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SSRS Throwdown: Proposed Lyrics

"Hallelujah"- Leonard Cohen

I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there’s a God above
But all I’ve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It’s not a cry you can hear at night
It’s not somebody who has seen the light
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well, really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light in every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver- Tone Analysis

Utilizing a fast-paced tempo and angst-filled lyrics to display the annoyance and frustration toward an old love interest in their song “The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver”, All Time Low employs frustrated characterization, cynical metaphors, and scathing satire to contribute to the overall tone of bitter sarcasm.

The characterization of the speaker clearly displays their current situation and their attitude toward this predicament. The speaker has ended a relationship, but his love interest does not seem so keen on moving on. He has become frustrated with his ex; he wants her to move on because neither of them cares for each other like they used to. “I'm sick and tired of false devotion,” the singer declares, “Devote yourself to moving on”. The bitterness in his tone displays the realization that she is trying to make their relationship work with “false devotion” when he just wants her to let him go. His frustration is also evident with a simple question toward to his former flame: “Why can’t you just be happy for me?” Instead of letting him pursue other possible relationships, his jealous past love cannot leave the past behind and tries to make him miserable. He describes her actions feeling “like sabotage” and he suspects that she is “always out to get [him]”, believing she is purposefully trying to prevent him from finding happiness with other people. The speaker’s tone of bitterness is exhibited through his frustration; he wishes to for his former love to let him move on and she is determined not to let that happen.

The metaphors utilized by All Time Low help further connect feeling of cynicism and bitterness. He compares his ex-girlfriend to a sneaky, cunning creature. “You're the snake hidden in my daffodils when I'm picking flowers,” frontman Alex Gaskarth states with a hint of resentment. “Picking flowers” represents his innocence in the situation, only wishing to move on to happiness. Meanwhile the past love, also known as the snake, is trying to ruin that. He believes she would rather see him miserable than happy with someone else, a belief that fuels the bitter tone. He also compares her to catastrophe and misfortune. She is “the brake lights failing as [his] car swerves off the freeway”.  The former love adds insult to injury by deterring the speaker from moving on, after the relationship had already ended on a sour note. If she cannot be happy with him, then she will not let him be happy at all. This in turn creates a feeling of disdain within the speaker. The traces of sarcasm used within the metaphors contribute to the overall tone of caustic animosity.

The satire and sarcasm used throughout the song is one of the key factors in identifying the tone. In one instance the speaker openly mocks the former love interest. “You think opinions make you savvy,” he sneers, “your running mouth falls on deaf ears”. The past love believes her opinions make her important and worth listening too, however, the speaker informs her that no one is really listening to what she has to say. The sarcastic ridicule used portrays the bitterness present in the speaker, which drives him to scorn her for being the reason for all his anger inside. He also lacks sympathy toward her having to move on from him. He says she needs to “suck it up and let go”. He wants to continue on in life, meet new people and experience new relationships, and is annoyed that she is determined to stay stuck in the past. The jabs at his past love provide another example of how his frustration toward his situation has caused him to develop a bitter, sardonic attitude.

All Time Low’s song “The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver” conveys a tone of bitter sarcasm, displayed by the use of frustrated characterization, cynical metaphors, and scathing satire throughout the lyrics. Through characterization, the frustration of the speaker becomes apparent, also why he feels the negative emotions that he does. The metaphors provide an inventive way to portray the cynicism felt by the speaker, using comparisons between unpleasant predicaments and his ex-girlfriend.  The utilization of satire and jabs of sarcasm offer clear insight to the bitterness directed toward the former lover. All Time Low incorporates the three elements to highlight and contribute to the universal tone, portraying how failed relationships and jealous ex-girlfriends often times can leave us with sarcasm and bitterness, not just the memories.

Tone Analysis Draft- Seventy Times 7

Utilizing a fast-paced tempo and angst-filled lyrics in their song “Seventy times 7”, Brand New  expresses feelings of intense resentment, caustic frustration, and genuine hurt caused by the unexpected betrayal of a close friend to convey a tone of bitter disdain.

Resentment is a prominent feeling displayed throughout the song. The speaker claims they do not want their friend to apologize since they do not plan on forgiving them. “So don’t apologize” the singer harshly declares, “I hope you choke and die.” The betrayal has caused a gigantic rift between the two friends, leaving behind a feeling of scorn on behalf of the speaker. The speaker also wishes bodily harm upon their former best friend due to their overwhelming anger towards them. The frontman of Brand New casually states that the friend should “have another drink and drive yourself home” and he “hopes there’s ice on all the roads”, insinuating he hopes the friend crashes and does not care if he obtains an injury. After their conflict, the speaker has develop an overwhelming resentment toward their once close friend, causing them to be indifferent toward any attempts at reconciliation.

Several examples of frustration-induced sarcasm are utilized within the lyrics. The speaker addresses his former close friend’s attempt at hiding the cheating scandal. “So, is that what you call a getaway?” the singer retorts, “Tell me what you got away with.” He mocks his friend’s effort to keep secrets from him, since eventually he figured it out. Also, he scorns the cowardly behavior of his ex-friend. He says that he has “seen more spine in jellyfish” and “seen more guts in eleven-year-old kids”. Using these specific examples, claiming jellyfish have more spine when jellyfish don’t have spines, emphasize the gutless actions of his friend. The speaker employs sarcasm to display his frustration with his once best friend for keeping important secrets from him that ultimately caused them to go their separate ways.

Binary Thesis: Rock n' Roll Band and Have a Cigar
     Though both Boston's "Rock n' Roll Band" and Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar" portray the beginnings of two rock bands, Boston uses a tone of nostalgic enthusiasm to reminisce on the excitement of being signed by a record company while Pink Floyd depicts the music industry in an unfavorable light by utilizing cynical sarcasm.

Binary Thesis: Kids In Love and When We Were Young

The Summer Set's "Everything's Fine"
album artwork

       Though both Mayday Parade’s “Kids In Love” and The  Summer Set’s “When We Were Young” reminisce about a past love interest, Mayday Parade employs a remorseful tone to display the desire to fix the broken relationship while The Summer Set utilizes an element of wistfulness to portray the optimism and hope the speaker once had for the love between him and his former flame.
 

Mayday Parade's "Anywhere But Here"
album artwork

Lyrics to "Kids In Love"
Lyrics to "When We Were Young"

ALBUM REVIEW: Don't Panic: It's Longer Now

      All Time Low’s most recent album, Don’t Panic, debuted October 8, 2012. However, in the fall of 2013, the band extended the album, titling the reissue Don’t Panic: It’s Longer Now! Four new songs were added to album, along acoustic versions of four preexisting songs. Incorporating influences from previous albums and evolving their sound, All Time Low’s fifth album best displays the growth and versatility developed through the years and multiple record releases.
      The album starts off “The Reckless and The Brave”; a fast-paced anthem rebelling against conformity. In the song, frontman Alex Gaskarth declares, “long live the fast times”, welcoming the excitement of risk and advocating for following all dreams, regardless of how crazy they seem. It mirrors the band’s success; how they started with nothing, but made it to where they are now, never letting anyone or anything hold them back.
      The album also includes the nostalgic “Somewhere in Neverland”. The lyrics poke fun at and display the discontent with boring adult life, the desire not to grow up and lose the excitement of youth. The singer also promises to his love interest that together they will stay “forever young”, giving the song an optimistic and hopeful feel. All and all, you’ll be reminiscing on some memories and regrets after giving it a good listen.
      Other notable mentions include “For Baltimore”, which pays an upbeat tribute to the band’s hometown with catchy lyrics and an energetic beat. The song praises the town where it all started and the dream began. Although he wrote the majority of the songs featured on the album, Gaskarth received help from Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump and the two co-wrote “Outlines”, which also features vocals from Jason Vena of the band Acceptance. The song talks about letting go of fears and just living for the moment. “Love Like War”, featuring Vic Fuentes from Pierce the Veil, has a fast tempo to match the intense relationship described in the song, since the love the two people share is “like war”.
      The album as a whole provides a carefree, youthful experience. From a hometown dedication to rocky relationships, from living in the moment to refusing to grow up, All Time Low employs numerous themes that are easy to connect with. The growth in music is not the only noticeable development; the album shows insight on the feelings and situations you come across as you get older. The genre of pop punk has been known for songs and albums inspired by the experiences of growing up, and Don’t Panic: It’s Longer Now! is no exception. All Time Low has revived the fading spirit of pop punk, providing us with an album that will be nothing short of impressive to top.