Art as social Critique

As an example of art being used as social critique, I looked at the song Ride the Lightning by Metallica, off of their album with the same name. The song talks about a man who has an upcoming execution sentence via the electric chair for a crime that he didn't actually commit. This is social criticism of the criminal justice system, and in particular the procedures in deciding whether or not to give someone capital punishment. In an interview with the singer, James Hetfield, he said "I believe in capital punishment, but it was more about the idea of being strapped in the electric chair even though you didnt commit the crime." 

The song says in the start:

 Guilty as charged
But damn it, it ain't right
There is someone else controlling me

Death in the air
Strapped in the electric chair
This can't be happening to me

Who made you God to say
"I'll take your life from you!!"

This is saying that the judge ruled him guilty as charge, even though he is innocent of whatever crime he is being convicted of, and the horror he is experiencing being strapped in the electric chair. Then he is questioning the authority of the criminal justice system, in saying that they have no right to play god, and be the judge of who gets to live or not.

The rest of the song is basically just detailing the horror of being strapped into the chair, knowing that you are going to die for no reason, and how time is literally moving in slow motion to him. Further, it talks about the intial pain of flicking the switch and feeling the heat and describing the all around graphic and barbaric nature of execution by this method.

 Personally, I am for capital punishment (what is your opinion on it?), and with that being said, I do thing the electric chair is a little extreme. the method of lethal injection being used now is a much more humane and acceptable method for this, and I have no problem whatsoever with it.

Honestly, I dont really believe art is any real way of bringing about social change (disagree?), and I think that the artists are well aware of this when they are writing, and do it more so to voice an opinion as opposed to starting any sort of revolution or really bringing about any actual change. And I think that is the artists and the arts real view, is to get people thinking, and to voice their own opinion, and naturally in most cases, to make money.


I think that the term art is very broadly defined, and it is one of those things, where the ruling is totally in the eyes of the beholder. One person can think something is the greatest masterpiece he has ever seen, and his friend think nothing of it, and not even call it art. it is completely a subjective topic. That said, I really dont think that the question is important at all. to each their own on the subject. Further, I dont really think some art forms are "more good" for society that others, everything serves its own purpose, and again, it is totally up to the individual to interpret it as they would like. That is the beauty of art, is that it is not concrete in any sense, and you can ask 1000 different people about it and get 1000 different opinions, and none of them are wrong.