Schopenhauer II - music that should "be rejected once for all"

"On the other hand, a melody that is poor and says nothing soon dies away and is forgotten, which shows that the contents of a melody are very easy to understand. Nevertheless, it speaks not of things, but simply of weal and woe as being for the will the sole realities. It therefore says so much to the heart, whereas to the head it has nothing direct to say; and it is an improper use if this is required of it, as happens in all descriptive music. Such music should, therefore, be rejected once for all..." (119)



In the above quote, Schopenhauer contrasts the beautiful, universal music "which is everywhere understood" from the type of music that is as easily forgotten as it is simplistic in composition. What I understand Schopenhauer's basic idea to be is that people are truly drawn to the inner working/nature of things, while they are unimpressed and even bored at the outer workings of things. Philosophers, historians, and poets, attempt explaining the outer functioning of things, why x happens, etc., which is great but not interesting to people. While artists (those gifted with pure knowledge and the purpose of the will) are able to recreate and enlighten us with "all that others do not see" (107). I posted Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" because to me it captures the difference Schopenhauer is trying to highlight: describing the outer characteristics of a person (Carly wanting a cute guy to call her) without explaining the inner motives that drove said person to do/act/be such a way (give her number to a complete stranger). At the same time, this exemplifies Schopenhauer's idea of what makes music bad, or non universal, as this song was played incessantly in 2012 when it first came out and is now never played on the radio (as opposed to Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" which also went viral in 2012, but is still played semi-frequently on the radio today). Jepsen's lyrics, repetitive rhythm, and message are all simplistic in nature: sure, initially, they speak to the heart, but does the line, "call me maybe" really say anything to the head? The message and behaviors this song give off are not in any sense universal, and that is why it was seemingly rejected by society and forgotten in the world of musical greats.