The song ‘Landslide’, written and performed by Stevie Nicks before she joined the group Fleetwood Mac, is emotionally provocative and unknowingly persuasive to listeners. ‘Landslide’ awakens dormant feelings in its listeners. The soft strumming of the guitar in the background creates the soothing timbre of the song that draws listeners that want to be relaxed. Furthermore, when combined with the southern drawl of Nicks’ calming voice it delivers an important life-changing message, invoking a serene and contemplative tone. This record has been known to have multiple interpretations. Some interpret it through the relationship of the writer/singer Stevie Nicks, while others believe it to be self-reflective. Through either interpretation, the end …show more content…
The lyrics “And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills” can be interpreted to state that the singer was evaluating her life, especially later when it says ‘Oh, mirror in the sky’. Later Nicks sings the lyrics “Well, I've been afraid of changin’…’Cause I've built my life around you…But time makes you bolder…Even children get older…And I'm getting older, too” These words can insinuate that Nicks’ is afraid of change. After living her whole life trying to attain material success she now realizes that now that she is in her later years she needs to acquire immaterial success if she wants fulfillment. Nicks’ tells her own story and uses it to persuade her audience of the fact that true success in life is not something that is tangible, it is the feeling of contentment one gets when they have love, acceptance, and happiness…it is the ‘immaterial success’. Though her heartfelt message, Nicks’ encourages listeners to find true success in their own lives instead of going down the same path she had by climbing the mountain of ambition. Then, discovering later in life that all their efforts came crumbling down, leaving themselves
“So boy, don't you turn back./Don't you set down on the steps/'Cause you finds it's kinder hard./Don't you fall now --/For I'se still goin', honey,/I'se still climbin',/And life for me ain't been no crystal stair” (Line 14-20 Norton, 2028), is the loudest part of the poem. It speaks volumes on how she truly viewed her struggles. . The mother states “ I’se been a-climbin’ on” (Hughes & Rampersad Line 9, 60), which illustrates her dedication to becoming better. She lets it be known that her struggle is yet to be over, but she does not care how hard it will be, she is going to make it. She details the pain she endured: “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair/
Laux goes on to write, “Maybe she lunges for the trees she sees/reflected in the glass,” and the saying the grass is always greener on the othe...
Both songs, “A Tale of 2 Citiez” and “All Falls Down,” describe shortcuts to perceived success. They describe scenarios of young adults trying to obtain what they think success is by obtaining material possessions from taking shortcuts. Even with those descriptions of shortcuts people take, they do not promote the idea of achieving success through the shortcuts of obtaining material possessions to try to show others that they are successful since they both express regret and negative attributes related to those actions.
Stevie Wonder is one of the country’s most influential and celebrated pop/R&B artists of the past half-century. He has produced a cumulative 28 albums that span from his earliest years at Motown records to present day. While his desire and ability to produce music has been somewhat of a constant for the better part of five decades, Wonder’s content and sound has been anything but. Wonder overcame a transition in the latter part of the 1960’s that changed the outlook and scope of his career. As Little Stevie Wonder dropped the “Little” in his name, he gained a sense of social awareness that allowed him to experiment with both his sound and lyrical content. Ultimately, Stevie Wonder’s change in musical sound from the late 1960’s to 1970’s can
Music is regarded as a method of passing a message. Though some songs do not intend to do that, the message in them is still perceived. The song, “Get up, ...
Aimee hears, “flags snapp[ing] like whips and the crooning of the wind harmoniz[ing] with the steady sound of human crying” (Baskin 181). All of the sorrow and pain felt by the crowd gathered is released through their sounds and together these sounds produce a musical composition. Their cries produce exquisite melodies and harmonies because everyone in the crowd is experiencing the same general emotions of mourning and heartbreak. Music has strong effects on one’s emotions and the music playing during the 9/11 memorial service is certainly filled with an array of heartbroken emotions. The music the crowd creates symbolizes how the tragedies of 9/11 bind all Americans
“Fire away. Take your best shot, show me what you got. Honey I’m not afraid (Chris, Lines 4-5)…” Strength, love, heartache, all words that many people can identify with, but what about mental illness, depression, and suicide. These words are those that humans avoid, pretend they are not there, but in reality those three words effect many more people that was ever thought possible. Over 18.2% of United States citizens suffer from a mental illness (Depression), 6.7% of United States citizens suffer from depression (Depression), and each year in the United States there are on average 42,773 deaths by suicide (American). Now, many people can relate to the words love and heartbreak, but many more can identify with the three words that the world
Alternative rock music of the nineties successfully captured the distress of a young generation afflicted by multiple struggles. First and foremost, this music genre accurately voiced the concerns of those who could not imagine a thriving future as prosperous members of society, and for whom the American dream was nothing but a distant notion. For instance, in his song “Loser”, Beck Hansen skillfully described the apathy that overtakes an individual’s being when he is faced with life´s unavoidable grim prospects. Similarly, this kind of music resonated with all those individuals who were struggling to feel comfortable in their own skin. To illustrate, in one of its most popular songs, “Creep”, the alternative rock band Radiohead managed to convey the excruciating angst experienced ...
She describes seeing through the fresh eyes of a child and because they are so young, they
Sonny states, “Her voice reminded me for a minute of what heroin feels like sometimes--when it's in your veins. It makes you feel sort of warm and cool at the same time. And distant. And---and sure [...] It makes you feel---in control. Sometimes you’ve got to have the feeling.”(Baldwin,16). Baldwin uses the comparison of music and heroin to emphasize the addictive quality of music for Sonny as well as the feeling of control it gives him. This imagery of the overwhelming feeling shooting heroin serves as an illustration of the power that music has over Sonny. Through this metaphor, the reader gains an understanding of why Sonny needs music.
“Oh, mirror in the sky/What is love?” A question many ask when involved in a difficult relationship. “Landslide”, a song written by Stevie Nicks is one that resonates and sends a powerful message to anyone who hears it. This song represents change, love lost, and the feeling of life crashing down around you, ultimately becoming a landslide. Nicks is able to use ethos, pathos, and logos to really connect with her audience, which is one of the reasons this song is so meaningful, though it was not the most popular right away.
The soundtrack of the dark comedy movie Harold and Maude (1971) directed by Hal Ashby asserts that even the most paradoxical and abstruse of circumstances can lead to an unimpeachable bond whether it be between two characters or music that leaves its listeners shackled into the story. Ashby exhibits this by playing upbeat, happy songs directly following a funeral scene with lines such as “Love is where we all belong” and this directly correlates with the relationship between Harold and Maude: two very disparate people who ended up improving each other’s lives for the better.
To fully understand the meaning of Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool entirety, along with identifying the appeals to emotion presented, one must first understand who Radiohead’s intended audience is. The difficulty in identifying their target audience is the fact that with each new song––and frequently within a singular song––the audience changes and with that, its emotional value. Since the albums main themes revolve around the loss of love, a relationship, and to an extent (as will be discussed soon) a will to live, it is clear that some fallacies of argument as described by Walton are bound to occur; for example, the album’s first track, “Burn the Witch,” seems to be an persuasive argument directed at himself in an effort to convince himself
For many of us, one of the most accurate and effective ways to express the feelings that really matter to us is through music. We don’t only grow to attached to songs that are catchy, but also those with lyrics that we can relate to. It is not uncommon to feel like sometimes, artists can convey the way we feel better than we could ourselves. The storybook-like lines you read at the start of this page are a collection of lyrics
From the first stanza of this song, you get put into a scene. You know almost immediately that it is about someone, and it is the middle of December, but without stating the obvious, it paints a more illustrated picture for you. The first line states, “A winters day, in a deep and dark December” and I could almost immediately feel a cool breeze around me. When I normally think of a winter’s day, I think of people playing in the snow, and having a good time. This may be because I grew up in Southern California where there has been a lack of snow, but in my head, that is what I imagine. Having them state, in a deep and dark December, turns my attitudes to the more pessimistic way of looking at things. The image of children playing in the snow in my head has now turned to cold and dark emptiness. Reinstating my idea of emptiness, the next line follows with the simply statement, “I am alone”. Personally, I hate being alone. So to have the opening words place us in a deep and dark setting, and then state that you are alone, automatically puts me in a negative mindset.