An Analysis Of Johnathan Cain's 'Faithfully'

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The band Journey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, and they are well deserving of that honor. Journey dominated the late 70s and early 80s with their various arena rock style songs, however their music goes far beyond the time and place it is being performed. This is because various pieces of their music are well known cultural anthems to this day. For example, “Faithfully” (Frontiers 1983) written by keyboardist Johnathan Cain is clearly an arena rock-style ballad, however there are certain elements that allow this piece to become much more than that. The sense of forward motion that the listener receives throughout the song from the form, lyrics, and instrumentals is what sets “Faithfully” apart from the formal model …show more content…

Starting out with an instrumental intro, then leading into the first verse sounds like it follows the form so far, although the differences are clear once the listener hears the first verse. The verses are longer than the typical verse, and they are not followed by the pre-chorus, they both just go right to the refrain, “Oh, Girl, you stand by me, I’m forever yours, Faithfully.” The two verses are separated by a short instrumental chunk which reminds the listener that it is indeed a rock song. After the second verse comes the second refrain, which then leads into another short rock instrumental followed by a series of “Woahs.” This is the bridge of the song and tells us that the end of the piece is near. Finally, the listener hears the refrain one more time, but this time it is slightly changed. This coda creates the perfect ending to the …show more content…

In the first verse, writer Johnathan Cain is telling a story about being on the tour bus late at night thinking about his wife. He is feeling very lonely and is forced to send his love ‘along the wire’ or through a phone call, while he lays in bed alone. Another thing he says is “lovin’ a music man ain’t always what it’s supposed to be.” This makes sense because you would think being married to someone famous would be quite glamorous; however, it is actually super difficult with the busy lifestyle they live. Only hardships in the relationships are referred to until the first refrain, which provides the initial spark of hope that they are going to make the long distance work. Next, is the second verse which is much lighter and over gives off a happier tone. Cain refers to things that make him smile while on tour, even though he misses his wife. Although he still mentions that it is difficult, he says that it is their time apart from each other that makes their time together even more special. The words say, “two strangers learn to fall in love again, I get the joy of rediscovering you.” This shows that he is now looking at the situation more positively leading into the next refrain. The bridge also gives off a more encouraging vibe which leads to the end with the refrain again only talking about how they will be together forever. This leaves the song on a blissful thought, which

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