APLitWhitman4th

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Does he love you?

"Does He Love You?" by Rilo Kiley

Get a real job, keep the wind to your back

And the sun on your face

All the immediate unknowns

Are better than knowing this tired and lonely fate

Does he love you?

Will he hold your tiny face in his hands?

I guess it's spring; I didn't know

It's always seventy-five with no melting snow

A married man, he visits me

I receive his letters in the mail twice a week

And I think he loves me

And when he leaves her

He's coming out to California

I guess it all worked out

There's a ring on your finger

And the baby's due out

You share a place by the park

And run a shop for antiques downtown

And he loves you, yeah, he loves you

And the two of you will soon become three

And he loves you, even though

You used to say you were flawed if you weren't free

Let's not forget ourselves, good friend

You and I were almost dead

And you're better off for leaving

Yeah, you're better off for leaving

Late at night, I get the phone

You're at the shop sobbing, all alone

Your confession is coming out

You only married him, you felt your time was running out

But now you love him and your baby

At last you are complete

But he's distant and you found him

On the phone, pleading, saying

"Baby, I love you, and I'll leave her

And I'm coming out to California"

Let's not forget ourselves, good friend

I am flawed if I'm not free

And your husband will never leave you

He will never leave you for me

People interpret this song in many ways, but the most plain interpretation (to me) is that it’s about a woman having an affair with her close/best friend’s husband. What I love about it is that when listening to it, you can feel the suppressed emotion and the emptiness in every line, although the singer’s voice at first listen seems a bit flat and almost unmotivated. Hearing it for the first time is almost like watching a drama; you become invested in these “characters,” even though you've only been introduced to them for a scant few minutes, and then the big “twist” comes and reinforces how tragic this song really is. It doesn't sound like a depressing song, but if you let the lyrics sink in, you can see how this song doesn't need to sound dirge-like to be truly sad.

The first stanza opens with the narrator either addressing herself or her friend: “Get a real job/Keep the wind at your back and the sun on your face.” She may be reciting to herself here the empty phrases people have told her in an almost monotone-like voice. “Keep the wind at your back and the sun on your face” means essentially to keep pressing forward and keep looking at “the bright side” of things; the unfeeling way the narrator says this is probably indicative of how she regards this trite advice. “All the immediate unknowns/Are better than knowing this tired and lonely fate” is the first hint we get that our narrator is jealous of her married friend. Her friend is freshly wedded and pregnant (as we will see in a minute), so she does indeed have some “immediate unknowns” in her life: raising her child, how her husband and she will get along in this new environment they've moved into, etc., but the narrator says being in that vulnerable position is far better than being alone and jaded like she is.

“Does he love you?/Will he hold your tiny face in his hands?” she asks her friend, though she’s probably not looking for a response. The narrator wants someone to love her like her friend’s husband loves her. I think there is a lot going on here: it’s important to her that her friend is treated well by her husband, so she asks if he gives her that kind of treatment, but there’s a darker intention behind the words as well; because she knows her husband is having an affair with her, she’s asking her friend rhetorically if he really loves her. Of course, this assumes you interpret the song as saying the narrator knew the married man she was cheating with was her friend’s husband; if she really didn't know, then this line could simply represent both the narrator’s jealousy as well as her concern for her friend. All open to interpretation.

“I guess it's spring; I didn't know/It's always seventy-five with no melting snow”: Nothing ever seems to change around the narrator. Her life is stagnant. The consistently-hot California weather represents the way the narrator’s life doesn't really change even as time passes: time moves forward, but the weather in California stays the same, much like the narrator, essentially.

“A married man, he visits me/I receive his letters in the mail twice a week”: At this point we don’t actually know yet that this man is her friend’s husband. Whether or not the narrator knew it was her friend’s husband herself is disputed, but to me it seems obvious that she did know, considering she says he’s visited her. However you want to see it. Maybe the narrator really hadn't seen her friend’s husband before and didn't know who he was, since the two married after the friend left California. Who knows. Depends on whether you want to see the narrator (I’m just going to call her Jenny from this sentence on because that’s the singer’s name) as guilty or innocent.

“And I think he loves me/And when he leaves her/He's coming out to California”: Jenny doesn't actually know if this man loves her, but she’s telling herself he does because it makes her feel better. Part of her realizes he’s not actually going to leave his wife to come live with her, but she feeds herself this fantasy to alleviate some of the jealousy she holds toward her friend.

“I guess it all worked out/There's a ring on your finger/And the baby's due out/You share a place by the park/And run a shop for antiques downtown”: The imagery symbolizes (at least to Jenny) how well her friend’s life is (ostensibly) going for her right now. She’s got the ring, the baby, and the cute little family business: the stereotypical “perfect” life.

“And he loves you, even though you/Used to say you were flawed if you weren't free”: Her friend’s husband loves her even though she seemed opposed to the idea of marriage. Later echoed by Jenny to express to her friend that she doesn't intend to carry through with the affair she’s having with her husband.

“Let's not forget ourselves, good friend/You and I were almost dead/And you're better off for leaving/Yeah, you're better off for leaving”: “Dead,” meaning their friendship was almost over because of something…was it because Jenny’s friend knew Jenny had something for her husband? Intriguing.

Next two stanzas: Here we reach the climax. Jenny's friend confesses her marriage really isn't going so well and we discover who her husband is having an affair with: Jenny. The imagery of her friend sitting alone at night in the family shop, crying on the phone really reinforces the way this song feels like it's a drama on TV; you can just picture the entire scenario in your head. Just listen to how the music builds up to those catastrophic three lines that reveal what's actually going on. It's stellar.

"Let's not forget ourselves, good friend/I am flawed if I'm not free/And your husband will never leave you/He will never leave you for me": Not hard to figure out, but listen to the desperation spoken behind every line. This song is so good, seriously. In my interpretation of it, Jenny knew all along who it was she was having an affair with, and with the last two lines she's actually telling herself more than she is her friend that she really is never going to end up with this man. The sorrow, emptiness, and shock of the realization all echo clearly through her voice. I knew I shouldn't have done this song. It just ends up making me sad.

Taylor Swift

We were both young when I first saw you. I close my eyes and the flashback starts: I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air. See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns. See you make your way through the crowd And say, "Hello," Little did I know... That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles, And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet" And I was crying on the staircase Begging you, "Please don't go" And I said... Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone. I'll be waiting; all that's left to do is run. You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess, It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes." So I sneak out to the garden to see you. We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew So close your eyes... escape this town for a little while. Oh, oh. 'Cause you were Romeo – I was a scarlet letter, And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet." But you were everything to me, I was begging you, "Please don't go." And I said... Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone. I'll be waiting; all that's left to do is run. You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess. It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes." Romeo, save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel. This love is difficult but it's real. Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess. It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes." Oh, oh. I got tired of waiting Wondering if you were ever coming around. My faith in you was fading When I met you on the outskirts of town. And I said... "Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone. I keep waiting for you but you never come. Is this in my head? I don't know what to think." He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said... "Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone. I love you, and that's all I really know. I talked to your dad – go pick out a white dress It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes." Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. 'Cause we were both young when I first saw you. Swift alludes her "Love Story" to the classic literature of "Romeo and Juliet". By alluding to this literature, SWift brings the listener to an earlier time period, talking about things like, "the ball gowns." It gives an image of a more elegant setting. The effect this has on the audience is to get them to experience a more vivid picture of the world in which her love was experienced. Also, Swift uses a metaphor saying, "you'll be the Prince and I'll be the princess." This metaphor shows that Swift wants to have a love in which her and the partner feel as if they have everything. Taylor Swift not only wants to feel safe with her man, but she wants to feel as if she is important, as a princess. Also, Swift uses a hyperbole when she says, "I love you, and that's all I really know." It's supposed to be Romeo saying these words. And by Romeo saying this, she is saying that as long as they both love each other, nothing else really matters because love will prevail. Swift also uses diction that appeals for nostalgia. Saying, "We were both young when I first saw you." and, "the flashback starts." By using this diction that appeals to early love, it acheives in creating a song that advocates for pure and clean love. Back in the early years of life when there was not much to worry about except for love.

Crazy In Love

I look and stare so deep in your eyes
I touch on you more and more every time
When you leave i'm beggin you not to go
Call your name two, three times in a row
Such a funny thing for me to try to explain
How i'm feeling and my pride is the one to blame
Yeah, cause i know i don't understand
Just how your love can do what no on else can

When i talk to my friends so quietly
"who he think he is?" look at what you've done to me
Tennis shoes don't even need to buy a new dress
You ain't there, ain't nobody else to impress
It's the way that you know what i thought i knew
It's the beat that my heart skips when i'm with you
Yeah, but i still don't understand
Just how your love can do what no one else can

Got me lookin so crazy right now
Your love's got me lookin so crazy right now
(your love)
Got me lookin so crazy right now your touch's
Got me lookin so crazy right now
(your touch)
Got me hoping you page me right now your kiss's
Got me hoping you save me right now
Lookin so crazy your love's got me lookin
Got me lookin so crazy your love

This is just a snippit of the lyrics form Beyonce and Jay-Z's Amazing hit Crazy in Love, not only does this song get me mad hype but it also reminds me of the love I lack in my teenage days. Through the use of diction and syntax you really see the true love between these two artists. "Its the beat that my heart skips when I'm with you" and Tennis shoes don't even need to buy a new dress You ain't there, ain't nobody else to impress" are my favorite lines in the song because they have this relationship that not many people can relate to. They truly are content with each other for exactly who they are, no mater what outfit and amount of makeup they wear. They genuinely love each other for who they are, which is hard to find nowadays because many wealthy people are known to be fake or even gold diggers. Also Beyonce gives a perfect image in my head when she says I look and stare so deep in your eyes I touch on you more and more every time" Having seen this music video years ago, I still see the image of beyonce's beautiful eyes staring in ya boy Jay-Z eyes and coming in close as they embrace. These lyrics add so much to the beat in the background because it allows for the audience to connect to the song on a deeper level as well as bust out a line or two when they feel the need.

The Red Sea

God told Moses and the Hebrews to leave Egypt, when they did the King of Egypt decided he missed his slaves and wanted them back. He called for 600 of his chariots and went after the Israelites. The Israelites were trapped, with mountains behind them and The Red Sea in front of them. When the men saw the kings men coming, they panicked and questioned Moses and God. Moses said "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:13-14) Moses put out his hand toward The Red Sea and God parted it. The Israelites rushed to get across and as the Egyptians tried to attack, God made the Red Sea un-part, causing all of the kings men to drown. This miracle strengthen their belief in God.

Miracles. A miracle, according to dictionary.com, is an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause. Although some only consider miracles as something that saves ones life or completely alters the outcome of a situation, I believe miracles are any act of good big or small, expected or unexpected. Look around, there are miracles everywhere. Cancer patients being cured, babies being born, or even just life itself. Miracles are a wonderful thing that sometimes just cant be explained.

Suck It And See-Arctic Monkeys

DISCLAIMER: "Suck it and see" is a British phrase that essentially means "give it a shot," or "you'll never know until you try." No jumping to conclusions, friends. (Before I'm accused of jumping to conclusions myself, know that there was much unintended giggling when this came out in America, so it's fair to have a disclaimer.)

I was introduced to the magic of Arctic Monkeys rather recently, and this one stuck out to me as being both very beautiful musically and poetic lyrically. Also, I saw that Lusi did another song by the same band, and I hope I do not look like I'm being a copier; we're both allowed to like them, right? (Right?!)

Here are the lyrics:

Your love is like a studded leather headlock
Your kiss, it could put creases in the rain
You're rarer than a can of Dandelion and Burdock
And those other girls are just post-mix lemonade

Suck it and see, you never know
Sit next to me before I go
Jigsaw women with horror movie shoes
Be cruel to me, 'cause I'm a fool for you

I poured my aching heart into a pop song
I couldn't get the hang of poetry
That's not a skirt, girl, that's a sawn off shotgun
And I can only hope you've got it aimed at me

Suck it and see, you never know
Sit next to me before I go
Jigsaw women with horror movie shoes
Be cruel to me, 'cause I'm a fool for...

Blue moon girls from once upon a Shangri-La
How I often wonder where you are
You have got that face that just says
"Baby, I was made to break your heart"

Suck it and see, you never know
Sit next to me before I go
Jigsaw women with horror movie shoes
Be cruel to me, 'cause I'm a fool for you

First and foremost, these lyrics show the remarkable passion of the speaker; he directs his lyrics to the girl he loves, who may or may not love him back--we assume she hasn't shown much interest, or he wouldn't be telling her to give it a shot. The overarching theme (I actually typed "overaching" at first, which seems like it can be made a word to describe this song) is suggesting that the girl in question gives a relationship with the speaker a try; he primarily uses comparisons and irony to deliver his message.

The speaker utilizes both similes and metaphors--along with flat-out comparisons--to give his love interest an idea of what she means to him. For instance, in a simile, he compares her love to a "studded leather headlock;" her love is unique and fascinating to him instead of being bland or predictable. The metaphor that "your kiss, it could put creases in the rain" implies that her kiss, too, is remarkable, that it is capable of defying the elements and can fold and split rain. She seems to show a complete and utter disregard for natural laws, which comes as no surprise when we look to the degree of infatuation the speaker shows. Another simile tells of how she is "rarer than a can of Dandelion and Burdock / And those other girls are just post-mix lemonade;" Dandelion and Burdock, a British drink, holds a notorious reputation for being nearly impossible to come by, while post-mix lemonade is considered commonplace; clearly, the speaker considers the girl unspeakably difficult to find, and nothing about her is "just post-mix lemonade," or merely ordinary. Finally, he references other women in the repeated line of "jigsaw women with horror movie shoes;" other women, such as those who wear terrifying high heels, are jigsaw puzzles to him, impossible to decode, but he feels that he simply understands this particular girl.

The speaker added small touches of irony as well to help in his attempts to convince this girl that she should try dating him. He says that he "poured [his] aching heart into a pop song / [He] couldn't get the hang of poetry," which we perceive as irony due to the inherently poetic nature of his writing as well as the distinct lack of pop-influence in the song itself. Additionally, he tells his love repeatedly to "Be cruel to me, 'cause I'm a fool for you;" we as an audience are likely confused at first, as it would make considerably more sense for him to ask for kindness from her. However, in this, he is telling her that he doesn't care at all how she treats him, so long as she interacts with him and knows the full extent of his feelings for her.

In comparing the girl to a great number of other things and in attempting to explain a confusing mess of emotions, the speaker writes with a passionate plea, asking merely for a chance to be hers.

Behold! An especially beautiful acoustic rendition of this song. (Please watch/listen. Please.)
http://youtu.be/H9svkVZ32Cg

Ain't No Sunshine

One of my favorite love songs isn't really a classic love song, but its still a classic, in my humble opinion. It is a simple little ditty titled "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers. The lyrics are: