Tuesday, March 17, 2009

"The People" by Common

To be able to view the complete lyrics of the song please follow the link,
http://www.lyrics007.com/Common%20Lyrics/The%20People%20Lyrics.html

Acclaimed to be one of Common's favorite tracks from his album Finding Forever, and also the album's first single, "The People" was positioned at #29 of Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. The song's music has a mix from other songs. Some of the vocals in the song come from Mountain's "Long Red". The beats also include a mix of "We Almost Lost Detroit" by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson.

With a reputation for his strong lyrics about the "struggle" of minorities, Common does it once again in this single as he distinguishes the "white people" and the ones on "the low end". The lyrics of this song are full of examples of people struggling and how they are being suppressed.
In his first verse Common speaks about music being like "liquor for the fallen soldier". With this exceprt Common could have been comparing lyrics in his music having the same effect on those struggling as the liquor that soldiers drink when they are injured to help ease their pain. He could have also meant that by him speaking of the people struggling, it was a sort of tribute to them, like when liquor is poured for a person that has died. With that interpertation, Common would have also be reffering to those who have died selling drugs to survive as the "soldiers".

In the second verse of the song, Common speaks of himself and the obstacles and struggles that he had to go through to make "it". Part of the verse reads, "Nobody believe, until I believe me", an obstacle that many minorities have to endure as they are trying to make something out of themselves. This verse could also be an allusion to the real life of many people struggling to make ends meet. Another allusion in "The People", was when Common says "Can't leave rap alone, the streets need me". This is from Jay-Z's "Izzo(H.O.V.A)". He meant that the streets need him because he is a source of inspirations to those who read or listen to his lyrics and are inspired to do better.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Welcome to the Jungle. Guns N' Roses

To be able to view the complete lyrics of the song please follow the link,http://www.lyrics007.com/Guns%20N'%20Roses%20Lyrics/Welcome%20To%20The%20Jungle%20Lyrics.html

Released on late 1987 the hit by the rock band Guns N' Roses, Welcome To the Jungle, was able to make it to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Welcome to the Jungle was the second single from the band's debut album, Apetite for Destruction. The song was written by two of the band members, lead vocalist Axl Rose, and lead guitarist Slash. The writer's have explained how the song was written describing what it was like to be in Seattle and how "if someone comes to town...the can find whatever they want." Many also believe that the song has to do with a rockstar's lifestyle and how it is to be living that type of lifestyle.

A rhetorical device used in the song is metaphor. In the song's title, "Welcome to the Jungle", jungle is what Axl explained to be Seattle or it can also be translated into being the type of lyfestyle that rockers live. In one of the verses of the song this metaphor is extended as the singer speaks of learning to "live like an animal", and of by having "the hunger" for it you'll eventually take what you want. By sayin that in the "jungle" you'll learn to "live like an animal" Axl and Slash could have been trying to explain what it is like to be a member of a rockband and the way that they live. I believe that he is trying to say that rockers have a "I don't care, I'll do what I want" attitude.

One other rhtorical device that the writers of the song used was the use of anaphora. In the last verses of the song the word "jungle" is used very prominently. The word is used to explain to how once you've enetered the jungle "you're gonna die" and you are going to be seen by others "falling to your knees" and nobody will help you. The phrase "Welcome to the Jungle" is also used several times in the last part of the song. This might be as a sign from the rockers to beware of the jungle and be careful when it is entered. Ofcourse, this is only my interpretation of the song and you might have your own thoughts, so let me know.

Hot N' Cold. Katy Perry

To be able to view the complete lyrics of the song please follow the link,http://www.metrolyrics.com/hot-n-cold-lyrics-katy-perry.html

From Katy Perry's second album, One of the Boys, Hot N' Cold was released in 2008. The song was the third single from the album, following the singles Your So Gay and I Kissed a Girl. Hot N' Cold reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. After two very controversial singles Perry's third single came as a relieve to many. The lyrics of the song have been speculated to be about Katy Perry's relationship with the a group member from Gym Class Heroes Travis McCoy. It speaks of how the man of her life is bipolar as he is regularly getting mood swings and changing his mind.

One of the rhetorical devices that seems to be the most prominent in the lyrics of the song is the use of antithesis. Some of the antithesis she uses is, "You're hot then you're cold," and also "It's black and it's white." Perry uses the antithesis in over 75% of the song to describe to the listeners the actions of the person she is speaking about. The use of anthithesis makes the song a lot more intersting because it doesn't allow the song to be dull. Without the use of antithesis she would be trying to describe the person by sayin things like, "You don't have stable emotions," or "You're always changing your mind." Not very interesting.

A second rhetorical device used in the song is the use of anaphora. Many of the antithesis used in the song are also part of a larger structure that froms the anaphora. In the chorus of the song the use of "You're" before every action is what forms the anaphora. Another anaphora in the song's lyrics is where Perry says, "We fight, we break up, we kiss, we make up." The use of several we's is what forms the anaphora. The use of anaphora in the song is used to show how it is not just one thing that is unstable in the relationship but many.