"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.