Existentialism Essay

1684 Words4 Pages

Existentialism is a difficult philosophy to define as many philosophers have rejected the term being applied to themselves. The main idea of existentialism, “existence precedes essence” (Sartre), is one of the accepted definitions for existentialism. Some of the other themes associated with existentialism are, “Dread, boredom, alienation, the absurd, freedom, commitment, nothingness, and so on” (Stanford). Existentialist themes are prevalent throughout film and literature, but the philosophy is not as common in popular music. Existentialism has made a significant impact upon popular music’s lyrics. The theme of alienation is prominent throughout existentialism. In The Beatles song, “Eleanor Rigby”, the two characters are completely isolated
The song has themes of despair, freedom and nothingness. The song starts out with an acoustic guitar and a complex string section that builds up throughout the song. The song starts out with Thom Yorke singing very melancholy about the theme of freedom, “I go / Where I please” (Radiohead, “How to Disappear Completely” 3-4). Soon after he sings, “I walk through walls / I float down the Liffey” (“How to disappear Completely” 5-6). The narrator addresses the theme of freedom and that he is in control of his life. Throughout the song Thom Yorke’s voice gradually fills with despair and becomes more dramatic. The theme of nothingness is the main theme of the song. The lyrics that are repeated the most often are, “I’m not here / This isn’t happening” (“How to Disappear Completely” 7-8), the song is a wonderful example of an existential crisis. In the last part of the song the vocals and the string section become more intense and dramatic. He sings, “Strobe lights and blown speakers / Fireworks and hurricanes” (“How to Disappear Completely” 19-20), while the string section swirls around his voice and acoustic guitar. The lines 19-20 in, “How to Disappear Completely” reference large events that make the narrator feel small in the grand scheme of things, which is again followed by, “I’m not here / This isn’t happening” (“How to Disappear Completely” 21-22). The song is about the
The song immediately starts with the theme of alienation. Brian Wilson sings, “I keep looking for a place to fit in, where I can speak my mind / And I’ve been trying hard to find the people that I won’t leave behind” (The Beach Boys, “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times, 1-2). Pet Sounds was mainly an album made by Brian Wilson himself and he used the band as studio musicians. The isolation Brian Wilson experienced while writing the album contributed to the themes in this song. The lyrics, “Every time I get the inspiration to go change things around / No one wants to help me look for places where new things might be found” (“I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times”, 12-13). This could mean he was isolated when he decided to take a completely new direction with the band’s music on the album Pet Sounds. The Velvet Underground had several songs with existential themes. One of the most prominent examples of this is the song, “Heroin”, off their album The Velvet Underground & Nico. The song has the themes of “existence precedes essence” (Sartre), freedom, dread, nothingness and alienation. The song starts out with the lyric, “I don’t know just where I’m going” (The Velvet Underground, “Heroin” 1) and then continues with the

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Devices Used In Lonely

    367 Words  | 1 Pages

    The author is using a metaphor to express how he is feeling empty. He is saying in the first stanza how he is feeling alone. Dale states, “ A planet with no solar system.”(Dale 3) When a planet is part with a solar system they all work together, but whenever a planet becomes on its own it starts to have problems and it becomes alone. This is how the author is feeling

    Read More

  • Comparative Analysis of A Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    The theme of alienation has been depicted by two different characters in a resembling series of events. The two protagonists were alienated by their peers, inflicting negative consequences they must undergo. Both characters are finally pushed to alienating themselves rather than being alienated. In conclusion, the struggles both characters undergo are practically identical to one another. They have experienced alienation in such similar ways that you must ask yourself: are all those who suffer from alienation alike in more ways than one?

    Read More

  • Theme Of Isolation In Fahrenheit 451

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    Feeling alone or isolated is not only a common theme is all kinds of literature, but something that many people face in life. Alienation is the perception of estrangement or dissatisfaction with one’s life. This means you feel like you don’t fit or connect, whether it’s from society, family, or a physical object. These feelings can be due to a lack of deep connections, not believing the same ideals as your society, and many other things. In Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, he discusses a man who goes against governmental rule and reads. EA Robinson portrays a man everyone inspires to be, but in the end he isn’t happy and kills himself. Lastly, WH Auden accounts of an “unknown citizen” who also has a picture perfect life, but in the end

    Read More

  • soapstone

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    Subject- The lyrics in this song brings up a reoccurring problem that everyone faces throughout their lifetime. Everyone wants to fit in or belong to someone, or something. This song easily compares to the book Frankenstein, when the reader is introduced to the monster. The monster that Victor created does not understand the world he has been put into, or how to operate in everyday society. In the first stanza Phil Collins writes,

    Read More

  • Sonny's Blues Thesis

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    Drugs is one of the themes in this story that shows the impact of both the user and their loved ones. There is no doubt that heroin destroys lives and families, but it offers a momentary escape from the characters ' oppressive environment and serves as a coping mechanism to help deal with the human suffering that is all around him. Suffering is seen as a contributing factor of his drug addiction and the suffering is linked to the narrator’s daughter loss of Grace. The story opens with the narrator feeling ice in his veins when he read about Sonny’s arrest for possession of heroin. The two brothers are able to patch things up and knowing that his younger brother has an addiction.

    Read More

  • Alienation In Bon Jovi's Song Wanted Dead Or Alive

    255 Words  | 1 Pages

    The song “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi is about the lonely life of a rock star. The theme of alienation is evident in the song because the song is about a man who is on tour and never sees the same face twice. The “steel horse” he refers to is a tour bus so he is always on the move and never really gets to know anybody. The people that he does meet never stick around too long because he is never there. The line “wanted dead or alive” means he tries to get to know people but he can’t because he is wanted at the next concert he is scheduled to be at no matter the sacrifices he has to make. When he says “… and time when you’re all alone all you do is think” means that when he is lonely and has no one to talk to he thinks. Sometimes he gets

    Read More

  • The Strength Of Wealth In Macklemore's Song 'Wings'

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    and I wanted to fit in, I wanted what he had…” Here he is rapping about wanting to be

    Read More

  • Use Of Diction In Acquainted With The Night

    1202 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through the lonely speaker, a detached tone is expressed with the use of selective diction, deep symbolism, and reflective allusion working together to form the meaning of the poem that hardships bring us to detachment from life because it causes us to feel isolated from others.

    Read More

  • I am A rock Paul Simon

    566 Words  | 2 Pages

    Paul Simon said that the person or people in his poem were sick of society, and wanted to be isolated away from society. He represents this by saying that they want to be like a rock, or like an island. They wanted to be isolated away from society.

    Read More

  • Chuck Klosterman's Sex, Drugs, And Cocoa Puffs

    497 Words  | 1 Pages

    Existentialism is explored in Chuck Klosterman’s excerpt from his book “Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs”, titled, “Being Zack Morris”. Although the title of Klosterman’s excerpt alludes to the once popular cliché television show, Saved by the Bell, he also discusses other shows such as The X-Files and M.A.S.H., noting the differences between the shows to help argue his main point. In the beginning of his excerpt, he discusses stereotypes and clichés through personal reflection on his life when he states, “My feelings about politics… and the rest of life’s minutiae can only be described through a labyrinthine of six-sided questions, but everything that actually matters can be explained by Lindsey fucking Buckingham and Stevie fucking Nicks in

    Read More

  • Analyzing Tom Petty's Song 'Free Fallin'

    470 Words  | 1 Pages

    There are many hidden meanings and phrases throughout the song. In the song he mentions a good girl and bad boy while comparing these people to ideas contrasting the difference of the two people. Also, Tom Petty references his homeland, Los Angeles and the Valley in Southern California. For example, he mentions “The Valley” and “Ventura Boulevard” in his lyrics. Petty really wants to paint a scenario in the listener’s head. The lyrics paint a picture as well as a story. My opinion on the lyrics is that this bad boy fell for the good girl and he wants her back even though they broke up. He is trying to get his lyrics to be relatable to older and younger audiences through the lyrics and the melody of the song. In the middle of the song the lyrics tell the listener that the boy leaves the girl behind for his freedom. He states in the song “I’m Free” and “I’m Free Fallin” in my opinion these lyrics mean he is affected by the breakup and it is making him feel out of control. At the end of the song the bad boy seems to change his mind about the breakup. The lyrics were “I wanna write her name in the sky” showing how he is still affectionate towards her. This is just my analysis on the song lyric and meaning behind the

    Read More

  • How Does Lord Of The Flies Relate To The Song Mad World

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    Similarily, there is a disillusionment with humanity in spite of rescue. There's still a war going on off the island, and it's decidedly not a happy ending. This song can also relate to Simon, who asks the question that defines the story. “Maybe there is a beast… maybe it's only us.?”(80). The other children laugh at him. He is a loner by nature. Ultimately, the savagery of the other boys make them turn on Simon as if he were a pig and he gets killed. Also in the song, these lyrics define the boy's’ dream to get off the island. “ And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad. “The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had. I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take. When people run in circles it's a very very mad world mad world.” These lyrics show how when in the beginning of the island, all the boys were on a mission to get of the island. Later on, their dreams were crushed when everybody was disagreeing with each other and turning the island into a “Mad World.” As a matter of fact, these lines from the song really depict how many of the boys turned into savages,” I like all the mixed emotion and

    Read More

  • Albert Camus

    565 Words  | 2 Pages

    Existentialism as a distinct philosophical and literary movement belongs to the 19th and 20th centuries. Although existentialism is impossible to define, some of its common themes can be identified. One of the major theme is the stress on concrete individual existence and, consequently, on subjectivity, individual freedom, and choice. 19th century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, was the first writer to call himself existential. He wrote in his journal, "I must find a truth that is true for me . . . the idea for which I can live or die.

    Read More

  • Existentialism in Unknown Places

    1404 Words  | 3 Pages

    Existentialism is the epitome of the unknown. There is no straightforward explanation of what exactly it is, there is only certain characteristics and behaviors that describe existentialist views. Throughout today’s world, there are examples of it everywhere, it’s found in movies, books, songs, and just people in general. Existentialists are known to think and do for themselves only. They believe that to understand what it means to be human requires understanding of themselves first. Some very well known pieces of entertainment existentialism is found in are: Hamlet by William Shakespeare, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Stranger by Albert Camus, and The Breakfast Club by John Hughes. The Stranger is a book written about a young man whose mother dies, which soon leads him to becoming acquainted with the feeling of not caring about what his actions do to others or himself. The main character Meursault starts helping his friend Raymond, carry out ways to torment his mistress. Out of nowhere while at the beach, Meursault shoots Raymond’s mistress’s brother. He is thrown into jail and tried, but he seems to not be affected as much as he should about his actions. He first finds it hard to live without cigarettes, women, and nature, but he soon finds out he doesn’t need any of those. After being sentenced to death, he is suggested to turn away from his atheism but later realizes that human existence has no greater meaning. This realization and acceptance is what truly makes him happy (Camus). Next, The Breakfast Club is a very relatable movie about high school students suffering the consequences of their actions in detention. The kids are all of ...

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Sonnet 73

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    The song accomplishes such a thing by taking the approach of a man who knows he is dying, and who takes a nice approach to it. Before the man dies and gets to experience the beauty of heaven, he explains to his loved ones that he doesn't want them to cry for him when he is gone but rather be happy for him. Images of different seasons of the year to explain the process of growing older. Images that depict the fading of light in a persons soul transforming into darkness. Images that the reader can perceive as vivid actions.

    Read More

More about Existentialism Essay

Open Document