The Cure band members grew up during the Cold War and the Anti-War Movement. The Cure also played punk rock music during the 1980’s, during their time it was not socially acceptable. Marvin P. Goldstein made an “Underground Alternative Arts Center”. Underground meaning that the information was not given to everyone. “Alternative Arts” are singing not any kind of singing it is singing rock or punk music, and it is slam dancing. Alternative Arts are arts or talents that were not publicly acceptable by most people. Some people were against rock music because it was a different type of music which was not listened to before.
Some people were against rock music thought that those who played rock music worshiped the devil because it is a darker type of music. Those that were involved with this program said that there were more important problems to worry about because there are people killing others, and stealing items from stores. Killing and stealing should be more important than fashion and how someone looks or expresses their feelings. Someone once said, “It’s a good place for the kids to come–they don’t have to hang out on the streets if they’re here”(Holladay).
This quote talks about the Alternative Arts program and how it was good for the children to finally be themselves not who their parents wanted them to be. Holladay wrote this because if the kids did not express their feelings by rock or punk music or slam dancing then they would have expressed it by killing people, and stealing from stores. Not only does the Alternate Arts program keep children out of trouble, they enjoy it. Jill Hardesty was 18 years old when she said “This is an excellent place to be, It’s a good place to see a lot of people, that you haven’t seen for a while” (Jill Hardesty).
Jill Hardesty enjoyed the Alternate Arts program because she got to see her old friends and people that she did not get to see often, and she was doing that instead of committing crimes. There were a lot of children in the Alternate Arts program because it was their decision and no one supported them or agreed with their decision. These kids parents did not accept their child because their child was not living up to their expectations. Some of the children’s parents did support them because they were not being criminals and it was a sense of security, the fact that they knew that their child was safe and not going off and committing crimes.
One of the kids parents would not support their child’s decision for anything and he told them that he was not doing anything wrong, he was getting his anger out by slam dancing, and it was better than doing drugs. By having punk rock music, and slam dancing people let their anger out, which causes limited violence. The Alternative Art Program allowed many children to find out who they are without their family and who they want to become. The program gave children the experience of making their own decisions instead of their parents making all of their decisions for them.
The antiwar movement started small and as time went on, more people became a part of the movement. The US government questioned if they were right to commit to a war, which thousands of people would die in. People that did not support the war said they did not support it because of what it stands for, and where it rates in the economy. The people did not enjoy the economy changing to total war when they joined the war. Total war is when the government starts getting the companies or factories to change what they make, to war goods.
War goods are boots instead of sneakers, and tanks instead of cars. The people said that there were other more important items to be spending their money on. Drafts are when the government selects people based on, their skills, and health for the war and they had to be within the age requirements that changed forever war. The age requirement for the Vietnam War was 19. The people against the war said that they can not vote, or drink alcohol, but they can go to war to fight and die. The 26th amendment was created and it says that “18-year-olds, are granted suffrage” (Antiwar Movement).
Suffrage is the right to vote, by the 26th amendment 18-yearolds, can vote. A peaceful revolt no longer was peaceful after the police showed up and arrested some of the protesters. The mob fought back when the protesters were being arrested. Schools closed because the protesters occupied the cam roads were closed because of the protesters, and RPTC building was burned. The Cure has based their music off of their social experiences. The Cure created a song named World War, which sounded as it was written based on the Cold War and th war movement, but it really was based on punk rock music in society.
The quote “Dressed in Berlin black I was only playing Disguise my words to fool you From what I was saying” refers to The Cure’s punk rock music. “Dressed in Berlin black” refers to what punk rock musicians wear. Berlin black is how the people would refer to punk rock musicians’ style. Style meaning their clothing, hair, and make-up. Punk rock musicians are known for black makeup, clothing and hair. Sometimes the musicians clothing is ripped. This brought up the social issue because some people felt that, the entire was not appropriate. Disguise my words to fool you,” this quote says that he uses other words, to symbolize what he truly means to fool whoever is listening. The last word in stanza 1 line two connects to stanza 1 line 2 “playing” and “saying” they both end in -ing. The quote “Grip you in a luger lock This will be the big one” from the song World War talks about playing rock music instead of violence. Luger lock is a type of gun. “Grip you in a Luger lock” means that they are holding someone by gun point. When someone is being held by gunpoint, they are not themselves, they try not to get shot and do whatever they are told.
These lyrics are saying that punk rock musicians can not be themselves without being judged. The Cure and many other punk rock musicians were looked down upon in society because their music is a little dark because they were letting out all of their angry feelings through music. The quote from the song World War written by The Cure “Grip you in a Luger lock” is referring to how punk rock band’s music is darker than other types because they are taking out their anger through their music, instead of taking out their anger through crime or doing drugs.
The Cure wrote the lyrics “World war No one would believe me, No one’s a winner No one’s a loser Just a dead friend” in the song World War, which refer to the struggle that they had to be themselves when everyone looked down upon them. “World War” is referring to the punk rock artists fighting to play their music and keep their style. “No one would believe me,” These lyrics mean that no one would believe punk rock musicians when they said that punk rock was a good thing because it got out people’s anger, without violence. No one’s a winner No one’s a loser Just a dead friend”. Means that neither side can win, or lose because they will both do what there will always be rock music, and there will always be people against rock music. If punk rock music got taken away then punk rock musicians would have lost a friend and crime rates would have gone up. The Cure lets out their feelings through their song instead of through violence. The Cure has been through a lot, but they get through it without using violence because they let their emotions out through their music.
Punk rock music made people divide because not everyone supported punk rock music. “Both Jill and Brad say their parents know where they are. “My parents are very supportive,” says Brad. “They accept what I do. I recently became a vegetarian; they’re supportive of that, too””(Ruth Holladay). “”My parents can’t handle this,” says the boy, who is 17, chubby and sweaty after a session of slam dancing. “They wish I was at Bible study. They want me to be a jock. “‘” (Ruth Holladay). This proves that there were people who did not support alternative arts.