There are certain songs that capture the unfiltered essence of a year, or a decade, or even several decades. Current events, technological advances, or political upheavals are laid out in lyrical form, serving as a time capsule for those particular times. Here are just three examples of tracks that have long become time capsules of their particular eras.
“We Didn’t start the fire” — billy joel
Let’s just get this one out of the way first. “We Didn’t Start The Fire” is Billy Joel’s magnum opus listing significant events in the world from 1949 until 1989, when the single was released. Four decades of politics, war, social upheavals, urban crime, and pop culture. Joel distilled the most relevant events into a convenient list with a cleverly catchy hook. “We Didn’t Start The Fire” is a time capsule of massive proportions. As such, it remains a beloved entry in the Billy Joel oeuvre. On the opposite end of the spectrum of enjoyment, there’s Fall Out Boy’s 2023 attempt to bring the classic song into the 21st century. Now, I’m as big a Fall Out Boy fan as the next emo Millennial. But, sometimes loving a band means looking them in their metaphorical eyes and telling them, “this was not a good thing that you did.”
“2013” — Arctic monkeys
“2013” was released as the B-side to “R U Mine?” from Arctic Monkeys’ fifth album AM, and it serves as a lite-psych-rock time capsule of—what else—the year 2013. A matter-of-fact yet cheeky look at technology and social media in the 2010s, the song references iPhones, Twitter and Instagram, and the pervasive and eternal march of time.
The first verse describes how times have changed as “even when it’s live / You can press pause and rewind.” Basically, fans would—and still do—upload unreleased tracks recorded at live shows on YouTube. So, instead of simply experiencing music in a one-and-done, in-the-moment concert setting, we can rewatch a live show over and over. Whether Arctic Monkeys found this good or bad, they didn’t say. But, overall, there is a hint of derision from this song. Perhaps getting “caught in both lassoes” of Instagram and Twitter is more of a punishment than a blessing after all.
“2020” — The Herd
Australian hip-hop group The Herd released “2020” in 2007, as a hard-hitting commentary on Australia’s role in the Iraq War. As a time capsule, it presents a unique look at the public response to Australia joining the conflict in 2003. The chorus is more of a retrospective (“Lookin’ back 2020 mistakes I got many / And the truth is that I’d probably do it again“). Meanwhile the verses condemn the Australian government’s choice to go against citizens’ wishes. Specifically, The Herd often singled out John Howard, who was prime minister at the time.
The Herd delivered hard-hitting lines like “The enemy of our enemy is still our enemy / So why are you arming them? Is this insanity?” In this, they clearly illustrated the overwhelming feeling of betrayal that came from this decision. Still, as mentioned earlier, they also bring attention to the fact that history often repeats itself (“And the truth is that I’d probably do it again“).
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