Top 10 Lists

Favorite:

1. Cohen, Leonard. Buckley, Jeff. (1984). (1994). "Hallelujah". Various Positions. Grace. The transcendence of the songs lyrics, from religion to relationships captures the audience through applicability. Although the specific situations incorporated into "Hallelujah" are not universal the concepts and accompanying syntax are breathtakingly beautiful. Paired with the lyrics, the musical composition creates an almost addicting atmosphere.

2. Parton, Dolly. (1974). "Jolene". Jolene. Combining admiration with jealousy, pure emotion is evoked through a story of insecurity and longing. The song’s introduction gives no preview to the song’s content, creating a sort of dichotomy between lyrics and tone. Though admittedly not universal, the song is effective in it’s audience reaction, and leaves lingering, residual consideration.

3. Clyro, Biffy. (2010). "God and Satan". Only Revolutions. Assuming the role of agnostic, Biffy Clyro juxtaposes what is desired with what is taboo. In his certainly that "someone is watching...from up or down", Clyro accepts the likelihoods of supernatural being, but not a wholly good or wholly evil one. The vaguely freethinking lyrics matched with his occasionally accented voice and the light, acoustic instrumental produces a lovely, soothing song that I intend to continue listening to.
4. Massive Attack. (2010). "Paradise Circus". Heligoland. A beautiful composition of music and meaning, I consider this song a piece of art. It is captivating and alluring. The song, because of it's sound and structure, is hard to listen to just once.
5. Bright Eyes. (2002). "Lover I Don't Have to Love". Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground. The effectively encompassed complication of relationships and love are illuminated throughout the song's course. The ambiguity in the lyrics lead the listener to insert their own preferences and experiences, and prompt the audience do draw their own conclusions. Though seemingly straight forward, the song covers many alternate realities and exceeds superficial content.
6. Mumford and Sons. (2009). "Winter Winds". Sigh No More. The initial dissonance between the lyric "as the winter winds little London with lonely hearts" with the upbeat, romanticized music provides a sense of confusion indicative of the lyrical content. An allusion of hesitant desire is portrayed through the partnership of the lyrics and music. The song's catchy hook adds to the my affection for the song.
7. A Fine Frenzy. (2007). "Almost Lover". One Cell in the Sea. Evoking a sense of nostalgia through a tale of lost love, the song depicts a wistful recollection of a "luckless romance", that, although caused heartbreak, seems coveted. The "sweet sadness" of the song is touching, to say the least.
8. Blunt, James. (2005). "You're Beautiful". Back to Bedlam. As a popular (and popularly mocked) song, I cannot deny the appeal of the sweet tune and the cheesy lyrics.
9. Jagger, Mick. Richards, Keith. (1974). "Fool to Cry". Black and Blue. 
10. Hy Zaret. The Righteous Brothers. (1955). (1965). "Unchained Melody". Just Once in My Life. 

Best:

1.    Book of Love, Peter Gabriel

2.    Angel, Jimi Hendrix

3.    Angie, Rolling Stones

4.    Hotel California, The Eagles

5.    Landslide, Fleetwood Mac

6.    White Rabbit, Jefferson Airplane

7.    Free Fallin’, Tom Petty

8.    In Bloom, Nirvana

9.    Lola, The Kinks

10.  Gun Shy, 10,000 Maniacs

Savior

She spoke softly in her sleep. Words I couldn’t make out about things she would never give me a chance to understand. The words weren’t for me anyways. Her body was spread across a stranger’s couch, her legs dangled over, her hair covered in vomit. Whose, I didn’t know. She’d had too much to drink tonight, and she’d seen too much in her nineteen years. She was trying to feel something, anything. She was trying to fill a gap, and I was there trying to save her. I knew she wouldn’t save herself. She didn’t care if she lived or died. She was godless, restless, fearless. She was a drifter and I was her shadow. Nobody meant anything to her, but she meant everything to me.

She spent her nights with people she didn’t know, trying to find someone to connect with, but never staying long enough for a connection to be established. She danced until she couldn’t stand, until she couldn’t move. She only spoke in riddles. Her voice was sweet, and her thoughts beautiful, though always fogged by her latest experiment. She was sure every compliment ever paid to her was plagued with insincerity and the only label she put on herself was jaded. She was too happy in her discontent, and I tried too hard to open her eyes.

I don’t know if she knew about me, about what I did for her. I kept her from overdosing, and when she overdosed anyway, I kept her from dying. I fought off people so she didn’t have to. I kept her from being taken advantage of, from being abused, raped. I knew she didn’t mind the promiscuity, but she didn’t understand. I held her when she cried, almost every day.  I fed her when she was convinced she wasn’t thin enough. I carried her when she couldn’t walk. I was putting her back together piece by piece. I don’t think she knows what I did for her, I don’t think it matters. To her, I was a ghost, a phantom, a figment of her imagination.

As I watched from the corner, another background character in her life, she retched in her sleep, rolled over and sighed. I could tell by the way her ribs rose and fell. I’d seen it so many times before. I stepped forward, but stopped. I looked at her and I looked at her and I thought. What if I didn’t? What if I just didn’t anymore? What would happen then? Would she even notice? Would it even matter? She can take care of herself, I’m sure. Probably, maybe. What if, what if. But then I went to her, and I lifted that tiny frame and took her to that stranger’s bathroom. I lay her body down in the bathtub and I wet a towel to wash her face. Then her hair. When I finished, I lifted her again, and took her to my car. On the way there, she reached for someone in her sleep but I knew it wasn’t for me. It never would be.

Tone Analysis

                Though both “Rock n’ Roll Band” and “Have a Cigar” discuss success as musicians, “Rock n’ Roll Band” incorporates reminiscent tone and fond imagery in order to project the exhilaration of finding unexpected opportunity to “sign a record company contract”, while “Have a Cigar” couples cynical tone and manipulative diction with the aim of illuminating the corruption of the “monster” that is the music industry.

                Opening with an understatement as “just another band out of Boston”, the affectionate memory of first finding success is introduced. The memory is established as such through the use of the past tense, such as “we practiced” and “he smoked”. The recollection of a happy time when “[they] didn’t worry ‘bout the things [they] were missing” and “everybody knew [their] name” aids in the construction of a reminiscent tone. The tone is also mutually dependant on the imagery produced by the song; the scenes illustrated for the listener clarify the song’s tone, as well as the motivation behind that execution. “Everybody’s waitin’/getting’ crazy/anticipating love and music” creates a vivid scene of excited fans waiting for the band to get “up in stage”. Helping to concrete the setting, the use of details brings further life to the memory as well as the imagery provided: “playing for a week in Rhode Island/ a man came to the stage one night/he smoked a big cigar/drove a Cadillac car”. The reminiscent tone and the appreciatively remembered imagery generates a sense of nostalgia for the moment when “[he] said, boys I think this band’s outta-sight/sign a record company contract/…you’re goin’ to be a sensation”.

                Employing the point of view of a record executive, “Have a Cigar” elucidates the dishonesty and exploitation that is expected in the music industry. Although the song is sung from a warped point of view, its aim is to mock the recording companies, and draw attention to their faults, appropriately ascertaining a cynical tone. The hyperbole and overstatement provided in the song, “you’re never gonna die”, helps to characterize the speaker as a liar, furthering the development of tone as disparaging. The mention of money made from sales, “we’re so happy we can hardly count”, also aims to mock the industry and corporations which are a part of it. The diction gives a sense of manipulation through being faux “sincere”: “the band is just fantastic/that is really what I think”. By claiming a “deep respect” for the band, yet being unaware of the band members names, “oh by the way, which one’s Pink?”, the words seem anything but genuine. “Dear boy”, though meant to be endearing, comes off more derogatorily because of the content following it. In utilizing cynical tone and manipulative language to mock the attempts of record labels to persuade and the extent to which they go in order to make money, “Have a Cigar” subtly outlines the distorted and nefarious world musicians have to experience.

                Similar in content, but varying greatly in execution, the two songs touch upon similar experiences in juxtaposing fashion. Though some bands are weary of opportunity, and others welcome success, sometimes risk is worth the reward.

Irony in "Burden in My Hand"

                Diverging subtly from suffering to salvation “Burden in My Hand”, Chris Cornell marries systematic understatement and abstract irony in order to display the selfish and self-righteous nature of humans.
                Combining understatement with heavy, more meaningful circumstances, Cornell creates meaning through unexpected means. By simply beginning the phrases with the word “just” ascertains the irony through the word pairings, effectively achieving overstatement. The sarcasm present in “just a burden in my hand/ just an anchor on my heart/ just a tumor in my head” works to expose human selfishness; because the phrases are not indicative of genuine meaning, the speaker deems himself worthy of “sympathy”. Significance is comprised in placing the understatement at the end of the song, adding weight and evoking lingering thought. Irony is not limited to the device, but rather, is employed by Cornell throughout the song, holistically.
                Cornell melds seemingly contrasting occurrences in order to establish a sense of irony within the song. The speaker appears to expect the subject to “follow [him] into the desert” while disregarding the “thirst” that the person is experiencing; irony is played upon in the line not only because it is expected that one who is “thirsty” will avoid the desert, but also in Cornell’s discount of the other’s state of being: in mentioning the person’s thirst to make light of it, actually draws attention to it. The irony presented in the situation emphasized the selfish ways of humans to expect that they are catered to, over basic needs of another. Additionally, in asking for sympathy in reaction to "[shooting his] love", Cornell intensifies the irony of the situation; one would normally not shoot a loved one, and it is especially unexpected to ask for sensitivity in reaction to the news-- that is especially egocentric. The oxymoronic phrase "the truth is lying" may simply be irony adding a stylistic flare, but when followed by the line "beneath the riverbed", the phrase may be taken as a pun. If intentional, the pun adds a layered effect through other figurative language. The touched upon in the song, "if you can live you can fall to pieces" is ironic when taken literally, but proves true when considered through the realm of emotion, further exemplifying the arrogant and one-track mindedness of man by way of producing a paradox. By demanding the subject "kill everything [he] loves because "love's for everyone that isn't [him], Cornell enhances the brash selfishness outlines by humans; because he cannot find or be loved, all those who may deserved to die. 

                Cornell attempts to earn “sympathy” for his selfish action through his skillful use of understatement and understanding of irony.  The song derives meaning through figurative language and unexpected twists. The speaker, in belittling himself and downplaying the situation, attempts to reason and excuse his selfish motives and actions. Cornell ultimately heeds human nature through specific example with his utilization of methodical understatement and prevalent irony.

Analyzing Effect And Cause, The White Stripes

I guess you have to have a problem
If you want to invent a contraption
Well you cause a trainwreck
And then you put me in traction
First came an action
And then a reaction
But you can't switch around
For your own satisfaction
Well you burnt my house down
And then got mad at my reaction


Well in every complicated situation
There's a human relation
Making sense of it all
Takes a whole lot of concentration
Well you can't blame a baby
For her pregnant ma

And if there's one of these unavoidable laws 

It's that you just can't take the effect

And make it the cause

Well you can't take the effect
And make it the cause
I didn't rob a bank
Cos you made up the law
Blame me for robbing Peter
Don't you blame Paul
Can't take the effect
And make it the cause


I ain't the reason that you gave me
No reason to return your call
You built a house of cards
And got shocked when you saw them fall
Well I ain't saying I'm innocent
In fact the reverse
But if you're heading to the grave
Don't blame the hearse
You're like a little girl yelling at her brother
Cos you lost his ball


You keep blaming me for what you did
And that ain't all
The way you clean up the wreck
Is enough to give one pause
You seem to forget just how this song started
I'm reacting to you
Cos you left me broken hearted


It's just that you can't just take the effect and make it the cause


Well you can't take the effect
And make it the cause
I didn't rob a bank
Cos you made up the law
Blame me for robbing peter
Don't you blame paul
Can't take the effect
And make it the cause

            Shifting slightly from generality to specificity in “Effect and Cause”, Jack White provides strategic ambiguity and metaphorical hyperbole in order to emphasize the importance of taking responsibility; “I ain’t saying I’m innocent/in fact the reverse”.

            White, in not being straight-forward or incredibly detailed, incorporates relatability into the song; because of the vagueness of lyrics, empathy and understanding from the audience are catered to. Generalizing the contents of the song and the events which inspired it as merely “complicated situation[s]”, other than leaving the speaker “broken hearted”, no cause is actually specified. Still, White manages to hilight how the subject “keep[s] blaming” the wrong party, rather than taking accountability. Integrating universally recognized events, such as pregnancy and offense, White encompasses “cause” as well as the paired “reaction”, as to outline the order in which they occur: “you can’t switch around/for your own satisfaction”. Through use of the broad circumstances, from “buil[ding] a house of cards” to “a little girl yelling at her brother”, it is implied that the subject of the song has been guilty on more than one occasion, and most likely, for many reasons. The line “the way you clean up the wreck/is enough to give one pause” hints at the unorthodox and inappropriate way in which the subject deals with pressure; in being at fault, the subject seems to “switch around” who is to blame rather than accepting it themselves.

Offering a variety of dramatic, meaningful examples, White draws attention to where blame lies, and outlines the indecency of not taking responsibility for one’s own actions. The song, in response to being “left…broken hearted”, refers to how the subject “burnt [the speaker’s] house down/and then got mad at [his] reaction” where the burnt house symbolizes disappointment in the subject. The aforementioned “house of cards”, which is ultimately destined to “fall”, signifies the relationship between the speaker and the subject: the subject plants the seeds of destruction in starting “a problem”, yet seems “shocked” when the relationship fails. Where credit should be taken for “the wreck”, the subject decided, alternately, to place blame on the “innocent”. Similar to the fact that “if you’re heading to the grave/[you] don’t blame the hearse”, one should not place fault on another solely to ignore “what [one] did”.

Though seemingly straightforward, “Effect and Cause” outlines a commonly seen and key dynamic in a toxic relationship. In pairing ambiguity with exaggeration, White intensifies the anger felt at the subject’s wrongdoing, as well as the distress caused in being wounded by such wrongdoing. White clearly depicts that “in every complicated situation/ there’s a human relation/ making sense of it all”, and lies can easily be seen through.

            Coming to terms with the past in “Little Green”, Joni Mitchell combines cyclical personification, inclusive point of view, and dueling characterization in order to realize that “winters cannot fade” the pain of sacrifice.

            Through the personification of winter and spring, the “sorrow” Joni feels is made eternal, as the cycle of seasons never truly ends. Hope, for redemption and for her daughter’s success, is identified “when the spring is born”. Though because winter arrives, that hope does not last; the season of death destroys it. The only thing that “winters cannot fade” is the enduring love of a mother, and the agony one feels at the loss of a child. The use of local color seen by personifying the “Northern lights” both establishes the setting in the cold confines of Canada and deems the child, Little Green, beautiful. Although winter, spring, and the “nights when the Northern lights perform” all end, each is recurring and through that, infinite.

            The point of view presented throughout the song is significant in expressing the ache felt at parting with a love one through establishing empathy. By removing herself from the song, Mitchell involved the listener in both the tale, and the emotion: “you’re sad and you’re sorry, but you’re not ashamed”. The song is made more relatable as “you” tag along for the bittersweet decision to put her child up for adoption. The heartbreak felt is not “lost to you” because the fault is placed on the listener rather than Joni herself. The song allows Joni Mitchell to retell the personal story of a “child with a child” without revealing too much, but still making note that “sometimes” grief is still felt.

            Conflict of characterization is clear both between the characters, and within the mother’s character alone. The song conveys the fate of “the children” who had, by chance, become young parents. The child’s mother takes responsibility through the act of “choosing her a name”. The girl is “not ashamed” of having a child so young, but is “sad” and “sorry” that she cannot care for her baby the way she needs to. Though initially confused and “weary of” lying to her parents, the young mother again shows responsibility and maturity by making the decision to “sign all the papers” in order to allow her child “a happy ending”. Ultimately, the mother is hopeful for her daughter’s life and the woman she may become. The characterization of the mother is further established, albeit indirectly, through the description of the father as a "non-conformer", actively working to depict the girl as more reliable and loyal than he is. Although the girl is young, and somewhat lost, it is evident she still feels the hurt of having to give up her child.

            Mitchell reveals her tale as a young mother but separates herself from the speaker so that the song becomes more easily adapted to the audience. Through the polarization of personification, point of view, and characterization, the pain of sacrifice becomes blatant and readily empathized with. Whether it is the sacrifice of a mother’s child, or something much simpler, the concept is one which is universally applicable. 

Theme-Genre Choice

     Fault, as it is defined, may either be flaw or blame. Both concepts are prominent, familiar themes in the music industry. Due to the large and diverse genre of "Alternative", there is no doubt that a surplus of music will be available for analysis and discussion. Alternative music not only transcends concrete genres, it also dates back to the 1980s, allowing for decades of songs to be considered. Fault as responsibility for a wrongful act or failure could vary from song to song based on event, point of view, victim, and guilty party. The theme pairing with the genre is open to find what is best suited.