Hello, students, educators and visitors. Here you will find both course-specific and general content, posts, links, etc. Feel free to comment on anything. Please sign your comments. Students- please spell-check and proofread.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
POS: Comparative Analyses
Please post as a comment here.
20 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Seth Killingbeck The Saviors The upstart nation of Germany is a breeding ground for some of the most interesting underrated power metal artists of today. Two of such musicians are Piet Sieleck of Iron Savior and Kai Hansen of Gamma ray. These two men since the late eighties have carved fairly sizable careers for themselves across Europe. On quite a few occasions the two singers have worked together on projects together and their influence on one another is prevalent in their music. Many of their works share the theme of heroism and adventure. The songs “The Savior” by Iron Savior and “Abyss of The Void” by Gamma ray, both share a similar heroic theme portrayed through different techniques. “The Savior” as the title suggests is about the heroic nature of one’s self. The narrative is done in a first person perspective as opposed the Gamma Ray’s song as the narrator speaks of his quest to find himself. The narrator has found the “ultimate dream” which is, the potential in one’s own soul to do great things. The amount of effort and struggle the narrator endures to reach this conclusion is portrayed with hyperbolic statements as the savior has traveled “on cosmic winds” through “the vast” where time “is standing still”. In portraying this struggle the narrator helps emphasize the importance of the message. Unlike “Abyss of the Void”, Iron Savior utilizes a more scientific diction to achieve its message. Space and machinery are a huge part of the symbolism in the work and creates a sense of something far beyond life. The “Savior” states that heroism is in the heart whose pulse reaches the edges of the universe. “Abyss of the Void” on the other hand takes a different approach to its views on heroism. This narrative is done in a third person perspective where the narrator is simply observing the arrival of “the only, the holy” savior which adds a different twist on the heroic theme. The people “fall to the ground” at the arrival of the savior in “his armor, still shining” providing a god-like image of this savior. This individual is more of a messiah then hero who is the bringer of light and destroyer of evil. The holy warrior made sure there were “no demons left in this world” and liberated his people to in a hyperbolic sense create a grand depiction of how others are the heroes in one’s life as opposed to oneself. The heralding of this Christ-figure makes a more religious image of a holy occurrence rather than its more futuristic counterpart. Kai Hansen makes others seem like the important ones in life rather than the individual. “The Savior” and “Abyss of the Void” both take their own unique views on heroism. Piet believes in a more self driven life while Kai believes in others to make the world a greater place. Both bands do believe however that anyone in a sense is capable of achieving great deeds. There is a savior in everyone and one just has to channel it to be a hero to somebody.
The solo artist, Avril Lavigne is known as a great pop artist from the early to late 2000’s. Lavigne uses many different genres of music in her songs. She switches from hard rock to girly pop and mixes them into one. The Rubinoos are more of a laid back love song band. There are many songs that differ and have many similarities to one another with the same topic. Avril Lavignes song “Girlfriend” And the Rubinoo’s song “I wanna be your boyfriend” are a great example of this. Avril Lavigne does have much of her own original twist to her song that makes it much different from the Rubinoo’s song “I wanna be your boyfriend”. One of the major differences if Avril’s song compared to the Rubinoo’s song, is her use of aggression throughout her lyrics. Avril Lavigne shows that she is better than this boy’s current girlfriend by using insulting quotes and aggressive lyrics. “She’s like so whatever/ you could do so much better “. Another one of the major differences in this song is the change in sex. Avril Lavigne is saying that she wants to be the boy’s “Girlfriend”. Avril Lavigne expresses her aggression through inappropriate language and using cuss words. The band The Rubinoo’s, has a much different approach to their song. The topics of the song may be the same, and they are also asking for the same type of relationship. The Rubinoo’s go about it in a much different manner than Avril. In their song, “I wanna be your boyfriend”, The Rubinoo’s are lacking the aggressive, sassy approach that Lavigne takes on in her song, “Girlfriend”. They are more-so trying to win the girl over by using intense imagery and not using cuss words. “When I see you smile”, “Sitting here so close together” This gives a vast image of how the band feels about this certain girl. They leave out the inappropriate language and leave out the forceful language about other males and say that they want to be her “number one”. Unlike the song “Girlfriend”, there is a change of sex. The boy is trying to win the girl over in this song rather than the girl trying to steal the boy. Though there are many differences in each of these songs, there are also many reasons in which the songs remain similar. One of the main reasons these songs were chosen to be compared is their similar choice in topic of the song. Each song is about youth, and how important it is to each artist to have a boyfriend/girlfriend. Each artist is forcefully showing their love toward the opposite sex and how much they want to make it “official”. Many of the words that are used throughout both sets of lyrics make the songs very similar. There is frequent usage of the words “Hey” and “You”. These words show that the artists are directing the song particularly at someone. It shows that the song is most likely only directed at one person, rather than an entire audience. These artists and their songs are a great example of how songs can be both different and similar to one and other.
Beck Gerritsen 11/20/12 Song Comparison Often, our most beloved songs make a profound statement. However, few issue a direct reply in the way Blind Melon does to Steppenwolf. In spite of their Grunge-oriented peers, Blind melon had always been influenced by classic rock artists such as Steppenwolf. In fact, Blind Melon’s name comes from the slang for “hippie” that people used to describe them due to their influences. Thus, it makes sense that Blind Melon would cover a song from one of these groups. However, Blind Melon, in their innovative nature, do not produce a straight up cover. Instead, Shannon Hoon, a long time drug user and Blind Melon’s songwriter, provides a counterargument to Steppenwolf’s anti-drug statement made in “The Pusher” with his own version of “The Pusher.” Both Steppenwolf and Blind Melon use Biblical symbolism. The uses however, contrast. Steppenwolf states that he’d “kill [the pusher] with [his] Bible,” implying that the pusher has committed a grave sin and that the speaker would prosecute the pusher with scripture until the pusher dies. Blind Melon uses their Biblical symbolism to condemn this divine anger from Steppenwolf, saying both that he’s “so tired of you pushing that thorny crown onto my head so hard,” and, “goddamn that Bible pushin’ man,” outright denouncing Steppenwolf for trying to control his actions using the Bible as incriminating evidence. The parties also share a very similar use of hyperbole, Blind Melon saying, “I’ve never done nothing that my spirit couldn’t kill,” and Steppenwolf saying, “I never touched nothin’ that my spirit could kill.” Blind Melon claims immunity to drugs, displaying apathy to the less than savory side effects of drugs. Steppenwolf contradicts this, claiming that all drugs have an effect, and that nobody is immune. The music itself is the most defining thing that sets the two apart. Blind Melon goes for a loose jam, seeming almost improvised. This approach, as well as jangly acoustic guitars and roaming bass imply that the band is more free spirited, and doesn’t want to limit anybody’s freedom, even at the cost of self-destruction. The stressed, emotional delivery and powerful guitar solo, on the other hand, add to the effect of the band’s anger at “that Bible pushin’ man.” Steppenwolf takes a much different approach. Their version of the song is driven by a somber guitar riff and regretful vocals, which give the impression of the sorrow the speaker feels over his poor choices, and the empathy he feels for all those who have fallen down the wrong path, such as Shannon Hoon. The two songs present a classic argument over the topic of drugs. In the end however, time decided the ultimate victor. Despite Hoon’s claim of immunity, he died of a drug overdose before his version of “The Pusher” was ever released, proving the wisdom of the warning in Steppenwolf’s lyrics.
Taylor Portanova Block A POS November 20, 2012 Comparative Analysis
Although both of the songs “Margaritaville” and “Knee Deep” both address the fantasy of being in a relaxing paradise in desire to escape the world, in “Margaritaville” the reason for the escape is due to the speakers need for isolation whereas in the song “Knee Deep” the desire for isolation is caused by the loss of love with a woman. The songs are very similar in a sense of they both want to wash away their troubles. For Jimmy Buffet says that he is “Wastin’ away again in Margaritaville” and the speaker in “Knee Deep” states that “The sunshine’s gonna wash my blues away”. These songs both have a meaning of losing their troubles by relaxing in a paradise. In these songs paradise is used as a symbol to represent their troubles fading away. The songs are also very different too. For instance, in the song “Margaritaville” the speaker knows that his troubles in life are “(his) own damn fault” even though “some people claim that there’s a woman to blame”. The speaker is stating that he is the reason for all of the troubles in his life. However, in the song “Knee Deep” the reasoning for the desire to be in paradise is the very opposite. The speaker says “had sweet love but I lost it…now I’m lost in the world tryin to find me a better way” The speaker is clearly stating that the reason he wants to be in paradise is because he has lost his love with a woman. Though both songs are very alike, for they have the same subject matter of being in paradise, they are also very different for the root of the speakers reasoning for being in their own paradise away from the world are very different.
Martina McBride and Nickelback are both popular artists now, and have been throughout the past years. Martina’s song concrete angel and Nickelback’s song Never Again are very similar in terms of their theme and structure. Although these artists have almost nothing in common, these two songs from their albums Silver Side Up by Nickelback and Greatest Hits by Martina McBride are almost identically parallel. Concrete Angel and Never Again both utilize heart wrenching stories of violence and abuse kept in hiding in order to portray that life is not always what it seems
The similarities between these two songs are extremely specific, making it apparent that these songs are 100% parallel. One similarity between these songs is they are about violence and abuse. In Martina’s case, the song is about a young girl around school age who is abused daily by her parents and goes to school pretending that nothing happens. She “walks to school with her lunch packed, nobody knows what she’s holdin’ back” depicting her as being happy when in reality she is fighting in a war at home against her own parents. Although some people notice they don’t say, even her teacher who can see what is happening keeps it to herself “the teacher wonders but she doesn’t ask”. Nickel backs song also shows violence in terms of domestic abuse. The woman who is being abused in this song is abused by her husband also on a daily basis. This song in spoken from the woman’s child’s point of view, to show the listener how worried she is about her mother. She says “I hear her scream from down the hall, amazing that she can even talk at all, she cries to me go back to bed, I’m terrified she’ll wind up dead” showing the extreme fear that even this child faces due to the brutal physical abuse her mother goes through. Another similarity is that both of these people who are abused end up dying due to their abuse. They are depicted as not being able to handle it anymore and eventually let the beating get the best of them. The woman is “dead in his hands” after a severe beating and the young girl is now “an angel girl with and upturned face” with “A name written on a polished rock”.
Even though these songs are so parallel in structure, they still have their differences. One difference is Martina’s song is about a child while Nickelback’s song is about a more mature woman. They describe the child as “a fragile soul caught in the hands of fate”, and the woman as “dead in his hands, she’s just a woman”. Another difference is the terms in which the person doing the beating is on. The parents in Concrete Angel, as far as we know, are beating their young child for no reason. The song shows no apparent reason as to why this child would be beaten. On the other hand the woman in Never Again is only beaten when her significant other is drunk “He’s drunk again it’s time to fight”. I don’t feel these differences outweigh the similarities.
Overall both of these songs clearly show the severe trauma that these people went through while losing their lives to abuse. It also shows the listener that when they turn away from a situation when they know something is not right the outcome may end up being exactly as they expected. People say “ignorance is bliss”, but in this case the people who saw this happening to these women but did not do anything in actuality end up looking like the bad person in the end. These two songs overall send a message that the whole world should listen to, and I hope one day will help people understand these problems within our communities and societies.
Anthony Hallgren November 20, 2012 Poetry of Song A Parallel Song Analysis Both Lupe Fiasco and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are two of the most respected artists in their genres and in the music industry as a whole. Hailing from Chicago, Fiasco is known for writing songs about the urban lifestyle and the struggles that come with it and is one of the more politically conscious artists out there, often appearing on new discussion shows and expressing his views. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been rocking the world since the 80’s, perfecting their unique blend of funk and rock. Lupe Fiasco’s song “The Instrumental” off his album Lupe Fiasco’s Food and Liquor and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Throw Away Your Television from their album Stadium Arcadium tell the tale of the negative effects of television on modern society as Lupe Fiasco utilizes more complex devices like extended metaphors and a 3rd person narrative whereas the Red Hot Chili Pepper use motifs and clichés. “The Instrumental” by Lupe Fiasco deals with the negative effects of TV on our modern society. Fiasco utilizes an extended metaphor in his narrative of “the box” to show the power of that television and the media has on our lives. The character in the song “absorbs and adopts” everything he sees and hears from “the box” but he “can’t remember how to stop it,” showing that whatever he sees on the TV, it is so mind-consuming that he cannot look away and try to ignore it. Fiasco’s 3rd person narrative gives him almost a god-like feeling, knowing exactly what’s going on with the boy and the doctor’s jotting down what they see. The Red Hot Chili Peppers go in the opposite direction of Fiasco, utilizing a more straight-up approach to the power of television. Singer/Songwriter Anthony Kiedis uses the ironic linguistic motif of the word “repeat” to get the message across about everything being a reoccurrence whether it being news stories or episodes of television shows. Furthermore, Kiedis goes on to say, “time to make this clean decision” implying that watching television constantly is vice and can be considered dirty, almost like drug use. He then goes on to say “recreate your super vision now” which can be interpreted as watching television can destroy your literal vision, which has been confirmed in different studies, but can also impair your vision in the sense of awareness of the world around you, as it seems with all the new technological advances people are becoming more detached and unaware of the problems in the world. In both “The Instrumental” and “Throw Away Your Television”, Lupe Fiasco and the Red Hot Chili Peppers demonstrate awareness that television, or “the box”, is rotting away the minds of the youth in our society and have an impact and power that seems to be beyond our control. The use of extended metaphors, 3rd and 2nd person narratives, motifs, and clichés all show the artists understanding of the lasting impact that television and media has on our lives.
Andrew Morse 11/20/12 One of the most common themes for songs is love and loss. Many of our favorite songs were written because somebody has been hurt or someone has fallen in love. 311’s “Getting Through to Her” and All Time Low’s “Break Your Little Heart” are no different. Both songs are about a relationship that has taken a turn for the worst. However 311 utilizes more literary content in order to portray the speakers struggling relationship while All Time Low uses more repetition to show how the speaker is going to “watch you take the fall”. The two songs main similarities lie in their subject matters. Both of the songs are about relationships but more specifically a relationship that has begun to sour. In both songs the respective speaker talks about his relationship, how things aren't going great, and his troubles. There are not many devices shared between the two songs other than characterization. However the two speakers from the songs are characterized as completely opposites. The speaker from "Break Your Little Heart", as you may have guessed, is made out to be mean and inconsiderate. In "Getting Through to Her" the point of view changes but the speaker still appears as one who is trying to make it work and cares about the other person. Another similarity is the motif of the "girl" in both of the songs and her feelings. The speaker in "Break Your Little Heart" repeatedly mentions the girl’s feelings and how he is going to destroy them. He claims he will “break your little heart / Watch you take the fall / Laughing all the way to the hospital” showing his lack of concern for her feelings and how he will actually enjoy hurting her because he will be laughing while she is hurting. In the latter of the songs the speaker in “Getting Through to Her” is much more considerate and is trying his best to be sensitive to the girl’s feelings but he is struggling, “I want to tell her that it’s ok now / But I’m not too sure just what to say”; he wants to help her but he just can’t find the words to do so.
There are a considerable amount of differences between the two songs. The first and most obvious is what the song is about; yes the subject matters are similar but "Break Your Little Heart" is about ending a relationship while "Getting Through to Her" is about preserving a relationship. As a whole "Getting Through to Her" is far more lyrical than "Break Your Little Heart". 311's song contains more powerful devices such motif and symbolism along with subtle devices like wordplay and allusion. There is the motif of earthquakes and fault lines in the song, "Foundation is crumbling away/Fault lines in her words." and "She tells me things that were not her fault/And her surface starts to break/Breakdown a hurting sound" The references work toward symbolizing the state their relationship is in, for they are trying to make it work but they are on shaky footing. The lines while contributing to the motif are also wordplay "She tells me things that were not her fault/and her surface starts to break/Breakdown a hurting sound". When he says “not her fault” it references the idea of the earthquakes. That along with “surface starts to break/Breakdown” is wordplay because she is having an emotional breakdown which is a figurative breaking, while an earthquake would cause real things breaking like the surface of the ground. "Getting Through to Her" also contains historical allusion. The song alludes to Native American history, "She’s on Wounded Knee/and well crazy horse that's me". There is a famous battle in Native American history called the battle of Wounded Knee and Crazy Horse was a Native American chief. This allusion helps to reinforce the precarious state of the relationship that could potentially end in violence. The most notable device in "Break Your Little Heart" is characterization. This is offered in the 311 song but is more prominent in All Time Low's song. The speaker is characterized as selfish and pompous and believes he is better than this girl and that is why he has the right to lead her on and then “break her little heart”.
All Time Low and 311 both have great songs with lyrical content hidden throughout each one. It is interesting how they are both able to produce a song that conveys a certain message or subject matter to the listener, but they do it two different ways. "Getting Through to Her" is more lyrical but requires some background knowledge and thinking to discover the true intentions of the authors of the song. "Break Your Little Heart" has less lyrical content but is more relate-able to the listener and can be more easily understood.
Matthew Litchfield November 20, 2012 A Poetry of Song
The feeling of nostalgia is often captures most accurately in music. In the case of “Apartment” (Young The Giant), and “The Old Apartment” (Bare Naked Ladies), nostalgia is caught in their respective filters of sadness and anger.
Both songs deal with the dark emotions surrounding buried memories in old apartments. They give a sense of defeat and mourning over failed relationships through their dejected imagery and somber diction. There is a resonance between the songs; in “Apartment” the narrator “hide[s] in a raincoat when things are falling apart,” and in “The Old Apartment” the narrator says there are “broken hearts and broken bones.” These two passages demonstrate the hurt one can feel when they’re displaced from familiarity through their respective use of figurative emotional and physical brokenness.
Noteworthy are the tonal difference between the two songs. “The Old Apartment” talks about the narrator’s anger, describing his emotions through his actions, as when he “tore the phone out of the wall.” Conversely, “Apartment” shows the narrator’s ‘exile’ from his apartment, and makes use of subtle symbolism of rain to indicate the end of an era. Where “The Old Apartment” expresses the narrator’s anger at his former partner, “Apartment” describes the narrator’s sadness that his relationship has ended.
“Apartment” and “The Old Apartment” share a room filled with painful memories and emotions. The narrators tell their stories and characterize themselves as sad or angry (respectively) by describing how they interact with and remember their old apartments. The old conflicts of their now ended relationships are palpable in their acts of leaving and breaking into these places of their past.
From Long Beach California, Avenged Sevenfold is known for their creative mixes in tone and their fast paced beats. The Eagles, pioneers of classic southern rock, tend to us much slower beats that create a calm and soothing atmosphere. Avenged Sevenfold is able to expand and use influences of other genres whereas the Eagles tend to stick with their blend of country and rock. While using 3rd person and 2nd person point of view, Avenged Sevenfold and The Eagles are very much a like in their songs utilizing 3rd person point of view, alliteration, and end rhymes.
In their song, “Welcome to the Family”, Avenged Sevenfold uses a frustrated tone while The Eagles use a more confused tone in “Hotel California”. The tones help add to the songs effects and shows how the bands normally are. An example of the frustrated tone in “Welcome to the Family” is “Why won’t you listen?/Can’t help the people you’re missin’” shows that Avenged Sevenfold is frustrated because they can’t help someone if they don’t listen to him. The Eagles show a confused tone when his “head grew heavy and my sight grew dim/I had to stop for the night” could be explained by saying he got so confused that he wasn’t able to do anything and had to go to bed to be able to continue to do anything.
Avenged Sevenfold in “Welcome to the Family” uses the 2nd person narrative to show that they are talking to and about different people. The Eagles utilize an extended metaphor throughout their entire song. Avenged Sevenfold uses questions in their for example they ask, “What’s with the violent aggressions?” and “Why won’t you listen?” to not only display their tone but also gets the main point of their song to the listener. Avenged Sevenfold utilizes a lot of personification to add to the effect of how crazy the family really is. The Eagles demonstrate wordplay and oxymoron when they creatively tell you that “she got the Mercedes bends” which sounds like she has the car but really they are talking about the curves on her body, which adds a silly effect but at the same time makes you know that you do not want to stay at that hotel. Before the end of both songs the bands slowly funnel to a realization that they are stuck. Also, for fun and to make the songs more interesting both bands use end rhyme to entertain the listener.
In “Welcome to the Family” and “Hotel California”, Avenged Sevenfold and The Eagles utilize 3rd person point of view, alliteration, and end rhyme to show the listener that everyone is stuck inside something and just wants to get out of it in the end. Avenged Sevenfold uses a more indirect way of saying they want to get out while The Eagles directly say “Last thing I remember, I was running for the door” which directly proves that they wanted to leave that hotel as soon as they could.
From Long Beach California, Avenged Sevenfold is known for their creative mixes in tone and their fast paced beats. The Eagles, pioneers of classic southern rock, tend to us much slower beats that create a calm and soothing atmosphere. Avenged Sevenfold is able to expand and use influences of other genres whereas the Eagles tend to stick with their blend of country and rock. While using 3rd person and 2nd person point of view, Avenged Sevenfold and The Eagles are very much a like in their songs utilizing 3rd person point of view, alliteration, and end rhymes.
In their song, “Welcome to the Family”, Avenged Sevenfold uses a frustrated tone while The Eagles use a more confused tone in “Hotel California”. The tones help add to the songs effects and shows how the bands normally are. An example of the frustrated tone in “Welcome to the Family” is “Why won’t you listen?/Can’t help the people you’re missin’” shows that Avenged Sevenfold is frustrated because they can’t help someone if they don’t listen to him. The Eagles show a confused tone when his “head grew heavy and my sight grew dim/I had to stop for the night” could be explained by saying he got so confused that he wasn’t able to do anything and had to go to bed to be able to continue to do anything.
Avenged Sevenfold in “Welcome to the Family” uses the 2nd person narrative to show that they are talking to and about different people. The Eagles utilize an extended metaphor throughout their entire song. Avenged Sevenfold uses questions in their for example they ask, “What’s with the violent aggressions?” and “Why won’t you listen?” to not only display their tone but also gets the main point of their song to the listener. Avenged Sevenfold utilizes a lot of personification to add to the effect of how crazy the family really is. The Eagles demonstrate wordplay and oxymoron when they creatively tell you that “she got the Mercedes bends” which sounds like she has the car but really they are talking about the curves on her body, which adds a silly effect but at the same time makes you know that you do not want to stay at that hotel. Before the end of both songs the bands slowly funnel to a realization that they are stuck. Also, for fun and to make the songs more interesting both bands use end rhyme to entertain the listener.
In “Welcome to the Family” and “Hotel California”, Avenged Sevenfold and The Eagles utilize 3rd person point of view, alliteration, and end rhyme to show the listener that everyone is stuck inside something and just wants to get out of it in the end. Avenged Sevenfold uses a more indirect way of saying they want to get out while The Eagles directly say “Last thing I remember, I was running for the door” which directly proves that they wanted to leave that hotel as soon as they could.
Natasha Merianos Utilizing a subdued tempo in “Here Without You,” 3 Doors Down uses metaphors in the context of life, far-fetched personification, and unrealistic hyperboles to show the listener that “you’re still with me in my dreams.” Also, utilizing a subdued tempo in “Stop & Stare,” One Republic has a heavy usage of unrealistic hyperboles, far-fetched personification, and also an upbeat choral to prove to the listener that “I’ve become what I can’t be.” In comparison, 3 Doors Down and One Republic both have similarities and dissimilarities in their songs “Here Without You” and “Stop & Stare.” In the song by 3 Doors Down, “Here Without You” and in the song “Stop & Stare” by One Republic, there are similarities found. Poetic devices seem to be the top contenders for the similarities. Both songs utilize hyperboles and personification to reveal to their listeners that they are leaving where they are. Both songs also deal with relationship, and they each have the same point-of-view. 3 Doors Down sings, “a thousand lies have made me colder,” and One Republic sings, “and you’d give anything to get what’s fair,” which are both hyperboles. A hyperbole is a figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated. “A thousand lies have made me colder” is a hyperbole because a thousand lies couldn’t physically make a person colder, and “you’d give anything to get what’s fair” is also another hyperbole because one cannot personally and physically give anything to get what is fair. 3 Doors Down sings “the miles just keep rolling,” which is personification, along with “this town is colder now, I think it’s sick of us,” which is sung by One Republic. Both lines are personified because miles cannot roll and a town cannot be cold. Along with similarities, these two songs also have dissimilarities. Unlike 3 Doors Down, who uses metaphors in the context of life, One Republic uses an upbeat choral. “Here Without You” is a lot more sad and the singer is alone, whereas in “Stop & Stare,” the song is more upbeat and the singer with the subject. 3 Doors Down makes it clear that they are “here without you, baby,” and by doing so, they are a lot more sad and gloomy. Although, taking an alternate route, One Republic depicts that the subject is present but he starts “to wonder why you’re here not there.” 3 Doors Down sings “I’ve heard this life is overrated,” to show metaphor in the song, whereas One Republic uses an upbeat choral in their song,” Stop & Stare.” Not only is the chorus in “Stop & Stare” upbeat, but so is the tempo when the chorus is sang; One Republic sings, “stop and stare/ I think I’m moving but I go nowhere,” that is the ultimate climax of the song and once the second verse is sang, One Republic goes back into a subdued tempo. Dissimilarities aren’t as apparent as the similarities in these two songs, however. 3 Doors Down and One Republic both utilize a subdued tempo, far-fetched personification, and unrealistic hyperboles to show that they are leaving where they are. 3 Doors Down also uses metaphors in the context of life, whereas One Republic uses an upbeat choral. Both songs deal with relationships and leaving, but also one is more distraught and the other is faster, making it visible to the listener that there are similarities as well as dissimilarities of the two songs.
Zachary Freedman The Poetry of Song 11/19/12 Both Eminem and The Last Emperor are two “stars” with laid back personalities that write rhymes enjoyed by millions of people throughout the world. This talent that they posses is unique yet intriguing, and gives the people the ability to judge what has been rapped, and yet feel completely comfortable. The powerful comparison between these to artists allows for a theoretical clash of perpetual wordplay, dynamic allusions, and original transitions unmatched between various other artist comparisons. With this in mind, the two artist’s clashes could be defined, or portrayed as fundamental all around yet at many times inconsistent with each other. These thoughts create a contrasting differential that ultimately forms a mean Venn diagram. The differential in the lyrics of both songs “Monumental” (TLE) and “Square Dance” (Eminem) highlight the good and great aspects of each song. For example, In Monumental TLE says “Sure, for that kind of capacity, you’d need a crazy large arena that might stretch from west Philadelphia to east Medina” this is a great example, because it shows the simple, but respectable use of rhyming, almost a childish sort of rhyme. “I’m back to ambush this bush administration” is a perfect example for the different aspects of the two songs. Eminem uses just a simple rhyme using the word ambush, and bush in a clever scenario to produce a simple yet effective rhyme. These two quotes compared side by side create a feel of opposites which leads on to the fact that these songs are different, yet parallel simultaneously. The similarities in these two songs are alluring because they both tend to reference people using allusions, and have similar yet original transitions which allows for the song listener to have variety in multiple lyricists. Each artist takes on a sinister and, monstrous tone which gives the listener a feel of anger, and pride that projects a rebellious aspect which is synonymous with teenagers. This rebellious aspect is a great reason for why people listen to these artists, because they can relate to them. When you can relate to something you are much more likely to identify with that particular thing, in this case it is allowing for more listeners to fancy the same music. These similarities are consistent with many other songs by these artists showing that they both respect music, and the aspects it brings to the table every night. Both of these rappers can be respected for what they have wrote, and produced, but what most people don’t notice are how similar two songs can be, yet still be worlds apart. They can get to the same point, but stray from similarities within each individual song, making song analysis an art when dealing with hard headed ideas. With the ability to produce an analysis it allows people the opportunity to compare two “non-related” songs, and relate them, stumping plagiarism, and enhancing the similarities and differentials brought on by genres. From the quaint mellowness of “Monumental” to the strong passion of “Square Dance” both songs show that there will always be differences in songs, but similarities just as much.
The two songs “Need” and “Don’t Need” are complete opposites but have similar themes, but almost opposite language usage, and point of view. Even though the songs do not sound remotely similar, they both deal with how society views and judges everyone. “Need” is much angrier and panicked, talking about terrorist and the failing economy. On the other hand “Don’t Need” is all about escaping from the harsh views of society and doing what you want to do and not letting other people control you. In the songs, they both have similar themes of fitting the norm of society; one is panicky, trying to be the best person possible, while the other is accepting the fact that no one can be perfect. In “Need” he takes the roll of the average hypochondriac, trying to find symptoms that he might happen to have. In “Don’t Need” he talks about swinging on a playground swing and how all the people walking by stare at him and judge him, but he doesn’t care he “is comfortably numb.” Both of these scenes are what real life is like for some people, either constantly worrying about what people think, but everyone should live like the speaker in “Don’t Need” because he “just (does his) thing.” In both of the songs his language uses have similarities and differences even though they convey different messages. In the different songs he assumes the rolls of two completely different people, and just goes through what their life might be like. In “Don’t Need” he alludes to both Superman and DreamWorks Studios. These allusions are very fitting because Superman is nearly indestructible, much like the speaker’s attitude. His reference to DreamWorks is also an important part of the song because they make children’s movies and things always workout for the characters, in comparison to real life where that rarely happens. In both “Need” and “Don’t Need” the point of views are very dissimilar, they both deal with shared topics but in different ways. Both of the songs deal with necessity of material things, in “Need” at one point he says “Aw… I need all this… too!” after seeing a late night infomercial on his television. In contrast in “Don’t Need” he says “I don’t need no palace paved with gold. Don’t need more cash than banks can hold.” They both deal with how people judge you on a day-to-day basis. In “Need” he is a hypochondriac, probably from being judged, and he tries to get more medication so try and be more perfect than he can be. While in “Don’t Need” people “often color (him) dumb, but I don’t care man I’m comfortably numb.” Which shows he was probably just as worried before but came to the realization that he couldn’t change how people thought of him because he is what he is. Even though the songs are very different they deal with a lot of the same stuff, but from very different people. And as one breaks down and panics, the other speaker just sits back and lets people go and drone on about their made up problems. As the speaker in “Need” gets more and more worried the speaker in “Don’t Need” stays as mellow as he was at the start.
Sadness envelops people every day. When we feel depressed, we often feel like we have nobody to turn to when really, we are never alone. There will always be somebody out there willing to help you; you just need to find them. “Dream Run,” by Parkway Drive and “Not Alone” by Before Their Eyes polarize the darkness of life with the fact that you’ve gotta go and face it today, because you are never alone. Each song has narrative influences where they tell stories of hardships and struggles. Parkway Drive sings “Dear girl, there is a world that stands between us and them/See this was never about giving up, just giving in.” The subject of the song has to fight against the whole (metaphorical) world to get to where she needs to be. When they speak of giving in, they are talking about how some people just succumb to the pressures around them for they do not have the strength to fight back. Similarly, Before Their Eyes says “Reality stung, the whiskey bottle was dry/ Daddy would scream,/ Cause he is diseased and haunted all the time,/ Big girls don't cry” The girl who is the subject here has a father who we presume is an alcoholic. She does not cry though and takes it. When they say that reality stung, this is personifying the idea of reality to be something that can hurt you, as opposed to an imagined happy time. The darker side of both songs is how people who face sadness often do not know where to go, and as said in “Dream Run”, “you only live once/ But you spend your whole life dying.” They are comparing how some do not take control of their lives and just waste them on sadness. Another, opposite idea, featured in these songs is that people must make that move to better their own lives, no matter how bad things appear. The tones of both songs imply that you need to live your life and face the hardships, and to not give in. In “Not Alone,” the singer says that “You’ve gotta stop running away…you’ve gotta break through, /make it on your own.” This uplifting and supportive tone and words let the subject know that they need to keep pushing forward and making the best of your life. In “Dream Run” it says “You're not alone/ You only live once/ So when it comes crashing, know you're not alone” Parkway Drive also uses this idea that you are not alone when bad things happen, but you need to take charge of them because you only have one life. Dream Run and Not Alone both talk about how you need to get over your struggles and fears and live your life, and how if you do that, there will always be somebody willing to help. The two songs both show how you are never alone in your struggles unless you choose to be. They have parts that are in a narrative-like form to tell of problems that people face, and say that you need to fight back instead of giving in. Dream Run takes a slightly darker and less optimistic approach, however, where Not Alone is more positive. For each parallel in the songs there is also a difference, for they are not the same song. Not Alone has a much softer approach than Dream Run, yet they still manage to portray the same general idea.
Jesse McCartney and Justin Bieber are both very talented musicians. Although McCartney’s peak of popularity was during the previous decade, he has been very successful and captured the hearts of millions. Bieber has been more recently popular within the last few years, but has equally had major success. McCartney and Bieber appeal to similar audiences with common themes, despite their differences in expression.
McCartney’s song “How Do You Sleep?” depicts the aftermath of a breakup. The speaker is addressing his former girlfriend and telling her about how awful it has been without her in his life. Though he has attempted to go on with his life, he has “yet to find a girl like you”, referring to his previous girlfriend. He speaks of his regret in losing their relationship and tells her, “Now wishin’ I had more time with you”, expressing the extent of his sorrow. Similarly, Bieber’s song “Stuck In The Moment” refers to a stalemate in a relationship. The speaker is in a forbidden relationship, and cannot bear to hurt his love. As he addresses her, he explains, “You and I, both know it can’t work/ It’s all fun and games ‘til someone gets hurt/ And I don’t, I won’t let that be you”. Because of this, he wishes the two “had another time” and “another place” in which they could be together. Both McCartney and Bieber portray broken relationships with an inevitably sorrowful ending. Both artists are utilizing second person point of view, where they are speaking to their loved one, yet the way in which they convey their feelings differs. McCartney is conveying his still evident feelings for his loved one even when their relationship has ended. He is speaking to her, asking “How do you stay awake knowing all I do is think of you?”, because his life has been miserable without her and he needs her back in his life. Bieber is revealing his feelings to his loved one through the song, utilizing allusions like “Now Romeo and Juliet/ Bet they never felt the way we felt/ Bonnie and Clyde never had to hide like we do”. While expressing his feelings, he also reveals his views on the potential relationship. He explains to her, “But everything we have is stuck in the moment/ And there’s nothing my heart can do”. Although he has a great amount of feelings for her, he can’t put her through any pain. While McCartney and Bieber express their feelings differently in their respective songs, each maintains a consistent point of view and common theme of difficult relationships. By utilizing second person point of view and common themes of love and loss, Jesse McCartney and Justin Bieber convey their feelings to loved ones. McCartney portrays the misery he feels because of his dying relationship. He reaches out to his loved one and attempts to appeal to her by recalling all of the joyful memories they had together. Bieber expresses the extent of his love, although he can’t be with his loved one. He defends his decisions based on his fear of losing her or having her suffer from their relationship. Both Jesse McCartney and Justin Bieber have overwhelming feelings which they convey within their songs directed toward loved ones.
Both “The Battle of Evermore” and “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” shore common ideas and themes. They follow some kind of religious figure that must fight another, darker figure for the sake of the world. In the Led Zeppelin song, we are introduced to the “Queen of Light” who is threatened by a “Dark Lord”. Similarly, in the Rush song, we are shown “By-Tor” who lives in the “Tobes of Hades” and is challenged by the Snow Dog, who fights for good. Also, these songs rely heavily on imagery to show the scene of the battle and define which characters are good and evil. In the end, both songs also end with good prevailing over evil.
Despite the many similarities, the songs have some distinct differences. The Led Zeppelin song focuses more on the Christian religion, “Waiting for the angels of Avalon…” while Rush alludes to Greek or Roman Mythology “Across the River Styx, out of the lamplight.” “The Battle of Evermore” has a lighter, more relaxed tone while using quiet, acoustic instruments throughout the song. “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” is much more upbeat and uses electric instruments and many different effects to create the battle sounds. Though both songs use imagery as the main device, they use it in opposite ways. Rush uses dark and foreboding imagery while Led Zeppelin uses lighter imagery that creates a more peaceful mood.
Both “The Battle of Evermore” and “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” shore common ideas and themes. They follow some kind of religious figure that must fight another, darker figure for the sake of the world. In the Led Zeppelin song, we are introduced to the “Queen of Light” who is threatened by a “Dark Lord”. Similarly, in the Rush song, we are shown “By-Tor” who lives in the “Tobes of Hades” and is challenged by the Snow Dog, who fights for good. Also, these songs rely heavily on imagery to show the scene of the battle and define which characters are good and evil. In the end, both songs also end with good prevailing over evil.
Despite the many similarities, the songs have some distinct differences. The Led Zeppelin song focuses more on the Christian religion, “Waiting for the angels of Avalon…” while Rush alludes to Greek or Roman Mythology “Across the River Styx, out of the lamplight.” “The Battle of Evermore” has a lighter, more relaxed tone while using quiet, acoustic instruments throughout the song. “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” is much more upbeat and uses electric instruments and many different effects to create the battle sounds. Though both songs use imagery as the main device, they use it in opposite ways. Rush uses dark and foreboding imagery while Led Zeppelin uses lighter imagery that creates a more peaceful mood.
Comparison of Finally Moving by Chris Webby and Rock Bottom by Eminem
Reoccurring themes link songs together that were made by two unique individuals. The sound of one’s struggles in music is universal. Rap music is filled to the brim with songs about difficulty in life. One such instance is Finally Moving by Chris Webby and Rock Bottom by Eminem. They share many similarities, but are kept separated by the artists’ distinct personalities.
Eminem, or Slim Shady, lived a very isolated life from Webby, so naturally his song contains different content and difficulties. One is that he seems more taxed by the stress; “I’m poppin’ percocets, I’m a nervous wreck…” He also has a child that he works to take care of. Em gets worked up about not providing his daughter with the right kind of life; “And my daughter’s down to her last diaper: that’s got my ass hyper”. It is apparent that Eminem is more angry and violent. He says “Minimum wage got my adrenaline caged, full of venom and rage…” and “Holdin’ two glocks, I hope your doors got new locks on ‘em…”. In this track, Slim declares he is willing to commit violent acts and steal because he hit rock bottom.
As Slim’s song branched out, Chris’s also covered different topics. Webby is not forced to work like Em for his daughter, but he states “I can’t live at my parents house forever, broke as f***, life could be so much better…”. This shows that he still has the desire to acquire currency, even if he is not forced to. Webby is more into rap for the experience than the benefits; “This is what I live, this is what I breathe. Without hip hop, there’d be no me…” He depends on rap as an outlet and career instead of only a source of profit. Another example of this is: “These other kids do it for the Itunes cash; I do it for free, it’s all love like that.” Chris has created many albums called mixtapes. They are one of the purest forms of hip hop and if released online, are given for free. If he only wanted to generate revenue, he would not have mad free music that took time and effort.
Some ideas are almost parallel in these tracks. Both artists speak of their struggle, even though they vary in degree. A problem for both emcee is a lack of money to spend, but their reasons for wanting it branch in opposite directions. The moods to the songs are almost identical, being depressing, except for Webby’s last verse which can only be described as inspirational. They are also not proud of their behavior in te past of possible future. Slim says “That’s rock bottom: when you want something bad enough to steal” and Chris raps “Everybody tells me that I’m talented and clever but I still have nothing to show for my endeavors.” The Detroit lyricist and suburban party rapper shared many qualities in these songs.
Zack Sicard Comparative Analysis Poetry of Song: Mr Kefor Two songs that can compare and contrast with one another in terms of the inspiration to move on in life are Chris Brown’s “Say Goodbye” and Jay Z’s “On to the next one”. Comparing one another both Chris Brown and Jay Z choose to say goodbye and move on with certain parts of their lives. Throughout each of the songs both artists use first and third person point of views.While Chris Brwon is the oner in his relationship telling his girl “ we gotta go out separate ways” while Jay Z is stating he doesn’t get dropped he “drops the label”. Both artists are taking action ans stating what will happen in their lives. Chris Brown wants his girl to know that he “nevermeant to crush [her] world” while Jay Z’s ambition makes him feel like “the world can’t hold him”. Chris Brown has “gotta figure out what [he] needs” as Jay Z has “to find [his] next thrill”. In search of a future where they will both be better off both Jay Z and Chris Brown must say goodbye to certain parts of their lives. Contarasting eachother, Jay Z and Chris Brown advance past certain parts of life in different ways. Perhaps the most lucid difference between these two songs is that Chris Brown is talking about breaking up with his girlfriend, while Jay Z is talking about designer clothes, hot beats, and fancy cars. While Chris Brwon feels that “ it’s never the right time to say goodbye” Jay Z makes his intentions clear by stating “F*** a throwback jersey cause we on to the next one”. Not only is there a difference in the topics which these artists speak of but their intentions are opposite one another. Unlike Chris Brown who is greatly concerned with his girlfriend, Jay Z asks “somebody bring me back some money please” and makes it apparent that he is only concerned with his possesions. The main difference between these songs is that Chris Brown shows his remorse alnog with regret and Jay Z is optimistic about the future and doesn’t ever look back. Although Chris Brown’s “Say Goodbye” and Jay Z’s “On to the next one” talk about completely different things and characterize the feelings of the artists as polar opposites theses are songs that both directly correlate to moving on.
20 comments:
Seth Killingbeck
The Saviors
The upstart nation of Germany is a breeding ground for some of the most interesting underrated power metal artists of today. Two of such musicians are Piet Sieleck of Iron Savior and Kai Hansen of Gamma ray. These two men since the late eighties have carved fairly sizable careers for themselves across Europe. On quite a few occasions the two singers have worked together on projects together and their influence on one another is prevalent in their music. Many of their works share the theme of heroism and adventure. The songs “The Savior” by Iron Savior and “Abyss of The Void” by Gamma ray, both share a similar heroic theme portrayed through different techniques.
“The Savior” as the title suggests is about the heroic nature of one’s self. The narrative is done in a first person perspective as opposed the Gamma Ray’s song as the narrator speaks of his quest to find himself. The narrator has found the “ultimate dream” which is, the potential in one’s own soul to do great things. The amount of effort and struggle the narrator endures to reach this conclusion is portrayed with hyperbolic statements as the savior has traveled “on cosmic winds” through “the vast” where time “is standing still”. In portraying this struggle the narrator helps emphasize the importance of the message. Unlike “Abyss of the Void”, Iron Savior utilizes a more scientific diction to achieve its message. Space and machinery are a huge part of the symbolism in the work and creates a sense of something far beyond life. The “Savior” states that heroism is in the heart whose pulse reaches the edges of the universe.
“Abyss of the Void” on the other hand takes a different approach to its views on heroism. This narrative is done in a third person perspective where the narrator is simply observing the arrival of “the only, the holy” savior which adds a different twist on the heroic theme. The people “fall to the ground” at the arrival of the savior in “his armor, still shining” providing a god-like image of this savior. This individual is more of a messiah then hero who is the bringer of light and destroyer of evil. The holy warrior made sure there were “no demons left in this world” and liberated his people to in a hyperbolic sense create a grand depiction of how others are the heroes in one’s life as opposed to oneself. The heralding of this Christ-figure makes a more religious image of a holy occurrence rather than its more futuristic counterpart. Kai Hansen makes others seem like the important ones in life rather than the individual.
“The Savior” and “Abyss of the Void” both take their own unique views on heroism. Piet believes in a more self driven life while Kai believes in others to make the world a greater place. Both bands do believe however that anyone in a sense is capable of achieving great deeds. There is a savior in everyone and one just has to channel it to be a hero to somebody.
Hannah Labonte
11/20/12
A Period
POS
The solo artist, Avril Lavigne is known as a great pop artist from the early to late 2000’s. Lavigne uses many different genres of music in her songs. She switches from hard rock to girly pop and mixes them into one. The Rubinoos are more of a laid back love song band. There are many songs that differ and have many similarities to one another with the same topic. Avril Lavignes song “Girlfriend” And the Rubinoo’s song “I wanna be your boyfriend” are a great example of this.
Avril Lavigne does have much of her own original twist to her song that makes it much different from the Rubinoo’s song “I wanna be your boyfriend”. One of the major differences if Avril’s song compared to the Rubinoo’s song, is her use of aggression throughout her lyrics. Avril Lavigne shows that she is better than this boy’s current girlfriend by using insulting quotes and aggressive lyrics. “She’s like so whatever/ you could do so much better “. Another one of the major differences in this song is the change in sex. Avril Lavigne is saying that she wants to be the boy’s “Girlfriend”. Avril Lavigne expresses her aggression through inappropriate language and using cuss words.
The band The Rubinoo’s, has a much different approach to their song. The topics of the song may be the same, and they are also asking for the same type of relationship. The Rubinoo’s go about it in a much different manner than Avril. In their song, “I wanna be your boyfriend”, The Rubinoo’s are lacking the aggressive, sassy approach that Lavigne takes on in her song, “Girlfriend”. They are more-so trying to win the girl over by using intense imagery and not using cuss words. “When I see you smile”, “Sitting here so close together” This gives a vast image of how the band feels about this certain girl. They leave out the inappropriate language and leave out the forceful language about other males and say that they want to be her “number one”. Unlike the song “Girlfriend”, there is a change of sex. The boy is trying to win the girl over in this song rather than the girl trying to steal the boy.
Though there are many differences in each of these songs, there are also many reasons in which the songs remain similar. One of the main reasons these songs were chosen to be compared is their similar choice in topic of the song. Each song is about youth, and how important it is to each artist to have a boyfriend/girlfriend. Each artist is forcefully showing their love toward the opposite sex and how much they want to make it “official”. Many of the words that are used throughout both sets of lyrics make the songs very similar. There is frequent usage of the words “Hey” and “You”. These words show that the artists are directing the song particularly at someone. It shows that the song is most likely only directed at one person, rather than an entire audience. These artists and their songs are a great example of how songs can be both different and similar to one and other.
Beck Gerritsen
11/20/12
Song Comparison
Often, our most beloved songs make a profound statement. However, few issue a direct reply in the way Blind Melon does to Steppenwolf. In spite of their Grunge-oriented peers, Blind melon had always been influenced by classic rock artists such as Steppenwolf. In fact, Blind Melon’s name comes from the slang for “hippie” that people used to describe them due to their influences. Thus, it makes sense that Blind Melon would cover a song from one of these groups. However, Blind Melon, in their innovative nature, do not produce a straight up cover. Instead, Shannon Hoon, a long time drug user and Blind Melon’s songwriter, provides a counterargument to Steppenwolf’s anti-drug statement made in “The Pusher” with his own version of “The Pusher.”
Both Steppenwolf and Blind Melon use Biblical symbolism. The uses however, contrast. Steppenwolf states that he’d “kill [the pusher] with [his] Bible,” implying that the pusher has committed a grave sin and that the speaker would prosecute the pusher with scripture until the pusher dies. Blind Melon uses their Biblical symbolism to condemn this divine anger from Steppenwolf, saying both that he’s “so tired of you pushing that thorny crown onto my head so hard,” and, “goddamn that Bible pushin’ man,” outright denouncing Steppenwolf for trying to control his actions using the Bible as incriminating evidence.
The parties also share a very similar use of hyperbole, Blind Melon saying, “I’ve never done nothing that my spirit couldn’t kill,” and Steppenwolf saying, “I never touched nothin’ that my spirit could kill.” Blind Melon claims immunity to drugs, displaying apathy to the less than savory side effects of drugs. Steppenwolf contradicts this, claiming that all drugs have an effect, and that nobody is immune.
The music itself is the most defining thing that sets the two apart. Blind Melon goes for a loose jam, seeming almost improvised. This approach, as well as jangly acoustic guitars and roaming bass imply that the band is more free spirited, and doesn’t want to limit anybody’s freedom, even at the cost of self-destruction. The stressed, emotional delivery and powerful guitar solo, on the other hand, add to the effect of the band’s anger at “that Bible pushin’ man.” Steppenwolf takes a much different approach. Their version of the song is driven by a somber guitar riff and regretful vocals, which give the impression of the sorrow the speaker feels over his poor choices, and the empathy he feels for all those who have fallen down the wrong path, such as Shannon Hoon.
The two songs present a classic argument over the topic of drugs. In the end however, time decided the ultimate victor. Despite Hoon’s claim of immunity, he died of a drug overdose before his version of “The Pusher” was ever released, proving the wisdom of the warning in Steppenwolf’s lyrics.
Taylor Portanova
Block A POS
November 20, 2012
Comparative Analysis
Although both of the songs “Margaritaville” and “Knee Deep” both address the fantasy of being in a relaxing paradise in desire to escape the world, in “Margaritaville” the reason for the escape is due to the speakers need for isolation whereas in the song “Knee Deep” the desire for isolation is caused by the loss of love with a woman.
The songs are very similar in a sense of they both want to wash away their troubles. For Jimmy Buffet says that he is “Wastin’ away again in Margaritaville” and the speaker in “Knee Deep” states that “The sunshine’s gonna wash my blues away”. These songs both have a meaning of losing their troubles by relaxing in a paradise. In these songs paradise is used as a symbol to represent their troubles fading away.
The songs are also very different too. For instance, in the song “Margaritaville” the speaker knows that his troubles in life are “(his) own damn fault” even though “some people claim that there’s a woman to blame”. The speaker is stating that he is the reason for all of the troubles in his life. However, in the song “Knee Deep” the reasoning for the desire to be in paradise is the very opposite. The speaker says “had sweet love but I lost it…now I’m lost in the world tryin to find me a better way” The speaker is clearly stating that the reason he wants to be in paradise is because he has lost his love with a woman.
Though both songs are very alike, for they have the same subject matter of being in paradise, they are also very different for the root of the speakers reasoning for being in their own paradise away from the world are very different.
Martina McBride and Nickelback are both popular artists now, and have been throughout the past years. Martina’s song concrete angel and Nickelback’s song Never Again are very similar in terms of their theme and structure. Although these artists have almost nothing in common, these two songs from their albums Silver Side Up by Nickelback and Greatest Hits by Martina McBride are almost identically parallel. Concrete Angel and Never Again both utilize heart wrenching stories of violence and abuse kept in hiding in order to portray that life is not always what it seems
The similarities between these two songs are extremely specific, making it apparent that these songs are 100% parallel. One similarity between these songs is they are about violence and abuse. In Martina’s case, the song is about a young girl around school age who is abused daily by her parents and goes to school pretending that nothing happens. She “walks to school with her lunch packed, nobody knows what she’s holdin’ back” depicting her as being happy when in reality she is fighting in a war at home against her own parents. Although some people notice they don’t say, even her teacher who can see what is happening keeps it to herself “the teacher wonders but she doesn’t ask”. Nickel backs song also shows violence in terms of domestic abuse. The woman who is being abused in this song is abused by her husband also on a daily basis. This song in spoken from the woman’s child’s point of view, to show the listener how worried she is about her mother. She says “I hear her scream from down the hall, amazing that she can even talk at all, she cries to me go back to bed, I’m terrified she’ll wind up dead” showing the extreme fear that even this child faces due to the brutal physical abuse her mother goes through. Another similarity is that both of these people who are abused end up dying due to their abuse. They are depicted as not being able to handle it anymore and eventually let the beating get the best of them. The woman is “dead in his hands” after a severe beating and the young girl is now “an angel girl with and upturned face” with “A name written on a polished rock”.
Even though these songs are so parallel in structure, they still have their differences. One difference is Martina’s song is about a child while Nickelback’s song is about a more mature woman. They describe the child as “a fragile soul caught in the hands of fate”, and the woman as “dead in his hands, she’s just a woman”. Another difference is the terms in which the person doing the beating is on. The parents in Concrete Angel, as far as we know, are beating their young child for no reason. The song shows no apparent reason as to why this child would be beaten. On the other hand the woman in Never Again is only beaten when her significant other is drunk “He’s drunk again it’s time to fight”. I don’t feel these differences outweigh the similarities.
Overall both of these songs clearly show the severe trauma that these people went through while losing their lives to abuse. It also shows the listener that when they turn away from a situation when they know something is not right the outcome may end up being exactly as they expected. People say “ignorance is bliss”, but in this case the people who saw this happening to these women but did not do anything in actuality end up looking like the bad person in the end. These two songs overall send a message that the whole world should listen to, and I hope one day will help people understand these problems within our communities and societies.
Anthony Hallgren
November 20, 2012
Poetry of Song A
Parallel Song Analysis
Both Lupe Fiasco and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are two of the most respected artists in their genres and in the music industry as a whole. Hailing from Chicago, Fiasco is known for writing songs about the urban lifestyle and the struggles that come with it and is one of the more politically conscious artists out there, often appearing on new discussion shows and expressing his views. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been rocking the world since the 80’s, perfecting their unique blend of funk and rock. Lupe Fiasco’s song “The Instrumental” off his album Lupe Fiasco’s Food and Liquor and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Throw Away Your Television from their album Stadium Arcadium tell the tale of the negative effects of television on modern society as Lupe Fiasco utilizes more complex devices like extended metaphors and a 3rd person narrative whereas the Red Hot Chili Pepper use motifs and clichés.
“The Instrumental” by Lupe Fiasco deals with the negative effects of TV on our modern society. Fiasco utilizes an extended metaphor in his narrative of “the box” to show the power of that television and the media has on our lives. The character in the song “absorbs and adopts” everything he sees and hears from “the box” but he “can’t remember how to stop it,” showing that whatever he sees on the TV, it is so mind-consuming that he cannot look away and try to ignore it. Fiasco’s 3rd person narrative gives him almost a god-like feeling, knowing exactly what’s going on with the boy and the doctor’s jotting down what they see.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers go in the opposite direction of Fiasco, utilizing a more straight-up approach to the power of television. Singer/Songwriter Anthony Kiedis uses the ironic linguistic motif of the word “repeat” to get the message across about everything being a reoccurrence whether it being news stories or episodes of television shows. Furthermore, Kiedis goes on to say, “time to make this clean decision” implying that watching television constantly is vice and can be considered dirty, almost like drug use. He then goes on to say “recreate your super vision now” which can be interpreted as watching television can destroy your literal vision, which has been confirmed in different studies, but can also impair your vision in the sense of awareness of the world around you, as it seems with all the new technological advances people are becoming more detached and unaware of the problems in the world.
In both “The Instrumental” and “Throw Away Your Television”, Lupe Fiasco and the Red Hot Chili Peppers demonstrate awareness that television, or “the box”, is rotting away the minds of the youth in our society and have an impact and power that seems to be beyond our control. The use of extended metaphors, 3rd and 2nd person narratives, motifs, and clichés all show the artists understanding of the lasting impact that television and media has on our lives.
Andrew Morse
11/20/12
One of the most common themes for songs is love and loss. Many of our favorite songs were written because somebody has been hurt or someone has fallen in love. 311’s “Getting Through to Her” and All Time Low’s “Break Your Little Heart” are no different. Both songs are about a relationship that has taken a turn for the worst. However 311 utilizes more literary content in order to portray the speakers struggling relationship while All Time Low uses more repetition to show how the speaker is going to “watch you take the fall”.
The two songs main similarities lie in their subject matters. Both of the songs are about relationships but more specifically a relationship that has begun to sour. In both songs the respective speaker talks about his relationship, how things aren't going great, and his troubles. There are not many devices shared between the two songs other than characterization. However the two speakers from the songs are characterized as completely opposites. The speaker from "Break Your Little Heart", as you may have guessed, is made out to be mean and inconsiderate. In "Getting Through to Her" the point of view changes but the speaker still appears as one who is trying to make it work and cares about the other person. Another similarity is the motif of the "girl" in both of the songs and her feelings. The speaker in "Break Your Little Heart" repeatedly mentions the girl’s feelings and how he is going to destroy them. He claims he will “break your little heart / Watch you take the fall / Laughing all the way to the hospital” showing his lack of concern for her feelings and how he will actually enjoy hurting her because he will be laughing while she is hurting. In the latter of the songs the speaker in “Getting Through to Her” is much more considerate and is trying his best to be sensitive to the girl’s feelings but he is struggling, “I want to tell her that it’s ok now / But I’m not too sure just what to say”; he wants to help her but he just can’t find the words to do so.
There are a considerable amount of differences between the two songs. The first and most obvious is what the song is about; yes the subject matters are similar but "Break Your Little Heart" is about ending a relationship while "Getting Through to Her" is about preserving a relationship. As a whole "Getting Through to Her" is far more lyrical than "Break Your Little Heart". 311's song contains more powerful devices such motif and symbolism along with subtle devices like wordplay and allusion. There is the motif of earthquakes and fault lines in the song, "Foundation is crumbling away/Fault lines in her words." and "She tells me things that were not her fault/And her surface starts to break/Breakdown a hurting sound" The references work toward symbolizing the state their relationship is in, for they are trying to make it work but they are on shaky footing. The lines while contributing to the motif are also wordplay "She tells me things that were not her fault/and her surface starts to break/Breakdown a hurting sound". When he says “not her fault” it references the idea of the earthquakes. That along with “surface starts to break/Breakdown” is wordplay because she is having an emotional breakdown which is a figurative breaking, while an earthquake would cause real things breaking like the surface of the ground. "Getting Through to Her" also contains historical allusion. The song alludes to Native American history, "She’s on Wounded Knee/and well crazy horse that's me". There is a famous battle in Native American history called the battle of Wounded Knee and Crazy Horse was a Native American chief. This allusion helps to reinforce the precarious state of the relationship that could potentially end in violence. The most notable device in "Break Your Little Heart" is characterization. This is offered in the 311 song but is more prominent in All Time Low's song. The speaker is characterized as selfish and pompous and believes he is better than this girl and that is why he has the right to lead her on and then “break her little heart”.
All Time Low and 311 both have great songs with lyrical content hidden throughout each one. It is interesting how they are both able to produce a song that conveys a certain message or subject matter to the listener, but they do it two different ways. "Getting Through to Her" is more lyrical but requires some background knowledge and thinking to discover the true intentions of the authors of the song. "Break Your Little Heart" has less lyrical content but is more relate-able to the listener and can be more easily understood.
Matthew Litchfield
November 20, 2012
A Poetry of Song
The feeling of nostalgia is often captures most accurately in music. In the case of “Apartment” (Young The Giant), and “The Old Apartment” (Bare Naked Ladies), nostalgia is caught in their respective filters of sadness and anger.
Both songs deal with the dark emotions surrounding buried memories in old apartments. They give a sense of defeat and mourning over failed relationships through their dejected imagery and somber diction. There is a resonance between the songs; in “Apartment” the narrator “hide[s] in a raincoat when things are falling apart,” and in “The Old Apartment” the narrator says there are “broken hearts and broken bones.” These two passages demonstrate the hurt one can feel when they’re displaced from familiarity through their respective use of figurative emotional and physical brokenness.
Noteworthy are the tonal difference between the two songs. “The Old Apartment” talks about the narrator’s anger, describing his emotions through his actions, as when he “tore the phone out of the wall.” Conversely, “Apartment” shows the narrator’s ‘exile’ from his apartment, and makes use of subtle symbolism of rain to indicate the end of an era. Where “The Old Apartment” expresses the narrator’s anger at his former partner, “Apartment” describes the narrator’s sadness that his relationship has ended.
“Apartment” and “The Old Apartment” share a room filled with painful memories and emotions. The narrators tell their stories and characterize themselves as sad or angry (respectively) by describing how they interact with and remember their old apartments. The old conflicts of their now ended relationships are palpable in their acts of leaving and breaking into these places of their past.
Analysis with lyrics and videos here.
Jake Hallgren
November 20th, 2012
Poetry of Song A
Parallel Song
From Long Beach California, Avenged Sevenfold is known for their creative mixes in tone and their fast paced beats. The Eagles, pioneers of classic southern rock, tend to us much slower beats that create a calm and soothing atmosphere. Avenged Sevenfold is able to expand and use influences of other genres whereas the Eagles tend to stick with their blend of country and rock. While using 3rd person and 2nd person point of view, Avenged Sevenfold and The Eagles are very much a like in their songs utilizing 3rd person point of view, alliteration, and end rhymes.
In their song, “Welcome to the Family”, Avenged Sevenfold uses a frustrated tone while The Eagles use a more confused tone in “Hotel California”. The tones help add to the songs effects and shows how the bands normally are. An example of the frustrated tone in “Welcome to the Family” is “Why won’t you listen?/Can’t help the people you’re missin’” shows that Avenged Sevenfold is frustrated because they can’t help someone if they don’t listen to him. The Eagles show a confused tone when his “head grew heavy and my sight grew dim/I had to stop for the night” could be explained by saying he got so confused that he wasn’t able to do anything and had to go to bed to be able to continue to do anything.
Avenged Sevenfold in “Welcome to the Family” uses the 2nd person narrative to show that they are talking to and about different people. The Eagles utilize an extended metaphor throughout their entire song. Avenged Sevenfold uses questions in their for example they ask, “What’s with the violent aggressions?” and “Why won’t you listen?” to not only display their tone but also gets the main point of their song to the listener. Avenged Sevenfold utilizes a lot of personification to add to the effect of how crazy the family really is. The Eagles demonstrate wordplay and oxymoron when they creatively tell you that “she got the Mercedes bends” which sounds like she has the car but really they are talking about the curves on her body, which adds a silly effect but at the same time makes you know that you do not want to stay at that hotel. Before the end of both songs the bands slowly funnel to a realization that they are stuck. Also, for fun and to make the songs more interesting both bands use end rhyme to entertain the listener.
In “Welcome to the Family” and “Hotel California”, Avenged Sevenfold and The Eagles utilize 3rd person point of view, alliteration, and end rhyme to show the listener that everyone is stuck inside something and just wants to get out of it in the end. Avenged Sevenfold uses a more indirect way of saying they want to get out while The Eagles directly say “Last thing I remember, I was running for the door” which directly proves that they wanted to leave that hotel as soon as they could.
Jake Hallgren
November 20th, 2012
Poetry of Song A
Parallel Song
From Long Beach California, Avenged Sevenfold is known for their creative mixes in tone and their fast paced beats. The Eagles, pioneers of classic southern rock, tend to us much slower beats that create a calm and soothing atmosphere. Avenged Sevenfold is able to expand and use influences of other genres whereas the Eagles tend to stick with their blend of country and rock. While using 3rd person and 2nd person point of view, Avenged Sevenfold and The Eagles are very much a like in their songs utilizing 3rd person point of view, alliteration, and end rhymes.
In their song, “Welcome to the Family”, Avenged Sevenfold uses a frustrated tone while The Eagles use a more confused tone in “Hotel California”. The tones help add to the songs effects and shows how the bands normally are. An example of the frustrated tone in “Welcome to the Family” is “Why won’t you listen?/Can’t help the people you’re missin’” shows that Avenged Sevenfold is frustrated because they can’t help someone if they don’t listen to him. The Eagles show a confused tone when his “head grew heavy and my sight grew dim/I had to stop for the night” could be explained by saying he got so confused that he wasn’t able to do anything and had to go to bed to be able to continue to do anything.
Avenged Sevenfold in “Welcome to the Family” uses the 2nd person narrative to show that they are talking to and about different people. The Eagles utilize an extended metaphor throughout their entire song. Avenged Sevenfold uses questions in their for example they ask, “What’s with the violent aggressions?” and “Why won’t you listen?” to not only display their tone but also gets the main point of their song to the listener. Avenged Sevenfold utilizes a lot of personification to add to the effect of how crazy the family really is. The Eagles demonstrate wordplay and oxymoron when they creatively tell you that “she got the Mercedes bends” which sounds like she has the car but really they are talking about the curves on her body, which adds a silly effect but at the same time makes you know that you do not want to stay at that hotel. Before the end of both songs the bands slowly funnel to a realization that they are stuck. Also, for fun and to make the songs more interesting both bands use end rhyme to entertain the listener.
In “Welcome to the Family” and “Hotel California”, Avenged Sevenfold and The Eagles utilize 3rd person point of view, alliteration, and end rhyme to show the listener that everyone is stuck inside something and just wants to get out of it in the end. Avenged Sevenfold uses a more indirect way of saying they want to get out while The Eagles directly say “Last thing I remember, I was running for the door” which directly proves that they wanted to leave that hotel as soon as they could.
Natasha Merianos
Utilizing a subdued tempo in “Here Without You,” 3 Doors Down uses metaphors in the context of life, far-fetched personification, and unrealistic hyperboles to show the listener that “you’re still with me in my dreams.” Also, utilizing a subdued tempo in “Stop & Stare,” One Republic has a heavy usage of unrealistic hyperboles, far-fetched personification, and also an upbeat choral to prove to the listener that “I’ve become what I can’t be.” In comparison, 3 Doors Down and One Republic both have similarities and dissimilarities in their songs “Here Without You” and “Stop & Stare.”
In the song by 3 Doors Down, “Here Without You” and in the song “Stop & Stare” by One Republic, there are similarities found. Poetic devices seem to be the top contenders for the similarities. Both songs utilize hyperboles and personification to reveal to their listeners that they are leaving where they are. Both songs also deal with relationship, and they each have the same point-of-view. 3 Doors Down sings, “a thousand lies have made me colder,” and One Republic sings, “and you’d give anything to get what’s fair,” which are both hyperboles. A hyperbole is a figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated. “A thousand lies have made me colder” is a hyperbole because a thousand lies couldn’t physically make a person colder, and “you’d give anything to get what’s fair” is also another hyperbole because one cannot personally and physically give anything to get what is fair. 3 Doors Down sings “the miles just keep rolling,” which is personification, along with “this town is colder now, I think it’s sick of us,” which is sung by One Republic. Both lines are personified because miles cannot roll and a town cannot be cold.
Along with similarities, these two songs also have dissimilarities. Unlike 3 Doors Down, who uses metaphors in the context of life, One Republic uses an upbeat choral. “Here Without You” is a lot more sad and the singer is alone, whereas in “Stop & Stare,” the song is more upbeat and the singer with the subject. 3 Doors Down makes it clear that they are “here without you, baby,” and by doing so, they are a lot more sad and gloomy. Although, taking an alternate route, One Republic depicts that the subject is present but he starts “to wonder why you’re here not there.” 3 Doors Down sings “I’ve heard this life is overrated,” to show metaphor in the song, whereas One Republic uses an upbeat choral in their song,” Stop & Stare.” Not only is the chorus in “Stop & Stare” upbeat, but so is the tempo when the chorus is sang; One Republic sings, “stop and stare/ I think I’m moving but I go nowhere,” that is the ultimate climax of the song and once the second verse is sang, One Republic goes back into a subdued tempo. Dissimilarities aren’t as apparent as the similarities in these two songs, however.
3 Doors Down and One Republic both utilize a subdued tempo, far-fetched personification, and unrealistic hyperboles to show that they are leaving where they are. 3 Doors Down also uses metaphors in the context of life, whereas One Republic uses an upbeat choral. Both songs deal with relationships and leaving, but also one is more distraught and the other is faster, making it visible to the listener that there are similarities as well as dissimilarities of the two songs.
Zachary Freedman
The Poetry of Song
11/19/12
Both Eminem and The Last Emperor are two “stars” with laid back personalities that write rhymes enjoyed by millions of people throughout the world. This talent that they posses is unique yet intriguing, and gives the people the ability to judge what has been rapped, and yet feel completely comfortable. The powerful comparison between these to artists allows for a theoretical clash of perpetual wordplay, dynamic allusions, and original transitions unmatched between various other artist comparisons. With this in mind, the two artist’s clashes could be defined, or portrayed as fundamental all around yet at many times inconsistent with each other. These thoughts create a contrasting differential that ultimately forms a mean Venn diagram.
The differential in the lyrics of both songs “Monumental” (TLE) and “Square Dance” (Eminem) highlight the good and great aspects of each song. For example, In Monumental TLE says “Sure, for that kind of capacity, you’d need a crazy large arena that might stretch from west Philadelphia to east Medina” this is a great example, because it shows the simple, but respectable use of rhyming, almost a childish sort of rhyme. “I’m back to ambush this bush administration” is a perfect example for the different aspects of the two songs. Eminem uses just a simple rhyme using the word ambush, and bush in a clever scenario to produce a simple yet effective rhyme. These two quotes compared side by side create a feel of opposites which leads on to the fact that these songs are different, yet parallel simultaneously.
The similarities in these two songs are alluring because they both tend to reference people using allusions, and have similar yet original transitions which allows for the song listener to have variety in multiple lyricists. Each artist takes on a sinister and, monstrous tone which gives the listener a feel of anger, and pride that projects a rebellious aspect which is synonymous with teenagers. This rebellious aspect is a great reason for why people listen to these artists, because they can relate to them. When you can relate to something you are much more likely to identify with that particular thing, in this case it is allowing for more listeners to fancy the same music. These similarities are consistent with many other songs by these artists showing that they both respect music, and the aspects it brings to the table every night.
Both of these rappers can be respected for what they have wrote, and produced, but what most people don’t notice are how similar two songs can be, yet still be worlds apart. They can get to the same point, but stray from similarities within each individual song, making song analysis an art when dealing with hard headed ideas. With the ability to produce an analysis it allows people the opportunity to compare two “non-related” songs, and relate them, stumping plagiarism, and enhancing the similarities and differentials brought on by genres. From the quaint mellowness of “Monumental” to the strong passion of “Square Dance” both songs show that there will always be differences in songs, but similarities just as much.
Connor Rouillard
11/20/12
POS
Song comparison
The two songs “Need” and “Don’t Need” are complete opposites but have similar themes, but almost opposite language usage, and point of view. Even though the songs do not sound remotely similar, they both deal with how society views and judges everyone. “Need” is much angrier and panicked, talking about terrorist and the failing economy. On the other hand “Don’t Need” is all about escaping from the harsh views of society and doing what you want to do and not letting other people control you.
In the songs, they both have similar themes of fitting the norm of society; one is panicky, trying to be the best person possible, while the other is accepting the fact that no one can be perfect. In “Need” he takes the roll of the average hypochondriac, trying to find symptoms that he might happen to have. In “Don’t Need” he talks about swinging on a playground swing and how all the people walking by stare at him and judge him, but he doesn’t care he “is comfortably numb.” Both of these scenes are what real life is like for some people, either constantly worrying about what people think, but everyone should live like the speaker in “Don’t Need” because he “just (does his) thing.”
In both of the songs his language uses have similarities and differences even though they convey different messages. In the different songs he assumes the rolls of two completely different people, and just goes through what their life might be like. In “Don’t Need” he alludes to both Superman and DreamWorks Studios. These allusions are very fitting because Superman is nearly indestructible, much like the speaker’s attitude. His reference to DreamWorks is also an important part of the song because they make children’s movies and things always workout for the characters, in comparison to real life where that rarely happens.
In both “Need” and “Don’t Need” the point of views are very dissimilar, they both deal with shared topics but in different ways. Both of the songs deal with necessity of material things, in “Need” at one point he says “Aw… I need all this… too!” after seeing a late night infomercial on his television. In contrast in “Don’t Need” he says “I don’t need no palace paved with gold. Don’t need more cash than banks can hold.” They both deal with how people judge you on a day-to-day basis. In “Need” he is a hypochondriac, probably from being judged, and he tries to get more medication so try and be more perfect than he can be. While in “Don’t Need” people “often color (him) dumb, but I don’t care man I’m comfortably numb.” Which shows he was probably just as worried before but came to the realization that he couldn’t change how people thought of him because he is what he is.
Even though the songs are very different they deal with a lot of the same stuff, but from very different people. And as one breaks down and panics, the other speaker just sits back and lets people go and drone on about their made up problems. As the speaker in “Need” gets more and more worried the speaker in “Don’t Need” stays as mellow as he was at the start.
Sadness envelops people every day. When we feel depressed, we often feel like we have nobody to turn to when really, we are never alone. There will always be somebody out there willing to help you; you just need to find them. “Dream Run,” by Parkway Drive and “Not Alone” by Before Their Eyes polarize the darkness of life with the fact that you’ve gotta go and face it today, because you are never alone.
Each song has narrative influences where they tell stories of hardships and struggles. Parkway Drive sings “Dear girl, there is a world that stands between us and them/See this was never about giving up, just giving in.” The subject of the song has to fight against the whole (metaphorical) world to get to where she needs to be. When they speak of giving in, they are talking about how some people just succumb to the pressures around them for they do not have the strength to fight back. Similarly, Before Their Eyes says “Reality stung, the whiskey bottle was dry/ Daddy would scream,/ Cause he is diseased and haunted all the time,/ Big girls don't cry” The girl who is the subject here has a father who we presume is an alcoholic. She does not cry though and takes it. When they say that reality stung, this is personifying the idea of reality to be something that can hurt you, as opposed to an imagined happy time. The darker side of both songs is how people who face sadness often do not know where to go, and as said in “Dream Run”, “you only live once/ But you spend your whole life dying.” They are comparing how some do not take control of their lives and just waste them on sadness.
Another, opposite idea, featured in these songs is that people must make that move to better their own lives, no matter how bad things appear. The tones of both songs imply that you need to live your life and face the hardships, and to not give in. In “Not Alone,” the singer says that “You’ve gotta stop running away…you’ve gotta break through, /make it on your own.” This uplifting and supportive tone and words let the subject know that they need to keep pushing forward and making the best of your life. In “Dream Run” it says “You're not alone/ You only live once/ So when it comes crashing, know you're not alone” Parkway Drive also uses this idea that you are not alone when bad things happen, but you need to take charge of them because you only have one life. Dream Run and Not Alone both talk about how you need to get over your struggles and fears and live your life, and how if you do that, there will always be somebody willing to help.
The two songs both show how you are never alone in your struggles unless you choose to be. They have parts that are in a narrative-like form to tell of problems that people face, and say that you need to fight back instead of giving in. Dream Run takes a slightly darker and less optimistic approach, however, where Not Alone is more positive. For each parallel in the songs there is also a difference, for they are not the same song. Not Alone has a much softer approach than Dream Run, yet they still manage to portray the same general idea.
Jesse McCartney and Justin Bieber are both very talented musicians. Although McCartney’s peak of popularity was during the previous decade, he has been very successful and captured the hearts of millions. Bieber has been more recently popular within the last few years, but has equally had major success. McCartney and Bieber appeal to similar audiences with common themes, despite their differences in expression.
McCartney’s song “How Do You Sleep?” depicts the aftermath of a breakup. The speaker is addressing his former girlfriend and telling her about how awful it has been without her in his life. Though he has attempted to go on with his life, he has “yet to find a girl like you”, referring to his previous girlfriend. He speaks of his regret in losing their relationship and tells her, “Now wishin’ I had more time with you”, expressing the extent of his sorrow. Similarly, Bieber’s song “Stuck In The Moment” refers to a stalemate in a relationship. The speaker is in a forbidden relationship, and cannot bear to hurt his love. As he addresses her, he explains, “You and I, both know it can’t work/ It’s all fun and games ‘til someone gets hurt/ And I don’t, I won’t let that be you”. Because of this, he wishes the two “had another time” and “another place” in which they could be together. Both McCartney and Bieber portray broken relationships with an inevitably sorrowful ending.
Both artists are utilizing second person point of view, where they are speaking to their loved one, yet the way in which they convey their feelings differs. McCartney is conveying his still evident feelings for his loved one even when their relationship has ended. He is speaking to her, asking “How do you stay awake knowing all I do is think of you?”, because his life has been miserable without her and he needs her back in his life. Bieber is revealing his feelings to his loved one through the song, utilizing allusions like “Now Romeo and Juliet/ Bet they never felt the way we felt/ Bonnie and Clyde never had to hide like we do”. While expressing his feelings, he also reveals his views on the potential relationship. He explains to her, “But everything we have is stuck in the moment/ And there’s nothing my heart can do”. Although he has a great amount of feelings for her, he can’t put her through any pain. While McCartney and Bieber express their feelings differently in their respective songs, each maintains a consistent point of view and common theme of difficult relationships.
By utilizing second person point of view and common themes of love and loss, Jesse McCartney and Justin Bieber convey their feelings to loved ones. McCartney portrays the misery he feels because of his dying relationship. He reaches out to his loved one and attempts to appeal to her by recalling all of the joyful memories they had together. Bieber expresses the extent of his love, although he can’t be with his loved one. He defends his decisions based on his fear of losing her or having her suffer from their relationship. Both Jesse McCartney and Justin Bieber have overwhelming feelings which they convey within their songs directed toward loved ones.
Allison Brooks
Comparative Song Analysis
Both “The Battle of Evermore” and “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” shore common ideas and themes. They follow some kind of religious figure that must fight another, darker figure for the sake of the world. In the Led Zeppelin song, we are introduced to the “Queen of Light” who is threatened by a “Dark Lord”. Similarly, in the Rush song, we are shown “By-Tor” who lives in the “Tobes of Hades” and is challenged by the Snow Dog, who fights for good. Also, these songs rely heavily on imagery to show the scene of the battle and define which characters are good and evil. In the end, both songs also end with good prevailing over evil.
Despite the many similarities, the songs have some distinct differences. The Led Zeppelin song focuses more on the Christian religion, “Waiting for the angels of Avalon…” while Rush alludes to Greek or Roman Mythology “Across the River Styx, out of the lamplight.” “The Battle of Evermore” has a lighter, more relaxed tone while using quiet, acoustic instruments throughout the song. “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” is much more upbeat and uses electric instruments and many different effects to create the battle sounds. Though both songs use imagery as the main device, they use it in opposite ways. Rush uses dark and foreboding imagery while Led Zeppelin uses lighter imagery that creates a more peaceful mood.
Allison Brooks
Comparative Song Analysis
Both “The Battle of Evermore” and “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” shore common ideas and themes. They follow some kind of religious figure that must fight another, darker figure for the sake of the world. In the Led Zeppelin song, we are introduced to the “Queen of Light” who is threatened by a “Dark Lord”. Similarly, in the Rush song, we are shown “By-Tor” who lives in the “Tobes of Hades” and is challenged by the Snow Dog, who fights for good. Also, these songs rely heavily on imagery to show the scene of the battle and define which characters are good and evil. In the end, both songs also end with good prevailing over evil.
Despite the many similarities, the songs have some distinct differences. The Led Zeppelin song focuses more on the Christian religion, “Waiting for the angels of Avalon…” while Rush alludes to Greek or Roman Mythology “Across the River Styx, out of the lamplight.” “The Battle of Evermore” has a lighter, more relaxed tone while using quiet, acoustic instruments throughout the song. “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” is much more upbeat and uses electric instruments and many different effects to create the battle sounds. Though both songs use imagery as the main device, they use it in opposite ways. Rush uses dark and foreboding imagery while Led Zeppelin uses lighter imagery that creates a more peaceful mood.
Doug McKeen
Comparison of Finally Moving by Chris Webby and Rock Bottom by Eminem
Reoccurring themes link songs together that were made by two unique individuals. The sound of one’s struggles in music is universal. Rap music is filled to the brim with songs about difficulty in life. One such instance is Finally Moving by Chris Webby and Rock Bottom by Eminem. They share many similarities, but are kept separated by the artists’ distinct personalities.
Eminem, or Slim Shady, lived a very isolated life from Webby, so naturally his song contains different content and difficulties. One is that he seems more taxed by the stress; “I’m poppin’ percocets, I’m a nervous wreck…” He also has a child that he works to take care of. Em gets worked up about not providing his daughter with the right kind of life; “And my daughter’s down to her last diaper: that’s got my ass hyper”. It is apparent that Eminem is more angry and violent. He says “Minimum wage got my adrenaline caged, full of venom and rage…” and “Holdin’ two glocks, I hope your doors got new locks on ‘em…”. In this track, Slim declares he is willing to commit violent acts and steal because he hit rock bottom.
As Slim’s song branched out, Chris’s also covered different topics. Webby is not forced to work like Em for his daughter, but he states “I can’t live at my parents house forever, broke as f***, life could be so much better…”. This shows that he still has the desire to acquire currency, even if he is not forced to. Webby is more into rap for the experience than the benefits; “This is what I live, this is what I breathe. Without hip hop, there’d be no me…” He depends on rap as an outlet and career instead of only a source of profit. Another example of this is: “These other kids do it for the Itunes cash; I do it for free, it’s all love like that.” Chris has created many albums called mixtapes. They are one of the purest forms of hip hop and if released online, are given for free. If he only wanted to generate revenue, he would not have mad free music that took time and effort.
Some ideas are almost parallel in these tracks. Both artists speak of their struggle, even though they vary in degree. A problem for both emcee is a lack of money to spend, but their reasons for wanting it branch in opposite directions. The moods to the songs are almost identical, being depressing, except for Webby’s last verse which can only be described as inspirational. They are also not proud of their behavior in te past of possible future. Slim says “That’s rock bottom: when you want something bad enough to steal” and Chris raps “Everybody tells me that I’m talented and clever but I still have nothing to show for my endeavors.” The Detroit lyricist and suburban party rapper shared many qualities in these songs.
Zack Sicard
Comparative Analysis
Poetry of Song: Mr Kefor
Two songs that can compare and contrast with one another in terms of the inspiration to move on in life are Chris Brown’s “Say Goodbye” and Jay Z’s “On to the next one”.
Comparing one another both Chris Brown and Jay Z choose to say goodbye and move on with certain parts of their lives. Throughout each of the songs both artists use first and third person point of views.While Chris Brwon is the oner in his relationship telling his girl “ we gotta go out separate ways” while Jay Z is stating he doesn’t get dropped he “drops the label”. Both artists are taking action ans stating what will happen in their lives. Chris Brown wants his girl to know that he “nevermeant to crush [her] world” while Jay Z’s ambition makes him feel like “the world can’t hold him”. Chris Brown has “gotta figure out what [he] needs” as Jay Z has “to find [his] next thrill”. In search of a future where they will both be better off both Jay Z and Chris Brown must say goodbye to certain parts of their lives.
Contarasting eachother, Jay Z and Chris Brown advance past certain parts of life in different ways. Perhaps the most lucid difference between these two songs is that Chris Brown is talking about breaking up with his girlfriend, while Jay Z is talking about designer clothes, hot beats, and fancy cars. While Chris Brwon feels that “ it’s never the right time to say goodbye” Jay Z makes his intentions clear by stating “F*** a throwback jersey cause we on to the next one”. Not only is there a difference in the topics which these artists speak of but their intentions are opposite one another. Unlike Chris Brown who is greatly concerned with his girlfriend, Jay Z asks “somebody bring me back some money please” and makes it apparent that he is only concerned with his possesions. The main difference between these songs is that Chris Brown shows his remorse alnog with regret and Jay Z is optimistic about the future and doesn’t ever look back.
Although Chris Brown’s “Say Goodbye” and Jay Z’s “On to the next one” talk about completely different things and characterize the feelings of the artists as polar opposites theses are songs that both directly correlate to moving on.
Post a Comment