 – There are multiple ways different pieces of art evokes an emotional response within its audience. In paintings,
different colours could represent different emotions. For example, the colour white could represent peace and serenity, the
colour black could represent hate and mystery, and in music listeners could feel relaxed when a chord meets its climax, and
listeners could be in distress when the beats per minute increase and become louder, and viewers could feel a sense of
openness when looking at a bright painting and feel a sense of fright in dark paintings. These are a just a few ways art could
evoke an emotional response within their audience.

Conceptual questions:
1 – How do artists contextualize 21st century issues?
ANS 1 – Art contextualization is when artists place different topics within their bodies of art. In today’s world many artists
like to place different political and social issues within their bodies of art. The contextualization of 21st century issues in art
has been very common for the last years. The contextualization of 21st century issues can be done in multiple ways. For
example, in a song the artist can either create a section of lyrics and dedicate it to different issues, or they can also use
different devices such as repetition, personification, anthropomorphism, and more to send a message to the listeners. In
paintings, the artist could possibly add a symbolic figure the has an underlying meaning, for example an artist could a dead
tree in the painting, which would represent how the environment is being damaged. When an artists contextualizes a real
life issue into their body of art, it really makes the piece of art have much more meaning to the audience.

2 – To what extent does art encourage or inspire audiences to make a change?

ANS 2 – Art has had a very long history within inspiring change within their audience from all the way back in 1800 to the
modern 21st century. Many artists use art as tool to bring people together, by raising awareness to build a foundation that
would later go on to make changes in our society. Many people all around the world look up to these artists and take
inspiration from them in their day-to-day lives. Additionally, I believe this happens because many people have some
connections to art, and art can be a form of self-exploration or a vessel for community building. The encouragement and
inspiration from art can be seen through the different forms of protests and rallies that take place to combat political and
social issues.

Debatable questions:
1 – Are artists responsible for change
ANS 1 – Yes, I do believe a few number of artists are responsible for change, as without art there would not have voices
challenging the norms and rules placed in society. Additionally, many artists have cult-like fan bases that would do anything
for the artist, this leads to them changing their entire personality and style. Many artists are also responsible for changing
the mindsets of many people by creating phenomenal pieces and songs for their fans. Few of these songs could potentially
change the lives of millions of people through its message.