Lost in Translation

They say that music is the one true universal language. As if music is
the only way to really communicate with ppl a message without anything
getting "lost in translation".
I am a musician, I've graduated from a music college, etc etc
And frankly;
I disagree.
The problem is that this mentality does a number of things to distort
one's perception of why music happens, how it's made, it's cultural
influence, etc.
I heard a song that had one of the most pungently beautiful melodies
I've experienced. It's called "Strange Fruit", and it's a song about
lynching. As you can see by its title, it's also one of the most
disturbing songs I've heard. So clearly, and unfortunately, music says
nothing about communicating a message. Ok so let's say it's lyrics and
songwriting. There's some songs with ornate and richly deep lyrics
that, if expressed "correctly", can have an impact on someone's life
for about 4 minutes. Then the bridge comes along, and finally the
chorus vamps over a few times, and the singer repeats "He loves you"
like 40 times. In the end, no matter how awesomely well the song is
written, it might not really be absorbed. One can even say the same
about an epic Obamic speech. If it's not projected with that full
round tone, nobody's listening.
This is the perfectly incorrect way of understanding why music is NOT
a "universal" language.
What really "does it" when a person says "that song spoke to me"
is...
(drum roll, please)
LiViNG the song.
What really speaks to people is not chords, harmony, melodies,
rhythms, or even lyrics.
It's the lives of the people making the music.
Understanding this is the basis behind all music. They say that
"actions speak louder than words", and I've decided to apply this with
a fuller definition.
"Actions speak louder than words or music, but combine all three, and
you've spoken loudly enough to mute the world."