Bent Out of Shape from Society's Pliers Readings in the Sociology of Popular Music

This volume of articles covers a wide range of artists in the world of popular music including Bob Dylan, the Doors, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Johnson, Tracy Chapman, Lou Reed, and The Rolling Stones. Wells looks at the lyrics, themes, and issues from a sociological point of view, examining the content of their songs against the backdrop of modern society. Many of these artists write and sing about a sense of loss, alienation, and frustration with the American socio-economic system. In addition, the volume shows how these artists use creative language to communicate a sense of the grotesque, absurd, disharmony, and dread in the lives of the characters in their songs.