"These Streets"

Bastille's song from the album Bad Blood, "These Streets," is about someone who used to belong to a place but now has bad memories and does not wish to return. The song describes running away from bad memories and leaving it all behind. It is most likely a bad relationship because the speaker uses a we when talking about the past indicating someone else was with them.

The line, "We'll walk upon these streets and think of little else/I won't show my face here anymore," refers Bastille uses synecdoche to represent where the speaker used to live. The streets are just the part that represents the overall town where they grew up or lived. Bastille's line, "I won't show my face here anymore," further contributes to the meaning because the speaker does not want to go back to where they came from. 

The personification of streets also gives meaning to the song. Bastille sings, "I don't want them/They pull me back," explains how the speaker tries to forget and get away from their past where the bad memories are. The past tries to stay with them and talks about the streets pulling them back. The streets literally can't pull the speaker back but they serve to demonstrate how their past is lingering.

Finally, metaphor, "We have stained these walls," contributes to the meaning because their memories are like a stain on the wall. The memories won't leave, just like a stain. It is also a comparison to stains being a bad spot just like their past.

Family Business

Kanye West's "Family Business" offers heartwarming and relatable lyrics with a powerful message. Throughout our lifetimes, we all experience hardships and doubt. Through that, however, their is always a special group of people who will support you. Over thick and thin, highs and lows, your family always has your back. They are always a reliable group of people who knows that your blood is true and prosper.

Kanye, as many of you have, grew up around countless brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more. From the day he was born he knew he was never more of himself then when with family. They offer a safe environment to express yourself, and no matter how low you fall, their will always be a spot for you at the dinner table.

                 As kids we used to laugh
                Who knew that life would move this fast?
                Who knew I'd have to look at you through a glass?
                And look, tell me you ain't did it, you ain't did it
                And if you did, then that's family business 

As expressed through the song, time flies by like nothing. You can quickly become enwrapped in the journey that is life, and barely stop to think. When you do think, though, you can dwell on the great times and the support that you have received from the most important people in your life. Just remember that what goes on at the dinner table doesn't need to be shared because that's just family business.

Angel Zoo

Oh, I don't wanna think about the world

Cause I've been dreaming for a while, oh 

I settle with the butterflies, no 

The night is going out of style, oh 

Since I can't forget 

Why I went for red, oh 

Why don't we just make it now 

No, ain't no need to wait it 

Angel Zoo by Phlake seems to be a song about a man who is in love with someone but takes it very casually. I like this form of love because I think it relates to young adult love, it's something you should take casually and is simple. I think this song is about young love because the line "I settle with the butterflies, no" is similar to the feeling of having butterflies in your stomach. Experiencing butterflies is something that is related to falling in love for the first time. A line about young love being casual is "Why don't we just make it now". I feel as if this line helps the listener understand that the love the singer is feeling is something that is relaxed and something that he does not feel he needs to work for.  The use of "oh" and "no" help the song come together rhythmically. It makes this stanza come together with the rest of the song as well as have each line rhyme in some sort of way. 

A Warning About Your Decisions

Bastille's song "Icarus" in their album Bad Blood confronts the great consequences of our decision making on our future. 

Your hands protect the flames from the wild winds around you
Icarus is flying too close to the sun
And Icarus' life has only just begun
And this how it feels to take a fall
Icarus is flying towards an early grave

Icarus is an allusion to a Greek myth where a boy buys wings from his father. clearly is walking on a thin line after making a decision when the song says he is 'flying to close to the sun'. His father warns him not to fly too close to the sun, or otherwise his wings will melt. Icarus did not heed the warning and fell to his death after his wings melted. Bastille uses this myth to illustrate the dangers of every decision. The writers plead with the listener to heed another's warning when it comes to making decisions.

Bastille's warning about the effect of every decision especially had an effect on me senior year. Deciding where to go to college is one of the biggest decisions I have had to make in my life thus far. Parents, teachers, family, college graduates, and friends are quick to give advice on making a decision about school. Every time I listen to this song, I am reminded how important it is to actually take their advice seriously, no matter how cheesy or inconceivable it sounds.

You put up your defenses when you leave
And you leave because you're certain of who you want to be
You're putting up your armour when you leave
And you leave because you're certain of who you want to be

Leaving home for school is a risk. Bastille says that when we leave our home, we put up our guard because we are meeting new people. However, we leave to become better people. By heeding Bastille's message in this song, hopefully we will listen to others and make the correct decisions to positively impact our lives.

You Are Who You Are (Hopefully You're Not Tony Though)

The song "Diggin' Up The Heart" by Brandon Flowers is about a young man, Tony, who returns to his hometown after being in jail and his struggle to reconnect with his emotions. After being away for so long, he realizes that he missed his sister growing up and his girlfriend moved on and the song chronicles his reflection on this and if he has, or can, change for the better. In the end, however, the song implies that Tony, and people in general, can't change who they truly are.

The chorus of the song goes:

Digging up the heart

Digging up the heart

Well it ain't that strange

Any boy can change

Digging up the heart

 The speaker is describing Tony's experience remembering what his life was like before he went to jail and trying to find the "heart" he left behind in his hometown. While he was in jail he was also imprisoned emotionally, he could "hear the train," "smell the rain," and "see the sagebrush" but he couldn't "drive," or feel anything. So now that he's out, Tony is finally able to get back to being the person he used to be. However, this comes with a caveat. As he reverts to the person he once was, he also runs the risk of repeating the mistakes that landed him in jail.

As the song progresses, Tony's situation becomes worse as it transitions from hearing his mother defend him as "only human" to his older brother tell Tony he's lying to himself if he thinks he's changed. The last verse of the song goes:

Well the clerk’s got his hands up 

And his mind’s on the mark

The 38 beneath the register 

He’s digging up the heart

Here the narrator implies not only that Tony went back to stealing, he presumably was also killed (or at least shot) during this hold-up. Near the end of the song there is also a repetition of "any boy can change" which begins as a hopeful declaration but over the course of the song seems to become a reassurance that implies the exact opposite. The verse and repetition combined make the listener realize the impossibility of change for Tony, and the rest of us too.

Another Story by The Head and the Heart

The song Another Story by The Head and the Heart offers a response to the Newtown, Connecticut shooting. In it's artful and multidimensional language, this song touches on a sensitive subject with poise and subtlety. 

Every time I hear another story
Oh the poor boy lost his head
Everybody feels a little crazy
But we go on living with it
Yeah they go on living with it

I think the choice of title "Another Story" as well as the use of this phrase in the lyrics show the artists' frustration with the repetition of mass shootings like this one. To emphasize the fact that this atrocity was another story piled on to countless other recent examples shows the frustration many Americans are feeling.

Furthermore, the line, "Oh the poor boy lost his head" shows the prevalence of mental health issues in these mass shootings. After investigation, it was found that the Newtown shooter was suffering from mental illness. The choice to include this line as well as, "everybody feels a little crazy" shows the artists' acknowledgment of this part of the problem.

The artists also express mourning for this tragedy,

I see a world
A world turning in on itself
Are we just like
Hungry wolves howling in the night
I don't want no music tonight

This stanza shows the grief and frustration that the artists feel over these countless tragedies. The line, "Are we just like hungry wolves howling in the night" shows how they view this problem as a lack of humanity. It implies that this problem shows the animal side of the human race.

Take Me To Church

The song I chose to analyze and defend as poetry is Hozier’s “Take Me To Church.” This song is Hozier’s poetic criticism of the church’s treatment of homosexuality as a sin.

The examples of this poetic language begin in the first verse which illustrates the theme of the song. The church’s view of homosexuality as a sin is illustrated in the line “we were born sick.“ This is contrasted by the previous lines: “Every Sunday's getting more bleak/A fresh poison each week,” which demonstrate that it not their sexuality, but rather the poison of the church that makes them sick. This criticism of the church is continued into the chorus and second verse with the lines “I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies” and “We've a lot of starving faithful.”

The lines “I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife/Offer me that deathless death” are clear examples of poetic and multidimensional language. The first line is a representation of confession. Instead of the cleansing it is supposed to bring, it ends in death. A sin is confessed with the understanding that it will no longer will be committed, causing the “deathless death” that the speaker experiences when he is unable to be with the person he loves.

The final verse ends:

There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin
In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene
Only then I am human
Only then I am clean
Oh. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Through these near final lines, the message is revealed that despite the church’s desire to prove otherwise, all sexualities are natural. This naturality is illustrated through the references to the soil and the earth, and concluded with the idea that this real love is what makes someone human.

Lifting the Fog

The song “Come a Little Closer” from Cage the Elephant’s album Melophobia expresses the notion that human life is full of chaotic and traumatic events, however, people are often blind and negligent to this occurrences.

In the first verse, using words such as, “shake,” “earthquakes,” and “blind,” the speaker sets up an apocalyptic or chaotic setting that continues throughout the rest of the song. This sets up a so called, "veil of life” where life is itself a system of entropy.

The chorus exemplifies the central meaning of the song. The speaker says, “Come a little closer then you’ll see, come on come on come on, things aren’t always what they seem to be.” The use of a command underscores the necessity for a person to open their eyes, and truly examine the intricacies of a situation, understanding how each part forms the whole and not just blindly follow the path of life.

In the second verse, the theme of chaos continues. Using an allusion to the Greek mythological figure Atlas in the phrase, “The heavy world is upon your shoulders.” The speaker contemplates the overbearing weight of the world. Diction is also important with the use of the words “burn” and “smolder." They not only describe the effects of this weight, but they also add to the imagery of chaos. When he says, “I wanna see if you can change it” he is hoping that if that person can look past this curtain, they can begin to understand the true state of the world.

The final verse address the passage of time:

Ten thousand people stand alone now
And in the evening the sun sets
Tomorrow it will rise
Time flies by, they all sang along (X3)
Time flies - bye, bye

This verse deals with the passage of time, especially through the imagery of the setting and rising sun, as it creates a feeling of an infinite process. The use of the words “by” and “bye” side by side demonstrates the idea that as time does continue on, people are unwilling to examine and understand a situation. Through a chaotic tone, Cage the Elephant’s lyrics provide an important message: that people often fail to understand a particular aspect of the world, or overlook what is truly happening.

What Is Money Without Happiness?

"Love Yourz" is one of many meaningful tracks from J. Cole's album 2014 Forest Drive. In this song J. Cole touches on the rise to fame and how everybody has to find the good in their own lives. He does so in a poetic way through his own perspective and uses his own life experiences.

J. Cole grew up living a less privileged life and now he finds himself in the spotlight. This life, however, does not turn out to be all that he expected. This becomes clear through the line "for what's money without happiness? Or hard times without the people you love". This is the beginning of the theme of this song. That theme being that you must find happiness with what you have, and that fame won't necessarily make you happy.

Always gon' be a whip that's better than the the one you got
Always gon' be some clothes that's fresher than the ones you rock
Always gon' be a bitch that's badder out there on the tours
But you ain't never gon' be happy till you love yours

These four lines sum up the meaning of this song perfectly. J. Cole has climbed from the bottom to the top, and he remembers finding the good in his old life. J. Cole uses repetition to get his point across that no matter what there will always be an upgrade to what you have. In other words, Money does not always mean happiness. Because of this Cole states the you must love what you have instead of wanting something new. That is the theme of this song and J. Cole expresses it in a poetic manner.

The Art of Temptation

Yes, this is another post claiming Hozier is a poet. But when I asked if I should change my song to add a little more variety to our playlist, I realized that if our generation in fact sees Hozier as a modern poet, and his songs his poems, then we must explore them in the same way we do Brooks or Frost or Petrarch.

In his song, "From Eden," Hozier writes of love and temptation. He does so, however, in such a poetic way. He is not speaker. The story is told from the point of view of the devil, evident from the line: "I slithered here from Eden, just to sit outside your door."

Throughout the entire piece, Hozier alludes to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. Specifically, he uses this story to highlight the temptation the serpent (explaining the verb choice "slithered') inflicts upon Eve. The devil, the emblem of temptation, is trying to convince someone to make love him.

Honey you're familiar, like my mirror years ago
Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword
Innocence died screaming, honey ask me I should know
I slithered here from Eden, just to sit outside your door

In these four lines, the chorus of the song. Hozier explores such temptation in a poetic way. He begins with a simile explaining how familiar their love would be. This would entice his target into feeling comfortable and more likely to accept his proposal. I personally find the second line in the chorus to be the most interesting. The personification of chivalry falling onto a blade calls a grotesque image which makes it all the more powerful. Chivalry is dead, and the two are not bound by any morals, and they instead should explore their temptation.

One may see this song as immoral, but I disagree. Temptation is only human. While infidelity is not justifiable, there is no indication in this song that the speakers actually go through with their actions. In any situation in which we must be faithful, we all gravitate toward "what ifs" that may spiral us downward. Hozier explores these temptations through this song in such a poetic way.

Diamond in the Rough

"A Mansion in Darkness" is the third track on King Diamond's 1987 concept album, Abigail. The album tells the story of a young couple who inherit a mansion haunted by the spirit of the previous owners' stillborn child. In "A Mansion in Darkness", Jonathan and Miriam spend their first night in the mansion. The lyrics use imagery to establish a dark picture of the mansion:

A giant shadow which was to be                                                                       A house where evil ruled at night                                                                   And the shadows at the gate, they seemed to be alive

The song uses shadows as a dual symbol, both for the literal darkness that floods the mansion at night and for the metaphorical darkness that infests the mansion through spirits. Miriam and Jonathan serve as direct contrasts to this darkness:

Through the dark they fought their way                                                              Armed with candlelight and open eyes

The couple wield lights as they journey through the dark halls, but their vulnerability shows through their eyes. This almost innocence, in conjunction with the candles, serves as a foil to the corrupted darkness of the house's visage. Ultimately, Miriam and Jonathan draw their characteristics from their life while the house draws from a crude imitation of life. The shadows only seem to be alive. The song both paints a vivid image and uses language to root that image in both actuality and symbolism. The duality of the diction and the striking subject matter are why I chose to defend this song as poetry.

A Little Bit Of Everything Because Those Things Matter

For my poetry analysis I chose "A Little Bit Of Everything" by Dawes from the album, Nothing Is Wrong. This song perfectly encapsulate how life is made up people with different stories and each individual deals with struggles of their own. The purpose of this song-poem is to deepen the meaning of little things in life that make it whole or miserable. I think the song is about hope and the different ways we process it. In the first verse, sadly, the guy jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge has lost all hope. In the second verse, the old man in the buffet line struggles to keep hope alive while wrestling with his past. In the third verse, the bride-to-be sees hope in a future married life in the face of a mundane present. 
The real beauty of the song is in how it paints three very different scenarios without judgement. It lets you, the listener, draw the conclusions.Through this song, the listener reflects on their own life and empathizes with the experiences of the people described in the song. This song uses, "A little bit of everything," to emphasize how each individual in the song is feeling. For example, the poem starts off with a man attempting to commit suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge. In this case, "A little bit of everything," is represented all the little things that are causing him to feel the need to end his life. Although in that scenario those lyrics are alluding to his depression, "A little bit of everything," also represents hope for individuals. For the next individual described in the poem, he is a homeless man waiting in line to get dinner. For this individual, "A little bit of everything," represents hope because he wants to move forward with his life and forget about the past that brought him here today. This song also uses metaphors to describe the ups and downs of life

Oh, it's a little bit of everything

It's the matador and the bull

It's the suggested daily dosage 

 It is the red moon when it's full

This stanza describes how life can be filled with strife and struggle, by comparing two opposites of a matador and a bull and emphasizing anxiety and pain with the line, "Suggested daily dosage". Although this stanza can describe the downfalls of life, the stanza ends with describing life as, "The red moon when it's full." The red moon is alluding to the "Blood Moon" which is a lunar eclipse and something that doesn't happen everyday and is unique, showing that life can have a spectacular moment; you just might have to wait for it. When that moment does come, though, it will be amazing.
Finally, the song ends with how life can be confusing, but there isn't a secret meaning to life. It is through everyday, mundane things that you can find meaning in your life.

I Really Would Want to Be This Song

Brett Eldredge's song, "Wanna Be That Song", really touches the hearts of his listeners. The poetic devices he uses portray his emotion in a way that it is relatable to those who are in romantic relationships. Imagery is the first sign of poetic language that we hear when listening to Eldredge's wonderful song. By saying, "Back corner of a cornfield/Bottle tops and a true spear/Pull the lever, lay the seat back laughin'", he is able to provide a visual image of where he and his lover are, as well as the mood of the situation by mentioning the auditory imagery of laughing.

Not far after that selection of few lines, Eldredge uses personification. One of his lines is, "While the dashboard speakers sing every word of that moon", giving the speakers in the car a voice. This poetic device is used to make the moment come alive. No longer is the couple simply sitting in the car, listening to the radio, but the radio is in fact singing to them, making the situation livelier and merrier.

Eldredge uses personification again when he says, "That melody rewinds years". By giving the melody the ability to rewind time, he is able to give his listeners the idea that the lovers' relationship can be summed up in one song. He could mean that literally or figuratively, in the sense that their time spent together is beautiful and sweet, like this music seems to be.

Lastly, the main poetic device used throughout the song is a metaphor, when Eldredge says, "I wanna be that song". By setting up his song in the way that portrays music as being something that can capture their moments spent together allows Eldredge to emphasize the importance of being there for his lover in times of happiness and despair. Referring back to previous poetic devices mentioned, he wants to stop time and appreciate the time spent with her, as well as be the reason she has to laugh and smile.

Enlightenment

“Holocene” is a song from Bon Iver’s self-titled album. While of course the listener can interpret its meaning in a multitude of different ways, the writer of the song, Justin Vernon, hoped the title itself would effectively convey the meaning of the song, “[People] can all be different and the same at the same time. Most of our lives feel like these epochs. . . but really we are dust in the wind. But I think there’s a significance in that insignificance.” Throughout the piece, the speaker discusses parts of their life that seems to cause them pain. In the interludes between these moments, they realize over and over again that they themselves are meaningless in the grand scheme of things, and then appear to achieve some sort of enlightenment. 

Many parts of the song seemed to describe a car accident or different car accidents. In the first stanza, the lyrics, “It’s on it’s head, It struck the street” seem to describe a car as it is getting into a wreck. The last stanza before the song ends describes the result of this car wreck, if they are the same one, “Above my brother, I and tangled spines.” The speaker’s phrasing of them as above their brother give me the impression that the car flipped around, like it did in the first stanza. Their “tangled spines” struck me the most, especially the use of the word “tangled.” It gave me an image of devastation, desperation, crisis, and excruciating pain. A couple lines before it seemed to have a contradictory cheeriness to them, “Christmas night, It clutched the night, the hallow bright.” The idea of such an awful accident occurring on Christmas Eve defies the very nature of the holiday season. The speaker’s use of imagery with light can also lead the listener to different conclusions. Although they could simply be referring to Christmas lights, which would help add tragedy to the scene, it could also be describing “the light”- the one associated with death. 

The chorus of the song repeats three times throughout:

“. . . and at once I knew I was not magnificent. Strayed Above the highway aisle. Jagged vacance, thick with ice. I could see for miles, miles, miles.”

The writer’s hope to portray the significant in the insignificant comes alive in the very first line, where the speaker realizes they are not magnificent, simply dust in the wind. The second line solidifies the argument that the strife that occurs in the song results from a car crash on the highway. “Jagged vacance” may suggest the sharp, empty space the deaths of the speaker and their brother left in the lives of their loved ones. To me, the speaker says the final line of the chorus as their spirit ascends. Not only could their ability to see for miles be just as a result of the new height difference, but it could be the writer’s original vision at work. Because the speaker has realized their insignificance in the world, they feel enlightened, and can see more.

I Need Another Year Alone

"7", the second single released and first track on Catfish and the Bottlemen's second album The Ride, first struck me as a catchy song without incredibly deep lyrics. Many Catfish songs, especially ones off of their first album The Balcony are very intricately phrased and often are written about heavier topics despite an upbeat tune.

The song begins;

Larry, call a load of smoke in
I wanna lose a couple days

Larry is a friend of the band, as well as their guitar technician. Aside from the more obvious meaning this line holds about smoking, I also thought it could be referring to the smoke onstage during their live shows. Calling a load of smoke in would signify the beginning of a show or a string of shows, causing them to lose a couple days from their lives outside of the band. In later lines, the song goes on specifically to talk about a relationship one of the members had.

More repeated lines throughout the song that stuck out to me as multidimensional were;

Promise again that I would call her
Forget the time 'cause I'm seven hours behind
It's probably good I didn't call though
But I always want to 

Here, the most obvious argument would be that because of touring and time differences those in the relationship are literally seven hours apart from each other. I also think this could mean that one person in the relationship is farther ahead and ready to move more quickly than the other, which would also tie in with some other lines in the song, particularly;

And I'd beg you
But you know I'm never home
And I love you but I need another year alone
And I've tried to
Ignore it every time you phone
But I never come close

This stanza is repeated towards the end of the song, but instead of "I need another year alone," the line goes, "And I love you but I need another second to myself." I thought these lines were multidimensional because they can fit in with both arguments about the couple's relationship, but it could also tie back to the band's relationship with the fans and their music as well. Catfish and the Bottlemen have recently become more well known and have begun touring more, which would make their lives much busier. Overall, after listening to "7" a few times, I began to see that there was more to what being said through the lyrics than I first noticed, which is why I chose to defend it as poetry.

Flying

The song "Antigravity" by Starset in their album Transmission evokes a powerful message of how people can break from their earthly attachments and, consequently, find happiness and freedom. The title itself- Antigravity- conveys a feeling of flight and lightness. This idea of floating can connect to the song of how some may feel stressed and pressured by the work that they have to face on a daily basis, however, once they’re free from it, they can be happy and less stressed.

The following lyrics describe the weight and pressure of the world around us:

The more I fight, the more I work
The more I dig into the dirt
To be fed up, to be let down
To somehow turn it all around

The diction of this section conveys a heavy and, possibly, dark feeling. It makes the listener want change to happen. The metaphor of the dirt makes us feel constrained by the work of the earth.

This next set of lyrics describes the feeling liberation:

And far below, the carnivores,
Are looking up to where I soar
Above the clouds, above the storm
Above the earth I am transformed
The energy has set me free
And pulled me through the galaxy
I've risen up beyond the sky
I am awake, I am alive

This section accentuates freedom and living fully. It makes us feel liberated and broken from all of our baggage. The “carnivores” refer to all the bad forces in our life that pulls us down.

This final set assures us of our future, knowing that once we reach “antigravity” we will not want to part from it:

I won’t come down
If you wanna break free
You know where to find me

This last section is assertive. The “I won’t come down” tells us that the antigravity is such a euphoric feeling that we don’t want to replace it with anything. The last two lines are helpful and considerate: for those of us who aren’t in that good place yet, the people who are will gladly lend a hand.

Overall, "Antigravity" uses diction and syntax to change from a heavy feeling to a light and free one. The song lets us know that after you work hard, you will eventually find relief and the weight will be lifted off of your shoulders if you let it.

Imagining No Divisions

I choose my song because it makes me think critically about the world around me. Too often, songs are characterized by their catchy beats and non-memorable lyrics, songs blared on B96 and other Top 100 radio stations.

I choose "Imagine" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The original album is called Imagine as well. He begins the song by asking the listener to:

Imagine there's no heaven.It's easy if you try.

Hearing that line made me think about human's perceptions of life. Sometimes the world is viewed in a negative light, and this song tends to take a more positive view - showing that if we all stand together, we can hope for a brighter future. Lennon goes on to talk about a world without the negativity and distractions of every day life, saying:

Imagine there's no countriesIt isn't hard to doNothing to kill or die forAnd no religion tooImagine all the people living life in peace...

The diction in these lines create strong overall imagery, forcing the listener to comprehend what Lennon is saying. Lennon uses this imagery to help the listener understand the divisions that sometimes threaten to destroy us are usually foolhardy. However, if individuals choose to work together instead of create these divides, they are capable of so much more.

Lennon's song tends try to get the listener to imagine the world erased of meaning. If there is no heaven, and no living for the future, it takes away a dimension of life. Instead Lennon urges the listener to "liv[e] for today." His short, clear sentences unlock no secret meanings, as Lennon specifies exactly what he is trying to say.

The theme of living for today reminds me of Meursault, and his unwillingness to think about the future, or about others. In more a twisted way, Meursault lives for today - living moment to moment.

Lastly, Lennon ends with a plan for the future. He urges the listener to:

I hope someday you'll join us.And the world will live as one.

The closing line evokes an image of a whole, fixed world. It is what everyone strives for - no hunger, sadness, or discrimination. Although the tone of this poem is rather sad, the last line looks to more hopeful beginnings.

Imagine

"Take Me to Church" to Cleanse Me of My Humanity

The song I have chosen to defend as poetry is ¨Take me to Church¨ by musical artist Hozier on his album: Hozier.

The lyrics of this song challenges religious institutions treatment of homosexual individuals.

Hozier sings, "'We were born sick,' you heard them say it.¨ This line is a perfect example of the treatment homosexuals were (and in some places still are) forced to endure. They are looked at as mentally ill and those who accuse them of it never hesitate to say it.

The lyrics below are the chorus lines that are repeated 3 times (sung twice in a row) for a total of 6 times throughout the entire song. It is then possible to say that Hozier purposely placed the lyrics to create 666 the well known sign of the devil. By doing this he is symbolizing the sinful nature homosexuals were shamed for, burying them with this satanic reputation that many members of the church believed to be true.

Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife
Offer me my deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life.

Then, Hozier places a section highlighting some encountered limitations: 

My church offers no absolutes
She tells me, 'Worship in the bedroom.'
The only heaven I'll be sent to
Is when I'm alone with you.

These lines display how the only heaven the speaker will be sent to will be when he is with his loved one. Not only, because the religion would not allow him into Heaven but Heaven is a place filled with happiness. And in his case, the only true happy place in the world would be with his loved one who accepts, supports and loves him.

Overall, Hozier is stating that falling in love can be the death of everything. Of life, relationships, possibly even religions. He is explaining that sexual orientation is a natural aspect of humanity. It is a large part of one´s identity and these institutions are teaching people to shame others for exploring/accepting their sexual orientation that may not be the ¨societal norm.¨

This song is not an attack on faith. He is not insulting religion but merely stating the truth. It´s a sad part of our history but a truthful one.

¨Take me to Church¨ is about asserting yourself and reclaiming your humanity through an act of love. Turning your back on the theoretical thing, something that’s not tangible, and choosing to worship or love something that is tangible and real.

Is the Grass Truly Greener on the Other Side?

The song that I will be defending as poetry is ¨Pulaski at Night¨ by Andrew Bird from his album ¨I Want to See Pulaski at Night¨. This song is just one of the many tunes that I´ve shazamed for and added to a play list of mine. From my research Andrew Bird has used the phrase "Pulaski at Night" before in some of his tunes. He explained in a live show that Pulaski Road on Chicago's west side isn´t pretty, and the idea of someone saying "I want to see Pulaski at night" stuck with him. It´s not something he could imagine anybody wanting to do

To me the whole song has the same tone, as the city of Chicago. I see it as a conflict between thoughts of a perfect Chicago, and his sadness for the current city. No doubt, Chicago is one of the great cities of the US, but as you look deeper, all you notice corruption. If you walk downtown, you get a sense of success, "Horns of plenty, coffers full" but visit the outskirts and you´ll see despair.

I write you a story,
but it loses its thread,
and all of my witnesses,
keep turning up,
turning up dead

Is an experience with himself, where he is struggling to deal with opinions of Chicago. He'd like to tell a positive story of the city, yet people are dying left and right. This is also likely an allusion to Chicago's mafia mentality that is around today.

I paint you a picture,
but it never looks right,
cause I fill in the shadows,
and black out the,
I black out the light

Is how he sees Chicago. There is so much wrong that it's easy to block out the better parts. Stating Chicago is the worst of the city would be wrong. Although, there is no corruption that seems to stand out. This shows Birds nostalgia.

He mentions "Pulaski at night," relating the song to nightlife no one would want to see, and then refers to Chicago as the ¨City of Light¨, which is the opposite of seeing the nightlife of Pulaski. Pulaski represents everything but a ¨City of Light¨. But in the end, it is his hometown, and he'll always "Come back to Chicago.

When Life Gives Beyonce Lemonades She Makes Them Into Grammy Award Winning Songs

It must take so much courage to tell the entire world about your marriage problems. I think I can speak for others when I say that generally the people look at these superstars and we believe that they live these perfect lives without any issues. Especially the power couple of the decade. But in Lemonade, Beyonce takes these issues in her life head on and shares them with the world. "Know that I kept it sexy and know I kept it fun. There’s something that I’m missing maybe my head for one. Such a shame, you let this good love go to waste." I like that the queen of the music world has the same issues as we "normal" people do. This ability to relate to everyone on a personal level, to be so down to earth, is one of Beyonce's most attractive traits. The way she makes you feel like she is everybody's best friend is why I think she has such a vast fan base. Lemonade will probably be looked upon as one of her most memorable music releases in her career not solely because of the music, but also because of the content, her ability to speak to the human spirit.