Ghetto Gospel
Ghetto Gospel was written by Tupac Shakur and features Elton John. It was published in 2004. In his song Ghetto Gospel, Tupac is a grown successful black man who has made it the ghetto. He is revisiting where he came from and seeing it with both eyes wide open. He is afraid that the older generations fight for equality is being lost in despair of his and the upcoming generations. That despair is a new form of slavery known as poverty, drugs, and gangs. This in his eyes is unacceptable and scary. He is sad to see that his generation is not respected. “everyone is ashamed of the youth, because the truth look strange” (Shakure, Tupac).He is sad to see that this is the legacy that his generation is leaving for the upcoming generation. It is not about the color of our skin, but coming together t help each other. He wants people to listen to him and really hear him. He knows it is time to make a change. Even thought he sees all this despair, he knows that with faith in God, determination, hope, and faith in oneself, that people can rise above it to better life. He knows, because he did it. He had made mistakes along the way, but he learned from them. His faith leads him in the right direction and he is hoping the youth will follow his lead and have faith for a better life without violence. Tupacs tone is sad, but hopeful. When I listen to this it makes me feel sad for what really goes on in the world and that is what I think he intended listeners to feel. I think Tupac’s intention was to open people’s e yes about the hardships some people face in their life. This makes me think about how great of a life I really have.
A sound device used in Ghetto Gospel is alliteration. When Tupac says “I stop and stare at the younger”(Shakure Tupac). And the “s” sound stands for stopping and looking at the younger people. Another sound device used in assonance. Ehen Tupac says “don’t it make ya get teary, the world looks dreary”(Shakur Tupac). The “eary” sound helps set the mood of sadness very effectively. A type of fighurative language used in Ghetto Gospel is repetition. When tupac said, “drink out my own bottle(own Bottle”(Shakur Tupac). The repletion of own bottle communicates to the listener that he takes responsibility for his life. Another figurative language used in Ghetto Gospel is imagery. When Elton John said “and the red sun sinks at last into the hills of gold and peace to this young warrior without the sound of guns”(John Elton). This imagery means when death is over, you will be in a better place with peace all around you and you will not have to fight anymore with guns.
The overall message of this song is Tupac let the lord guide him out of the ghetto through his faith and his music. He is preaching to the youth to follow by his example and let the lord guide them he is offering a way out of the despair that has enslaved our youth in the form of crime, poverty, drugs and gangs. Faith and hoe leads to a world without violence.
Shakur, Tupac. John, Elton. “Ghetto Gospel.” Azlyrics. 4 March 2009 http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/2pac/ghettogospel.html
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:EbcAkue7HgbpmM:http://www.amazon.gen.tr/imgs/479I7RK2pac-loyal2dagme.jpg
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Tupac's Dreams of Change
Tupac’s dreams of change
Tupac Shakur was born in New York City on June 16th, 1971. Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, and stepfather, Mutulu, were both apart of the black panthers, which is probably where Tupac gets his activism from. His mother and stepfather being in and out of jail, his mother being a drug addict, them constantly moving before finally residing in California, and them struggling to make money to pay for food and bills made Tupac turn to writing songs about his life and the struggles he has been through. His harsh life and activism for the African American community made him one of the top-selling rappers of all time. In his song “Changes” he talks about how the world needs to change and become a better place. By utilizing a historical approach that is both biographical and cultural Criticism, I was able to connect Tupac’s lyrics form his song “Changes” to his views on poverty, oppression and hopelessness, and police corruption in the African American community to Barrack Obama’s views on life struggles and how to make the world a better place. Historical Criticism is when you “examine a work in the context of its time” (McMahan, Elizabeth, 1175-1180, Literature and Writing Process).
Many African Americans deal with poverty every day. In Tupac’s song “Changes” he addresses the issue of poverty by saying “…I’m tied of bein’/ poor and even worse I’m black/ my stomach hurts so I’m looking for a purse/ to snatch…” (1, 5-8). Tupac uses these words to explain how many people in the African American community may feel because they may not have money to buy food or pay their bills. He also talks about children and welfare by saying “…Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares/ one less hungry/ mouth on the welfare…” (1, 12-14). Tupac uses those two lyrics as a message to our government so that they can do something about the poverty issues going on in our country. Even after Tupac tried to notify the world and the government of what was going on they ignored him. In 1993, when his first album came out, Vice president Day Quayle denounced Tupac saying that he “has no place in our society” (TupacHQ.com). Poverty wasn’t the only issue in Tupac’s song changes, but he also talked about oppression and hopelessness.
Oppression and hopelessness were two factors that contributed to Tupac’s song “Changes”, and it was also something that played a big role in his life. Both of Tupacs parents were black panthers and he grew up watching them trying to do good things for the black community but he also had to see them go to jail for the things they did trying to help the community. Another person that had an effect on Tupac’s life was Huey Newton. Newton was a co founder of the black panther’s movement, and an activist for the African American community. Newton had hoped to improve the African American community, but he was fatally shot in Oakland California in 1989. In Tupac’s song “Changes” he makes a reference to Newton by saying “…It’s time to/ fight back that’s what Huey said/ 2 shots in the dark now Huey’s dead…” (1, 18-20). Tupac grew up seeing people trying to help the African American community out of poverty and oppression, but he had to see those people go through struggles and still stay oppressed by other people, which in turn made Tupac feel hopeless. In his song Changes he raps about feeling hopeless by saying, “…I see no changes wake up in the morning and I /asked myself/ is life worth living Should I blast myself?... (1, 2-4)”. Those lyrics are a sign that maybe Tupac felt hopeless and like nothing would ever change, and that maybe there are other people that feel the same way as Tupac did. Oppression and hopelessness were not the only controversial issues that he rapped about but, he also rapped about police corruption.
Huey Newton was one of Tupac’s biggest mentors, but like Newton, Tupac was also accused of crimes that he did not commit. In October 1993 “Tupac was arrested for allegedly shooting two off-duty Atlanta police officers who he said were harassing a black motorist, and eventually the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence (TupacHQ.com). This incident caused Tupac to rap about police corruption in his song, and it was a way for him to try to make a statement to the community and the law enforcement. Tupac states in his song “Changes” that “…Instead of war on poverty they got a war on /drugs/ so the police can bother me…” (3, 5-7). That verse of the song made me think that maybe the governments were coming up with laws that gave the law enforcement more power than they needed or they came up with ridiculous laws to harass people. Tupac allegations about police corruption were proven true on March 3rd 1991 during the Rodney King beating. Rodney King was an African American man living in Los Angeles California when he was stopped by police and brutally beaten. After that event many African American’s decided to riot in the Los Angeles area. The Events became national and some things within the Los Angeles police department changed, but not much. Tupac also say in his song “Changes” that “…Cops give a damn about a negro/ Pull the trigger kill a nigga /he’s a hero…” (1, 9-10). That verse of the song lets people know that Tupac was thinking that the law enforcement wanted to oppresses the black community.
Tupac’s song Changes speaks very well on political issue and about the power of our government and law enforcement. I believe his intended audience for this song would be African American males that are struggling to make it, the African American community, the government, and everyone in the world, but I believe that the audience that is actually listening to his music is African American community and Caucasian teenagers and young adults, and youth and young adults in various countries around the world. I think he did a good job talking about the African American community that was struggling and trying to give a message to our government and the world that we need to come together and help each other out to make a difference in the world. Even though he expressed his feeling towards the law enforcement and government very well he talked about them really negatively, and not all government officials and people that work in law enforcement abuse there position. One of Tupac’s verses in the song changes says “…And although it seems heaven/ sent /we ain’t ready to see a black president…” (2, 14-16). That verse in the song is very ironic since we just made history by electing our first black president. In an article that I found on ndpiritonlife.blogspot.com a blogger wrote that “Tupac’s words share the common themes of president Obama’s-that if blacks and whites unite we could truly heal each other” (nspiritonlife.blogspot.com). I believe that Obama and Tupac wanted things to change for the better in the world, but Obama believed in hope and that one day things will change in his lifetime, and Tupac believed that things will never change in his lifetime and he just seemed hopeless. So was Tupac’s song Changes right or wrong? I believe at the time this song was written it was somewhat right, but our generation just proved him wrong because on November 3rd 2008 the United States united blacks, whites, Hispanics, and all other races and elected a black man into the oval office as our president, which proves that things have changed.
Changes Lyrics
[1]
Come on come on
I see no changes wake up in the morning and I
ask myself
is life worth living should I blast myself?
I'm tired of bein'
poor & even worse I'm black
my stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse
to snatch
Cops give a damn about a negro
pull the trigger kill a nigga
he's a hero
Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares
one less hungry
mouth on the welfare
First ship 'em dope & let 'em deal the
brothers
give 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each other
It's time to
fight back that's what Huey said
2 shots in the dark now Huey's dead
I got
Love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
Unless we share with each
Other
We gotta start makin' changes
Learn to see me as a brother instead
Of 2 distant strangers
And that's how it's supposed to be
How can the
Devil take a brother if he's close to me?
I'd love to go back to when we
Played as kids
But things changed, and that's the way it is
[Bridge
changing ad libs]
Come on come on
That's just the way it
Is
Things'll never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww
Yeah
[Repeat]
[2]
I see no changes all I see is
Racist faces
Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under I wonder what
It takes to make this
One better place, let's erase the wasted
Take the
Evil out the people they'll be acting right
'Cause both black and white is
smokin' crack tonight
and only time we chill is when we kill each other
it
takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
And although it seems heaven
sent
We ain't ready, to see a black President, uhh
It ain't a secret don't
[ Changes lyrics from http://www.lyricsyoulove.com/ ]
conceal the fact
the penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with
blacks
But some things will never change
try to show another way but you
stayin' in the dope game
Now tell me what's a mother to do
bein' real
don't appeal to the brother in you
You gotta operate the easy way
"I made
a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way
sellin' crack to the kid. " I
gotta get paid,"
Well hey, well that's the way it
is
[Bridge]
[Talking:]
We gotta make a
change...
It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's
change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
and let's change the way
we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to
do
what we gotta do, to survive.
[3]
And still I see no
changes can't a brother get a little peace
It's war on the streets & the
war in the Middle East
Instead of war on poverty they got a war on
drugs
so the police can bother me
And I ain't never did a crime I ain't
have to do
But now I'm back with the blacks givin' it back to you
Don't
let 'em jack you up, back you up,
crack you up and pimp slap you up
You
gotta learn to hold ya own
they get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile
phone
But tell the cops they can't touch this
I don't trust this when they
try to rush I bust this
That's the sound of my tool you say it ain't
cool
my mama didn't raise no fool
And as long as I stay black I gotta stay
strapped
& I never get to lay back
'Cause I always got to worry 'bout
the pay backs
some buck that I roughed up way back
comin' back after all
these years
rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat that's the way it is uhh
Work Cited
Tupac Shakur, Lyrics you Love. Copyright lyrics you love.com.1st March 2009<http:// WWW.lyricsyoulove.com/t/tupac_Shakur/changes/>
Black President-The Rhetorical similarities of Tupac Shakur and Barack Obama . Web log. 2008 December 7th. 1st March 2009 < http:// nspiritonlife.blogspot.com/208/12/black-president-rhetorical-similarities.html>
TupacHq.com.1st March 2009 < http:// WWW.tupachq.com/lifehistory.cfm>
McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan X Day, Robert Funk, Literature and the Writing Process. 1175-1180. New Jersey. Pearson Prentice Hall.2007.
Change
John Mayer’s song “Waiting on the World to Change” is about the current youth in the United States and how they are waiting for the problems with the current leadership to change. It gives some of the false stereotypes of this generation’s youth and explains why the youth is viewed that way. By using the cultural critique method, we are able to relate Mayer’s lyrics to the political problems and the societal stereotypes at the time this piece was written (McMahan).
Mayer’s lyrics relate to the false stereotypes attached to the youth of today’s generation in many ways. One of the stereotypes of today’s youth is that they do not care about politics (Coenen). The youth have been blamed for not voting and for not supporting candidates. Mayer states that is not true in his lyrics by writing that “…it’s not that we don’t care/we just know that the fight ain’t fair…” (stanza 8, lines 1-2). He is stating that the youth cares about politics; it is just that they do not have enough power to do anything about it yet, so they are waiting for the time that allows them to make changes. Another false view of today’s youth is that they are lazy and do not have anything to give to society. Mayer contests this by writing “…they say we stand for nothing…” (stanza 1, line 3).
Mayer’s lyrics also relate to the problems with the people in power and how the youth cannot change it at the current time. Mayer states the reason that the youth cannot change the mistakes made by the leaders is because they are not in a position in society to make changes. He states this in his lyrics when he says “…it’s hard to beat the system/when we’re standing at a distance…” (stanza 4, lines 1-2). Another problem with the leaders is that they control the media. They slant information, do not give the entire story, and they control people through that. This is proven when Mayer writes “…and when you trust your television/what you get is what you got/cause when they own the information/oh, they can bend it all they want…” (stanza 6, lines 1-4). But, the youth have seen through their lies. This is shown when he says that “…now we see everything that’s going wrong/with the world and those who lead it…” (stanza 2, lines 1-2). Mayer also writes about how the leaders are using their overwhelming power to keep the youth from being able to make a difference. Like, in the case of using the media to influence the masses to their benefit. He does this when he says “…we just feel like we don’t have the means/to rise above and beat it…” (stanza 2, lines 3-4).
Another thing that Mayer talks about is when his generation takes over. He states this in his lyrics when he says “…one day our generation/is gonna rule the population…” (stanza 10, lines 1-2). What Mayer means by this is that the youth is waiting until they get to the age of having more power, so that they can make changes and fix the problems made by the previous leaders. This may be done through getting a job directly related to politics or through just making enough money to be able to push their opinions. Age is another thing that will give them a better stand with the older generations. Mayer also writes that “…we keep waiting/waiting on the world to change…” (stanza 3, lines 3-4). At the time that this was written, Mayer could have been talking about waiting until the next election comes, so that the youth could elect someone that would represent their views and make changes for them.
Another thing that helps us understand the meaning behind the lyrics of Mayer’s song is by looking at the intended audience. The audiences are the leaders and the older generations. You can tell this because the song is insulting them. This is proven when Mayer states that “…now we see everything that’s going wrong/with the world and those who lead it…” (stanza 2, lines 1-2). Also, this is about the youth and how they feel. This is shown in Mayer’s lyrics when he writes that “…now if we had the power/to bring our neighbors home from war/they would have never missed a Christmas/no more ribbons on their door…” (stanza 5, lines 1-4). The audiences are the leaders and the older generations because the song explains exactly what the youth is feeling. They know what the song is trying to convey because it is how they are feeling, so it is conceivable to see that they are not the audience. By determining who the audience is, we can see the meaning of the song because we can figure out who Mayer is trying to target. Yes, it helps the youth to be like “that is how I feel,” but Mayer’s purpose is to show the intended audience the youth’s discontent with them. Therefore, figuring out the audience helps us determine the true meaning behind every word in his song.
John Mayer’s song “Waiting on the World to Change” has two goals. One of them is to express the youth’s feelings of discontent with the way the current leaders are handling things. The other goal is to show the youth that they are not alone in feeling the way that they do. Mayer discusses the youth’s desire for change in the political world. He also discusses the stereotypes of today’s youth and the problems that come as a result with attaching these labels to them. By utilizing cultural criticism, we are able to see the correlations between Mayer’s lyrics and all of these issues that can only be solved with time.
Waiting On The World To Change lyrics
me and all my friends
we're all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could
now we see everything that's going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means
to rise above and beat it
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change
it's hard to beat the system
when we're standing at a distance
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
now if we had the power
to bring our neighbors home from war
they would have never missed a Christmas
no more ribbons on their door
and when you trust your television
what you get is what you got
cause when they own the information, oh
they can bend it all they want
that's why we're waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change
it's not that we don't care,
we just know that the fight ain't fair
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change
and we're still waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
one day our generation
is gonna rule the population
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change
Works Cited
Coenen, Kate. A View from Iowa. Web log. Youth Radio. 5 March 2009 <http://www.youthradio.org/oldsite/election2004/2004election_iowa.shtml>.
Mayer, John. “Waiting on the World to Change.” John Mayer-Waiting on the World to Change Lyrics. Specific Harm Music. MetroLyrics. MetroLyrics.com, 2004-2009. 23 Feb 2009 <http://www.metrolyrics.com/waiting-on-the-world-to-change-lyrics-john-mayer.html>.
McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk, ed. Literature and the Writing Process-Eighth Edition. Pearson Education, Inc., 2007. 1177.
Mayer, John. Waiting on the World to Change. YouTube. 28 April 2009 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPOBMzMTP4U>.
“John Mayer.” Wikipedia. 11 April 2009. Wikimedia Foundation. 28 April 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mayer>.
John Mayer. 28 April 2009 <http://www.igotmold.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/john_mayer.jpg>.
Infatuated with Addiction
They say it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. “Overdose” however, by Jamie Foxx challenges that thought. By using psychoanalytical criticism, we are able to connect outside influences from the writer’s life to specific lyrical moments in the text. On the way to the hospital, this lyric depicts the poet expressing what is believed to have caused the emergency; his infatuation with someone, that person leaving his life, and the result thereof.
Jamie Foxx compares an experience with love to that of an addiction. The song starts at the climax of the emergency. He is on his way to the hospital, hearing sirens ring while being strapped down. The emergency medical technicians do not know the cause for this sickness. Much like love, people on the outside looking in rarely know or feel the love or pain one experiences while being with a significant other. Though emergency medical technicians are not aware, Jamie is aware that his lover is the cause; he has in fact overdosed on his lover, like a drug. As an addict, not only does he still want his lover, but he also needs her.
On the way to the emergency room, they give Jamie a blood test and it said no cocaine, therefore, the emergency medical technicians still do not know what is wrong with him. Jamie then states, “…you’re deep inside of me/So this is goodbye to me/But for you I’ll die happily/One more hit I’ll be free”(Stanza 3, lines 5-8). After abusing a drug for so long, it becomes rooted deeply within. Jamie was in love with his woman for so long; she grew on him, and truly became a part of him. Addictions often times lead to death and Jamie proclaims that he is willing to die if he is able to be with his lover one more time, because then he would overdose on her this last time and die happily. He said he would be free; free of his pain and addiction. He will no longer have to be sick of having to go without his “drug,” the one he is in love with.
My uncle was addicted to drugs and ager going so long without having them, he would begin to howl and scratch because his body needs it, after growing accustomed to it. Jamie relates to my uncle; due to being without, he beings shaking, tweaking, and feigning. Painful pleasure can describe an addiction. It is known that it will eventually kill, but the pleasure felt at the time of intake it what an addict is concerned with. Though loving his woman so much and giving her his heart only allowed for hurt, he loves the feeling. Jamie begins aching, breaking, and shaking and has the need to be with his lover again. He then questions, “Will I make it through the night?” He states, “And now my body’s cold/I’m losing it, ‘cause I was abusing it oh no/Can’t nobody help, I did it to myself/And that’s why I’ll do it again and again” (Stanza 5,lines 6-10). His body has grown cold because he abused his lover, taking so much of her, only to end up losing her. Jamie blames none other than himself for losing the one he loves.
I’ve often heard people say “you can’t help someone unless they want to be helped.” Jamie admits to not wanting help. He is in love and wants to fulfill himself with his lover; loving being in love is what caused Jamie’s addiction. Though the love of his life has walked away, he wants to die happily by overdosing on her one last time. The feeling of being in love with that imperfect person one loves perfectly is one of which no one wants to lose and when forced to do so, it is as of a death within the body taking place, as if that one last breath is forever gone.
Overdose by Jamie Foxx
They say I had it bad.
Addicted to what we had.
Heart Rate's low fading fast.
Vitals low might not last.
Strapped down while sirens ring.
Holding on trying to breathe
Not like this I can't leave.
Look what you've done to me.
I overdosed overdosed overdosed on you.
They said I overdosed overdosed overdosed on you.
Cause I want you close. Need you the most.
Without you I'm just through.
So I overdose overdose overdose on you.
Rushing me switching lanes.
IVs all through my veins.
Blood tests say no cocaine.
They don't know you're to blame.
Cause you're deep inside of me.
So this is goodbye to me.
But for you I'll die happily.
One more hit I'll be free.
Cause I overdose overdose overdose on you.
They said I overdose overdose overdose on you.
Cause I want you close. Need you the most.
Without you I'm just through.
So I overdosed overdosed I overdosed on you.
Cause I knew that you would kill me.
Cause I'm sweatin, tweakin, feenin.
Never been so hurt.
But damn I love this feeling.
Cause I'm achin, breakin, shakin.
Will I make it through the night?
And now my body's cold.
I'm losing it, cause I was abusing it. Oh no
Can't nobody help, I did it to myself.
And that's why I'll do it again and again.
I overdose overdose overdose on you.
They said I've overdose overdose overdose on you.
Cause I want you close. Need you the most.
Without you I'm just through.
Cause I overdose overdose overdosed on you.
Works Cited:
Foxx, Jamie. “Overdose.” Urbanlyrics.2006-2009.Mar. 2009.<http://www.urbanlyrics.com/lyrics/jamiefoxx/overdose.html>
Painting Insecurity
School Boy Humor’s song “Paint Me Envy” is a very catchy song that utilizes vivid imagery and a great rhyming scheme. It is a song about a girl who is having trouble with finding out who she really is. In today’s culture magazines and television have burned an image of beauty into young women that has many girls feeling insecure about their bodies. According to Bliss Magazine 6 out of 10 teenage girls would feel better about themselves if they lost weight. Also the study revealed that 2 out of 3 girls younger than 13 had been on a diet before. By using cultural criticism of School Boy Humor’s song “Paint Me Envy”, we can see how teenage girls are portrayed as insecure. This song illustrates a girl’s insecurities through her relationships, dress, and directional sense in life.
The girl appears broken down by a relationship in the beginning of the song. As she talks to her friend and asks for advice her friend responds by saying he is a “liar” and a “cheating heart-breaker.” The girl refuses to believe her friend by saying, “oh you don’t mean that”, because she doesn’t want to lose her boyfriend. Insecurity is a major problem in relationships because people tend to look to their boyfriend of girlfriend for a sense of well being, but in reality this has to be obtained independently. Many other issues can also influence the insecurity in the relationship, but for women it is especially influenced by outward appearance.
In today’s culture many young women develop insecurity in the way the dress. Many women at a young age see the beautiful girls on magazines and TV and want to dress like them. This is because young women see how successful the “good looking” women are and how happy they are. In the song, the girl is described as “dressed to kill” in the second verse. This leads the listener to believe that this girl is sexy and is who everyone wants to be, but what other people do not know is that she wants to be something else. The song also says, “It’s sad to think that her self worth is based on opinions that others have about her.” This line not only describes her self worth, but it sends a message to the audience not to be like this girl.
Lastly, the song illustrates how some young women become insecure in their directional sense. The girl in the song is confused in every aspect of her life. She is torn between who she is and who she wants to be. She finally decides to pack up and leave town. “She tells herself that she won’t cry”, tells the audience that it is a very difficult decision for her to make. She is not only leaving town, but she is leaving her boyfriend as well. As she is leaving she tells him “All we are, is what we intend to be.” This is the most important line of the song because it shows that she has found out who she is, and who she is not. This line basically means that a person can only go as far as they are willing to go in life.
In conclusion, “Paint Me Envy” displays great imagery and brings the listener into the song. Insecurity is a huge problem in today’s society. Not only does this song address the problem, but it also provides a solution in how to handle it. It is easy for a person to go along with the flow and be someone they aren’t, but it is harder to go your own way and be happy with who you’ve become.
Works Cited
"Teenage Girls 'hate their bodies'." BBC NEWS 06,01,2004 6 Mar 2009 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3368833.stm>.
School Boy Humor, "Paint Me Envy." Sweet Lyrics. March 2, 2008. 6 Mar 2009 <http://www.sweetslyrics.com/564667.School%20Boy%20Humor%20-%20Paint%20Me%20Envy%20.html>.
Anberlin: An Artist with Intrigue
Anberlin is a band that I have been listening to since their first album was released. “Blueprints for the Black Market” came out in 2003 and I was immediately hooked. Their sound and genre is located in the alternative rock category, and were first signed with Tooth and Nail Record Label (http://www.toothandnail.com/) in Seattle Washington, whom my sister interned for a year ago. Not only does their loud, rock sound appeal to me but their lyrics most of all. They are what initially drew me to liking the band and I have been listening to them ever since. Their lyrics are not only poetic and beautiful in my opinion but usually seem to deliver a bold message also. By analyzing Anberlin’s lyrics using biographical criticism, which looks at the artist’s words as related to their possible background and history, we can get a closer look at the depths of the artists’ emotions and understand stories that may have shaped or influenced the artist throughout their life.
One of my favorite Anberlin songs has always been “Never Take Friendship Personal”.Obviously, from the title alone, one can see that it might already tell some kind of story that occurred. The first two lines of the song, found from Plyrics.com, are “There’s a hatchet got a knife, When I awoke there was nothing real in this life” (stanza 1, lines 1-2). From the first line one might get a slight direction of the tone in the song, which in my opinion, seems to evoke thoughts of danger or possibly the infliction of pain on someone or something. The next line seems pretty self explanatory but delivers a nice oxymoron. We know things are alive and real in life so when the author says “nothing real in this life”, he is figuratively saying when he woke up nothing was had meaning to him. Another few lines from the song are “Innocence gone, never take friendship personal, If you can’t hold yourself together, Why should I hold you now?” (Stanza 2, lines 1-3) These verses are pretty self explanatory also but refer back to the title in which one can get a brief idea of the song. In my opinion, the artist seems frustrated and possibly offended. Clearly, somebody he knows wants to be held and he feels that they are not worthy of being held at that particular time. I think that the artist is most likely referring to a girl because he talks about holding someone. The line of the song that seems to most display emotion to me is “Tell me something more than what you try, The greatest tragedy is not your death, But a life without reason, Your life has no purpose” (Stanza 6, lines 5-8). Here the artist is probably referring back to the opening line where he says “When I awoke there was nothing real in this life” when he talks about the “death” of this person. He seems to feel that this person has died, not literally, but probably has lost a sense of self and is begging to be found again. Obviously, Anberlin has a unique and poetic style of lyrics and the emotions felt through these lyrics have reached me on an emotional level.
Throughout Anberlin’s lyrics there is usually a repetition of the chorus. This tends to reiterate how much importance these words carry to them and it also helps to keep the song cohesive in my opinion. An example of repetition in “Never Take Friendship Personal” is the chorus that was quoted above and says “Innocence gone, Never take friendship personal, If you can’t hold yourself together, Why should I hold you now?” (Stanza 2, lines 1-3) This is repeated seven different times throughout the song and is repeated in sections of two, two, two and one. Clearly, the lead singer, whose name is Stephen Christian, feels the need to repeat the chorus is significant, as he does this with many of their other songs (www.anberlin.com). Another example of repetition used in Anberlin’s song is when he repeats “Oh oh oh you lie…oh oh oh you cry” (Stanza 6, lines 1 &4). I think from the simple repetition of “oh”, the song displays the amount of emotion Stephen Christian is pouring into the lyrics. In my opinion, he seems boldly determined to let this person know how he feels about their relationship that he cannot help her or be with her until she helps herself. Although the tone is bold and forward, it seems to have a ring of slight desperation and exhaustion to it as well. In my opinion, repetitions in lyrics have the ability to magnify the meaning of the song greatly, especially in “Never Take Friendship Personal”.
Although I personally feel that Anberlin’s lyrics are what makes the band so good, Alexis Shapiro of theywillrockyou.com interviewed the band and feels their lyrics are on the same level…
“Fast forward to 2007 and their latest release - Cities. Some say the band has matured, others feel that they have just perfected what they were always good at – infectious songs with lyrics we can all relate to and the raw live chops that are primed and ready for fan-filled arenas” (theywillrockyou.com/interviews).
Anberlin is also known for their spirituality and discussed on Christianitytoday.com. Andy Argyrakis, the reviewer of Anberlin on this website says “The bands sophomore release, Never Take Friendship Personal, is produced by Aaron Sprinkle (Pedro the Lion, MxPx) and features sophisticated alternative sonics, ample hooks and sweeping melodies” (Christianitytoday.com). Clearly, I am not alone in the love of this bands’ boldly moving lyrics and energetic sound.
Anberlin uses their lyrics in “Never Take Friendship Personal” to provide insight into the emotions of their lives. They incorporate repetition throughout their songs, especially throughout the chorus, to emphasize the importance of their words. Without the use of repetition in this song the meaning would not come across as bold. The message would not come across as clear and the audience would not be as connected to the artist. Overall, Anberlin is a band that I will continue listening to because of their deep lyrics and intriguing sound.
Works Cited
Anberlin. “Never Take Friendship Personal.” 2005.
Anberlin.com
Shapiro, Alexis. Interview with Anberlin. <http://www.theywillrockyou.com/interviews/inde x.php/interviews/stephen_christian_of)anberlin/
Christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2005/nevertakef riendshippersonal.html
http://eardrummanifestos.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/anberlin.jpg
http://www.toothandnail.com/
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Anberlin.jpg
Travelin’ Soldier Critique
“Waitin’ for the love of a travelin’ soldier,” is a popular line that is sung by the Dixie Chick’s. In 2002, the Dixie Chick’s put out an album called Home. On their album, they recorded a song by the name of Travelin’ Soldier. Many Americans can relate to the song due to the recording taking place after the terrorist attacks of 2001 causing many soldiers to go off to war in Afghanistan. Travelin’ Soldier has an emotional response for many Americans due to the wars that our soldiers have fought. I critiqued the song Travelin’ Soldier through a historical approach which, “approaches emphasize that the writer was leading a life in a certain time in history and that events in personal life and in the world affect the literature produced” (LWP 1176). The historical approach that I took was biographical as well as political. The Dixie Chicks are county music singers that have had many successful songs.
The song is about a young American boy who is going off to war. The boy meets a girl at the local restaurant and they become friends. Then they soon fall in love. The boy is off fighting in war but continues to write letters to the girl. After awhile without any letters, the girl was at a football game and a list of dead Vietnam soldier was read. The boy’s name was the only name that was on the list. No one at the football game really cared about the boy but the girl who cries under the football stand. The girl cares because she is in love with the boy who she just found out died in war in Vietnam.
The Dixie Chicks are a county western music group from the southern United States. When the group first began they were a group of 4 females. Now the group only consists of 3 females, 2 of the 3 are sisters. The Dixie Chicks have always been known for being loud, outspoken women with a lot of success.
The Dixie Chicks were not the original writers or performers of the song Travelin’ Soldier. The song was originally written and performed by Brue Robison. Robison wrote the song in 1996. His original intention and meaning of the song was to reflect a young couple’s love that was destroyed by the Vietnam War. The song was rewritten in 1999 by Ty England. England then recorded his rewritten version on his album Highway and Dance Halls. Then in 2002, the Dixie Chicks recorded the song on their album Home. The song became the Dixie Chicks sixth and final Number One single on Billboard Hot Country Singles and Hot Country Songs chart for the group (http://www.8notes.com/ biographies/dixie_chicks.asp).
The Dixie Chicks have had their share of controversy concerning the song Travelin’ Soldier. Being the outspoken women they are, they managed to get themselves in trouble. The song has the distinction of being the one that the Dixie Chicks were promoting when lead singer, Natalie Marines, said that the band was ashamed that United States former President, George W. Bush, is from Texas (http://www.8notes.com/ biographies/dixie_chicks.asp). This comment sent the song Travelin’ Soldier to Number One in the country singles charts. The Dixie Chicks took the song Travelin’ Soldier to the top of the charts but not without some serious controversy.
Natalie Maine’s comment sent the song to the top of the charts due to the timing of the comment. She made her comment in the year of 2003. By this time, the United States citizens had been through the 2001 terrorist attacks. Many American soldiers were in Iraq fighting for the United States. Most United States republican citizens were behind George W. Bush at the time the comment was made. Even though some Americans were not happy with the death tolls of soldiers that were being shipped back, they still chose to back Bush. Maine’s comment provoked controversy throughout America.
The Dixie Chicks song Travelin’ Soldier was then followed by a boycott. Natalie Maines tried to clear up the issue by saying, “I feel the President is ignoring the opinions of many in the U.S. and alienating the rest of the world” (http://www.8notes.com/ biographies/dixie_chicks.asp). The country and the Dixie Chick’s critics were not quieted by her apology. The Dixie Chicks who were on tour in Europe witnessed “a huge anti-American sentiment as a result of the perceived rush to war” (http://www.8notes.com/ biographies/dixie_chicks.asp). Travelin’ Soldier, as well as most Dixie Chick songs, were boycotted by many all over the world.
The Dixie Chicks provoked mixed feelings throughout the world. Some remained angry and continued to boycott their music. Others were disappointed that Maines apologized. To much of America’s amazement, Bruce Springsten and Modonna supported the right of the women to express their opinions (http://www.cmt.com/artists /az/ dixie_chicks/bio.jhtml). When Prime-time interviewed Maines, she said she was still proud of her original statement (http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/dixie_chicks/bio .jhtml). Critics and fans had mixed feelings about the Dixie Chicks.
The Dixie Chicks continued to perform on tours promoting their song Travelin’ Soldier. When they performed a concert in Greenville, South Carolina they expected to hear boo’s from the audience. They took the stage, opening with the song Travelin’ Soldier, and were in complete shock when the crowd erupted in cheers. The song Travelin’ Soldier then began to climb up country charts once again.
The Dixie Chicks song, Travelin’ Soldier, has been through a lot. The song was supported by the world due to the heart-filled woe it brought when recorded in 2002. Due to the war, the song had great significance. The women with lovers that were soldiers could relate with the song and felt strongly attached to the song. Although the song was originally written about the Vietnam War, those who hear it often relate it to the Iraqi War.
“The Dixie Chicks are free to speak their minds,” said George W. Bush (http://www.8notes.com/biographies/dixie_chicks.asp). The song Travelin’ Soldier caused an American controversy for the Dixie Chicks. The song was written to portray one war but can be related to many other wars. The song has emotional significance to many Americans. The song Travelin’ Soldier has had a historical mark on the world thanks to the outspoken band, the Dixie Chicks.
By Clicking the link below you can watch a YouTube video clip of Travelin’ Soldier.
Travelin' Soldier Video Clip
Work Cited
CMT.com. 2008. CMT Dixie Chicks Biography. 2 March, 2009. Dixie Chick Biography
Literature and the Writing Process. 1173. New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall; 2007.
Lyrics on Demand. 2009. Dixie Chicks Travelin’ Soldier. 2 March, 2009. Travelin Soldier Lyrics
Sing365.com. 2007. Sing365 Dixie Chicks Biography. 2 March, 2009.
Dixie Chicks Biography 2
Starpulse.com. 2009. Dixie Chicks Pictures & Photos. 23 April 2009. Dixie Chick Photos
Wikipedia.com. 2009. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 2 March, 2009.
Wikipedia Travelin Soldier
YouTube.com. 2009. Travelin Soldier. 23 April 2009. YouTube Video Clip
8notes.com. 2009. 8notes Dixie Chicks Biography. 2 March, 2009.
Dixie Chicks Biography 3
What Does 'Apologize' Mean?
By utilizing reader responses, we can connect specific lyrical moments in the text to experiences in the audience’s life. The song, “Apologize” by OneRepublic has many different meaning throughout the song. We can start off by going more in-depth with the imagery OneRepublic uses. OneRepublic uses key words to give the audience a type of sensory cue that lets them have a sense of direction to where the song is going. The song also shows redundancy, but that redundancy also has an evocative structure. Ultimately, we want to see if there are lyrical moments in the song that may connect to the audience’s experiences with their significant other. To start off, we will talk about the imagery OneRepublic uses throughout the song.
OneRepublic uses the imagery throughout “Apologize” to make the audience feel like they are watching the song unfold right before their eyes. For example, when OneRepublic says, “I’m holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground” (line 1), you can almost imagine someone hanging from a rope for many different reasons. The first reason could be that the person committed suicide. A reader response audience could think this because they could have experienced someone in their life that passed away by suicide. Another example of imagery is, “And I’m hearing what you say, but I just can’t make a sound” (line 3). This quote makes the song lean more towards the suicide type of scenario. Both of these quotes give the audience a picture of someone committing suicide because one quote implies that someone is holding on or hanging from a rope that is ten feet off the ground. The other quote implies that the person hanging from the rope can hear someone talking to them, but cannot say anything back, possibly because their airway is constricted from the rope. This brings me to my next pattern, which has key words that give the audience a sensory cue.
“Apologize” has some key words in the lyrics that relate it back to the experiences the audience might have had. The key words have a sort of sensory cue that give the audience a sense of direction to where the song is headed. As said in the first paragraph, “And I’m hearing what you say, but I just can’t make a sound” (line 3), these lyrics make it seem as if someone was committing suicide. As soon as the lyrics, “I loved you with a fire red, not it’s turning blue” (line 14), are said, this makes one assume that maybe someone was full of life at one point, and then immediately lifeless as they turn blue. This quote has many meanings behind it. The first meaning is, as stated before, someone was full of life until they had it taken away from them, thus turning blue. We can assume that someone is dead from their face being blue because they are deprived of oxygen. The other meaning is that someone was full of love and life. Then, they had it taken away from them, almost similar to being lifeless because the love they had is no longer there. Loving with a fire red that is turning blue gives the audience a sensory cue that basically states someone no longer has what they had before. The theme of someone being lifeless is almost repetitive throughout the song. This brings me to my next topic that includes redundancy and evocation.
Redundancy is a key factor in the lyrics to “Apologize”. The first type is not really implied to the audience, but more of how the audience will take it from their own experiences. The main redundancy shown in the song is the lyrics, “It’s too late to apologize, it’s too late” (line 8). These lyrics are said over and over in the song to send out a message to the audience. They are saying that it is too late to turn back once you commit to something. As stated before, there are lyrics that are redundant but are hidden unless the audience can decipher it out by their own reader response. Lyrics stated in the song evocate death or maybe even the death of a relationship with a significant other. The lyrics, “I’m holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground” (line 1), and, “And I’m hearing what you say, but I just can’t make a sound” (line 3), make a bold statement about what the lyrics can mean. As redundancy is shown within the lyrics, those few words can evoke the audience to lean towards a certain meaning.
Imagery can be a main factor in figuring out the meaning to a song or certain texts. This song’s imagery showed someone that was hanging from a rope, struggling to speak. This translates into the key words and sensory cue. The key words were taken from the imagery showed that someone no longer had what they once had before. Since one of the key words was defined as turning from red to blue, this gave the sensory cue that someone that was once full of life is now turning blue because they could have been oxygen deprived, or lost something they once had. This now takes it to redundancy and evocation. The redundancy shown was somewhat obvious and hidden. Certain lyrics were said throughout the song that evoked a certain meaning to the audience. The hidden meanings were explained, such as being full of life, to being totally lifeless. In an interview, Ryan Tedder says, “I would get the girl and then I would always get dropped like a bad habit” (Fletcher). His song basically summarizes all the bad relationships he has gone through. Now do these lyrics connect the audience’s experiences with their significant other or someone they have known in their life? The answer is yes and no. The lyrical meanings are different from person to person.
Tupac Shakur: What "Changes"?
Tupac Shakur recorded the song “Changes” on the label of Interscope records between 1995-96. The song covers many aspects of life that were popular topics during Tupac’s era including racism, police brutality, drugs, gang violence, and the possibility of a black president. Tupac was heavily involved in some of these himself (Stinson). The song also uses pieces of Bruce Hornsby and The Range’s 1986 hit “That’s Just the Way it is.” The song opens ones eyes to the some of the problems society had during this time period and a few of the ways Tupac believes some of the problems could be fixed. Tupac attempted to shed light on the some of the troubles based on the idea that in the time that he had grown up, things had changed for the worse for black men. He talks about ideas of blacks snatching purses, how jails are filled with blacks, and how a black man during this time period never got a chance to relax. Tupac attempts to show society some of its major problems of the time while saying that things need to change but also that there is a slim chance of this happening. “Changes” can be looked at using a variety of the critical approaches to literature; however, it especially is worth looking at from a historical approach. A historical criticism examines the work based on when the song was made and whether events in the song writer’s personal life or in the world may have influenced it (1176). Using a historical criticism, we can see that Tupac in his song “Changes” depicts some of the different problematic situations black men were faced with during his era as well as offers a few ideas for change.
In the first verse of “Changes,” Tupac talks about multiple problems a man like him faced during this era. He talks about not seeing anything changes in the world and whether its even worth living still. Tupac says “I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself is life worth living or should I blast myself?” (stanza 1, lines 2-3). He questions whether death would be a better solution rather than to live in these terrible circumstances. He goes on to talk about blacks being hungry and having to steal things to get by. Tupac references the Black Panther activist Huey P. Newton in his first
verse. The Black Panthers were an African American organization established to promote Black Power and self-defense through acts of social agitation (www.huey.er1ca.com). Tupac says, “It’s time to fight back that’s what Huey said 2 shots in the dark now Huey’s dead” (stanza 1, lines 12-13). He shows that someone trying to stand up and fight for change at this time would only get put down and possibly even harmed. At the end of the first verse, Tupac expresses his desire for things to change. He says, “I’d love to go back to when we played as kids but things changed, and that’s the way it is” (stanza 1, lines 20-21). Tupac moves on in the chorus showing that he thinks that this is just the way it is and it will never change. In the second verse, Tupac also brought light to some of the diffcult situations people faced in this era.
In verse two Tupac again expresses his desire for change. He wants things to be different but also realizes that the chance of them changing any time soon is not likely. He says, “We under I wonder what it takes to make this one better place, let’s erase the wasted” (stanza 3, lines 3-4). Tupac then moves to talking about how at this time the country is no where near ready for a President of different ethnic background. He says, “And although it seems heaven sent we ain’t ready, to see a black President, uhh” (stanza 3, lines 9-10). He believes that a black president at this time is not even possible because
of all the racism. He then talks about how everyone knows that blacks are the people who fill the prisons. Tupac says, “It ain’t a secret don’t conceal the fact the penitentiary’s packed and it’s filled with blacks” (stanza 3, lines 11-12). He is well aware that blacks make up the majority of the people in prisons at this time. In the third verse, Tupac continues to describe some of the diffcult circumstances blacks faced.
Tupac in the third verse continues to discuss the problems and his desire for change. He starts this verse talking about how he feels a change must be made. He says, “It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes. Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live, and let’s change the way we treat each other” (stanza 4, lines 1-2). Tupac continues to say the only way this can happen is if we as a people do it. He says, “You see the old way wasn’t working so it’s on us to do what we gotta do, to survive” (stanza 4, lines 5-6). Tupac knows that things are bad and that if we do not change, it will be diffcult for us all to survive living like this. He contiues in verse three to talk about instead of fighting poverty they are after blacks selling drugs. He says, “Instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs so the police can bother me” (stanza 5, lines 3-4). He feels that they should be fighting poverty just as much as they fight drugs. Tupac finishes out this verse by discussing how at this time very few black males ever get to relax and always have to have their guard up.
Tupac Shakur’s song “Changes” was a very controversial one when it came out in the mid 1990s. It brought light upon many things that were troubling society at this time. Some of these include racism, police brutality, drugs, gang violence, and the prospect of a black president. Through his music Tupac was able to depict what the problems in society were as well as express his own desire for change. The era in which “Changes” came out contributed greatly to how this song was perceived. Groups like the Black Panthers attitudes influenced the song and even had a member discussed in the lyrics. It is clear that Tupac was targeting the young black population as his audience to show that he was trying to make a difference for them as well as the rest of the country to show that a change must be made. He assumes that the majority of people who listen to this song will be young blacks which the song will sympathize with. Using a historical criticism, we can see how the song “Changes” was influenced by the problems that were in Tupac’s society as well as some of the things he felt must change.
Changes by Tupac Shakur
Come on come on
I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself
is life worth living should I blast myself?
I'm tired of bein' poor & even worse I'm black
my stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch
Cops give a damn about a negro
pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero
Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares
one less hungry mouth on the welfare
First ship 'em dope & let 'em deal the brothers
give 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each other
It's time to fight back that's what Huey said
2 shots in the dark now Huey's dead
I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
unless we share with each other
We gotta start makin' changes
learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers
and that's how it's supposed to be
How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?
I'd love to go back to when we played as kids
but things changed, and that's the way it is
[Bridge w/ changing ad libs]
Come on come on
That's just the way it is
Things'll never be the same
That's just the way it is
aww yeah
[Repeat]
[2]
I see no changes all I see is racist faces
misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under I wonder what it takes to make this
one better place, let's erase the wasted
Take the evil out the people they'll be acting right
'cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight
and only time we chill is when we kill each other
it takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
And although it seems heaven sent
We ain't ready, to see a black President, uhh
It ain't a secret don't conceal the fact
the penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks
But some things will never change
try to show another way but you stayin' in the dope game
Now tell me what's a mother to do
bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you
You gotta operate the easy way
"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way
sellin' crack to the kid. " I gotta get paid,"
Well hey, well that's the way it is
[Bridge]
[Talking:]
We gotta make a change...
It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
and let's change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
what we gotta do, to survive.
[3]
And still I see no changes can't a brother get a little peace
It's war on the streets & the war in the Middle East
Instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs
so the police can bother me
And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do
But now I'm back with the blacks givin' it back to you
Don't let 'em jack you up, back you up,
crack you up and pimp slap you up
You gotta learn to hold ya own
they get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone
But tell the cops they can't touch this
I don't trust this when they try to rush I bust this
That's the sound of my tool you say it ain't cool
my mama didn't raise no fool
And as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped
& I never get to lay back
'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the pay backs
some buck that I roughed up way back
comin' back after all these years
rat-tat-tat-tat-tat that's the way it is uhh
[Bridge 'til fade]
Works Cited
"Tupac Lyrics." Lyrics on Demand. LyricsonDemand.com. 6 Mar 2009
<http://www.lyricsondemand.com/t/tupaclyrics/changeslyrics.html>.
McMahan, Elizabeth et al. "Critical Approaches for Interpreting Literature." Literature
and the Writing Process. Ed. Leah Jewell. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. 1175-1180.
Stinson, Chris. "Tupac Shakur Biography." Hot Shot Digital. 6 Mar 2009
<http://www.hotshotdigital.com/WellAlwaysRemember/TupacShakurBio.html>.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8Y9-JlSRXw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c57NnbBgxaU&feature=related
http://www.interscope.com/
http://z.about.com/d/rap/1/0/K/P/-/-/2PacChanges.jpg
http://www.huey.er1ca.com/huey_gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icUgEhpuy1g
http://www.marxists.org/history/usa/workers/black-panthers/
http://luv2hateu.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/who-is-barack-obama.jpg
Man in Black
In Johnny Cash’s song, “Man in Black”, the artist protests the society during the time period in which the song was written. Throughout the song, Cash justifies why he only dresses in black attire. I discovered the meaning of the song by using a historical criticism approach when listening to the song and reading through the lyrics. Johnny Cash wrote this song in honor of many people he had met in his travels throughout the United States and the world.
In the beginning of the song,Cash talks about how he only dresses in black clothes and that it is symbolic. He says that his appearance has a “somber tone” (line 3). Black is a color that people wear when they are in mourning; Cash is mourning for the people that describes in his song. He goes on to describe the people he intends to honor by wearing black. For emphasis he uses redundancy by repeating the phrase “I wear the black for the…” and then goes on to describe different groups of people in society.
The first group that Johnny Cash writes about wearing black for is the poor people. He describes them as living on the “hopeless, hungry side of town” (line 6). In 1971, when the song was released, 10.4% of Americans were living in poverty, but during the 1960s, when the song was written, the level had reached over 20% (Historical Poverty Tables). The next group that Cash is mourning are the prisoners that are still locked up even though they have “long paid for their crime” saying that these criminals are actually victims of the time (lines 7-8). He is pointing out how punishments are far too harsh for many crimes. Cash then goes on to sympathize with illiterate people and those who haven’t heard of Jesus Christ. He describes Jesus’ preaching about the “…road to happiness through love and charity,” and implies that people often ignore this lesson (line 11). He writes that those not in poverty are happy because of their “…streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes” (line 14). The artist is criticizing people for ignoring the underprivileged in society and measuring happiness and success with material possessions.
Not only is Cash standing up for the underprivileged by wearing black, but also the elderly, the sick, the junkies and the soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War. Cash writes about how he wears black for the sick, the lonely elder people and the “…reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold” (line 18). He is sympathizing with people who are physically and emotionally suffering from sickness, loneliness and addiction. Cash also wrote this song for the soldiers fighting the war in Vietnam. The war took place from 1959 to 1975. He wrote about “…the lives that could have been” when talking about the young soldiers who had lost their lives in Vietnam (line 19). More than 58,000 American troops lost their lives in Vietnam (United States Census Bureau). He is protesting the war by says that young soldiers are continuously dying while believing they have the support of Americans and God. However many Americans opposed this war and there were many protests that took place around the United States. Cash believes that “…things need changin' everywhere you go,” and that it is up to the society as a whole to achieve these changes (line 26). However nothing will begin to change until people start to stand up for what is right. Cash says that only when things are made right will he stop mourning and wear bright colors again.
The “Man in Black” by Johnny Cash protests many problems within the society during the time period it was released. He uses colors that invoke emotion to let the audience understand that the society has a lot of problems. I was able to critique the song by using the historical approach. The time period and events surrounding it are very important in understanding what Johnny Cash is singing about in this song. However the message is still applicable in today’s society.
Man In Black Lyrics
Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.
I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.
I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.
Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.
I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.
And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.
Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.
Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.
Work Cited
Historical Poverty Tables. United States Census Bureau. 1 May 2009.
<http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/histpov/hstpov2.html>.
Man in Black. Johnny Cash. 1 May 2009. <http://www.metrolyrics.com/man-in-black-
lyrics-johnny-cash.html>.
Statistical information about casualties of the Vietnam War. CACCF. 1 May 2009.
<http://www.archives.gov/research/vietnam-war/casualty-statistics.html>.
All the Little Ants
“All the little ants are marching, red and black antennae waving, they all do it the same, they all do it the same way” (Stanza 4 / Line 5-8). What does this mean? Is this supposed to be literal or symbolic? Anybody could read, hear, or sing these words from the song “Ants Marching”, by the Dave Matthews Band, and put forth their own understanding and ideas about the lyrics. By using a reader response approach to criticize this work, it enables readers to not dig into the literature to find meaning and formalism, but to explore other’s interpretations as well as their own and convey personal experiences and different points of view and their relation to the song. It is known and accepted that everybody explores literature differently, and that’s what this critical approach investigates.
As stated in Literature and the Writing Process, “no one reads a work in exactly the same way” (1179, LWP). How very true this is. While listening to the song, “Ants Marching”, many things could be taken from or put forth to try and understand the lyrics. Many people may automatically believe they have an understanding to the underlying meaning. Others may be puzzled and think the lyrics have absolutely no true implication at all. Dave Matthews Band have actually come out and revealed the reason and explanation behind their work of literature. “The song is centered on the idea that people get caught up in the monotony of their everyday lives and forget to focus on what is truly important. The metaphor used is that people are like marching ants in the line” (www.wikipedia.com). Many people could have just taken the song in literally, and understood the lyrics as a band singing about ants. Dave and the band creatively related the everyday, continuous routine of ants to that same routine possessed of people in the real world. By taking a closer look into the lyrics, it shows a deeper meaning than just the literal idea of a song about ants. The song at one point talks about a man and woman who pass each other in their regular routine,desiring to speak to one another but always choose instead to “take these chances” and “place them in a box until a quieter time” (Stanza 2 / Line 1-2). An interpretation on the song could be that people live in their daily, stiff routines, passing up chances, in fear, that it could change their safe way of life. A fan of the song, referring to themselves as SweetestSiren , on www.songmeanings.net said:
…a great Dave Matthews Band song... awesome message.... how people go through routine and get so used to it that they forget to take chances, and before they know if they've wasted their whole lives waiting. I like the verse about driving along the highway, the "people in every direction / no words exchanged / no time to exchange".... it's sad that people don't care enough to acknowledge others, or really know what to say.
-SweetestSiren (www.songmeanings.net)
People can relate to these words because everyone has felt regret, and can translate those feelings through the regret conveyed by the characters in “Ants Marching.”
Though most readers can often relate themselves to literature, most depict the meanings differently. When you explore readings, songs, poems, etc., you are taking in the stories in your own eyes and in relation to your own life history and exposure to the world. Literature accepts the fact that “each person brings his or her own experiences and points of view to bear while reading” (1179, LWP). To me, the song means that we pass up chances each and everyday just by being ignorant and passive. We’ve become accustomed and adjusted to an everyday routine that we’re either uncomfortable or in fear of altering, so we ignore the things in life that could really matter. An experience I’ve had that reflects this meaning of the song is loss of friends. I’ve had friendships with people very close to me end, either over disputes or disagreements or whatnot. I have always had regret over not trying to mend these broken relationships. I’ve always just figured that they are already over it and probably no longer care. A line of the song that mirrors this idea is:
… we look at each other
Wondering what the other is thinking
But we never say a thing
And these crimes between us grow deeper…
(Stanza 1 / Lines 5-8)
I believe the “crimes” the band are talking about are the regretful feelings we have when we don’t take chances, and ignore things that are out of the conventional, everyday habit. Although it may be through different ways, everybody can feel a sense regret and recount feelings and experiences like this.
When listening to this song, because of it’s tone and beat, it is hard to think of the message being portrayed in it as a negative one. Most people probably haven’t even stopped to think about what the friendly, feel-good song talks about. By looking further into the meaning of the words, instead of just the words themselves, it gives insight to an idea people often think about but just probably would not put with this song. By critically thinking and critiquing with the reader response approach, I investigated and explored the underlying meaning to the song, “Ants Marching”, and determined a message relayed by fans, the artists themselves, The Dave Matthews Band, as well as interpretations of my own.
“Ants Marching”
By: Dave Matthews Band
He wakes up in the morning
Does his teeth bite to eat and he’s rolling
Never changes a thing
The week ends, the week begins
She thinks, we look at each other
Wondering what the other is thinking
But we never say a thing
And these crimes between us grow deeper
Take these chances
Place them in a box until a quieter time
Lights down, you up and die
Goes to visit his mommy
She feeds him well his concerns, he forgets them
And remembers being small
Playing under the table and dreaming
Driving along on this highway
All these cars and upon the sidewalk
People in every direction
No words exchanged, no time to exchange and when
All the little ants are marching
Red and black antennae waving
They all do it the same
They all do it the same way
Candyman tempting the thoughts of a
Sweet tooth tortured by weight loss
Program cutting the corners
Loose end, loose end cut cut
On the fence, not to offend
Cut cut cut cut
Take these chances
Place them in a box until a quieter time
Lights down you up and die
Lights down you up and die
WORKS CITED
"Dave Matthews Band Ants Marching." Lyrics Freak. 1 Mar. 2009 <http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dave+matthews+band/ants+marching_20036621.html>.
The Oracle Band. "Ants Marching - Dave Matthews Band Song Lyrics, Chart History, Artist Information." The Oracle Band. 1 Mar. 2009 <www.oracleband.net>.
"Ants Marching." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Sept. 2007. 1 Mar. 2009 <www.wikipedia.org>.
McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan X. Day, and Robert Funk. Literature and the Writing Process. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.
"Ants Marching Lyrics." Song Meanings. 1 Mar. 2009 <http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/89/>.
Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black"
Rarely can one peel through the pages of a tabloid magazine without brushing past mention of the notorious Amy Winehouse. The 25-year-old songstress has seen her fair share of trouble in the few years she has been working in the music industry. Unfortunately, Winehouse is far more known now for her drunken shenanigans, an unsteady and destructive marriage to a convict, and her (obvious) use of heavy drugs and self injury. It is hard to believe now that this emaciated young woman was once (and probably still is) a very accomplished songwriter and songstress. The beehived, London-born jazz and soul singer first surfaced in the record industry with her 2003 album “Frank,” which was a light-hearted and playfully defiant collection of music (of the R&B persuasion) that garnered considerable success in her home country. However, it was her much darker 2006 soul album “Back To Black” that made Winehouse a radio-station staple across the globe. “Back To Black” went on to win Winehouse five Grammy awards, including “Record of the Year” for her first single “Rehab”, which was a cheeky anthem regarding Winehouse’s recent experiences with alcoholism and waning friendships (Amy Winehouse). However, it is her third single, “Back To Black,” that proves to be the most intriguing, as well as the most lucid look into Winehouse’s mind. The song’s surreal imagery takes on a completely different meaning when Winehouse’s life is taken into consideration. By using biographical criticism (her biographical information can only be accessed in its entirety on Wikipedia, which, I realize is not the most reliable source. The fact that this site seems to be the only place to find any substantial information about her is rather curious), one can use the obscure lyrics of “Back To Black” to reveal a meaning that is drastically different than the (generally) more widely accepted interpretation of the song.
“Back To Black” stands out from the rest of Amy Winehouse’s work on the “Back to Black” album because of its debatable subject. Amy Winehouse’s songs have been, for the most part, very straight-forward. Her songs generally tell a story, usually an account of a recent event in her life, event by event, emotion by emotion. However, “Back To Black” differs because it does not follow this format. It seems to be written in a “train of thought” style, reminiscent to the (allegedly) drug-induced songs penned by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The lines: “And life is like a pipe/and I’m a tiny penny rolling up the walls inside” evokes this style, especially (stanza 4, lines 5-6). The song does not play out like as a story, but more like an opium-induced dream, which leads me to believe there is a surprisingly deeper meaning behind the music.
The song, at face value, seems to be about Winehouse mourning the (possibly only temporary) loss of a lover that has left her for another woman. This break-up subsequently leads Winehouse into a depression. This is indicated by the chorus, which reads: “…We only said goodbye with words/ I died a hundred times/ You go back to her/ And I go back to black...” (chorus, lines 1-5). The official music video, although not explicitly showing the love affair in question, seems to confirm this “state of depression,” this “black” that Winehouse finds herself in. The video is shot in black in white, and shows her walking to a cemetery where she finds a tombstone marked: “RIP The Heart of Amy Winehouse” (Back to Black). This is completely plausible, as the album was written after Winehouse had broken up with her lover (and future husband) Black Feilder-Civil (Amy Winehouse). “Back To Black” was the product of creative catharsis spawned by the devastation of an ended relationship experienced by the artist. However, given the surreal, almost (if I may) “drugged-out” nature of the song (which again, is very out of place for Winehouse) it seems that the “black” Winehouse returns to is something else.
The alternate interpretation for this song that I (and evidently, some others) take is that, rather than losing her lover to “another woman” and subsequently herself to depression, Winehouse and her lover both loose themselves, rather, to separate drug addictions. Strangely enough, “her” is a street term for cocaine and “black” is another name for “black tar,” or heroin (Erowid). This gives the chorus a different meaning when her lover “goes back to her” and “I’ll go back to black.” This seems plausible too, as later in the song Winehouse mentions her lovers affinity for “blow” which, again, is another slang term for cocaine (stanza 4, lines 2-3). Earlier in the song, a couple of Winehouse’s lyrics evoke thoughts of heroine abuse. In the lines “I tread a troubled track/My odds are stacked/ I go back to black” (stanza 1, lines 9-11). The word “track” could refer to “track marks” which are needle scars left on the skin from drug injection. Although this might not be worthy of mention (but it could be intentional of her, who knows?) that the line “my odds are stacked” sounds like “my arms are stacked” in her recording, which could mean her “arms” are stacked with scars, or maybe, tattoos to cover said scars (and indeed, Winehouse has accumulated quite a collection of tattoos over the past couple of years, as seen in numerous photos). This interpretation would also be equally relevant in her life experiences as well, seeing as her lover Feilder-Civil was also an adamant drug-user, and in many ways, her enabler (Amy Winehouse). However, I do not believe the song is solely about drug use or about a defunct relationship, but rather, about a coalescence of the two. The opening stanza refers to her lover being promiscuous “He left no time to regret/Kept his dick wet/ With his same old safe bet” (stanza 1, lines 1-2), which more or less cements infidelity as an element in the song. The fact that this song seamlessly weaves a story of unrequited love and self-destruction from drug use, in my opinion, makes this song the perfect anthem for Winehouse’s life at the time it was written (and, arguably, now as well).
Taking her personal circumstances into account, the song “Back To Black” takes on a double meaning that proves to be a provocative and revealing piece of songwriting. It is no wonder that the title of this particular song was chosen also as the name of her most intimate album yet, which is to date, her magnum opus.
Lyrics
He left no time to regret
Kept his dick wet
With his same old safe bet
Me and my head high
And my tears dry
Get on without my guy
You went back to what you knew
So far removed from all that we went through
And I tread a troubled track
My odds are stacked
I'll go back to black
We only said good-bye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to.....
I go back to us
I love you much
It's not enough
You love blow and I love puff
And life is like a pipe
And I'm a tiny penny rolling up the walls inside
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to
Black, black, black, black, black, black, black,
I go back to
I go back to
We only said good-bye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to
We only said good-bye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to black
Sauces
“Amy Winehouse”. 4 March 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Winehouse>.
"Amy Winehouse: Back To Black Lyrics". 4 March 2009 <http://www.metrolyrics.com/back-to-black-lyrics-amy-winehouse.html>.
“Back to Black”. 4 March 2009 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_black>.
"Erowid". March 4, 2008 <http://erowid.com>.
“Fix You” by Coldplay
When you try your best but you don't succeed.
When you get what you want but not what you need.
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep. Stuck in reverse.
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know "Just what you worth"
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Tears stream, down on your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face and I... Tears stream, down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face and I...
Will try to fix you
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you.
It is easy to get deceived by the rhythm of a song and not pay attention to what the author is trying to portray through the lyrics. By utilizing the reader response criticism, we are able to analyze the message of the artist and bring one’s own experiences and point of view while doing so in order to give meaning and relate with what we are reading (p.1179). The song “Fix You”, by Coldplay, can cause a certain impact on a person, since the lyrics carry a lot of meaning and cues to what wants to be portrayed. Through the use of rhyme, repetition, and imagery the meaning of the piece of literature comes out clearer. The band portrays a message of what being human means and how human experience can change and impact one’s soul. Moreover, in order to understand the message the song has, one has to read within the lines and compare their own life experience with it.
Not many bands cause such an impact on society as Coldplay does. The band was described as the “Most profound British act” (www.sing365.com) since their songs are so humane. After their first album ‘Parachutes’ in 1998, they were number one for the rest of the year. Chris Martin, the lead singer of the band, described the band’s songs as a method to bring clearness into the reality that is surrounding people, but most try to avoid or ignore. “We just want the songs to reflect reality” (www.sing365.com), which emphasizes the idea that the song “Fix You” has a deep meaning behind the lyrics, and it is not only a matter of good rhythm or music.
After reading the lyrics carefully, I realized that the song reminded me a lot of my own feelings and my life. According to an article about Coldplay, “tenor vocals are answers for the soul” (www.sing365.com). It is a song that is being real about human emotions and experiences, which makes it easier to react to it with a reader response criticism since they bring their own experience into the lyrics and the reader can bring his or her own as well. Therefore, it was easy to relate with and realize what the author was trying to imply. First of all, the first lines start with “When you” (stanza 1, line 1) which points out that it is directed towards reader. That immediately can make one think and pay more attention to what the song is saying. It uses examples of life experience such as; “When you get what you want, but not what you need” (stanza 2, line 2) which suggests the reader to question his or her own life and analyze what is it that it’s making these feelings arise. I think that no one can say that this has never happened to him or her; everyone lives in a world of uncertainty. Also, in this first set of lines the author says “Stuck in reverse” (stanza 1, line 4). The way that I interpreted this was that when one is unhappy or does not get what is in need, it is hard to move forward and succeed. It’s easy to get stuck in time, lose hope, and not improve what one needs to, but it’s something that people go through at a certain point in their lives.
Life experience is necessary in order for a person’s soul to develop to there fullest. Through out the song the use of repetition emphasizes the meaning of what the artist is trying to reveal. At the end of each paragraph the artist places a question, usually one that questions the readers about their own life. “Could it be worse” (stanza 2, line 4) is a deep question that the artist places, certainly life isn’t easy and people are going to encountered difficulties. Though, the question provides a certain kind of hope that made me think that maybe people make a big deal out of things that they can overcome if they try hard enough. “And I will try to fix you” (stanza 3, line 3) this is the name of the song; therefore, it is mentioned several times through out it. The way this phrase is used made me realize that there is someone out there that one can rely on. Someone that is willing to help and guide you through whatever it is one is going through. There is no reason why one should lose hope in life and give up; we will always be stumbling through life but that is part of what makes us human.
Coldplay songs were also described as ones that “face an inevitable sadness and yearning, to get to a better place where the truth held firm in pure emotion” (www.sing365.com). After realizing this reflected in the song, there was a part of the song which caught my attention; “And high up above or down below. When you’re too in love to let it go. If you never try you’ll never know. Just what you’re worth” (stanza 4, lines 1-4). This is a peculiar use of imagery, which made me immediately relate it with my life. I am pretty sure every human being has had to let go of something that was harming him or her, and could agree that it is not an easy thing to do. It’s easy to lose ourselves with what we want and not care if it is hurting us and forget what we really deserve and should be getting. Everyone goes through rough times, but there can be good outcomes after suffering. Sometimes we should focus a little more on ourselves, let go and take chances and start living them. It takes risks in order to have a happy ending or try to achieve some sort of happiness or peacefulness in ones life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBEYyHGbwto.Coldplay uses their own life experience in this song, it shows how they are also human and are trying to understand and show people that there are hardships in life and we all go through similar stages of it. The song carries a powerful meaning and questions its’ readers. It suggests that everyone should question their lives, where they are heading and to be aware that they shouldn’t lose hope no matter what. “I promise I will learn from my mistakes” (stanza 7, line 2) is and important phrase that struck me because it is reality, as humans we should learn from what we do wrong and try to fulfill ourselves by doing better next time. Every human being is full of uncertainty, sadness; we are lost and trying to find meaning for our souls. The pattern that the song carries makes the questions more noticeable and easier to figure out.
Every human soul suffers in silence; it is not something one wants to show. The only way to overcome it is by experience and learning from our mistakes. We cannot prevent our feelings from happening, but we can appreciate them and use them in a way that will help us achieve happiness and fulfillment in our lives and souls. What Coldplay tries to portray through this song is that things happen in our lives and our first inclination is to think everything is devastated. The question behind that is, is there really a point for all of this? “People have to realize that it is not that bad and that you have to keep on going until they realize that life is good” (www.sing365.com) was said by the band and concluding that it is the message of all of their songs.
Works Cited
Day, Susan X , McMahan, Elizabeth, Funk, Robert. Literature and the Writing Process. New Jersey: Pearson Prcntice Hall, 2007. Coldplay. “Fix You”.X&Y Album. September 2005. 28 Feb.2009. http://www.metrolyrics.com/fix-you-lyrics-cold“Coldplay Biography”. Ads by Google. January 2009. 03 March 2009. <http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/ColdplayBiography/> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBEYyHGbwtohttp://g.sheetmusicplus.com/Look-Inside/covers/6696983.jpg
Finding Hope
At the time John Pudney wrote the poem, “Landscape: Western Desert” in 1941, the whole of Europe was involved in bloody conflict. Times were looking grim for the free nations of Europe as the jackboot of socialism was slowly crushing them. This poem describes the decisive war that was being fought in North Africa, between British and German troops. By using historical criticism, I will show how the meanings written in the poem were representative of the current situations abroad.
John Sleigh Pudney was born in 1909, in Langley, Buckinghamshire. He served in the Royal Air Force throughout World War Two, and was stationed in North Africa, Sicily, and France (John 1). Being an author before the war, he was initially recruited to write about work the airmen did in a way the public could understand. Being right in the middle of some of the fiercest battles of the war, he took these experiences and turned them into poetry. His poem “Landscape: Western Desert” was written during the North African Campaign as the British were fighting to hold on to their strategic positions. Just for a brief history review, I will go over why holding Egypt was so important. Egypt was important for three reasons. One, It was home to the Suez Canal, which whoever controlled, effectively controlled the Mediterranean. The second reason was that there was no significantly defensible place past Egypt, and if German armor broke through there, the vast oil field of the middle east would be opened up. This by the way would have been a bad thing since most of the British and French controlled countries in the Middle East were very pro Axis. If the Axis controlled the Middle East then it could turn its attention north to the Soviet Union, and then the whole face of World War Two could have been quite different. The Third and perhaps best reason for beating the Germans in Egypt was to save face. Up until this point the Germans had never been beaten with the exception of the air Battle of Britain, so winning a ground war against them was decisive in proving that the German army was not invincible (North 1).
Pudney starts his poem by describing the bleak settings in which the battles were being fought. He says, “Annul Footprint and grave” when he is describing the desert sands and the way that it blows over everything including the graves of their fellow soldiers (Pudney 3). The next few lines describe the initial battles between the British and German forces. He Says, “Briefly the vetches bloom- In the blind desert room -When humble, bright and brave -Met common doom” (Pudney 5). This describes how the British would go into a battle with hopes of victory, but that victory would soon be dashed away by a stunning defeat.
The Italians started the whole campaign by invading British held Egypt from Italian held Libya. This led the British to counterattack and although outnumbered five to one, beat the Italians back. The commander of the Afrika Korps, Erwin Rommel, was a brilliant tactician and was sent to Africa to help the Italians. His counterattack pushed the British all the way back into Egypt. The only reason he did not advance further was because he was short on fuel for his tanks. As a result, this early British victory was quickly taken away from them. The vetches in the poem are flowers native to parts of Europe and Africa and their brief blooming and overall destruction stand for the results of this battle.
In the second stanza of the poem, Pudney focuses on the casualties of the battles and the vast spaces in which they were fought. The poem says, “Less perishable, less – soon in rottenness” (Pudney 11). I believe Pudney is contradicting himself by saying this. If something was less perishable than that means it would last longer, not be rotten. I believe that he is not talking necessarily about the soldiers being physically hurt although many were; he is talking about the psychological effects on the minds of these young men. Most front line troops on every side for the entire war were made up primarily of young men, most of which had not made it out of their teens. The large distances that these battles were fought in were immense. The desert offers no recognizable landmarks, so this makes navigation very difficult. His “Huge space parade” (Pudney 14) is talking about all of the different vehicles, the tanks, trucks, and cars, and how they are being paraded around the desert attempting to wage war. The distance was a nightmare for the British because of their inferior tanks. The Germans tanks could shoot them at a greater distance than they could effectively shoot back. Also, weapons like the 88 mm anti tank gun could engage targets from two thousand yards (North 1).
In the last eight lines of the poem, Pudney reflects on the senseless killing of war and how they are all usually started for good reasons. It is a sad but true fact; the downside to wars is the dead that result from the fighting. He really gets to the meat of this in his line that says; “Of loveless lapse and loss” (Pudney 19). More than fifty million people died as a result of World War Two. More than half of those lost were non combatants, such as civilians or Jews. The losses on the Allies’ side seem more reasonable since they were fighting to stop tyranny, but any time a country loses its young people, it is not a good thing. Pudney does talk about it being a noble thing that has merit and good intent. He says, “The common heart which meant-such good in its intent-such noble common dross-suddenly spent” (Pudney 21). The common heart he describes is not yet the United States since we had not entered the war yet but of all of the different nations fighting with Britain. There were troops from New Zealand, South Africa, Free French and Free Polish all joining together to fight off the invaders. The good intent is obvious, but when he speaks of the nobility being suddenly spent, he means something else. He means that even though it seems noble to fight off the enemy, its glamour quickly wears off showing the true side of war.
When we look back to the time period where Pudney wrote this poem, all of the hidden meanings come out. During that time of turmoil and uncertainty, no one could be sure of anything except the hope that good would prevail. John Pudney’s poem is so brilliant because he was right there in it experiencing it with all of the men. His firsthand account of events provides us with a grim look of reality, and expresses how most people felt about the situation. Understanding and critiquing history can give us a clearer picture of what the future holds. As Winston Churchill once said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going
Work Cited
“John Pudney.” Feb 2005. Vanessa Davis. The War Poets Association. 23 Feb 2009.
http://www.warpoets.org/conflicts/ww2/pudney/
“North Africa.” World War Two History .Info. 23 Feb 2009.
http://worldwar2history.info/North-Africa/
Pudney, John. “Landscape: Western Desert.” 120 War Poems. Lineone.net. 23 Feb 2009.
http://website.lineone.net/~nusquam/westdsrt.htm
http://www.warwingsart.com/12thAirForce/88FlakGun.jpg
How to Make a Trooper Cry
“How to make a Trooper Cry”
In English class, we were instructed to write a paper about a poem. A poem can be something traditional or maybe untraditional such as a song. We are to also write about the tone, point-of-view, and why we think the author wrote the poem. “How to make a Trooper Cry” is a very inspiring poem written by an anonymous author. As a person training for law enforcement as a career, I can only imagine that this might be a State Trooper who wrote this.
In “How to make a Trooper Cry”, the author writes in a certain tone which is to be understood as angry. McMahan defines tone as “…the attitude of the writer toward the subject matter of the work-the poem, story, play, or essay” (500). It shows how sympathy and anger mix in an unfortunate set of event. This poem talks about how a male and his family end up after a night where the male has been drinking. It says “Start by refusing to listen to your wife when she suggests that she drive. Don't be a wimp. Assert yourself. /Say, "Aw heck, I can drive with a few beers under my belt than you can cold sober” (stanza 2, lines 1&2). At first glance, this should start to make any reasonable person fill with anger. The author shows the anger of the trooper by writing, “The Trooper smells the alcohol on your breath when you try to explain, and he's not gentle as he pushes you into /the patrol car and tells you to shut up” (stanza 2, line 3). The author, presumably a law enforcement officer, shows the anger filled within the trooper and what it takes to make one cry.
I mentioned sympathy earlier when mixed with anger in the poem. One can see sympathy when the author writes, “Then he turns his attention to what's left of your family and your car. / Congratulations. You've made a Trooper cry” (stanzas 5&6). As a person critiquing the work of the author, I felt immediate sympathy for the suspect’s family and the trooper working the accident. Again, it showed anger as the trooper talked to the suspect and after smelling alcohol on his breath, the trooper became angry and then saw his family dead and showed sympathy for them by crying.
The point-of-view of this poem could be construed as a trooper. The author is unknown and from the writing, one could infer that only a law enforcement officer could have written this. It is told in third person bringing the second person in and has an unbelievably remarkable message. The poem reenacts an event that this trooper dealt with and shows how he has suffered. The narrator is talking to the audience as the trooper’s thoughts are being portrayed.
One could argue why a person might write this poem. One could see this being written in one of three ways. That is to inform, to possibly persuade, or to even tell a story. I think all of these reasons might be why this particular author wrote this. In a trooper’s lifetime, he will work multiple fatality accidents with just under half of them being alcohol related according to some statistics prepared by the Arkansas State Police. This is where one could see why this would be to inform; inform the readers what could happen after drinking and driving. There are certain consequences that follow each action and this would be a perfect poem to recognize that concept.
This also might be written as a persuasion piece. After seeing this so many times in a person’s life, one could assume that the author wants to persuade anyone and everyone from drinking and driving. It is unnecessary and the author proves it by what happens in the poem.
Finally, this poem might be just a story to indulge readers. As soon as a person reads the title, he or she may become interested and just want to read a story and obtain no moral value. As the person critiquing the author, I do not believe this to be the case. Each and every person’s thoughts and views are different and should be respected but, it would be hard to read this poem and finish with no emotion or altered mindset.
The poem “How to make a Trooper Cry” is a remarkable poem set forth to engage the reader’s mind. This author showed his own feelings within the poem portraying them as the trooper’s feelings. One might believe that all people who read this would share the same feelings as the author, anger and sympathy. The point-of-view is how the author wants the reader to see who is talking. In this case it is someone telling another person how to ruin the day and possibly life of a trooper by their actions. Finally, the best reason for this poem being written is to inform and persuade. One can conclude that the author wants to inform readers of the dangers and consequences of drinking and driving along with the desire to persuade the readers not to drink and drive.
“How to make a Trooper Cry”
Would you like to see him bury his face in his hands, bawl like a baby, And slam his fist into the side of his patrol car? It's easy.
Start by refusing to listen to your wife when she suggests that she drive. Don't be a wimp. Assert yourself. Say, "Aw heck, I can drive with a few beers under my belt than you can cold sober.
"Twenty minutes later you are standing in the dark on the side of the highway with broken glass and spilled gasoline around. Your wife is screaming, pinned beneath the jagged edges of twisted metal.
Your two year old daughter is silent. Your six year old son is sprawled face down 30 feet way. The Trooper smells the alcohol on your breath when you try to explain, and he's not gentle as he pushes you into the patrol car and tells you to shut up.
Then he turns his attention to what's left of your family and your car.
Congratulations. You've made a Trooper cry.
Works Cited
“How to make a Trooper Cry” 28 February 2009 <http://www.policepoems.com/TrooperCry.htm>
McMahan, Elizabeth et al. “Writing about Persona and Tone.” Literature and the Writing
Process. Ed. Leah Jewell. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007.
State of Arkansas. Arkansas 2007 Traffic Crash Statistics. 28 February 2009.
<http://asp.arkansas.gov/hso/pdf/crash_stats_2007.pdf
Sleep Through The Static
The poem Sleep Through the Static opposes the laid-back surfer mentality that Hawaiian musician Jack Johnson is known for. Johnson has previously written politically minded works, however the level of his politically inspired anger reaches its climax in the poem Sleep Through the Static. By using the method of socio political criticism, we are able to successfully expose the underlying message that poet is desperately trying to send.
Sleep Through the Static was written in the latter part of 2007, and strategically released in song form on Super Duper Tuesday, or February 5, 2008, “the day on which the largest simultaneous number of state U.S. presidential primary elections in the history of U.S. primaries were held” (Wiki). Through this poem, Jack Johnson calls his audience to realize and take responsibility for the consequences that our actions as Americans have on the world around us. He says that “Sleep Through the Static is about the fact that by a push of a button we can turn the war on or off as we please. It’s not really a real thing to many people” (Forum).
The inspiration for the poem came from reading a pair of bumper stickers on the back of a car. Johnson said, “I was driving one day behind a car and I saw a sticker that said ‘Support Our Troops’, and another one that said ‘Jesus Loves You’, and I was just curious as to what Jesus might’ve thought if he was to see that” (Forum). The idea that we as Americans contradict ourselves is carried over into the writing style that Johnson uses in his poem. There are a number of lines in the poem in which the direction of the line shifts suddenly. Johnson does this by utilizing multiple meanings of a single word or phrase. For example, “either you're weak or you'll use brut force-feed the truth is we say not as we do” or “just show your teeth and strike the fear of god wears camouflage, cries at night and drives a dodge pick up the beat…” (Sleep). The poet uses his wordplay sarcastically to expose his views that the words and actions of America as a whole do not match up.
The first line of the poem showcases Johnson’s belief that the “trouble” that our country is in right now with the war in Iraq was inevitable due to the state of our military’s attitude coupled with our failure to see things through an unbiased point of view. The attitude of our military that he is referring to is described in further detail later on in the poem in a line that says “either we’re weak or we use brute force” and goes on to say that we “force feed the truth is we say not as we do.” This line also shows the same contradiction between our words and actions that caused the poet’s original concerns.
The chorus uses the slightly different voice of one who is either blind to see wrongdoings of America’s foreign actions, or simply does not care about them. It includes lines such as “Who needs ‘please’ when we’ve got guns?,” which is in reference to our lack of concern with the need to be polite and considerate of others because we have the power to just take what we want by force. This thought is echoed by following line, “Who needs peace when we’ve gone above? But beyond where we should have gone,” which implies that we think we are above peace. We contradict ourselves when we claim that we can create peace if the means by which we do so involve violence.
Sleep Through The Static
By Jack Johnson
Trouble travels fast
When you're specially designed for crash testing
Or wearing wool sunglasses in the afternoon
Come on and tell us what you're trying to prove
Because it's a battle when you dabble in war
You store it up, unleash it, then you piece it together
Whether the storm drain running rampant just stamp it
And send it to somebody who's pretending to care
Just cash in your blanks for little toy tanks
Learn how to use them, then abuse them and choose them
Over conversations relationships are overrated
"I hated everyone" said the sun
And so I will cook all your books
You're too good looking and mistooken
You could watch it instead
From the comfort of your burning beds
Or you can sleep through the static
Who needs sleep when we've got love?
Who needs keys when we've got clubs?
Who needs please when we've got guns?
Who needs peace when we've gone above
But beyond where we should have gone?
We went beyond where we should have gone
Stuck between channels my thoughts all quit
I thought about them too much, allowed them to touch
The feelings that rained down on the plains all dried and cracked
Waiting for things that never came
Shock and awful thing to make somebody think
That they have to choose pushing for peace supporting the troops
And either you're weak or you'll use brut force-feed the truth
Is we say not as we do
We say anytime, anywhere, just show your teeth and strike the fear
Of god wears camouflage, cries at night and drives a dodge
Pick up the beat and stop hogging the feast
That's no way to treat an enemy
Well mighty mighty appetite
We just eat 'em up and keep on driving
Freedom can be freezing take a picture from the pretty side
Mind your manners wave your banners
What a wonderful world that this angle can see
But who needs to see what we've done?
Who needs please when we've got guns?
Who needs keys when we've got clubs?
Who needs peace when we've gone above,
But beyond where we should have gone?
Beyond where we should have gone
We went beyond where we should have gone
Beyond where we should have gone
(lines …-..) in text
“…when I sit under a tree/ I think to myself that I wish I were a tree…”(…..)
if at the end” (….).
if a question? (....).
block quotes if quote is 4 lines or longer and ends with. (…..)
(stanza 3, line 5)
songwriter, poet
Little Boxes All the Same
Malvina Reynolds was a social activist and writer of protest songs. Malvina Reynolds wrote the song “Little Boxes” in 1962. It became best known through Pete Seeger’s performance of the song in 1963. She wrote the song to make a political statement about the uniformity which she believed was being created by the use of "Cookie-Cutter" or "Tract" houses; houses along suburban streets with identical floor plans (http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=6991 1). The lyrics point to the conformity we move toward in America, like the “American Dream” and all wanting the same things.
Reynols refers to these replica houses as “little boxes all the same” (verse 1, line 2). These “Little Boxes” refers to the areas of Daly City, California. The city was built in the post-war era when the use of tract houses became popular to supply homes to returning soldiers. Nancy Reynolds, daughter of Malvina Reynolds, explains:
My mother and father were driving South from San Francisco through Daly City when my mom got the idea for the song. She asked my dad to take the wheel, and she wrote it on the way to the gathering in La Honda where she was going to sing for the Friends Committee on Legislation. When Time Magazine (I think, maybe Newsweek) wanted a photo of her pointing to the very place, she couldn’t find those houses because so many more had been built around them that the hillsides were totally covered. (Time 2)
That area of California houses several families of the upper-middle class and
lower- upper class. Those social classes are whom Malvina targets in her song as being conformists. Evidence of that lies with in the words of the second verse:
And they all play on the golf-course/ And drink their Martini dry/ And they all have pretty children/ And the children go to school/ And the children go to summer camp/ And then to the university/ And they all get put in boxes/ And they all come out the same. (Verse 3 Lines 1-8)
The first two lines reference leisure activities enjoyed by the upper class. The line, “All go to the university,” alerts us to the reality that it is about the upper- middle class, because that is who can afford to tuition to the university, especially in the 1960s.
The realization of Malvina’s song still remains true for a portion of our society now. The Middle class can afford to send their children to the university, where boys tend to major in business. When they graduate, they marry and move into a house similar to the one they grew up in. Some parts of society truly do fallow in a cookie cutter affect. However, a great portion of society is about individuality and being able to “do our own things.” We have now made a kind of post-modern world.
Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds
1. Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
Little boxes, little boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.
2. And the people in the houses
All go to the university,
And they all get put in boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
And there's doctors and there's lawyers
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.
3. And they all play on the golf-course,
And drink their Martini dry,
And they all have pretty children,
And the children go to school.
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
And they all get put in boxes
And they all come out the same.
4. And the boys go into business,
And marry, and raise a family,
And they all get put in boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.
Works Cited
"Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds." Song Facts. 01 Mar 2009 <http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=6991>.
Reynolds, Malvina. “Little Boxes.” 26 Feb 2009 http://www.ocap.ca/songs/littlbox.html
“Tacky into the Wind.” Time. February 28, 1964. Viewed March 2, 2009. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,873851,00.html
My Bad: The Reconciliation of TI
Clifford Harris, better known as TI, was arrested in 2007 for the possession of multiple illegal firearms. This incident was the most recent of many other dealings the young rap artist has had with authorities. However, due to the severity of this crime, and the possible consequences he faces, TI has committed himself to an attempt at reform by helping troubled youth in his MTV show “Road to Redemption,” and by utilizing his artistic talents to change his negative image (CNN 1). See Full Article In their book, Literature in the Writing Process, authors Susan Day, Robert Funk, and Elizabeth Mcmahan define biographical criticism as a critique of an artist’s work based on personal experiences the artist has had (94). Thus, through the use of biographical criticism, clear connection can be made from the lyrics of TI’s song “Dead and Gone” to his current legal problems that are a direct result of his “thug” lifestyle. This critique will discuss how TI uses personal experiences, a powerful bridge, and carefully chosen lines of a chorus to convey his feelings of regret, warning, and most of all reassurance to his fans that he has legitimately changed for the better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXW5-JaSP98
Throughout his song lyrics, TI includes several examples of why he regrets some of the poor decisions he has made in his life. For example, when singing about some of his past memories, TI says “Most of that shit/ look back just laugh/ Some shit/ still look back get sad” (Stanza 3, line 17-20). In these lines, he is expressing not only that he was lucky he got away with some of the things he did, but more so that he has other memories that he wishes he did not have due to their negative outcome. TI continues and says “Maybe my homeboy/ still be around/ Had I not/ hit the nigga/ in the mouth that time” (Stanza 3, Lines 21-25). TI references one personal experience in which he has regrets about his actions, which resulted in the death of Philant, a close friend, whose name is mentioned in the song. Lyrics such as these, that discuss very emotional and personal experiences, demonstrate the seriousness that TI is approaching his entire situation with, and further prove his commitment to convincing young listeners that such a lifestyle can leave one with a feeling of deep and painful regret.
In the bridge of the song, I think TI is making an effort to heed a warning to those living a “gangsta” lifestyle. The lyrics include “I turn my head to the east/ I don’t see nobody by my side/ I turn my head to the west/ still nobody in sight” (Stanza 5, Lines 1-4). These lyrics are attempting to tell the listener that continuing to live such a risky lifestyle will ultimately end in loneliness for whatever reason. Whether loved ones leave voluntarily, due to their poor choices or against their own will, because of jail or death, TI is warning listeners that this fate is something to be considered. TI understands that to simply give up this lifestyle is quite difficult, and his lyrics acknowledge that by saying “So I turn my head to the north/ swallow that pill/ that they call pride” (Stanza 5, Lines 5-8). By saying that one must swallow one’s pride to change one’s way of life shows that TI is being completely honest with his listeners and saying that yes it is difficult and yes they will feel like they are losing pride. In addition to giving warning to his listeners and being straight-forward about the inner-struggle one faces, TI also offers assurance in the bridge of his song with the line “The old me is dead and gone, / the new me will be alright” (Stanza 5, Lines 8-9). This ending line is telling listeners that while it may be a struggle to change one’s ways, in the end with the destructive “old me” will be gone, and the “new me” will eventually be able to live a normal healthier life. By using these lyrics as the bridge of the song, it shows this message is of particular importance to TI.
TI’s entire song is full of many emotional elements, and he is making a point to admit his mistakes and regrets, but the most important message that is repeated throughout the lyrics is that TI has left his old ways behind and has changed for the better. The lyrics to the chorus of this song include “That part of me left yesterday/ the heart of me is strong today” (Stanza 2, Lines 55-60). This line shows that TI is saying he has not only left that part of his life behind him, but he is a stronger person because of it. The lyrics of the chorus continue by saying “No regrets I’m blessed to say/ the old me dead and gone away” (Stanza 2, Lines 57-58). It is one thing for someone to simply say that they have changed, but for TI to also make a point of saying that he is at peace with himself and his decision demonstrates how important it is to him that his listeners be made aware that he has honestly changed. Often times, due to repetition, listeners identify songs by their chorus, thus since these lyrics were specifically chosen as the chorus lines, it is obvious TI wanted these words to be of particular significance and send a powerful message to his fans.
Overall, I think the lyrics of this song greatly support his attempt to better his public image. Although TI is a hip hop icon, made famous by the nature of his risky lifestyle, the lyrics of this song address the consequences, the regret, and most of all reiterate to the listener that TI admits his mistakes and has changed his way of life and that the “old me is dead and gone”.
Lyrics to Dead And Gone :
(feat. Justin Timberlake)
Chorus:
(Justin Timberlake):
Ooooooo
I've been travelin
on this road to long
Just trying to find
my way back home
The old me
is dead and gone
dead and gone
Ooooooo
I've been travelin
on this road to long
Just trying to find
my way back home
The old me
is dead and gone
dead and gone
(T.I.)
Ever had one of dem days
u wish woulda stayd home
Run into a group of niggas
getting they hate on
U walk by
they get wrong u reply
then shit get blown
Way outta proportion
way past discussion
Just u against them,
pick one then rush em
Figure u get your hair?
that next
They dont wanna stop
there now they bussin
Now u gushin, ambulance
rushin u to the hospital
with a bad concussion
Plus ya hit 4 times
plus it hit ya
spine paralyzed waist down
now ya wheel chair bound
Nevermind that now
u lucky to be alive,
Just think it all started u
fussin with 3 guys
Now ya pride in the way
but ya pride is the way u
could fuck around
get shot die anyday
Niggas die
every day all over
bull shit dope money dice
game ordinary hood shit
Could this be
cuz of hip hop music
or did the ones
with the good sense
not use it
Usually niggas
dont kno what to do
when their back
against the wall
so they just start shootin
For red or for blue
or for blo I guess,
from Bankhead
or from your projects
No more stress,
now im straight,
now I get it now I take
Time to think,
before I make mistakes
just for my familys sake
That part of me left yesterday
the heart of me is strong today
No regrets im blessed to say
the old me dead and gone away.
(Chorus)
(T.I.)
I aint never been scared,
I lived through tragedy
Situation coulda been dead
lookin back at it
Most of that shit
didnt even have to happen
But u dont think about it
when u out there trappin
In apartments hangin
smokin and rappin
Niggas start shit didnt
next thing ya kno we cappin
Get locked up
then didnt even get mad
Now think about damn
what a life I had
Most of that shit
look back just laugh
Some shit
still look back just sad
Maybe my homboy
till be around
Had I not
hit the nigga
in the mouth that time
I won that fight, I lost that war
I can still see my nigga
walkin out that door
Whoda thought Id never see
Philant no more
Got enough dead homies
I dont want no more
Cost a nigga his job,
cost me more
Ida took that ass-whoopin
now for sure
Now think before I risk my life
Take them chances to get my stripe
A nigga put his hands on me alright
Otherwise stand there
talk shit all night
Cuz I hit you , you sue me,
I shoot you, get locked up, who me?
No more stress, now im straight,
now I get it now I take
Time to think
before I make mistakes
just for my familys sake
That part of me left yesterday
the heart of me is strong today
No regrets im blessed to say
the old me dead and gone away.
(Chorus)
(J.T.)
I turn my head to the east
I dont see nobody by my side
I turn my head to the west
still nobody in sight
So I turn my head to the north,
swallow that pill
that they call pride
The old me is dead and gone,
the new me will be alright
I turn my head to the east
I dont see nobody by my side
I turn my head to the west
still nobody in sight
So I turn my head to the north,
swallow that pill
that they call pride
The old me is dead and gone,
the new me will be alright
(Chorus)
Works Cited
CNN. "Rapper T.I. arrested on machine gun charges, misses BET show - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. 14 Oct. 2007. 1 Mar. 2009 <http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/13/rapper.arrested/index.html#cnnSTCText>.
Day, Susan, Robert Funk, and Elizabeth Mcmahan. Literature and the Writing Process (8th Edition). Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, 2006.
Kaufman, Gil. "Shooting Causes T.I. To Re-Evaluate His Life - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News." New Music Videos, Reality TV Shows, Celebrity News, Top Stories | MTV. 9 May 2006. 23 Apr. 2009 <http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1530402/20060508/t_i_.jhtml>.
Paper Trail. Digital image. Urban Lookout. 5 Oct. 2009. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://urbanlookout.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/ti-paper-trail-cover.jpg>.
Tamarra, Ray. Philant Johnson and T.I. 2006. MTV.com. 9 May 2006. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/t/ti/philant/281x211.jpg>.
"T.I. - Dead And Gone Lyrics." LYRICS Mania. 2 Mar. 2009 <http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/ti_lyrics_3408/paper_trail_lyrics_78842/dead_and_gone_lyrics_847325.html>.
T.I. “Dead and Gone”. Paper Trail. Atlantic, 2008. Music Video. Pr. Elvis Williams. YouTube. 20 Mar. 2009. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXW5-JaSP98>.