Music Poetry- "Higher" by The Score

I believe “Higher” by The Score (Edan and Eddie), part of their Atlas album, is true poetry. It was written after moving to LA to pursue their music career, leaving their friends, family, and most of their belongings behind. As they faced challenges in this new world, The Score found their songs could provide the same sense of reassurance and confidence for others that they needed themselves.

Thus, this song (and many of their others) is intended to be empowering. It details the character's ability to overcome the struggles he faces, which inspires listeners to do the same. Edan explains, “... writing universally anthemic, relatable choruses and melodies that just – we want people to feel uplifted…” (atwoodmagazine).

They achieve this through the use of multidimensional lyrics. For example, in the phrase “All my life I have been fighting,” The Score uses fighting to illustrate multiple struggles. It could indicate literally fist-fighting to reach the top, but also demonstrate emotional or psychological perseverance. Moreover, the fighting may not only be against others, it could symbolize pushing himself to improve. Another example of multidimensional language is when they sing "They try to keep me down but I just get higher.” This could mean an obstacle that he must physically overcome, such as being tackled in football, but it also could symbolize stereotypes that confine citizens to certain standards, and exceeding expectations. This is similarly conveyed in the line "Think it's time I break my chains." He could mean literal chains from people holding him back, or breaking past expectations of what people assume. These chains could be literal or societal or even emotional weights.

Altogether, while the song illustrates one man's struggle, the overarching theme should be carried on to our own lives. We should use this determination as an example, whether trying to get a "higher" test score, a "higher" promotion, or simply "higher" confidence in oneself.