Day: December 17, 2019

On By jkelsey87In Music PoetryLeave a comment
Image result for god's favorite customer

Disappointing Diamonds are the Rarest of Them All by Father John off of his latest studio album; God’s Favorite Customer uses unconventional, almost unsettling metaphors to describe the love that is shared between him and his wife Emma. The chorus goes as:

“Disappointing diamonds are the rarest of them all

And a love that lasts forever really can’t be that special

Sure we know our roles, and how it’s supposed to go

Does everybody have to be the greatest story ever told?”

The theme of the song is to go against the traditional narrative of love being this perfect idea that love lasts forever but argues that love is actually flawed and not unique or special. Despite this love is still a “Diamond” and diamonds rarely disappoint. Love doesn’t have to be a fairytale for people to still enjoy it. 

The chorus focuses on the central theme while the verses use outright bizarre comparisons further his idea of love being imperfect.

“Like a pervert on a crowded bus

A glare of love bears down on us”

To compare love to the glare of a pervert is a gross outlandish juxtaposition, but in this case it works to further the theme song because illuminates the idea that there is both bad and good in love, but ultimately it’s still a “diamond”.

“Like a carcass left out in the heat

This love is bursting out of me”

Again we see a gross outlandish comparison but this line also has a deeper meaning because in many of his songs FJM infers to himself as a lifeless/emotional being, but despite this flaw in their love it’s still a positive experience.

“Like an oil tanker tipped at sea

This love’s contaminated me”

Particularly with this line we see the tragedy of an oil spillage but also the good in love, so while there is tragedy in love it ultimately triumphs.

Father John Misty is one of my favorite artists because he often goes against societal norms to define meaning in his lyrics to critique societal norms.

“From Eden”

On By LILY TROGUSIn Music PoetryLeave a comment

https://genius.com/Hozier-from-eden-lyrics

Image result for from eden

I would strongly consider the song From Eden, by Hozier poetry, due to the imagery, the numerous symbolic elements and the perspective the song is written in.

From the first few lines of the song it is clear that Hozier is speaking to someone, and later on it becomes apparent that it is a lover that is not necessarily fit for him. These following lines draw the listener in and act as imagery within the song. He is clearly speaking directly to someone by repetitiously using the word “you” and posing a question.

“Babe, there’s something tragic about you

Something so magic about you

Don’t you agree?”

He then goes on to stating that this girl reminds him of his youth and using “his mirror years ago,” symbolically to convey this message. He speaks of his innocence and how she almost reminds him of that. He almost refers to her in an angelic way but she appears to have quite the opposite effect on him.

“Honey you’re familiar like my mirror years ago”

Lastly he wrote the lyrics with a religious background making the meaning behind the words go deeper beneath the surface. He says “I slither here from Eden” indicating the Garden of Eden which is a biblical reference. It appears that he gave up some form of paradise for this girl. By describing himself as a serpent within the garden, it makes him out to be below her, making her out to be a goddess.

“I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door”

Throughout the lyrics, Hozier uses numerous poetic elements to convey his true meaning behind the words. Although the exact meaning isn’t really known, the use of these poetic elements create a deeper thought process for the listener.

A Love Song For Sethe

On By Rachel MIn Music PoetryLeave a comment

If you had to describe the relationship between Sethe and Paul D in one word, I think it would be safe to call it complicated. No relationship is perfect, but not every day do find out that your significant other has murdered their child. It’s hard to argue that either party in the relationship was mentally healthy enough to engage in a committed relationship. Both Sethe and Paul D carry extreme emotional baggage that often seeps into their present lives. This is not to say that they both don’t deserve a loving and committed relationship, but maybe they owe it to themselves to find another individual with a healthier outlook on life. I think that Solomon Burke sums it up perfectly in his classic You’re Good for Me. In this 1963 release, Burke sings about a complicated relationship with a woman he loves, but is constantly let down by. Burke begins with the melancholy lyrics, 

"You're a bad little girl, it's true/ But I'm not gonna walk out on you/They say you're a good for nothing, girl/But I'll stand up and tell the world."

When Paul D was informed that Sethe had murdered her youngest child, he fled the 124 household. Sethe’s moral image had become tainted. The lyrics depict Burke standing up for his mistress despite the fact that he’d already been informed about her toxic attributes. Though Paul D initially flees the house and falls into a drunken haze, he returns later, months after Beloved disappears. In addition, Paul D was originally hesitant to even admit that Sethe could have possibly committed the heinous act of murdering her own child.

Burke later laments, 

"You're no good for yourself/You're no good for nobody else"

Not only did the decline of Sethe’s mental health take a toll on both Paul D and Denver, but her obsession over pleasing Beloved additionally caused her own physical appearance to decline. As Beloved became larger and uglier, Sethe seemed to wither away. Her physical strength and natural beauty began to fade.

 In the following lines, Burke changes his tone again.

"But you're good for me/Oh, you're good for me/Oh, sugar dumpling, can't you see/You're good for me"

Similar to how Burke seems to be trapped in a cycle of manipulative behavior, Paul D was once trapped between Beloved’s vendetta for her mother. As Paul D carries a heavy load of emotional baggage, he becomes an easy target in the crossfire.  

Burke finishes his tribute with the lines,

"That's all I'm living for/'Cause you're good"

After Paul D settled down in the Ohio home, his life began to reform around creating a stable home life. Though this would seem like an inherently positive change in his primarily independent life, it created an unprecedented interdependence between himself and Sethe. This subtextual dependence ultimately causes Paul D to return to the estate. For Paul D, there can never be too much water under the bridge.