Friday, October 24, 2008

Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. President, come take a walk with me.

Let's pretend we're just two people, and you're not better than me.

I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?

Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?

What do you feel when you look in the mirror?

Are you proud?



How do sleep while the rest of us cry?

How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?

How do you walk with your head held high?

Can you even look me in the eye and tell me why?



Dear Mr. President, were you a lonely boy?

How can you say "No child is left behind"?

We're not dumb and we're not blind

They're all sitting in your cells

While you pave the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?

And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?

I can only imagine what the first lady has to say.

You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.



[Chorus]



Let me tell you about hard work

Minimum wage with a baby on the way

Let me tell you about hard work

Rebuilding your house after the bombs took it away

Let me tell you about hard work

Building your bed out of a cardboard box

Let me tell you about hard work

You don't know anything about hard work.



How do you sleep at night?

How do you walk with your head held high?

Dear Mr. President, you'd never take a walk with me, would you?





Pink is not often considered an artist with extreme intellectual lyrics. Her songs are often simply written and catchy. She takes on a new leaf with her moving song "Dear Mr. President". Although the words are hard-hitting, the song is a quiet acoustic one with vivid imagery, directing its questions to George Bush. The song is more than a catchy pop rock hit; it is a powerful piece of work.



The song's controversial imagery comes with its questions directed to President Bush. Pink asks in the chorus, "How do you sleep while the rest of us cry? How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?". The questions are obviously unanswerable but depict sorrow and pain, while the President is calm and at peace. Not only by placing these two images together create a juxtaposition, but it also effectively creates emotions through its words. Listeners quickly learn the song is directed toward Bush with the line "How can you say "No child is left behind"/We're not dumb and we're not blind", referring to Bush's No Child Left Behind Act.

With an excellent example of a protest song, Pink has definitely established herself as a more talented artist. She has taken her music higher and more controversial with "Dear Mr. President". With her imagery and juxtaposition, the song is emotionally powerful and a relate able image for Americans who suffer from this war.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

"It's A Hit" Analysis

Any chimp can play human for a day
Use his opposable thumbs to iron his uniform
And run for office on election day
Fancy himself a real decision make
And deploying more troops than a salt shaker

But it's a jungle when war is made
And you'll panic and throw your own crap at the enemy
The camera pulls back to reveal your true identity
Look, it's a sheep in wolf's clothing
A smoking gun holding ape.

Any a**hole can open up a museum
Put all of the things he loves on display
So everyone could see them.
The house, a car, a thoughtful wife:
Ordinary moments in his ordinary life.

But if she breaks a smile
She'll give you away
Cause no one wants to pay to see your happiness.
No one wants to pay to see your day to day
And I'm not buying it either
But I'll try selling it anyway.

Any idiot can play Greek for a day
And join a sorority or write a tragedy
And articulating all that pain
And maybe you'll get paid.

But it's a sin when success complains
And your writers block-it don't mean s***.
Just throw it against the wall and see what sticks.
Gotta write a hit
I think this is it.
It's a hit.

And if it's not
Then it's a holiday for a hanging

Any fool can play executioner for a day
And say with fingers pointed in both directions
"He went thataway"
It's only a switch or syringe
Exempt from eternal sins.
But you still wear a cross
And you think you're gonna get in

But the pardons never come from up-stairs.
They're always a moment too late
But it's entertainment
Keep the crowd on their toes
It's justice, we're safe.
It's not a hit, it's a holiday

It's a holiday for a hanging


Rilo Kiley, a modern indie rock band, took a new step with their album properly titled More Adventurous. The CD opens up with the song "It's A Hit". It allows listeners to come to the realization that Rilo Kiley has advanced in their music. Immediately, the critical song hits at the current war the United States is in. The main target of the song appears to be political system, depicting their thought process when declaring war. By using imagery, allusions, and symbolism, the band's message becomes apparent and effectively depicted.

In the first verse, she says "Any chimp can play human for a day/Use his opposable thumbs to iron his uniform/And run for office on election day/ Fancy himself a real decision maker". Immediately, the song criticizes the decision making of the government, saying that even a "chimp" can "run for office". The word choice for the lines are also interesting. By saying "fancy himself" it shows the self-absorbment of the government's view of itself. "Fancy" is an elegant word, but because the song uses it in sarcasm, it makes the point of criticizing more effective. Following this, the song criticizes the war, calling it a "jungle" and its soldiers "smoking gun holding apes", another use of word choice and imagery.

The song is full of harsh and barbaric diction. To describe the government, she uses nouns like "idiot", "chimp", "ape", "a**hole", and "executioner". These words all allude to the government, making it appear primitive. The song also suggests the government is all about appearances, hence the "wolf in sheep's clothing" line: a vicious animal in an innocent disguise. Once again, this is an example of imagery and metaphor.

Although a harsh song, the instruments of "It's A Hit" blend well with intelligent and thought-provoking metaphors, critical imagery and allusions. The song ends with the words "It's a holiday for hanging", possibly another attack on the government for its policy for killing. The song is creative and well-thought out, and clearly, it's a hit.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Lennon's Peaceful Diction

"Give Peace A Chance" & "Imagine"



Musician and icon, John Lennon started his career as a member of the prolific and popular band, the Beatles. After countless years and some artistical disagreements, Lennon took his own path and began a solo career that attracted new and old fans alike. His music took on a universal word: Peace. He promoted the ideas of anti-violence. If all his songs were surrounded with this central theme, then how was it possible for listeners not to become bored with the repeated message? Lennon explored unique and different styles of expressing his dreams. He took on a piano, soft rock ballad, "Imagine", and protesting rock chant with his song "Give Peace A Chance". With these differing styles, Lennon reinvented his message, explored new paths, and attracted a large audience of listners.



When listeners hear "Give Peace A Chance", they are reminded of the up-beat Beatles' songs that topped countless charts. With a blend of multiple voices and instruments, the song creates an image of peaceful protesters. The rhythm makes it a fun, enjoyable, lighter song. Throughout the song, Lennon makes continuous allusions; everything from himself to "ministers" to "revolution" to "Bobby Dylan" is mentioned throughout the song. "Give Peace A Chance" is addressed to war-supportive groups, and most likely government officials. With the line "All we are saying is give peace a chance", the song is directing its message to these officials, and the speaker is not only John Lennon, but the citizens who are being negatively affected by the violence. The song is a simple set of verses, each ending with the line "give peace a chance", which gives it the sound of a chant.




"Imagine" is an incredibly different approach to peace. In contrast to "Give Peace A Chance", "Imagine" has only a piano and precussion and Lennon sings the song by himself. Although Lennon does not have a big belting voice, the song can be considered more of a ballad, and similar to the Beatles's "Let It Be". His voice is noticeably calmer and addresses a general auidence. The song contains no illusions but asks listeners to "imagine" a world without violence. He says, "you may say I'm a dreamer", which shows that he is the speaker of the lyrics, rather than a whole group of people. He is also not addressing a single person or group, but a general auidence. With the lyrics, the auidence are allowed to view Lennon's hopes for the world, in comparison to the first song, which does not really ellaborate on this.




The messgae John Lennon wants to send is present in both songs but his approach is different. Where "Imagine" sounds more serious, "Give Peace A Chance" comes off as more protesting and light-hearted. "Imagine" tries to create an image to relate to listeners and "Give Peace A Chance" tries to relate with allusions. Both approaches are effective and do not shove Lennon's dream of peace into listeners. The two songs demonstrate that John Lennon is not a one-sided artist and can successfully experiment with two contrasting sounds and diction.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Song Analysis #1: Tegan and Sara


I Was Married by Tegan and Sara

I married in the sun
(Tell me where, tell me where)
Against the stone of buildings built before
You and I were born
(Start again, start again)
Into my hear confusion grows against
The muscles fought so long
(Fought so long)
To control against the pull of one magnet to another
Magnet to another. Magnet.

Now we look up in
(Tell me who, tell me who)
Into the eyes of bullies breaking backs
They seem so very touch
(It's a lie, it's a lie)
They seem so very scared of us.
I look into the mirror
(Look into)
For evil that just does not exist
I don't see what they see
(Tell them that, tell them that)
Try to control the pull of one magnet to another
Magnet to another...

The song "I Was Married" by Tegan and Sara deals with homophobia and the struggles some gays may face. It is a modern song, released from the CD, The Con, that questions the opinions and views some people have on homosexuals. While the song is simple and short, the message is clear and conveyed through an analogy with some lines of alliteration.

Sara Quinn, one half of the band, wrote the song. Although the main focus of the song would be the analogy, there are hints of alliteration. The lines "buildings built before" and "bullies breaking backs" are both examples of this literary device. This device is used when words with similar beginning sounds are placed back to back in a sentence. In this example, Sara uses B's to maintain a the consonant sound.

Surrounded by analogies, the song conveys Sara's personal feelings toward homophobia. She explains her feelings by saying "The muscles fought so long...to control against the pull of one magnet to another". In a magnet, the opposite sides attract. In this metaphor/analogy, the opposite sides would be a male and a female. In Sara's "magnet", however, her pull was toward the same side. She struggled and "fought so long" to control the pull of her love toward the same sex but her feelings could not be swayed. She also comments on the fear that some people have of homosexuals. She says "I look into the mirror...for evil that just does not exist". Many people find gay emotions are "evil" or incorrect. This nonexistent "evil" is what people seem to fear. "They seem so very scared of us", Sara states, yet she does not understand this fear.

By questioning society's current view on gays and homosexuality, I consider the song a revolutionary song that criticizes constructively. Listeners are allowed to understand and view Tegan and Sara's side on the matter and may make people rethink how they view homosexuality. When a protest or revolutionary song can make people think, then it has done its purpose.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Video Log: Marvin Gaye

The following are videos of Marvin Gaye, who was a major musical artist, who had a huge impact on R&B and Soul.

The following is a video of Marvin Gaye, doing his rendition of the National Anthem, sung at the 1983 All Star Basketball game.

This next video is an interview with Marvin Gaye.

"War Is Not The Answer...For Only Love Can Conquer Hate"



Mother, mother

There's too many of you crying

Brother, brother, brother

There's far too many of you dying


You know we've got to find a way

To bring some loving here today


Father, father

We don't need to escalate

You see, war is not the answer

For only love can conquer hate


You know we've got to find a way

To bring some loving here today


Picket lines and picket signs

Don't punish me with brutality

Talk to me, so you can see





Oh, what's going on

What's going on

What's going on

Ah, what's going on


Father, everybody thinks we're wrong

Oh, but who are they to judge us

Simply because our hair is long



Oh, you know we've got to find a way

To bring some understanding here today


Oh, picket lines and picket signs

Don't punish me with brutality

Talk to me

So you can see


What's going on

Yeah, what's going on

Tell me what's going on

I'll tell you what's going on




During the 1960s, most songs were surrounded with themes of war and protest. Some songs influenced rallys and were the rebel yells for crowds of people against the Vietnam War. After secluding himself for almost two years, Marvin Gaye released his war-themed album What's Going On. Above are the lyrics to one of his hit songs from the record, also titled "What's Going On". In the song, told from the perspective of Gaye's brother, who was a returned soldier from combat, Marvin takes on a different perspective of protest and war. He says "Only love can conquer hate" and offers alternatives to protesting war. Instead of acting violently, he uses care and love as the alternative.



The song opens with the line "Mother mother, there's too many of you crying". Right away, the song gives an emotion of remorse and sadness at the occuring events. The verse continues with the line "Brother...there are far too many of you dying". By using the words "Mother", "Brother", "Father", it shows that the conflicts are close to home, relateable, and effective every aspect of family. But following these lines, Gaye says "You know we've got to find a way to bring some loving here today". He does not suggest violence and protests but wants peace to conquer the terrible war.



The line "picket lines and picket signs, don't punish me with brutality/talk to me so you can see what's going on" is a prime example of the alternatives the song offers. Instead of yelling and fighting, Marvin Gaye says to "talk" and learn about "what's going on". The lyrics are still anti-war: "war is not the answer/for only love can conquer hate", however, it's main power message is cooperation between those affected by the war.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

A Life of Blues


April 2nd, 1939 - Marvin Gaye was born in Washington, D.C.


1958 - The Moonglows establish themselves and begin recording


1961 - Marvin Gaye is signed by a Midtown label. In the same year, he marries Anna Gordy.


1964 - Gaye scores his first chart topping Album Together, which was a series of duets with Mary Wells.


1967 - Duets with Tammi Terrel made Marvin Gaye a household name.


1968 - "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" : one of the many chart topping hits by Marvin Gaye.


March 16th, 1970 - Terrel dies of a brain tumor. Marvin Gaye disappears off the Motown scene.


1971 - Gaye releases What's Going On


1973 - Gaye releases Let's Get It On, which took Gaye's lyrics in a new direction. He moved from political to sexual


1975 - Marvin and Anna divorce; the event pushed back his album I Want You.


1978 - Here, My Dear is released but many of its singles fail to be chart topping hits. Gaye's drug problem increased and his second marriage to Janis Hunter began crumbling.


1981 - Because of pressures of the IRS, Gaye flees to Europe.


1982 - Signs with Columbia Records. Stories of erratic behavior and his addiction to cocaine began to spread. Yet, Gaye managed to release Midnight Love, which contained his Top Three hit "Sexual Healing".


1983 - At the NBA All Star Game, he did a rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (linked in a previous post), which is still considered a legendary performance. It was also his final public appearance.


April 1st, 1984 - Gaye is shot and killed by his own father, one day before his 45th birthday.


2001 - A mass of successful recording artists, including Bono, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Nona Gaye, Alicia Keys, and Mary J. Blige, rerecorded his song "What's Going On". Proceeds went to Artists Against AIDS Worldwide.


10 Intriguing Facts


Did you know....


1. Marvin Gaye started his career as a member of in the doo-wop group, The Moonglows.


2. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.


3. The first two Grammies he won were in 1983 with his song "Sexual Healing".


4. When his recording partner, Tammi Terrel collapsed in his arms on stage during a performance, Gaye was in shock. After she died of a brain tumor, he went into seclusion for nearly two years. When he finally reemerged, he came out with the album, What's Going On.


5. The album What's Going On was a concept album based on the Vietnam War.


6. The main song of the album, also titled "What's Going On", was written from the point of view of his brother, who, at the time, was a returned soldier from combat.


7. He married twice and wrote "Anna's Song" for his first wife. When he began seeing Janis Hunter, who was 17 years younger, Anna filed for divorce.


8. He quit high school and went into the air force but was discharged.


9. After moving back in with his parents, Gaye threatened to commit suicide on multiple occasions.


10. A day before his birthday, Marvin was shot by his father, who had been a minister. Ironically, the gun he was killed with was the gun he had given his father a couple weeks before.


Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Marvin Links


Here are a bunch of links if you want to learn more about Mr. Gaye.

Official Webpage - here is where I learned most of my information regarding Marvin Gaye and his music.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - an official article regarding Marvin's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Pretty sweet.

Free Listening! - Listen to more of his music here for free!

The National Athem - Marvin Gaye doing his rendition of the National Anthem at a NBA All Star Game

Lyrics - Take some time and read in between the lines of Marvin's music