The Lighthouse's Tale

"The Lighthouse's Tale" by Nickel Creek is, as the title suggests, from the perspective of a lighthouse. The intent I gathered from the song is that even though many things change or go away, some things are constant and serve as guidance for others. The lighthouse begins and ends its tale by talking of warning sailors but by the end that becomes more significant because you discover there is no longer a keeper to help. The lighthouse stands alone.

Emotional appeal is very prevalent throughout the song. It begins happy, yet it is set up in such a way that you know it won't end happy. The lighthouse tells of its keeper with whom it grows closer "'til his joy meant everything to me," as it says. Then the keeper is to marry a beautiful girl but she has to go somewhere by ship first. The ship wrecks in a storm and the keeper finds the girl's body on the shore. There is a connotation of life after death when the keeper promises they'll be together soon as he buries her, then climbs the lighthouse's tower and throws himself off. Through all this and the waves crashing, the sand being carried out to sea, the lighthouse remains constant to "warn the sailors on their way."

You belong with me

You belong with my by Taylor swift is about a girl that is in love with her neighbor. They are total opposites. He is a star football player ;she plays in the school band. The problem is that he has a girlfriend who is a cheerleader and doesn't treat him very well.Throughout the lyrics, Taylor Swift's compares herself to his neighbor's girlfriend.

You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset
She's going off about something that you said
'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do

I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like
And she'll never know your story like I do

But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts
She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the bleachers
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time

Although she doesn't have her status, she understands her neighbor.

By stating her reasons, she is making her point- they understand each other and are meant to be together.The music throughout the song has a very moderate beat, but her tone and the beat slow down when she shows her neighbor the paper- I love you. It is because she is unsure of what his response is going to be. This scene passes, and there is a return to surety and confidence in her tone and the beat as they feel the same way about each other.

John Mayer's Body is a Wonderland!... wait what?

John Mayer’s song, Stop This Train, is a great song about the fear of growing up. From the onset of the song, one can immediately feel the sadness and mellowness of the song.

After the second chorus it becomes just instrumental for a time. This pause from the vocals gives the listener time to reflect about how their own time has passed them by and how life just keep moving along at an undesirably fast paced. His falsetto is especially effective in this song because it resembles a crying voice.

Mayer also sings about a fear that everyone can relate to: that one day our parents will be gone. By singing about a commonly shared fear, John Mayer truly brings out a rush of emotions from us, and it’s hard not to choke up if one listens to this song intently.


(This is actually a great song to listen to right now for us college students. I could really see where John Mayer was coming from as I listened to this alone on my plane ride to and from Japan. I just felt like I was just being rushed into the next part of my life; I didn’t feel ready.)

Snails

In their song Snails, the Format playfully reprimands those who take love too lightly. Setting snails, who “see the benefits, the beauty in every inch”, as the standard for the pace of our relationships is a creative way to help people remember what love is really about. The song ends with the suggestion to smile “when you feel the sunlight”, which is a simple thing but that can be a pleasant reminder of the good things in life if you take a minute to appreciate it.

The song gets personal as you feel connected to all four characters,

-the narrator, who is telling his story and involvement with the other people and his views on love and relationship pace

-Nico, who needs to move back home and be around the people that love him

-She, this girl that the narrator is in love with

-the narrator’s mother and family

This song has a rhetorical question, “why are you quick to kiss?” and makes the listener stop to think about it. Love is about way more than just hooking up and this song causes the listener agree with it because of the reasons namely that we should see the “beauty in every inch”, just like snails. I think that the question is definitely an effective way of getting the listener to think. The song asks “why” fifteen times!

I think that the singer does not want to push this girl away, but wants to make the most of their relationship, and is utilizing his mature viewpoint to convince her to want to take things slowly.

Welcome to the Future

Welcome to the Future by Brad Paisley is a song about how much things have changed. He uses pathos in different ways to help everyone realize just how amazing of a time it is that we are living in. He shares memories of being a kid and having to get a ride to the arcade, and then contrasts it with how today we can play games on our cell phone. He then hits another aspect of how our world has changed by painting a picture of a friend who was a victim of a cross burning. He then contrasts it with a reference to civil rights and how far we have come in that regard.

He uses these contrasting images to help us appreciate just how far we have come in so many ways. He actually wrote a reprise to the song with a more personal aspect on how his own life has changed in many ways: getting married, having a career, having kids. He actually wrote this song because of his kids. He realized how different the world is and will be for his kids than it was for him growing up. At the same time, he helps us realize and appreciate this as well.

All You Need is Love- The Beatles

Love, love, love.
Love, love, love.
Love, love, love.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.
It's easy.

Nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time.
It's easy

All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need.

All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need.

There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be. It's easy

All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need.

All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need.

Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need...

Okay...The fact that The Beatles are one of the greatest bands of all time, and there are very few generations/people that do not recognize their music, I figured choosing one of their songs would be not only appropriate, but enjoyable. Because they have so many songs that are great, with lots of messages and great lyrics I really just randomly picked a song and hoped for the best.

What I really enjoy about this song, and what some may find annoying, is the constant repetition of the lines in the chorus, "all you need is love..." I really "loved" this because there is no mistake about what the message of this song is! NO matter what age, race, color, or creed you know that this song is singing about how the only important thing in the world is to love. Whether it is to love those around you, your spouse, or complete strangers we need to show love. The Beatles were sending a message to the world that couldn't be missed.

This song also has great lines of encouragement telling us what we can do, that we have talents and things to offer, but they are also kind of reminding us to stop and smell the roses. That we may need to give up a little of what we are doing and remember to love everything and everyone around us. One of my favorite lines in this song is, "Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time. It's easy." It's amazing how their choice of words can impact so many nations! Think about how many people are trying to figure out who they are, and think they never will, but we are reminded that it will come in time, and be easy. All we can do is love and let that define who we become as individuals.

Their style, is simple, using very few stanza's that aren't the chorus; however, I think that they did that on purpose so it would be instilled in our thoughts to love. Ultimately, the repetitive and simplicity of this song is what makes it so impactful and enjoyable to listen to.

The Finish Line - Snow Patrol

This song is about death, or rather, the peace that comes with it. The song begins,

The earth is warm next to my ear

Insect noise is all that I hear

A magic trick makes the world disappear

The skies are dark, they're dark but they're clear

The earth is warm, you are lying on the coffin, feeling the warmth of the Earth radiating to your cold body, then all you can hear is the insects that surround you. This magic trick was a bullet as explained later in the song. Even though you cannot see the light anymore, your mind is clear to see what you haven't seen when you were alive. Basically, the song explains how the person is feeling being dead.The peace that comes from going to the 'bluest seas' and rising again at the last second. And then ending with 'I think the finish line's a good place we can start.' This song, even though it is trying to explain the unknowns of death, give the listener a calm and peaceful feeling at people usually associate with happiness.

There is a constant beat in the background which sounds like a heart beat, transposed with a sad yet peaceful sound. This is a reminder to the listener that life continues always.

Mouthwash

The song I chose to post is "Mouthwash" by Kate Nash. The tempo to this song makes you want to get up and dance. The lyrics go right along side; emphasizing the importance to be who you are with no apologies for imperfections or quirks. The opening line, "this is my face, covered in freckles, with the occasional spot and some veins," describes me, which is probably why I kept listening the first time I heard it.

My favorite line of the song: "This is my brain, its torturous analytical thoughts make me go insane." Kate expresses what many of us feel with the thoughts we have about anything and everything. Ultimately the lyrics and music show how important it is to be you - regardless of anyone or anything else. Whether you're "singin' at home on a friday night," and whether you use floss or mouthwash.

Exo-Politics

Open the skies over me
I am waiting patiently
I'll wait for a sign

As conspiracies unwind
will you slam shut or free your mind?
or stay hypnotized

When the Zetas fill the skies
will our leaders tell us why
fully loaded satellites
will conquer nothing but our minds

I am waiting patiently
I'll wait for the sign

Carried through the centuries
secrets locked up
and loaded on my back
and it weighs me down

When the Zetas fill the skies
it's just our leaders in disguise
fully loaded satellites
will conquer nothing but our minds

I am waiting patiently
I'll wait for the sign

The song I chose to analyze is called "Exo-Politics" by British alternative rock band Muse. This song comes from one of their albums called Black Holes and Revelations. Within the album are a few songs based on conspiracy theories and corrupt governments/govt leaders, due to lead singer Matt Bellamy's interest in such things. This song is one of those political songs, as implied by the very name. It talks about how "conspiracies unwind" and whether people will "slam shut or free [their] mind[s]" in response. This song targets political leaders as responsible for keeping "secrets locked up", also claiming that these leaders are "in disguise." The rhetorical intent of the lyrics is to influence how the listener percieves the truth behind their government and leaders. It causes the listener to question what is being kept under wraps and why.

This song poses the question "will you slam shut or free your mind? Or stay hypnotized?" as a rhetorical technique to appeal to the listener's stand on these supposed conspiracy theories. It has a relatively short amount of lyrics, so the actual music plays a role in grabbing and keeping the listener's attention-- another rhetorical device (it has a catchy guitar riff in my opinion). Finally, the line "secrets locked up and loaded on my back and it weighs me down" is an example of figurative language, which adds to the rhetorical aim of Exo-Politics.

Song Analysis

The song I chose to analyze was "We Live" by Superchick. This has always been one of my favorite songs and one that I try to pattern my life after. it starts off by telling a story of a mother who lost her son in a car accident. The mother didn't know that morning that it was the last time she would ever see her son in this life. Then it goes on to tell other stories of people who ran out of time. The basic theme of this song is to not take for granted the time we have left on this earth.

The rhetorical intent of this song is to convince people not to take for granted the every day things such as saying I love you and living life to its fullest extent. It does this by adding ethos, pathos, and logos. The story of the mother appeals to our emotions and makes us think of the poeple in our own lives who we love. Logos is used in the line that says "But what would it take for the clouds break, For us to realize each day is a gift somehow, someway, So get our heads up out of the darkness, And spark this new mindset and start to live life cuz it ain't gone yet". This tells us that our lives aren't over yet and we need to live up to our fullest patential. It also says that each day that we live is a gift from god and we should treat it as such.

Song Analysis

I know everyone isn't the biggest fan of Kanye West right now, because of what he did to poor Taylor Swift (love her). Well he does have a soft and sensitive side. The song that I'd like to share with you is "Hey Mama" by Kanye West.

Kanye West is a momma's boy, obviously, he made a song for her. This song makes me tear up, because I miss my mom. Anyways, the song describes his mom, and how she was always there for him no matter what. The struggles she went through being a single mom, but she always wanted the best for her son. She always made him her first priority.

You work late nights just to keep on the lights
Mommy got me training wheels so I could keep on my bike
And you would give anything in this world
Michael Jackson leather and a glove, but didn't give me a curl
And you never put no man over me
And I love you for that mommy cant you see?

His mom was his main support throughout his career. He always wanted to give his mom the best, because that is what she did for him.

I said mommy Imma love you till you don't hurt no more
And when I'm older, you aint gotta work no more
And Imma get you that mansion that we couldn't afford

Now that Kanye West is famous, he is able to get her that mansion, a car, anything his mom wants. The sad part is that his mom passed away after cosmetic surgery on November 11,2007. She was able to hear the song, and now this song will always be a remembrance to his mom. I think what we could get out of this song is that we should appreciate our mothers, for what they do for us, and the unconditional love that they will always give us.

The Piano Man by Billy Joel

The song I picked is "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. I think the main point of this song is to realize how powerful music can be. Songs can bring back memories. That certain feeling you had at Prom dancing with your date comes back when you hear it again. This song is about all the different kinds of people all with their different problems and different lives coming together to relive those good memories. The "Piano Man" coincides with people's lives. Even though everyone's lives are completely different, we all have problems and seek some way to relieve ourselves through music.

"Piano Man" relates to normal, everyday people, like the waitress, real estate, navy man, and old hobo who lives at the bar. It has the lyrics, "When I was..." and "If only..." "Probably will be for life." Each one of us has our dreams crushed at least once in our life. We all have regrets. "If only..." is applicable - it hits our emotions. The lyrics of the song help us imagine what our life would be, if we really had no life, without a decent job, poor family, and turning towards drinking for relief. We would turn to the "Piano Man" to bring back our happy days.

Daedalus vs. Icarus

The Melting Point of Wax (2003)
Thrice
I've waited for this moment
All my life and more
And now I see so clearly
What I could not see before.
The time is now or never
This chance won't come again
Throw caution and myself into the wind.

There's no promise of safety with these secondhand wings
But I'm willing to find out what impossible means.
A leap of faith.

Parody of an angel
Miles above the sea
I hear the voice of reason
Screaming after me
"You've flown far too high boy now you're too close to the sun,
Soon your makeshift wings will come undone
"But how will I know limits from lies if I never try?

There's no promise of safety with these secondhand wings
But I'm willing to find out what impossible means.
I'll climb through the heavens on feathers and dreams
'Cause the melting point of wax means nothing to me.
Nothing to me
Nothing to me

I will touch the sun or I will die trying.
Die Trying.

Fly on these secondhand wings
Willing to find out what impossible means
I'll climb through the heavens on feathers and dreams
'Cause the melting point of wax means nothing to me
Nothing to me
Means nothing to me
Miles above the sea.

Daedalus (2005)
Thrice
I stand on the cliffs with my son next to me
This island our prison, our home
And every day we look out at the sea
This place is all he's ever known.

"But I've got a plan," He sung
Wax and some string, some feathers I stole from a bird
We leap from the cliff and we hear the wind sing a song thats too perfect for words

But son, please keep a steady wing
And know you’re the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea

Now safely away, I let out a cry
"We'll make the mainland by noon"
But Icarus climbs higher still in the sky
Maybe I've spoken too soon

But son, please keep a steady wing
And know you’re the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea

Wont you look at your wings
They're coming undone
They're splitting at the seams
Steer clear of the sun, for once wont you listen to me?

Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings

Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings


Most of us are at least familiar with the mythological tale of the adventures of Daedalus and his son Icarus, but would one ever expect to see it in two mainstream rock songs? As the story goes, Daedalus, a master sculptor, devised a way to make wings of feathers, string, and wax in order to escape the island of Crete (where he was held captive) with his son. Before leaving, Daedalus made sure to warn Icarus not to fly too high (the sun would melt the wax) or too low (where the ocean waves would soak the “makeshift” wings). They set off, and all seemed well until suddenly the boy began to fly to great heights, quickly approaching the heat of the sun. The wings melted, and Icarus fell from the sky into the depths of the sea. Daedalus lamented the loss of his son, blaming his art for the misfortunate ordeal. When he finally arrives safely on land, he “hang[s] up [his] wings” as an offering to the god Apollo, vowing never to fly again.
The first of these two songs, written by Dustin Kensrue of Thrice, was created in the upswing of the band’s career. It portrays the youth, enthusiasm, and sometimes recklessness of the artits in their early twenties. Very fittingly, “The Melting Point of Wax” is written from the perspective of Icarus, the adventurous youth who failed to heed the warnings of his father. Clearly, this song expresses the artists’ inexperience and even immaturity in reference to the consequences of “throw[ing] caution… into the wind.” Even the fast-paced, somewhat sporadic, beat and instrumentals display the juvenility that still exists in their character.
Four albums later, providing a poignant contrast, “Daedalus” is written from the father’s perspective. The rigidity and depth of older age is exaggerated by plodding beats and an unchanging time signature. This song is, in a sense, the “foil” of “The Melting Point of Wax” in every way. It came out in 2008, as the band members reached their late twenties and perhaps took a look back on their lives with a better perspective on things. Also, a few of them already had kids of their own, which may have inspired the creation of an opposing point of view to the story of Daedalus and his son—they now understood the pleading concerns of a loving parent.