Ashlee Perrotta

November 25, 2008

Poetry of song, A

25 minute response!

Music has changed a lot over time. Not everyone has the same appreciation for music. The music that is produced this day in age is not very tasteful to many adults. Kevin Rudolph’s, “Let’s rock,” featuring lil Wayne has a great deal of figurative language expressed as do many songs of this time. In a whole the music taste that many young children have today represents our culture as trashy.

From my experience, with my taste of music, American culture in particular is not the best. Young teenagers usually listen to up beat, dance, or rap music for the most part. These songs are not always the cleanest of lyrics. Listening to lil Wayne’s verse in, “Let’s rock,” I picked up on some very vulgar terms. Lil Wayne says, “I can f**k you upI can f**k you down.” This is an example of how musicians today make the american culture look trashy. Songs like this one and these of lil wayne make our generation open to vulgarity. Things that would not be acceptable back in the day are all of a sudden okay in this day and age. Times are changing and every generation has a different taste in music. There are many gender rolls represented in this music. In the verse, “Yeah!Wayne's world Planet Rock Panties drop And the top And she gonna rock 'til the camera stop.” This verse is very sexist and sexual. Lil wayne is exemplifying how he would like to get this woman naked and take pictures of her, and “she gonna rock ‘til the camera stop,” shows that there is no respect for this woman. He has a player attitude. This is an example of gender roles in music today. The meassure to success is completing a goal. If his goal was to be a great rapper, knowing how to make money and spit beats, then he reached his success level. Success is not meassured in inches, but in the hardwork it took to accomplish the goal.

Rap music, pop music, and rock music are all different forms of music and although the message is not always clear, music affects certain people in many different ways. Although we do not all have the same music taste, there are no ways to avoid some of the more popular tracks. Since they are popular they are everywhere! It makes our culture look trashy in some sense because of how people sing or rap about some of the strangest things.

Dig

Incubus, an alternative rock band from Calabasas, California consists of 5 band members. These members are, Brandon Boyd (vocals and percussion), Mike Einziger (guitar), Ben Kenney (bass), Jose Pasillas (drums) and DJ Kilmore (turntables). Out of roughly 130 songs, and 6 albums, Incubus’ song “Dig,” released on March 27, 2007 and produced by Brendan O’Brien, peaked at #4 on the Modern Rock Tracks Chart, and has received huge airplay from alternative rock radio stations everywhere. In the song “Dig,” there are many poetic devices used clearly for the listener to identify.

Incubus’ song “Dig” is a complete metaphor for finding who you really are inside. In the verse, “We all have a weakness but some of ours are easy to identify,” states that we all have flaws; no one is perfect. Some of us like to hide the way we are while others have no prolem being completely up front. It is clearly illustrated with many similies, for example, “ I know you’ll act as a clever medicine.” This is showing that when “sickness turns my ego up” this person will bring them back to who they really are inside. Another similie that is illustrated is in the verse, “If I turn into another, dig me up from under what is covering the better part of me.” This illustrates that this person may somethimes put up fronts, but they have that one person that is there and can help them relate to the real person that they are inside. In the verse, “Remind me that we’ll always have eachother, when everything else is gone.” It is shown, that is you are all alione in the world and there is nothing else and no one else out there, they will always have eachother and be together. This person saves them and helps them realate more to the person that they really are and brings them back to their roots. “I know you’ll count on the me from yesterday,” demonstrates that the person that they are singing to counts on them and the person that they usually are and not the person that they are fronting to be. The real person is on the inside.

Incubus is an amazing alternative rock band, and their music is an inspiration and can truly influence people to experience life the way they are without having to change a thing. With their musical talents and abilities, Incubus continues to exert a fresh style within their music, which touches lives daily. Incubus deals with many poetic devices and always finds a way to put it into their lyrics.

Diction

There is no doubt in my mind, that No Doubt is one of the more unique success stories of the '90s. They were a punk band from California, and to this day, their corky style and fresh lyrics always catch attention. No Doubt's lyrical talents, show a great deal of diction, or use of words. Songs like "Ex-girlfriend", "Trapped in a box", and "brand new day" are all examples of how their music intertwines and relates to diction.

"Trapped in a box", was a single released on their self titled album, No Doubt, on March 17, 1992 on the Interscope Records, record label. Diction is widely used throughout this song. In the second verse, Gwen Stefani sings, "Oh trapped in a box I'm not alone, I know of others with a box as their home, Light only enters from a crack or a hole, Oh this is not enough for a human to grow, Trapped in a box." This diction expressed in these lyrics says to me that they are trying to get across the point that not all people have the best lives. "Oh this is not enough for a human to grow," These lyrics make me think about a miserable surrounding, and the urge to escape from this surrounding. This song is an example of the diction No Doubt uses in their lyrics.

"Ex-Girlfriend," off of the same album as trapped in a box, was a big turn out. It was one of the many videos featured on the hit show, Trl, and the radio broadcast called, American Top 40. The lyrics in "Ex-girlfriend" tells the story of a girl who "kinda always knew" she'd end up his ex girlfriend. It talks about how she and he both knew how different the two were and how they never should have ended up dating in the first place. She goes on to say,"I'm another ex-girlfriend on your listBut I should have thought of that before we kissed." Here they are insterting their corky, funny, sarcastic way of getting the point across to the listener. The diction in this song is expressed through the lyrics.

Diction is everywhere around us. It can be in music, poetry, or even the equivalent to language. The band No doubt is famous for their diction in many songs. Ex girlfriend, and trapped in a box, are off of the same album, but have little connection between the two songs. Trapped in a box is kind of a sad, melonchaoly song with a lot of different connections to being stuck somewhere with no way of getting free. The song has many connections to literaly being trapped. Ex girlfriend is more described by a mistake waiting to happen. It is said that the boy and the girl both know that the relationship is not going to work, but then they just end up dating and breaking up and wasting all that time.

Diction in No Doubt"Brand new day"

At the end of the day you are worn out, you are
worn out, and too tired to sleep
But then you do dream of wonderful things
That you might do, right on through to the next
day

And then you wake up
The sun's on your face
You're stretchin' while you're sayin
'It's a Brand New Day!


It's a brand new day and the sky is clear
So let's come together, everybody cheer
Come out people from everywhere
Let's see your faces, the day we'll share
Come on and celebrate a Brand New Day
Everyday!


Call out to the workers and the children in the
schools
It's a day of celebration so put down your tool
sand
Celebrate a Brand New Day Everyday!
Come see the mountains and come see the
shores

Mother nature is calling so come climb aboard
andCelebrate a Brand New Day Everyday!
Let's go
At the end of the day there is no doubt you are
worn out

Ooh but then you do dream of wonderful things
Wonderful things you might do
And then you wake up
The sun's on your face You're stretchin' while you're sayin
'It's a Brand New Day!

Celebrate a Brand New Day, Everyday!
Celebrate a Brand New Day, Everyday!


"Trapped in a box"

Trapped in a box of tremendous size
It distorts my vision, it closes my eyes
Attracts filthy flies and pollutes in the skies
It sucks up our lives and proliferates lies
Trapped in a box

Trapped in a box, four walls as sky
Got a screen for a window about two feet wide
My mind rides and slides as my circuits are
fried
No room for thought, use the box as my guide
Trapped in a box

Ooh trapped in a box
Watch the world as it flocks
To life's paradox
And we're all trapped in a box

Oh trapped in a box I'm not alone
I know of others with a box as their home
Light only enters from a crack or a hole
Oh this is not enough for a human to grow
Trapped in a box

Ooh trapped in a box
Watch the world as it flocks To life's paradox
And we're all trapped in a box


Always wanting a different view
Instant gratification for you
Reality gone with a single click
Just hope that that switch won't stick
Ah trapped in a box my life becomes void
And all of the thought for myself's now
destroyed
Controlling my mind, what to eat, what to buy
Subliminal rules: how to live, how to die
Trapped in a box

Ooh trapped in a box
Watch the, the world as it flocks
To life's paradox
And we're all, we're trapped in a box


Ooh trapped in a box
Watch the world as it flocks
To life's paradox
We're all trapped in a box


Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
We're all trapped in a box

A.F.I- Endlessly, she said

A.F.I_"Endlessly, she said"

Walked into our world and made
Horrible sounds.
I can still hear them today
(strangely they seem)
Beautiful now
though they outlast my love.

Still each time I always meant,
Every word,
Every one.
Though in time they finally bent,
Every word,
Every one.

Every word.

"I will wait for you." She said,Endlessly.
"I will wait for you." So spoke,Misery.

I returned to you but found
My empty home.
The radio told me to stay
As it burned down
I sang alone.
You will outlast my love.

Still each time I always meant,
Every word
,Every one.
Though in time they finally bent,
Every word
,Every one.

Every word.

"I will wait for you." She said,Endlessly.
"I will wait for you." So spoke,Misery.

Oh.

I have been waiting for you
Biting as you taught me to.
I have come to relieve you
Of life and love.

I will wait for you.
I will wait for you.
I will wait for you.

I will wait.

I will wait.

"I will wait for you." She said,Endlessly.
"I will wait for you." So spoke,Misery.

"I will wait for you"
Wait for you
Endlessly.

"I will wait for you."So spoke.
So spoke,Misery.

I will bite straight through.
As I wait for you
Dear,
Endlessly.

Oasis_"wonderwall"

Wonderwall lyricsToday is gonna be the day
That they're gonna throw it back to you
By now you should've somehow
Realized what you gotta do
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do about you now

Backbeat the word is on the street
That the fire in your heart is out
I'm sure you've heard it all before
But you never really had a doubt
I don't believe that anybody feels
The way I do about you now

And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I wouldLike to say to you
But I don't know how...

Because baby
You're gonna be the one that saves me?
And after all
You're my wonderwall

Today was gonna be the day
But they'll never throw it back to you
By now you should've somehow
Realized what you're not to do
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I doAbout you now

And all the roads that lead you there winding
And all the lights that light the way are blinding
There are many things that I would like to say to you
I don't know how

I said maybe,
your the one that saves me?
And after all-you're my Wonderwall

I said maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me?
And after all
You're my wonderwall

I said maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me?
And after all
You're my wonderwall

Said maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me
You're gonna be the one that saves me
You're gonna be the one that saves me
Because you're my wonderwall .