Following our idea that we can use music as texts, I wondered if I could break down a song in the same manner that Ballenger tells us to break down our own essays. Here is my attempt with the song "We Used to Vacation" by the band Cold War Kids on their 2006 EP Up in Rags:
While I think that the song is up to personal interpretation, I would say that the purpose of this song, not explicitly stated, is to explore the painful effects of alcoholism on both the individual and his family. I would say that the song becomes relevant to me (has a "so what" as Ballenger would say) because it helps me see what I've seen before in a way that I haven't, and it moves me emotionally. However, I would say that the way this song is most interesting to me is because there are very few remorseful songs about alcoholism told from the alcoholic's point of view. Finally, I would say that the main point of this song is to show how addictive alcohol can be, through the narrator's constant want for a drink and attempts to justify his drinking.
I think I did pretty well using a song as a text, and critically reading it for global issues. I bet I could take this a step farther and explore the organization of the song, in the same way that you will be doing for your reverse outline. The song starts with a day in the life of the speaker in which we see him drinking and the negative effects this has on his family. The audience needs the description given in the first verse in order for the bridge, where the speaker attempts to play down the awfulness of the story, to make any sense. The refrain takes us away from the speaker's justifications, and focuses on his family, who is so hurt by his actions that they have made him promise to stop drinking. However, the end of the refrain, with the repetition of "this will all blow over in time," returns to the speakers attempt to downplay his actions. The second verse is the speaker again trying to justify himself as a good person, while simultaneously showing how normal his life is. We then go back to the refrain, but this time with the inclusion of the "accident" and the alcohol anonymous "meetings," which highlight the severity of the issue. I believe that the text is organized this way to make the audience slowly aware of the problems the speaker has caused, which makes the topic easier to deal with, and allows us to feel sympathy for the speaker and not just see him as a villain.
Here, using the same strategies Ballenger provides for revision, I was able to critically read a text. These skills are not only helping me to become a better writer, they are helping me to become a better reader as well. For this post, I would like you to exercise your critical reading skills. I will not ask you to outline a song, in the same way I did. Instead, I am asking you to choose one of the three songs below; show the purpose, "so what," and thesis of that song; and provide some justifications as to how you came to the conclusions you did.
I really connected to the “Trashcan” song the most. The other two songs had very strong messages they just didn’t seem as important to me as this one did. Maybe it might have something to do with the fact that I personally struggle with the theme of this song in my own life. “Trashcan’s” thesis essentially is that if you sit around feeling like the world is “nothing”, letting life pass you by, you will not find love for sure and you probably will not find anything. This matters because part of the human condition is the need to find love. This song is a message to the public that you have to do something about it. You can’t sit around “near the train tracks looking so homeless.” You have to “move” in order to get what you want. And once you realize that this is the only way to get what you want you “can barely, hardly wait around.”
ReplyDeleteThe song that spoke the most to me was "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future" by Titus Androncius". To me, this song is about someone going through depression. It shows what a struggle depression can be for those who have it. When it says "So all I want for Christmas Is no feelings, no feelings now and never again", it shows this struggle. There is a saying that goes something like "I'd rather feel sadness than nothing at all". The lyrics go against this completely which shows how extreme the depression truly is. When the song repeats "you will always be a loser", it may reflect how the author feels about and views themselves. This can also open up how tough their struggle is. At the end, when they say "and thats okay", they are accepting how they feel about themselves. Often times, people with depression will accept where they are and never strive for anything better.
ReplyDeleteThe song that seemed to have a powerful message and relevant message to me, was "No Future Part Three: Escape From o Future" by Titus Adronicus. Although, I read Kaylin's comment, this song has a different meaning to me. I interpreted it as someone who has sort of drowned in the expectations of society. One line that really struck out to me was "I took the one thing that made me beautiful and I threw it away." I've seen someone close to me be overcome by an eating disorder because of the pressures of society. Her confidence and strength was what made her so outgoing and fun to be around but it was then thrown away. Another line says, "now there's a robot that lives in my brain and he tells me what to do." People with disordered eating are overcome with unhealthy thoughts that consume them. I'm not saying that this song is speaking specifically about eating disorders, but I think it's speaking to a nation that lacks individuality. So many people are trying to conform instead of appreciating the uniqueness that makes them human. However, despite the effort, it's rare that one is usually ever pleased even when that goal weight was achieved or that GPA was perfect. I think that's what the end of the song displays with the constant negativity saying, "you will always be a loser." Bottom line, we can try and try to be someone else, but at the end of the day, we will always be who we were made to be and the only thing that's powerful enough to determine our contentment with our self is our attitude. "And that's okay."
ReplyDeleteI listened to The Thermals "Now we can see". When I read and heard the lyrics to this song I came to the conclusion that the thesis is retaining to the author's life. If I had to summerize a thesis it would be something like this. "We have been down damaged paths that have made us realize the changes that we should make, we don't care what others think but we can see why they think it's nessecary". My justification of this thesis is that the author is vivid and blunt about their life experiences. The experiences aren't positive,there is fighting is involved, drugs are being used, and it is obviously more then one person more or less a large group. They refer to themselves and savages, damaged and taking pills. This is where I made these justifications of the thesis.
ReplyDeleteThe song "Now We Can See" by The Thermals is a song focused on evolution of man. It's how cultures conquered other civilizations in not the most affective way possible, but with fighting an death. Then they state how we should move on for the past and let the past stay there. We, as humans, can learn from these experiences and try to find other ways to spread messages without violence. But, as The Thermals say, it's our nature to be violent, so is it really worth the change.
ReplyDeleteI chose the song, "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future" by Titus Andronicus. I believe the purpose of this song is to show how today's teenagers struggle with fitting in. When they talk about "senior year", it leads us to think this song is about teenagers just leaving high school. I agree with Paige Foster that this song does deal with teenagers drowning in the expectations of society. This song matters because people need to realize that they'll never reach the expectations of society. Molding yourself to what society wants will only make you miserable and unhappy. The thesis of this song is that by trying to not be a loser, you are actually being a loser. A loser is someone who tries to fit into the mold of society. And by trying to fit into this mold, the lyrics say, "You will always be a loser now".
ReplyDeleteThe song that stuck out to me was "No Future Part Three: Escape From o Future" by Titus Adronicus. This song to me meant depression and someone going through the everyday struggle of depression. As Kaylin already put the quote saying "So all I want for Christmas Is no feelings, no feelings now and never again" this quote paticularly stuck out to me as well. It shows how depressed someone can be on one of the happiest of holidays. It shows that they do not want feelings anymore even if there is a chance that they can be happy again they do not want to feel anything anymore. This song keeps repeating "you will always be a loser" i believe the author was bullied at some point in their life and by writing this song the author can get their feelings out on paper. This song really reflects how the author feels about themselves and accepts it. It is really sad they don't want to try for anything better.
ReplyDeleteThe song I chose to analyze was "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future". The purpose of this song is to reach out to teens dealing with feeling like an outsider and conforming to society. The thesis for this would be, no matter how much we conform to society there is always going to be that little part of us that is considered a "loser". In the song he discusses high school specifically which is why this song could be listened to more primarily by teenagers. In the song the person struggles with self image and eventually changes and has a mind like a robot, but in the end knows that they can never fully conform. I think this song has a powerful message that is pretty clear to its listeners.
ReplyDelete"Trashcan" was the song I connected with most. I also need to add that more than connecting to just the lyrics, the musicality appealed more to me than the other two did because really awesome harmonies speak to me. I feel like the universality that allows people to identify with "Trashcan," as well as the other two songs, is what makes them so effective because it allows listeners room for personal interpretation, which I suppose is the purpose of most music, right? So moving past personal identification, "Trashcan" really drives home the idea of going out and making the most out of the world. Sitting around won't get you anywhere and once you find motivation to do some good for yourself, you can move onto doing good to and for the world. It pulls on that very American idea that hard work can get you anywhere and that happiness can be contingent on that work. I don't necessarily buy into that completely, but I like to feel like what I'm doing has worth and will make me happy and in extension make others happy too. That realization can then make it so you become excited to see what happens as an effect of "moving" and there's a kind of hope there that really appeals to Delta Spirit's audience.
ReplyDeleteThe one that I believe I identified with the most is the song "Trashcan". This was because I enjoyed its message. Now I agree with what people have said about it so far. That really it is a message how you have to work to get what you want in a sense. That you can't just be waiting around to find what you need. Another part of it though that I'm not sure that anyone mentioned was the part about "I didn't get that gene". I think that this line in the song really emphasizes the overall attitude of people. That if something doesn't come easy (such as a gene) then that just is what it is. That people don't try to change it. They don't work to make something better and they just sit and wait around for something to come and change for them. I think this is even more evident in younger generations. They don't realize things won't always get handed to them. As Gaby mentioned earlier, specifically in this song they are talking about love. And how he can "barely hardly" wait for love but he's just sitting around and not out looking for it. Or even out living life for love to come. So with all of this, I would say that the thesis of the song, similiar to what other people have said that "you have to work for what you want, it won't just come to you".
ReplyDeleteI like the song "Trashcan" the most. I think this song was a lot easier to understand but had a really interesting message as well. I feel like the song was kind of deep and thought provoking. The song states, "This world is way too small to feel like nothing". I think that is my favorite line in the whole song because usually the world would be seen as very large and that someone could get lost and feel like nothing. But, in this lyric, it says the opposite and explains that you kind of make your life. It explains that you can't just sit around and do nothing and watch everyone else living. You can't wait for something to happen to you. You have to make it happen. I think this song speaks to a lot of people because it is relatable and sends a message.
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