"Without music life would be a mistake"

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love music. I've had my obsessions but I really just love good music in general. A couple of weeks ago my fiancee and I were discussing the merits (or lack thereof) of the new Fallout Boy CD. I was a fan, and Patrick and had been listening to it almost non-stop for awhile before Patrick finally got his hands on it. He came in one day and was talking about how the CD was alright, but it was too "emo" for him. We got into a small argument about the CD and the validity of the term "emo." It is a term that I refuse to acknowledge in the music world, and here's why:

Music, by nature, is EMOTIONAL. All music is founded on some emotion or other. So why is there a category called "emo" for music? "Emo" is just shorthand for emotional, right? And isn't that something that all music should be? Sure, some music might have more heart or feeling behind it, but all of the music I ever heard is emotion-driven. Songs about sex, cars, whatever--all music is written with the intention to make the listener FEEL something, right? Maybe the emotion the musician wants to elicit is humor, maybe it's anger, but those are still emotions. So why should there be a special category for "emo" music? I don't think it's right. I've really just never understood what the music in that category even really is. To the best of my knowledge it mostly describes more whiny, angsty songwriting. But just because someone is more whiny or angst-ridden doesn't mean that they're showing more emotion than someone who approaches songwriting in a different way.

I think one of the things that got me when Patrick and I were having our "discussion" was that he was talking about how emo Fallout Boy is, but at the same time wouldn't necessarily consider Snow Patrol emo. But, to me, Snow Patrol's lyrics are just as meaninful, if not more so, than Fall Out Boy's. Both bands are baring their souls through their music, and going on to share them with the world, allowing millions of listeners to relate to those things. And isn't that the power of music, after all? To hear a song--any song--and go "wow, I've felt that before." There is no better feeling in the world than hearing just the right song at just the right time. It's like the music speaks to you, answering a question, or just letting you know that you're not alone in this world. At least one other person has felt or thought exactly the way you do.

I know most of this is just a long ramble, but I needed to vent about my hatred of the term "emo" to describe a category of music. Who came up with that term anyway? I think I need to have a long talk with them....