Roots

[Jubal]

To kick-start this discussion, here's a song I was listening to earlier:

Reading down the YT comments, there are... diverse interpretations of the lyrics to say the least.

Now, I tend to find I agree with what Knightley and Beer are trying to say here. But then a lot of other people also agree and mean something wholly different. I think it's important to preserve traditional culture, songs, music, stories, traditions and histories, and that those should be passed on by people who live in a particular area. Of course they will to some extent mix with new influences, but that should create mixtures rather than one or another being allowed to just die out. What some people read onto it - an ethnic base for this - is what I disagree with. I think people living in an area should try and pass their traditions on to whoever else is there, and frankly couldn't give a flying crap who their parents were.

I am, for example, an East Anglian and proud of the heritage of the areas I know and love where I grew up. One of my parents was from Surrey, the other from Lincolnshire, but I don't have an affinity with those places. I just find the idea that your roots are in your bloodstream to be profoundly odd (which I guess is the only one of Knightley's lyrics I have an issue with, I don't think that for the Indian/Asian/African cultural communities it is "in their blood", it's in their cultures).

What do other people think on this? I found some of the YT comments really quite disturbing.

[Pentagathus]

I can't see the video anymore.
Edit:
But without watching the video I shall blunder on regardless. I think I agree with you, although I don't find its that important to pass on traditions. They do tend to be picked up when you stay in an area, unless you don't talk to anyone its  pretty hard to avoid their stories and various oddities.

[Scarlet]

<3 Song.

I think that I agree to some extent, traditions and cultures do come from where you are living and everyone should be able to join in with those and be part of it. However, you also get traditions from your parents which are linked to where your parents come from and their culture. I think the song is generally lamenting the loss of culture/ traditions/ stories across the entire country and how what is left seems to be slowly dying out.