How Music Affects CultureAdam Sandler's "What theHellHappened to
Me?"This song means that culture affects how we grow up greater then
mostpeople think. I shows that when Adam Sandler was young, he was a
well-roundedboy that liked to have fun. The song is also saying that our
culture is affectinginnocent youth that are forced to deal with the
problems that the previousgenerations made for them. This song shows
how all people are affected when theyare really just innocent bystanders
that have to witness the world at its roughest.They are forced to deal with
it although they are truly unprepared for such a harshtreatment.Traits.
The song presents cultural traits in that it shows how we grow up andare
affected by culture. Cultural traits presented in this song are how we
teachchildren and what we subject them to. Our methods of education
and entertainmentboth affect how we turn out in the long run. The song
shows how these traits affecthow people grow up, and what they value in
life. For example, the song talks aboutselling lemonade, eating popcorn,
and watching parades. Then it goes on to say he's"only happy when
[he's] drinking JD" The point is that people are changingbecause of
society and our culture's lack of certain elements, such as respect
anddiscipline.Values. The values presented by this song include the
value of respect anddiscipline, and the need for more strict ways to keep
a young mind safe ofdestruction. These values are presented in the line "I
only did the things that Mamasaid I should, but now I do whatever I want."
That line shows that values change aswe age and the reason is because
of society; obviously if Adam only did what wasallowed, culture's values
of discipline and respect must have turned him the wrongway, because
his mother did not.Other values presented in the song are education and
entertainment. This isshown by the lines stating that as a boy, Adam was
well-behaved and had fun inparks and carnivals. He played in the snow
and he loved sports, but as an adult heonly finds pleasure in things he
would never had imagined he could have only 20years ago. Also, it is
shown that culture has made such a mess of his mind that hecan't
understand why he would be in this shape. he presents this information to
usin the lines "It makes no sense, I can't believe I'm me.' He says this
meaning "Whydid I end up like this and how? I never saw it
coming."Language. This song really does not demonstrate the language
of the culturebesides his use of shortened words and contractions. This
shows that in our culture,we are lazy and don't really care enough to
finish complete words or to make
fullsentences Lyrics:I used to ride the
big wheelAnd sell lemonadeEat popcorn with Grandpa while we watched
the paradeBut now I'm only happy when I'm drinkin' JDWhat the hell
happened to me?I used to have fun throwing snowballs With my best
friend BillyThen Mom would make us cocoa if we got real chillyBut now I
only get excited when I see a girl peeWhat thehellhappenedto me?I
used to be the nicest kid in the neighborhoodI only did the things Mama
said I shouldBut now I just do whatever I wantI even whipped it out at a
restaurantI used to help clean the park in the middle of townThen play
kickball 'till the sun went downbut now all I do is get VDWhat the hell
happened to me?It makes no senseI can't believe I ended up meI'm outta
my gourdWon't somebody please help meI'm kinda a weirdo
. used to help clean the park in the middle of townThen play
kickball 'till the sun went downbut now all I do is get VDWhat the hell
happened to me? It. girl peeWhat the hell happened to me? I
used to be the nicest kid in the neighborhoodI only did the things Mama
said I shouldBut now I just do whatever