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A Teen’s Anthem: “Nervous” Song Analysis

Music has been very influential throughout the ages, and it always seems to take hold of a huge part of our daily lives. Whether it be background music while you’re waiting for your floor in an elevator, to just jamming out in order to get through that tough workout, music surrounds us almost constantly. It can be hard to remember that songs have meaning though; they explain something, or tell a story. “Nervous”, a song crafted by 21-year-old artist guccihighwaters, is not apart from this general law of music.

Intro

“Nervous” starts out slow, with just the strumming of a guitar, then adds in flutes, and then drums. Guccihighwaters mumbles things like, “I’m nervous” and “Don’t like it when the nerves hit.” This is one of the central themes of the song. Gucci expresses that he hates when his nerves come in to play, hinting that maybe some previous experience has been ruined for him due to nerves. I think everyone can relate to this part, not just teens. We’ve all been held back from doing something that could be fun or beneficial, just because we were to nervous to try. Although we never know what will happen if we try (if it will be good or bad), it’s this exact thing that usually keeps us tied down in these moments. The fear of the unknown; this is where the nerves come in. After Gucci’s mumble solo, the rest of the instrumental drops in unexpectedly. The drums hit hard, and it’s sort of symbolic as the artist just spoke about his nerves hitting, or getting in the way. The drums however, are welcomed by our ears, and serve as a great compliment to the rest of the instrumental.

Chorus

” I’m nervous
I do not like when the nerves hit
Skippin’ on meals is the worst sh*t
I fall asleep when I’m swerving
Still searching
For myself is it worth it?
I’m still learning
About myself as a person “

We’ve already been through the first two lines, and the next two are self-explanatory. However, I believe the last four have a great sense of relatability to teens, at least in today’s society. “Still searching for myself is it worth it?” just hits home for most teens, me included. Teens are constantly changing, getting new friends, crushes, responsibilities, and just trying to figure out life as an adult. They aren’t exactly kids anymore, but not adults either. They want to be adults, but a lot of teens don’t even know what they want to do when they grow up. They are “still searching” for who they really are, trying to understand themselves. It’s hard, with all the conflicting emotions and feelings. Teens can quickly get overwhelmed in their own head and wonder if they should just give up. “Still searching for myself is it worth it?“; we sometimes feel like we can’t do life or anything really, and it’s not even worth it anymore. I think this is something a lot of teens think nowadays, and I believe it plays a huge part in why there are so many more teen suicides today than fifty years ago. These lines really just resonate with the average teen. It sort of explains how they feel when they’re down. “I’m still learning about myself as a person” is a less depressing line, and more hopeful in a way. As I said before, teens are always learning new things about themselves. This line just perfectly and simply explains that. No secret meaning to it, but it just relates to a typical teen’s situation so well.

Verses

” I hit a bump in the road
Got problems in my home
I do not speak on my feelings
It’s best if you leave me alone
Isolation and anger issues
Soak emotion up in the tissue
Isolation and anger issues
Something that I was always used to
And if there’s a problem
I know there’s a cause
I just gotta find it
Put all my plans into force
Don’t start with me you’re crazy
F*ck text fights I’m too lazy
Can’t play no games
She play me
Everyday in HD
My peers don’t like me
That sh*t is obvious
I hate this fighting
Reminds me that my time is up”

I’m only going to highlight one or two lines from the verse, since I would go on forever if I analyzed the entire thing. “Got problems in my home, I do not speak on my feelings, it’s best if you leave me alone.” This line is another one that I think just resonates so well with a lot of teens. I know I can relate to this one too, actually. A lot of the time, teens bottle up their issues. They don’t want to feel like they’re putting things on other people. There are sometimes problems at home, like Gucci stated, and that just creates a lot of emotions inside an adolescent. Teens bottle these emotions and just want to be left alone, as the line “I do not speak on my feelings, it’s best if you leave me alone.” clearly states.

“Isolation and anger issues, soak emotion up in the tissue. Isolation and anger issues, something that I was always used to.” These lines explain the fact that teens say they want to be isolated, but really they need the exact opposite. Teens want to be isolated so no one can see them cry or get mad (“Isolation and anger issues, soak emotion up in the tissue”). They’re afraid to show their true emotions, because they feel that their problems are too big, too terrible to be solved. “Something that I was always used to.” shows that Gucci went through these things himself, and he felt alone.

Closing

In conclusion, “Nervous” by guccihighwaters is in a way, a teen’s anthem. It expresses a lot of things that the young adults of this era are too afraid to express themselves. It’s sort of ironic how Gucci is speaking about how his nerves used to hold him back from things, yet he’s speaking so boldly about such a personal and sensitive topic. truly, a fantastic song with a lot of great application and meaning.

Official Song

The official lyrics: https://genius.com/Guccihighwaters-nervous-lyrics

My Manifesto: A Way Out

As cliche as it may be, the saying, “life is like a roller coaster,” is honestly very true. We go through highs and lows in our life, twists and turns. Some days, like vacations, may be super fun and enjoyable. Other days may be very difficult, tiring, and grueling, though. People change and so does our perspective on certain things. Everything in this world is constantly changing, including ourselves, whether we realize it or not. It can be hard sometimes, when change comes. Maybe a friend moves away, or a loved one passes away. These are the lows in life, and when these lows come we seek for a remedy to cope with the pain: an escape, and that escape is exactly what I believe my manifesto to be.

Over the course of the semester, I was tasked to analyze many different forms of art. Now, the art type was usually given to me, but for the most part, I was given the ability to choose whatever piece of art I wanted as long as it fell within that genre. I didn’t try to pick art with the same or similar overarching themes, I just chose what interested me. I think it’s pretty interesting though, how without even meaning to, I created a catalog of analyses that followed a certain theme, that theme being escape.

The theme of escape is rather broad, but I think for something unplanned like this, a theme must hold this quality. Escape can be many things. For some people it’s reading, others use their favorite T.V. show as an escape. In more extreme instances, however, some people use things like drugs as an escape from the pain they’re feeling. We as humans look for something more apparent, more distracting than the pain, in order to try to ignore it. One of my posts that I believe really highlights this topic is actually my first one. A Teen’s Anthem: “Nervous” Song Analysis was an analysis I did on guccihighwaters’ song, “Nervous.” In his song, Gucci actually uses the theme of escape. Well, he didn’t actually choose to use this theme for fun, it’s more that the lyrics in his song reflected real life experiences that he went through. Here’s an excerpt from my post:

“‘Got problems in my home, I do not speak on my feelings, it’s best if you leave me alone.’ This line is another one that I think just resonates so well with a lot of teens. I know I can relate to this one too, actually. A lot of the time, teens bottle up their issues. They don’t want to feel like they’re putting things on other people. There are sometimes problems at home, like Gucci stated, and that just creates a lot of emotions inside an adolescent. Teens bottle these emotions and just want to be left alone, as the line ‘I do not speak on my feelings, it’s best if you leave me alone.’ clearly states.”

In this post, Gucci wants to be left alone, as I said. This is a form of coping, a quite literal form of escape. he doesn’t want to interact with others and talk about his feelings, he wants to be left alone to ignore them. This is a very common yet dangerous form of escape. I think this post is a great example to se the tone for what an escape really looks life in real life. I didn’t plan this, but I think this is a pretty great first post for anyone who would read through my sight, because it sets a basic example for escape (which is kind of a common theme throughout my blog).

Another post that I think represents escape is actually my post on a home-like environment. Architectural Interiors: What Home is to Me is probably my most obvious allusion to the topic. I talk about a real life example of what a second home is like to me. An excerpt from this post:

“Along the sides of the library building are a few doors which lead to smaller, more modest sized rooms. These feel like an escape from the silence which dominates the main portion of the library.”

My use of the word escape (again, unplanned) quite literally follows this theme. For me, I have many days that are long and hard. From going to school, to swimming practice, to work, and then home to do homework, I often feel overwhelmed. Some places like the FSW Library feel like an escape from the hustle and bustle to me. Things like reading and video games are also ways I try to relax and escape the chaotic world around me.

A third post that follows my theme would be my post, Musical Theme: Inner Struggle. In this post, I created a playlist that followed a certain theme and incorporated many different musical genres. Now, even though the theme I chose was “inner struggle,” this actually is linked to the theme of escape. In these songs, the artists talk about harsh things they’re going through. Some, like Teflon Sega, use drugs to try to cope with their pain. Some, like Natewantstobattle, don’t know what to do with their pain and are just trying to control it. Everyone uses different things to cope with their pain. We all are just trying to get through life, but life doesn’t make it that easy. We sometimes need a break from the world around us. This is when we resort to our own personal “escape.”

Ekphrasis: My First Poem

Wang Yuanqi – Landscape after Wu Zhen

An immovable object,

A mountain housing houses,

Conjoining the earth and sky

This region rising far above,

Chaotic yet intricate,

Sturdy yet delicate,

A constant reminder of the balance

Between all things,

The essence of darkness staining the sheet,

spreading its influence throughout,

Its dark tendrils reach far and wide,

Influencing everything they meet,

Black and white,

This fictional world is formed from,

Black and white,

Within everyone’s soul.

Analysis

I chose this work of art as inspiration because, though simple with few colors, I think that actually makes it more interesting than some painting which have a wider range of colors. Now, I have nothing against more colorful works, I just believe that colors bring their own strengths and weaknesses, just as blacks and whites do. This painting is a very detailed painting of a mountainous area based in China. The fact that it was all drawn in one color really drew my eye. This, combined with the extremely thin lines and the wide range of shapes/objects really kept this piece in my mind from the first time I saw it. I believe the slower pace and shorter of my lines really kept the mood that the painting exhibits. As the paining is simplistic, so is my poem. Focusing on quality rather than quantity, I tried to make every word carry as much meaning as possible. Basically, I tried to do a lot with a little, trying to keep the same energy that I felt when examining the art piece which I based my poem on. In addition to this, I tried to use a lot of “C’s”, “T’s”, and “S’s” in my poem because I believe these letters to have hard, sharp sounds. The reason to this is because, to me, the extremely thin, detailed lines in Yuanqi’s work feel very sharp and intricate to me. I tried to carry this sensation over to my poem, exhibiting it in the form of words.

Even though I tried to have my poem resemble the artwork as much as possible, I also tried to find a way to tie it to life. The painting, when I first observed it, struck me with the feeling of “chaos vs. order.” This is something that will always be part of life, it’s a piece of it. There needs to be a balance, though. Too much of one or the other and everything goes up in flames. This painting has a good balance of light and dark, so it really represented that balance well In addition to this concept, I also felt it could be linked to the idea of “good and evil.” I tried t tie this into my poem as well. We all have crossroads in our life where we have a choice: the selfish thing, or the kind thing. It’s up to us to make these choices and judge the merits of each one. This can be represented with the striking black and white of the painting as well.

I really enjoyed this assignment. I’ve never created a poem before, or analyzed a piece of art in this way, but it turned out really fun! I hope you all enjoyed my ekphrasis.

Video Art: Strikingly Unfiltered

Video art is a form of storytelling that differs greatly from what we usually observe on television. Unlike television, video art doesn’t have to follow a certain format or set of rules. It’s not forced to be structured around a storyline and is far more free flowing than television shows or movies. Improvisation can be a huge part of video art. A lot of the time, though, video art follows real life experiences.

I chose to watch a video art re-enactment of “Francis Alys and Rafael Ortega.” This tells the story of how Francis, a man who lived in New Mexico at the time, went into a gun shop to buy a firearm. After buying the firearm, Francis proceeded to walk the streets of the town, presumably aimlessly. However, after about eight minutes, Francis was arrested by a three man company of New Mexico’s police officers. Ortega recorded the whole event from start to finish (which I should mention occurred in 2000). This video was a shocking one to watch, as the real life footage seemed so crazy that I first believed it to be fake, or acted out. The only thing separating the original video and the re-enactment (which were shown side by side) was the fact that the re-enactment featured better lighting and many different camera angles that it switched between. Besides these things, I could hardly tell the difference between the two. Video art seems far more uncensored than television. It’s basically just raw footage of someone living their life, or in this case, doing something a little peculiar and dangerous. This video contained basically no dialogue. the silence it created was eerie, making the scene feel very real (which it was). I enjoyed seeing the comparison of the re-enactment and how the situation actually went down. Video art gives us a look into how crazy situation such as this one really are. I almost felt like I was a witness there! I think video art is a great way to educate ourselves, though since it is far less entertaining, I don’t think it’s for most people.

Source

Since the original video format wouldn’t embed, I had to post the only version I could find (which was a shortened version found on YouTube).

Hamlet: Act 1 Scene 5 Analysis

Hamlet is widely thought of as one of the greatest examples of theatrical drama in all of time Now, while I haven’t watched the entire thing, after viewing just one scene I can say that I con confidently say that I definitely agree with that statement. I chose this scene to analyze in particular because I believe it is an amazing example of how to set a story. The interpretation I watched was very accurate; it was set in the same setting as the story, as well as followed the original script word for word. I really enjoyed seeing the reinterpretation of the scene a lot more than reading it. The atmosphere that the stage created was incredible and brought something totally new to the scene. It’s a dark, wide open space layered in thick fog. An ominous feeling fills the scene, fitting it perfectly. The actors did a great job in their roles too, I could really hear the emotion in their voice. Both Hamlet and his father seemed very, very angry (rightfully so). Fury overtook the two of them, causing Hamlet to drop to his knees and his father to later aggressively grab him. Hamlet’s father seems a little insane in this scene, which foreshadows to how Hamlet himself will later become insane (whether we interpret this to be him acting or not). Overall, I think this is an amazing scene. It’s one of the greatest examples of plot setting I’ve ever seen in story creation. Such a unique way to drive the story forward, give the protagonist’s motives meaning, and making us sympathize with him, all at the same time! As a future author, I definitely learned things from this scene.

Here is a look at the scene I analyzed for this post:

The Anatomy of a Scene: Night of the Living Dead (Feat. A Hard Day’s Night)

Comedy

A Hard Day’s Night is thought by many to be a revolutionary film for its time. Upon watching the film, I definitely agree. This pseudo-documentary follows the popular band, The Beatles, on their journey towards a big television special in London. Shortly after they gained their popularity, the group is invited to this special and their managers couldn’t be more excited! The Beatles themselves, however, are an easily distracted bunch. Just anting to have fun, the film follows this jovial quartet as they try to find a balance between work and play. Throughout this journey, plenty of fun is poked towards each other, some of the bits being particularly hilarious. One of my favorite moments of the film was when George is mistaken for a model. He gets into this whole fiasco for no reason at all and I find his innocence throughout it incredibly funny. Overall, this film was a great step for its genre (which is hard to classify) at the time.

Drama

Night of the Living Dead is a small scale drama/horror set in a countryside of the east coast. The premise of the movie is that, out of the blue, “undead” humans start to terrorize America. We follow Barbra and Ben (who I believe to be the two protagonists of this film) through their fight to survive in this shockingly new apocalyptic world. Along the way they try to save others who they happen to cross paths with. However, some of these people bring more harm than hurt to the survival effort. However cliche the phrase may be, I must say that this movie has a ton of unexpected turns and will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Never giving away too much, this is a film that always keeps you guessing. I have to admit, I enjoyed Night of the Living Dead a bit more than the film above. Something about the old sounds combined with the dramatic, frightening theme really drew me in from the first scene! Coincidentally, I believe the first scene to be one of the greatest in the whole film. In this opening scene, we see a long shot of a winding road. Eventually, a small sedan passes through the frame. This is followed by a wide shot where the car passes by, and another, and another. This opening scene, which is seemingly only there to showcase the opening credits, creates an astonishing amount of tension for what the activity really is. It’s just a car driving through the countryside, but somehow it feels like more, like it’s building up to something. As this sequence ends, Barbra and her brother Johnny come out of their car to pay homage to their father’s grave. Lightning strikes and Barbra suddenly is reminded of how frightened she is of this place. A figure is seen in the distance, roaming the graveyard just as the siblings are. Johnny starts to tease Barbra for her fear. “You’re ignorant,” Barbra says. This line is a great use of foreshadowing, since as the teasing continues the man in the distance and the siblings eventually cross paths. However, this man is revealed to be undead as he attacks Barbra, who is quickly saved by her brother. He however, in an act that feels earned by his own brattiness prior, is killed in this struggle. Barbra then makes eye contact with the undead and runs for safety. This is the ending of what I believe to be the opening of the movie, and I think it was fantastic. It does a great job of setting the story and tone for the entire movie, as well s drawing the viewer in, all at the same time. An amazing start to an unforgettable film.

The Godfather and La Jetée: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Since watching The Godfather and La Jetée, I’ve come to the conclusion that they are both incredible films. However, they couldn’t be more different. One is based in a post apocalyptic future and one is based in the past. One is set in France and one is set in America. Looking past these superficial differences, though, is where we find the defining characteristics that really set each film apart and make them feel so different. The Godfather is renowned for how well it was made, specifically from a filmmaker’s perspective. Scenes like “The Baptism” perfectly capture this feeling of intricacy. Throughout watching this film, you can really feel how well-crafted and technically this movie was made. It’s easy to see that the directors put so much time and thought into each and every shot of this film. This doesn’t go unnoticed. In La Jetée the main focal point is the psychological aspect of the film. Watching this film makes you think, and you’re sure to be analyzing scenes from it in your own head, late at night. La Jetée isn’t particularly made especially well. It is composed almost entirely of still photos, but that’s not to say it was made poorly. Shot in black and white, I believe this aspect really makes the film unique to the eye, especially in this day and age. The use of still photos leaves some things up to the imagination, which is one of La Jetée‘s biggest strengths. This is a movie that will keep you thinking, questioning, and reliving a long time after you watch it. It’s a movie that will stick with you. Both great films, I recommend these to anyone who enjoys a good watch.

Photographer’s Eye: Imperfection

Many things in this world are beautiful. People, animals, plants, and just the little intricacies of life are beautiful. However, no matter how beautiful and perfect something can seem, it isn’t. Nothing in this world is perfect but that’s ok! These imperfections are what make us different from each other, some of the defining features of us as human beings. These imperfections, in a way, are beautiful themselves. In this post, I will be analyzing some very aesthetic and beautiful photos, but also point out their imperfections. Imperfections can totally change the message a photo portrays, and I think they’re a very useful device when taking aesthetic photos.

Sunset

I captured this photo just a few days ago, coming home from swim practice. The colors in this picture really go well together. The salmon colored clouds are something I don’t see too often, especially paired with the light blue shade that the sky has. The silhouettes of trees contrast nicely with the sky. However, the major imperfection of this photo is its quality. The blurriness prevents the viewer from experiencing the full beauty of the image. It’s sort of poetic, how something so beautiful can’t fully be recognized for its beauty. This imperfection isn’t all bad though, as it just gives the viewer the chance to appreciate how great this sight must’ve really been.

Stones

I really like this picture in particular. It emits a peaceful, calm energy. In this picture, the stones are almost perfectly in the shape of path, as if you could keep walking all the way to the center of the lake using them. The water the stones reside in is very still and the reflection of large trees can be seen if one looks closely at the top of the photo. However, this photo is not without its imperfections. This photo is almost perfectly symmetrical, but a single leaf in the bottom right of the frame disrupts this. Once you notice this, it’s hard to unsee it. However, it gives the photo a whole new meaning, in my opinion. The single leaf, in this unknown sea of stones, gives the photo a feeling of loneliness (something it didn’t have before).

Berry Bush

The strongest aspect of this photo are its contrasting colors. The shiny, bright green leaves contrasting with the dark red berries make this photo one that’s very appealing to the eyes. Upon further inspection, the leaves can be seen to come in many different shoes of green. The imperfection in this photo comes in the form of destructed beauty though. Some of the leaves, particularly two in the center of the photograph, are cut or torn. However, this gives the photo a newfound beauty. These couple of leaves, though damaged, are fighting to keep their green color. A metaphor for pushing through trials, this imperfection (much like the others we’ve looked at) gives the photo a deeper meaning.

Pink Flowers

The first thing noticed in this photo is the bright color of this group of flowers. The pink really pops out so much more than anything else in the frame, so it’s easy to get distracted from the background. In fact, most of the background is actually out of focus, as the focal point of the photo are these beautiful flowers. However, the imperfection in this photo comes from this blurry background. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the background is filled with jagged, wire, thorn-covered branches. Well, these branches are actually from the same plant as these flowers. I think this makes the photo a great example for how, in today’s society, most people only care about outer beauty. They only pay attention to how someone appears at first, and without looking deeper, they trust their feelings to them. They ignore what’s beneath the surface and eventually get hurt because of this.

Flower Field

At first glance, this photo gives off a happy energy. The countless flowers create the classic image of an environment perfect for frolicking in. The sea of large trees that create a boundary for this flowery heaven are a good contrast to the delicate flora. The imperfection in this photo is hard to spot, but if you look in the upper left corner of the frame you’ll surely find it. A pile of dead, rotting wood partially protrudes into the frame of the photo. Going generally unnoticed unless pointed out directly, this wood is a great metaphor for how quickly things can be forgotten. Someone who once seemed so close to you, so important, may one day be forgotten in the sea of other lively people in your life. Friendships that seemed so important back in middle school are sometimes forgotten so quickly, never to be rekindled again.

Musical Theme: Inner Struggle

The concept of struggle is a universal one, as it is a basic attribute of life. Pain is something that everyone knows all too well, whether it be physical or emotional. Well, struggle is a form of pain and can be described as “trying to escape something through desperate or uncontrolled mannerisms.” Inner struggle, the theme I chose for my playlist, deals with emotions. I’m not talking about a cold or some stomach ache, I’m talking about things like heartbreak, loneliness, confusion, sadness, anger, self-control, and things alike. I’ve found that certain songs do a great job of relating to some of the emotional pains I feel, so that’s one of the reasons I chose this as my theme. Another reason I chose this as my theme is because I feel that everyone goes through some form of inner struggle throughout their life. Usually, this occurs once they’ve matured (at least partially) as a young child probably wouldn’t have many cares or worries besides what toy they want to play with next. I believe this is a very serious subject and one that all of my readers can relate to. It’s special to me because, lately, I’ve been going through a lot of emotional pain. I see this as a way to express my feelings, so I’m excited to share these songs with you guys.

Electronic

Teflon Sega – Vacancy

This song starts of with these quiet, electronic synth-like notes being repeated in a simple melody. After a few seconds, Teflon’s voice comes in along with some drums. Slowly, as the song progresses, the song gets louder and louder as more musical elements slowly get added one by one. Right before the chorus, the music almost completely stops as Teflon says “I feel nothing.” The beat drops and more elements than ever before all come in at once, giving a sort of rush to the listener. In this song, Teflon talks about how lately he “feels nothing.” “Vacancy,” the title of the song, is unsurprisingly the main theme of the song. Teflon feels sort of empty inside, like something is missing. This could be due to a breakup or some other event in his life, we aren’t quite sure as he never fully alludes to what the exact situation was that caused this vacancy. However, I believe this makes the song more versatile as listeners can relate it to their own situation, since it isn’t so specific.

Teflon Sega – Loner

In this song, the heavy drums come in straight from the start. A harp can be heard in the background, as well as an electric guitar that comes in during the chorus. Various mechanical sounds are sprinkled in throughout the song, and it creates a variety in the song. Teflon’s melodic voice goes perfectly with the harp, and the tempo of the song goes amazing with Teflon’s consonance. Not being one for intricate titles, Teflon called this song “Loner” as he describes how he’s a loner and just wants to be left alone. He relies on drugs as his only friend and as a way to cope with his loneliness, but these drugs convince him that he doesn’t need anyone else. He feels fine being lonely since he has these drugs he relies on. Though really, the inner struggle in this song is how Teflon copes with his loneliness using drugs. Should he stop using them? However, there is a question as to if he can even stop, as the loneliness is so much worse when the drugs aren’t present.

Teflon Sega – Ghost

In this song, Teflon keeps the same slow tempo fro almost the entire song. Almost every line ends with the same sound, so this song has a really consistent alliteration. The tone is very light, as the starts off with just some soft, distorted bells before adding in angelic background vocals and drums. Teflon’s voice comes in and the song gets a new rhythm to it. The song as a whole sounds very dark. In this one, Teflon talks about how he can’t feel emotions anymore. The line, “I’m a motherf***ing ghost,” is definitely the most heavy hitting in the entire song. Teflon speaks on expectations in the second half of this song, and how he doesn’t know what to do. He says he’s “lost himself” in one line, alluding to the thought that he possibly doesn’t know who he really is anymore. This song is all about Teflon trying to figure out his emotions and find out who he really is.

Rock

NateWantsToBattle – Monster Inside

This song pulls no punches starting out with some extremely fast paced and aggressive work from the drummer. A distorted electric guitar pairs itself perfectly with the drums, giving the song a proper melody. After this intro, the song slows down with some more distinct and separated notes from each instrument. An electric guitar constantly strumming an encore in the background gives the listener a feeling of urgency. When the chorus hits, an electric piano can be heard in the background. This song is all about Nate trying to control his “monster inside.” This is a personification of Nate’s anger that he battles with. He tries to control it but he says it “makes me feel alive, yet somehow dead inside. It makes me feel, it makes me numb at once.” He says it’s “eating at him from the inside,” breaking him down and making him sometimes do things he doesn’t want to do. It’s as if he has a split personality in this song, as he wants to get rid of this monster even though it sometimes makes him feel alive. The struggle in this song is focused on self-control.

Blues

Charles Bradley – Changes

This song starts with a sharp, higher note being held by an organ. Drums and a guitar are slowly added in, and they create a more playful tone for the song. However, this tone contrasts with Charles’ vocals completely. He is undergoing change in his life as he just let someone special out of his life. He regrets this but realizes he can’t take it back. The line “I feel unhappy, I feel so sad” are the first words we hear Charles say on this track, and it really lets you know what you’re in for from the get go. Trumpets come in on the chorus as Charles recites the line, “I’m going through changes.” This song focuses on how Charles is battling with the sadness of losing someone special in his life, which is something that I think all of us can relate to.

Hip Hop

Quadeca – A Dream I Can’t Remember

This song starts with a piano/xylophone solo, as Quadeca comes in with the lyric, “Nowhere left to run.” This alludes to the idea that Quadeca feels trapped by something. The line, “Looking in your eyes like the sun,” creates a symbolism that whoever Quadeca is face to face with, it hurts him to look them in the eye just as it hurts to look at the sun. As this line is recited, heavy, distorted, bass-filled drums dominate the listener’s ears. A distorted version of the singer’s voice is heard harmonizing with him in the background of the song and creates an eerie, sad tone. Throughout the song, the piano and background vocals are consistent, but those big drums only hit whenever a big line is delivered, which isn’t until the end of the song. Quadeca says, “The monsters in my dreams, they were real all along,” possibly meaning that feels such as anxiety or fear have him feeling trapped. These “monsters” are probably feelings of anxiety, fear, or depression, as those are the struggles found within this track.

Plot: Just the Basics

“As we start to drive, I pull out my phone and start playing my various games. I don’t last on the same one for more than 5 minutes, I can’t bother putting any real commitment into any of them. They’re pretty boring, but it’s better than watching the trees go by. As, time passes, my phone tells me ‘10% battery remaining.’ A warning, but I don’t listen. My battery should last till I get to Mike’s house and I can just charge it there. Mom did tell me to call her when I want to get picked up, but he’ll have a charger, I’ll be fine. We arrive at Mike’s house. I’m so excited! I tell Mom ‘bye’ and run to the door. The next few hours are great, but eventually I realize I need to call Mom. I pull out my phone, but it’s dead! ‘Mike, do you have an iPhone charger I can use?’ He replies, ‘Nope, our family has Samsung.’ My heart drops. I call mom off of Mike’s phone, but she doesn’t pick up (probably not recognizing the number). I’m in deep trouble, I should’ve listened to my phone’s warning.”

The first 3 sentences are the start to the exposition of the story. Later, we find out the full details of the story, in that our character is visiting his friend Mike’s house. The “10% battery” warning is an example of foreshadowing. It is a warning that perhaps our character’s phone may have issues later in the story. As we observe our character arriving to Mike’s house, this is the rising action. He’s having so much fun playing around with his buddy. However, his fun will soon end. Situation A is “Calling Mom to get home from Mike’s house” Due to the protagonist’s choice earlier in the story though, his phone is now dead. This is the change in the story. Once the protagonist finds out about this, the falling action begins. His phone being dead scares him and ruins his mood. Situation B is “not being able to get home from Mike’s house.” This story doesn’t have a resolution, as it is up to the reader to create the resolution how they believe it happened, in their own mind.

Poetic License: Deconstructing an Art

A new obsession. How to get out
of cold, metallic waters alive.
Every night for a week I dream
of my car ending up in a body
of water. If I’m not driving, someone
else is. Bob, the neighbor.
My new paranoia.
I Google how to escape a car
filling with water. I watch videos
on YouTube. I memorize the steps
of what to do if this happens. First,
you take your seat belt off. Late at night,
I read pages and pages on the internet.
What if the car lands
in the water flipped over?
Remember to stay calm.
If you panic, you will die.
News story about a woman who drives
her minivan into the ocean on purpose.
Horrified beachgoers run toward the water.
The two kids are strapped in the back seat.
One of the kids is screaming “No, mommy” —
What about the sunroof?
What if you land in the water
and your car has a sunroof?
My new car has a sunroof.
You have to let the car fill with water
so that pressure is equalized on both sides.
This is elementary physics.
If you don’t do this, it’s
impossible to open the doors.
This is the scary part.
You have to hold your breath.
None of the YouTube videos say anything
about what to do if you have
kids strapped in car seats in the car.
I look up what the dreams mean.
Water in dreams signifies turbulent emotions.
If you are in your car and there
is a flash flood, you should get out immediately.
Even six inches of water can sweep your car away.
Sweep it to where?
Maybe the forest?
I get nervous driving by the Gulf of Mexico.
My friend Dyan got into an accident
there and she said that if the car had
flipped on the other side of the road,
her whole family would
have ended up in the water.
I don’t like water.
I don’t want to touch it.
It scares me.
I know all life was born of water.
Today the government proposed
to sell off all public lands.
That before anything existed
there were rocks and then water.
I know that water is beautiful and mysterious.
But why does it sweep people away?
I want to push down the rising seas.
I look at a map of cities that will be underwater by 2100, 2200 —
Jacksonville, New Orleans, Amsterdam.
I want to push them down with my bare hands.
By Sandra Simonds

Deconstruction and Analysis

This poem, “A new obsession. How to get out.”, is a short but meaningful one. The story starts with the protagonist telling us about their “new obsession.” This obsession is quite an odd one though: how to escape a sinking car. However, though this is labeled as an obsession, it actually is the protagonist’s biggest fear. Spending night and day researching, the protagonist is “obsessed” with how to escape this situation, if they ever were to find them self in it. The poem starts with the words, ” How to get out of cold, metallic waters alive.” This can be taken literally, since the water could be cold and a metallic car is sinking into it, but it can also have a metaphoric meaning. “Cold, metallic” makes the water seem like a precise, automated killer. It cannot stop itself, this is just simply what it does, so you must fear it. The protagonist goes on to explain how they research their fear by watching Youtube videos and going through discussion threads online. “Remember to stay calm. If you panic, you will die.”, is one of the things our protagonist learns in regards to how to escape this sinking grave. It’s sort of ironic though, since our protagonist is literally panicking in preparation for this event to happen. Dreaming about it, always thinking about it, this has consumed their entire life. The protagonist goes on about different scenarios, which are all highly unlikely to occur, yet they still scramble to find answers all the same. The poem concludes with, ” I know all life was born of water . . . But why does it sweep people away? I want to push down the rising seas.” It’s ironic how our protagonist is afraid of the very thing which is within them, so much to the point that they want to push it down. They want nothing to do with it, other than to destroy it. This can switch the whole theme of the poem around, if we look at it from a metaphorical point of view. Instead of being afraid of the endless seas, our protagonist’s true fear is getting overwhelmed by their emotions. They are scared to fall into their emotions, afraid they won’t be bale to get back out. Perhaps the protagonist is speaking of anger, and not wanting to rampage and hurt people. Perhaps they mean depression, and the cycle it brings that pushes you further and further down. I believe, though, that this is a metaphor for fear. The protagonist is so scared of drowning in their own fear, becoming paralyzed by it, unable to escape. However, they fail to realize that by fearing this so much, they have fallen into exactly what they are afraid of. As humans are made of water, and our protagonist was afraid of that, everyone also has fear, and the protagonist has become absorbed by the fear of fear. This is the true theme of this poem, and perhaps the author was speaking of them self the entire time.