Thursday, February 26, 2009

Songs with Metaphors;


1.) "Revolution Cry" by Soldiers of Jah Army
"For so long I feel
As if I'm not a part of this world.
For all of it's representatives
Are so secretive.
So far, there's very little love,
And an abundance of hatred.
Now is this the legacy I leave for my children?
When they think that it's
Peace and safety,
That's when you know
It's a sudden destruction.
Living in Rome there is no security
One God, One Aim, (move forward) One Destiny.
Revolution Cry
No, Jah will never forsake I
Freedom isn't freedom if you force it
And peace achieved through war
Is no peace.
Equality don't mean nothing
If you fake it, and we already know
More than they believe.
How many of us feel superior
To others in some part of our lives
See, man has always strived
To be the better, and from his brothers
His true feelings hide.
Revolution"
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Analysis- The first line in this song is an example of a metaphor. He is not literally not a part of the world, yet at times he feels like he isn't because he is different from others and often may feel invisible. He describes how everyone only knows how to hate and not enough people know how to love. Children only know what they are taught so if they grow up in a hateful household, they may not know how to love. Also, it goes on to say how people do things to make other people feel small so that they themselves feel superior. However, deep down, everyone thinks the same things, but are too afraid of what others will think.
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2.) Won't Get Fooled Again" by the Who
"And the world looks just the same
And history ain't changed
'Cause the banners, they all flown in the last war
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
No, no!
I'll move myself and my family aside
If we happen to be left half alive
I'll get all my papers and smile at the sky
For I know that the hypnotized never lie
Do ya?
Yaaaa!
There's nothing in the street
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Is now the parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!
Yaaaa!
Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss"
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Analysis: When I first read through this song I couldn't find any metaphors. However, then the last lines hit me. "Meet the new boss; same as the old boss". Boss is referring to the president. The song is saying how each election, new faces come in promising different things and judging the past president and many often see it as good if we too do not like the president. However, this song is saying that just because he have a new president and he throws all of these ideas out there that doesn't mean he actually will. In the end, they are all the same and they just say whatever it takes to rope you in.
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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Song Analysis; "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley


"Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!
Preacherman, don't tell me,
Heaven is under the earth.
I know you dont know
What life is really worth.
It's not all that glitters is gold;
Half the story has never been told:
So now you see the light, eh!
Stand up for your rights. come on!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!
Most people think,
Great God will come from the skies,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours on earth:
And now you see the light,
You stand up for your rights.
Get up, stand up!
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight! (life is your right!)
Get up, stand up! (so we can't give up the fight!)
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up! (keep on struggling on!)
Don't give up the fight!
We sick an tired of your ism-skism game
Dying and going to heaven in a jesus name, lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty God is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you can't fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (what you gonna do? ),
We gonna stand up for our rights!
So you better:
Get up, stand up! (in the morning! git it up!)
Stand up for your rights! (stand up for our rights!)
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight! (don't give it up, don't give it up!)
Get up, stand up!
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight!
Get up, stand up!
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight!
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Analysis:
Throughout, "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley, there are a lot of references to religious views. The same chorus is repeated before and after the three different verses in this song. The entire song, overall, talks about how people need to stand up for what THEY think and believe instead of feeing into what leaders want to be believed. Without own thoughts and mind, the world would be made up of a bunch of clones. All sense of individuality would be lost. The chorus is just the same line repeated multiple times. "Get up, stand up; stand up for your rights". That chant-like chorus is telling its listener that it's time to do something about your rights. Instead of sitting back and watching what's going on around them, it's time that they basically put their foot down to whatever corrupt and absurd things may be going on. In verse 1, Bob Marley refers to "preacher man." He is saying don't tell people what is supposed to be believed; that leads to false hope. "I know you don't know"; that line is basically calling out all religious leaders and preachers. No one knows for sure what happens when you see the "light", but it's time to stop trying to get people out there to believe the lies. These preachers tell of the things that they were told and fed from the corrupt leaders of America. Bob Marley is almost trying to make them rethink what they have been forcing feeding listeners; do they really know what happens? So, then how can they so confidently sit there and read line after line and verse after verse. No matter how in-depth they try to make it, it is still false. It’s time everyone realizes it as well. Verse 2 refers a lot to a famous Christian belief. That is that God will come down from the heavens and take everyone that believes in Him back to heaven to let them feel their eternal happiness and high. Also, if we are “good” in this life, then and only then, we can go to heaven and live forever there. However, if we go against what our leaders tell us then we are not being good and will in turn go to hell. However, Bob Marley is saying that everyone needs to stop waiting around for that and find real happiness here on earth. He seems to be sick of people who don’t live for today. The people that take life and all it has to offer for granted and that don’t realize the gift of life itself. Bob Marley wants everyone to stop listening to corrupt people and find their own way. Also, the word "jah" that is repeated in this song means God in Rastafarian culture. There has been known to be an ongoing “calling out” between Christian Church and Roman Catholicism and Rastafarians and Marley himself. In the song when he refers to have of a story having never been told refers to slavery and Maccabean history. Bob Marley, like many, discourage how the corrupt government only gives out the information they want us to have and the rest will be hidden from us. Marley could be seen as a rebel because he willingly calls them out and asks that others do the same. A line in the song also says that “But if you know what life is worth, you will look for yours on earth; and now you see the light.” This means that if you know the real beauty in life and in things around you and how priceless and special they are, then you would find your happiness here. This is much better than just waiting to die for your so called eternal happiness in heaven.

Narrative Song; "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" by Tracy Chapman

"Talkin Bout a Revolution" by Tracy Chapman
Dont you know
Theyre talkin bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
Dont you know
Theyre talkin about a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
While theyre standing in the welfare lines
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Wasting time in the unemployment lines
Sitting around waiting for a promotion
Poor people gonna rise up
And get their share
Poor people gonna rise up
And take whats theirs
Dont you know
You better run, run, run...
Oh I said you better
Run, run, run...
Finally the tables are starting to turn
Talkin bout a revolution
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Analysis: It starts off with the chorus, but in the context it almost seems like a forshadow of the song. The song is asking the listener if they know that what is being whispered about is a revolution. The verse that follows talks about where the different people who are struggling are talking about this so called revolution. (Ex. "Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation.") The bridge, which follows the verse, goes on to say that all of the poor people are basically going to stand up and fight for what is theirs and what they deserve. Then the next few lines, which i assume are to the goverment and people involved strongly with the ways of the economy, it says repeatadely "you better run, run, run...." The last line of the song is saying that a revolution has already begun, everyone be ready.