#1 Song

Wonderwall, Oasis

      Considering that Oasis has been nominated for 132 different awards from around the world and received 61 of them, I believe that Wonderwall is the number song of all time. In 1996, "Wonderwall" was voted as the best single of the year for the NME Awards, Best Song by the MTV Europe Music Awards, and the Brit Awards voted it to be the best British video. Their highest selling album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory, is their highest-selling album to date which sold over 22 million copies worldwide. This song is about two people who are meeting for the first time and they're falling in love, but it will be a difficult process for the both of them; they know it won't end up working out for them, but they still hope it will. Wonderwall can easily be related to anyone who is experiencing love or heartbreak. I remember listening to this song since I was little and it reminds me of all the times I would spend with my dad when I was younger.

Back masking & Reverse speech

      Since the 1960’s, there has been a theory that recording artists project subliminal messages through back masking and reverse speech in their songs. Back masking is a recording technique where a sound or message is recorded backwards onto a track that’s meant to be played forward. A similar technique, known as reverse speech, is a theory of a complete complimentary reverse language. Back masking and reverse speech are both commonly found in music. A subliminal message is a visual or audible message shown in any way that prevents the conscious mind from recognizing them. These messages are usually heard once the song is played backward; there have been many suspicions of this in musicians such as The Beatles, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Queen, etc. Although, some people believe that these cases were just accidental, whereas other’s think otherwise. Despite that, an obvious example of back masking would be “Empty Spaces” by Pink Floyd, and an example of reverse speech would be “Revolution 9” by The Beatles.

      The idea of back masking is spine-chilling all in itself, never mind the fact that it is deliberate. Pink Floyd made their point that back masking is a deliberate recording technique in their song “Empty Spaces.” Pink Floyd’s song played normally is indistinguishable, but once put through an audio device and the song is played in reverse, they sing “congratulations, you have just discovered the secret message.” There isn’t a way that they did this accidentally, and it would be completely irrational for Pink Floyd to not have deliberately done this to their song. “I’m So Tired” by The Beatles is a great example of this, they use indistinguishable gibberish in their song, and once the song is played in reverse, it says “Paul is a dead man, miss him, miss him…” When the song is played on the radio or on CD, most listeners just believe its unknown background music, not that once it is played backward it displays a subliminal message. A second example of back masking is “Fire on High” by ELO. ELO also uses indistinguishable gibberish in their song, and when the song is played backward, they sing “the music is reversible, but time is not, turn back, turn back…” This is also a spine-chilling example, and was definitely not accidental.

      Although, back masking is not the only technique musicians use; reverse speech is a theory of a complimentary reverse language. An easier way of explaining reverse speech would be to say that some people believe there is a complete reverse language; for example, if someone were to speak backwards, it would be another phrase as opposed to the sentence they wanted to say without being reversed. An example of this would be “Revolution 9” by The Beatles. In this song, The Beatles added audio that says, “number nine” repeatedly, when this was played backwards, instead of saying “number nine,” it says “turn me on, dead man,” repeatedly. Another example would be Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi.” Gaga sings “there’s no other superstar you know that I’ll be your papa… paparazzi. Promise I’ll be kind,” and once this was played in reverse, she somehow manages to sing “evil save us! These stars above, above… we model it on the arts of Lucifer.” Many people theorize that celebrities sell their soul to the devil to get famous, and in return have to use subliminal messages about the devil throughout their music, which is why this is a suspicious song all in itself. Lastly, “Hotel California” by the Eagles is another great example of reverse speech. The song says, “in the middle of the night, just to hear them say” and when this is played backward it says, “Satan he hears this, he made me believe in him,” which also ties into the theory behind Lady Gaga’s, Paparazzi.

      Reverse speech may be a very similar idea and technique as back masking, but not quite as deliberate. It is debatable that the Eagles, the Beatles, and Lady Gaga accidentally displayed this in their music once it was played backward; although, there isn’t a chance that the Beatles, along with ELO and Pink Floyd did this accidentally. Back masking is too deliberate to accidentally include into a song, especially like the examples given in Empty Spaces, Fire on High, and I’m So Tired. All of these songs are examples of back masking and reverse speech, although groups of people may choose to disagree.

Comparative Analysis

"Here Without You"

A hundred days have made me older

since the last time that I saw your pretty face

A thousand lies have made me colder

and I don't think I can look at this the same

But all the miles that separate

disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face

CHORUS

I'm here without you, baby

but you're still on my lonely mind

I think about you, baby

and I dream about you all the time

I'm here without you, baby

but you're still with me in my dreams

and tonight it's only you and me

The miles just keep rollin'

As the people leave their way to say hello

I've heard this life is overrated

but I hope that it gets better as we go

CHORUS

Everything I know, and anywhere I go

it gets hard but it won't take away my love

And when the last on falls,

when it's all said and done,

it gets hard but it wont take away my love

CHORUS

"Stop & Stare"

This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us

it's time to make our move, i'm shaking off the rust

I've got my heart set on anywhere but here

I'm staring down myself, counting up the years

Steady hands, just take the wheel...

And every glance is killing me

Time to make one last appeal... for the life I lead

CHORUS

Stop and stare

I think I'm moving but I go nowhere

Yeah I know that everyone gets scared

But I've become what I can't be, oh

Stop and stare

You start to wonder why you're here not there

and you'd give anything to get what's fair

but fair ain't what you really need

Oh, can you see what I see

They're trying to come back, all my senses push

Untie the weight bags, I never thought I could...

Steady feet, don't fail me now

Gonna run til you can't walk

Something pulls my focus out

and I'm standing down...

CHORUS



      Utilizing a subdued tempo in “Here Without You,” 3 Doors Down uses metaphors in the context of life, far-fetched personification, and unrealistic hyperboles to show the listener that “you’re still with me in my dreams.” Also, utilizing a subdued tempo in “Stop & Stare,” One Republic has a heavy usage of unrealistic hyperboles, far-fetched personification, and also an upbeat choral to prove to the listener that “I’ve become what I can’t be.” In comparison, 3 Doors Down and One Republic both have similarities and dissimilarities in their songs “Here Without You” and “Stop & Stare.”

      In the song by 3 Doors Down, “Here Without You” and in the song “Stop & Stare” by One Republic, there are similarities found. Poetic devices seem to be the top contenders for the similarities. Both songs utilize hyperboles and personification to reveal to their listeners that they are leaving where they are. Both songs also deal with relationship, and they each have the same point-of-view. 3 Doors Down sings, “a thousand lies have made me colder,” and One Republic sings, “and you’d give anything to get what’s fair,” which are both hyperboles. A hyperbole is a figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated. “A thousand lies have made me colder” is a hyperbole because a thousand lies couldn’t physically make a person colder, and “you’d give anything to get what’s fair” is also another hyperbole because one cannot personally and physically give anything to get what is fair. 3 Doors Down sings “the miles just keep rolling,” which is personification, along with “this town is colder now, I think it’s sick of us,” which is sung by One Republic. Both lines are personified because miles cannot roll and a town cannot be cold.

      Along with similarities, these two songs also have dissimilarities. Unlike 3 Doors Down, who uses metaphors in the context of life, One Republic uses an upbeat choral. “Here Without You” is a lot more sad and the singer is alone, whereas in “Stop & Stare,” the song is more upbeat and the singer with the subject. 3 Doors Down makes it clear that they are “here without you, baby,” and by doing so, they are a lot more sad and gloomy. Although, taking an alternate route, One Republic depicts that the subject is present but he starts “to wonder why you’re here not there.” 3 Doors Down sings “I’ve heard this life is overrated,” to show metaphor in the song, whereas One Republic uses an upbeat choral in their song,” Stop & Stare.” Not only is the chorus in “Stop & Stare” upbeat, but so is the tempo when the chorus is sang; One Republic sings, “stop and stare/ I think I’m moving but I go nowhere,” that is the ultimate climax of the song and once the second verse is sang, One Republic goes back into a subdued tempo. Dissimilarities aren’t as apparent as thesimilarities in these two songs, however.

      3 Doors Down and One Republic both utilize a subdued tempo, far-fetched personification, and unrealistic hyperboles to show that they are leaving where they are. 3 Doors Down also uses metaphors in the context of life, whereas One Republic uses an upbeat choral. Both songs deal with relationships and leaving, but also one is more distraught and the other is faster, making it visible to the listener that there are similarities as well as dissimilarities of the two songs.

"Not Over You" by Gavin DeGraw

"Not Over You"

Dreams, that's where I have to go

to see your beautiful face, anymore

I stare at a picture of you and listen to the radio

Hope, hope there's a conversation

where we both admit we had it good, but

until then it's alienation, I know, that much is understood

And I realize

If you ask me how I'm doin', I would say I'm doin' just fine

I would lie and say that you're not on my mind

But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two

and finally I'm forced to face the truth

No matter what I say, I'm not over you

Not over you

Damn, damn girl you do it well
And I thought you were innocent

You took this heart and put it through hell

But still, you're magnificent

I- I'm a boomerang, doesn't matter how you throw me

Turn around and I'm back in the game

Even better than the old me

But I'm not even close without you

If you ask me how I'm doin', I would say I'm doin' just fine

I would lie and say that you're not on my mind

But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two

and finally I'm forced to face the truth

No matter what I say, I'm not over you

Not over you

And if I had the chance to renew

You know there isn't a thing I wouldn't do

I could get back on the right track

But only if you'd be convinced

So until then

If you ask me how I'm doin', I would say I'm doin' just fine

I would lie and say that you're not on my mind

But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two

and finally I'm forced to face the truth

No matter what I say, I'm not over you

Not over you

Not over you
Not over you

      Shifting from depressing lyrics to an upbeat tempo in "Not Over You," Gavin DeGraw utilizes a happy mood, far-fetched personification, and vivid imagery to convey a specific tone to show the audience that finally he is forced to face the truth that he is "not over you."

      The happy mood that Gavin DeGraw puts into his song shows that he is trying to get over this one specific girl but can not quite do it just yet. The depressing lyrics but upbeat tempo may confuse the audience because this is a song about him losing a girl and not being able to get over her, but the beat of the song is quirky and fun. Although, I do believe that Gavin DeGraw may have written the song this way to make the song more appealing and catchy.

      The far-fetched personification that Gavin DeGraw throws into the lyrics help indicate that he really can not get over this girl. “You took this heart and put it through hell,” is one example of the personification found in this song. The girl can not literally pull out his heart and put it through hell, it is impossible; Gavin DeGraw got the point across that this girl has hurt him and quite possibly even his heart. Gavin DeGraw sings, “and finally I’m forced to face the truth,”  and in this line, he is personifying the truth. The truth is not a real and living think, therefore he can’t sit there and face it; what Gavin DeGraw means is that he realized that he isn’t yet over this girl.

      The vivid imagery found in “Not Over You” helps depict that Gavin DeGraw is not over this girl. “I stare at a picture of you and listen to the radio,” is a line Gavin DeGraw sings and it very well puts a mental picture in the listener’s head, and they can imagine him staring at a picture of her and listening to the radio. Also, “I sit down at a table set for two,” might give the listener a mental picture of Gavin DeGraw sitting at a restaurant table by himself hoping this girl shows up.

      In conclusion, in “Not Over You,” Gavin DeGraw makes it obvious that he utilizes a happy mood, far-fetched personification, and vivid imagery to convey a specific tone to show the audience that finally he “is forced to face the truth.”

"You And Me" by Lifehouse

“You And Me”

What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can’t keep up and I can’t back down
I’ve been losing so much

‘Cause it’s you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it’s you and me and all other people
And I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you

One of the things that I want to say just aren’t coming out right
I’m tripping on words
You’ve got my head spinning
I don’t know where to go from here

‘Cause it’s you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it’s you and me and all other people
And I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you

There’s something about you now
I can’t quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right

‘Cause it’s you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it’s you and me and all other people
And I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you
And me and all other people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove

And it’s you and me and all other people
And I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you
What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive

            Utilizing a subdued tempo and depressing lyrics in “You And Me,” Lifehouse uses tragic personification, a dreary mood, and a heavy use of hyperboles to convey that he has been “losing so much time.”

            Lifehouse uses tragic personification to portray that he has been in a haze and he unexpectedly comes to the realization that he lost his girl to another man and he is unsure of how this has come about. “What day is it? And in what month?” shows how unaware of the situation he is, and he does not know what to do. Lifehouse uses tragic personification to portray that “this clock never seemed so alive.”

            Lifehouse also uses a dreary mood in this song to indicate how upset he is over the fact that he has to watch the girl he loves being cared for and love by another man. Lifehouse sings, “everything she does is beautiful, everything she does is right” to prove that she is perfect for him and he loves her; he regrets losing this girl and it is apparent in this song.

            The heavy use of hyperboles in “You And Me” displays the love the songwriter has for this girl and he shows it through the exaggeration of his words. He says he’s “tripping on words, you’ve got my head spinning” which is an exaggerated expression. He does this to prove to the reader that she made him crazy in love with her.

            In conclusion, Lifehouse uses tragic personification, dreary mood, and a heavy use of hyperboles to reveal his love for a girl in the song “You And Me.”

Little Green

      Shifting from the point of view of second person to third person in "Little Green," Joni Mitchell utilizes naturalistic imagery, a sorrowful mood, and tragic personification to portray that no matter what one goes through, even if there is happiness in one's life and joyful times, "sometimes there'll be sorrow." This poetic song portrays such things because Joni Mitchell wrote this song to her daughter, who she gave up for adoption due to lack of a father for the baby and lack of income because she was so young.
      Joni Mitchell uses naturalistic imagery, a sorrowful mood, and tragic personifcation to portray the horrific decision that she had to undergo at such a young age. Although the song-writer experienced tough times, she handled the situation extremely well. Her marginally decent decision to give up her baby may have been a brutal decision, but she executed it well.
      Although she turned the tragic and and negative aspects of her decisions and later became quite wealthy and happy with her life, there was always that negative thought of adoption in the back of her mind. Joni Mitchell turned out really happy and satisfied with her life. Also, she finally got the opportunity to meet her daughter, the one she gave up for adoption.

Soundtrack of my Life

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