*Jozzua Notes from a Business and Marketing Strategist/Tactician

What Does EraserHead Mean To You?

No, it's not just a part of a pencil.

To us Filipinos, Eraserheads is the band that is credited to have changed the flow of the music scene back in the 1990s. To me, personally, their songs were reflections of what was happening in Philippine society. They were honest, original and hit at the heart of every Filipino.

They gained notoriety for their song - "Pare Ko." The song came under scrutiny as the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI) attempted to censor it (particularly the word 'tangina' - which basically meant 'bitch'). At the time, media was heavily censored. Songs like this broke out the Angst within pinoys who being controlled by Government and society. It was a musical rebellion.

Eraserhead songs also had the right drama and poetry. Consider the opening lyrics of "Wag mo nang Itanong":

Hika and inabot ko
Nang piliting sumabay sa ‘yo hanggang kanto
Nang isipan mong parang sweepstakes
Ang hirap manalo

Who would have thought of comparing a woman's thoughts to that of a lottery - difficult to win in? Simple metaphors like these were easily understood by the common Filipino. Even the dramatic last lines of "Huling El Bimbo" would make any romantic cry:

Tagahugas ka raw
Ng pinggan sa may Ermita
At isang gabi’y nasagasaan
Sa isang madilim na eskinita, hah

Imagine loving someone, treating them like a Goddess - your dancing partner. Suddenly reduced to washing dishes.. almost a nobody.

So when an Eraserheads reunion concert was held last Saturday and it was announced that frontman Ely Buendia was rushed to the hospital, was it a surprise that concert goers didn't get mad? They fell into a quiet disappointment - true. But you could also feel that thankfulness about.

The concert ending itself was a drama - almost like the lyrics of an eraserheads song.