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The Importance of Context in Song Interpretation

admin — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Context Is Everything When It Comes To Understanding Song Lyrics
A song lyric taken out of context can create a controversial reaction. For instance, when Patti Smith sings about a rock and roll nigger in her song, “Rock And Roll Nigger,” she is not making a prejudice statement against African Americans. On the other hand, Patti Smith is using a derogatory term in order to turn the meaning on its head. Moreover, Smith uses this word to explain the role of the artist in society.

Learning How To Successfully Interpret A Song
On the one hand, songs are like mini codes. In this fashion, some codes are simpler than others. A song can be a direct representation of an idea, emotion, feeling, experience or reflection. However, a song can be an abstract rendering of an experience or thought too. For instance, when you stare at a Picasso painting from the 1920s, this is very different than looking at a Rembrandt. In other words, a songwriter can express a feeling in a myriad of different ways. Although there may be a hidden meaning or moral to the song, the listener is permitted to interpret in any way that she likes. This is what makes song lyrics and art so spectacular and fun.

Style Over Substance: Top Five Most Meaningless Songs

admin — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Style Over Substance: Top Five Most Meaningless Songs

A great song connects the listener with the words and music in one simultaneous instant. In other words, a song affects people within the first few moments of hearing it. From the first few moments of a song, the listener is transported to a place beyond reality. Additionally, our emotions run wild and when get a chill down the back of our neck. This is the power of a great song. Some examples include “Yesterday” by The Beatles, “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix and “My Generation” by The Who. These songs are powerful and effective examples of some of the best rock writing of all time. However, what makes a song bad? This has a lot to do with the meaninglessness of a song as well as its unconvincing delivery. In addition, the absolutely pointlessness of a song has a lot to do with making it so bad. Here are the top five most meaningless songs of all time.

1. Billy Ray Cyrus -”Achy, Breaky Heart”
2. Journey – “Separate Ways”
3. Ricky Martin – Livin’ La Vida Loca
4. Los Del Rio – “Macarena”
5. Corey Hart – “Sunglasses at Night”

Top Five Most Difficult Songs to Interpret

admin — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Artists have always produced songs that have deep meaning and not so deep meaning. Some artists clearly portray what a song is about, while others do not. Sometimes listeners are clueless as to the very words in the song.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana has very few decipherable words in it. Most people can only understand the brief excerpts from the chorus “Here we are now, entertain us. I feel stupid and contagious.”

“Give it Away” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is similar, with listeners not being able to decipher some words. All you really know is whatever it is “you’ve got to give it to ya mamma,” and “give it away now.”

An oldie that no one knows all the words to is “Louie, Louie” by The Kingsmen. For the most part all anyone can sing is “Louie, Louie, oh baby, I said we gotta go.” No one knows who Louie is or where we have to go.

Although you can understand the words to Evanescence’s “My Immortal,” the listener is still confused. Lyrics saying “you still have all of me,” and “I’ve been alone all along” just leave you with questions.

“Jeremy” by Pearl Jam seems to be about bullying; however, the ending of the song is just vague. The video is also not definitive regarding the ending.

Alanis Morisette

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

You may have heard more Alanis Morisette on your Direct Star TV channels recently and that’s because she’s really making a comeback. We’ve got the scoop on her song “Needed to Leave” which was on her 2006 LP:
“I always wanted for you what you wanted for yourself and I wanted to save you”this line is reportedly about her ex, another famous star, whom she was trying to “save” from himself as he spiraled out of control into drugs and alcohol.
“That particular month love, it challenged me to wait”this line refers to the way in which romantic love sometimes keeps people (namely Alanis) in relationships longer than they would otherwise stay.
“And in the meantime I lost myselfI’m sorry I lost myself, I am.”this is Alanis’ recognition that she lost who she was in a struggle to keep her romantic partner happy. She is apologizing because it is widely acknowledged that it’s impossible to please someone else when you’re not pleasing yourself.
Alanis has some really good insights in one of her most poignant, personal songs to date.

Hidden Meanings: Interpreting Even the Most Difficult Song Lyrics

admin — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Ever wondered what your favorite song is really about? Is the melody catchy but the lyrics impossible to decipher? Here are some simple things you can look for that will help you interpret your favorite songs. You can start out by doing a little research. When was the song written? Did anything happen during that time that might have influenced the song? Look for clues in the song-s lyrics that might reference specific events. After you have done some background work, return to the song lyrics and see if you can pick out a story or a statement. This isn-t always obvious, since artists often embellish their stories with flowery language. Once you have a good idea of the story, look for words or phrases that might be metaphors or have more than one meaning. For example, if the song is about a fish in a glass bowl, it might metaphorically be a song about the artist feeling trapped. Look especially at any adjectives that seem particularly expressive. Lastly, go with your gut. If a certain turn of phrase grabs your attention, pick it apart and look at each individual word. You might be surprised at what pops out at you!

Song Lyrics: Just Poetry With a Kick?

admin — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The connection between song lyrics and poetry has to be taken on an artist by artist and song by song basis. Early rock and roll was full of doo wop groups whose hits were totally devoid of poetic lyrics. The words of songs such as Little Richards- “Tutti Frutti’ or The Beatles- “She Loves You’ can certainly not stand on their own as poetry, yet the songs were huge hits for the respective artists. The melody, beat and energy drove these songs, not their lyrics. At the other end of the spectrum are the singer-songwriters whose songs in many cases appear to be built to showcase their lyrics. Bob Dylan comes to mind as an example of an artist whose lyrics can often stand up on their own as poetry. Springsteen at his best as in “Jungleland’ also approaches real poetry.

Great songs can be built primarily around the music or lyrics. Perhaps the greatest songs balance both to create a work of art born out of the symbiosis of words and music. One can only wonder what Shakespeare-s greatest hits would sound like if the Bard were alive today and was using a Stratocaster as well as a pen.

Using Symbolism and Semantics in Song Interpretation

admin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Lyrics, whether to a forlorn love song, or a party anthem, are not merely vocal accompaniment to the melody, but often stand alone as poetry in itself. Well written lyrics are just like some of the great poems of our time: difficult to interpret, but not impossible.

Artists often create songs based upon meaningful events in their own lives or in reflection of the zeitgeist of the times. One key thing to look for in songs are symbols hidden within the lyrics. Look for proper nouns or names that may stand in for a larger thematic element.Get more information here. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/09/lyrics-gaps-musical-way-to-practice.html References to other objects or animals are also often used to represent things greater than themselves. Search for metaphors or comparisons and you can often pinpoint the noun being used as a symbol.

Confined typically to four minutes of lyricism, each word is chosen carefully and it helps in song interpretation to understand the choice that goes behind each word. For example, rather than saying there were bluebirds outside, a choice is made to say there were crows outside. Each bird represents something very different; it is not simply an issue of semantics, but a choice of words that reflects a greater meaning.

Ten Easy Steps to Interpreting Your Favorite Songs

admin — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

1. Look at the title. This can often give you clues about what the artist is trying to say.
2. Listen to the lyrics for the story the artist wants to tell.
3. Find out what else might have been going on at the time that might have influenced the song.
4. Read any liner notes the artist might have written about the song.
5. Listen to how the words match the music. Are the lyrics happy but the music sad? This might lead you to hidden meanings of the song.
6. Does the artist use the same word or image a lot? If so, what do you think that word or image means? For example, do they always associate the word “green’ with happiness?
7. Think about the artist-s general tone when writing music and how it might relate to this song.
8. Think about why the artist might have written this particular song.
9. Look for any lyrics that might be metaphors or mean more than one thing.
10. Now put it all together: compare what the artist says about the song with what you have interpreted. What did you learn about the song that you didn-t know before?