Like religion and state, music and politics are two entities that simply shouldn’t mix.

Though I’m passionate about both, when a musician shouts some political quip during a concert – as did Rage Against the Machine’s lead singer at the "Big Day Out" music festival, ranting against former Australian Prime Minister John Howard – my initial response is to yawn.

Conversely, it's not unusual for politicians to use music to garner public support and media publicity.

In 1997, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair invited Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher to his official residence, Number 10 Downing Street, for a friendly chat.

It was a blatant attempt to connect with Britain’s disillusioned youth through music, which proved extremely successful, for a time.

Then there are musicians, like Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil, who become politicians.

Garrett held onto his seat of Kingsford Smith in last year's Australian federal election despite several embarrassing gaffes.

His status as a former musician helped raise his profile as a politician and no doubt won him votes.

However, it has also worked against him by hindering his credibility as a staunch environmentalist, particularly if you compare his band's vitriolic lyrics against environmental degradation and social injustice in the 1980s with some of the policies he supports today.

As Labor's environment spokesman, Garrett recently backed the party's support for the Gunns pulp mill in Tasmania and fell into line on the party's policy to expand uranium mining.

His politically oriented lyrics have come back to bite him.

In the past, music seemed to be less infected with the venom of spin.

Creedence Clearwater Revival, Edwin Starr, Bob Dylan and plenty more anti-establishment musicians from the 1960s and 1970s delivered a genuine political message.

Dylan got it right with his song The Times They Are A-Changin’.

Times they have changed, and while I appreciate the political enthusiasm of times past, sadly we now live in a society where media hype is the intention underlying most public actions.

Perhaps I'm typical of my nonchalant and self-absorbed generation, but the quips and jibes mean nothing to me.

Not only because I sense a lack of authenticity, but also because I strongly believe musicians' words cannot bring about change.

If I were a US citizen, I wouldn’t vote for Barack Obama in the upcoming election.

Mostly because he’s an inexperienced politician.

But also because it just annoyed the hell out of me to see him win a Grammy Award.

MiNDFOOD © 2008
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