Listen to Stranger in Moscow via YouTube
Michael sets the tone of the song with dark and melancholy imagery. He skillfully uses Russian history of Joseph Stalin's memory and the KGB to describe his pain and it's source. Michael sings, "I was wandering in the rain, mask of life, feelin' insane. Swift and sudden fall from grace. Sunny days seem far away, Kremlin's shadow belittlin' me. Stalin's tomb won't let me be. On and on and on it came, wish the rain would just let me be."
Jackson describes his isolation and deep sadness as rain. he doesn't see it getting better anytime soon. He accounts his fall from grace which came as the child molestations surfaced in 1993. He refers to himself as Stalin, a reference to Joseph Stalin, a war criminal in Russian history.
In verse two, Michael sings, "here abandoned in my fame, Armageddon of the brain. KGB was doggin' me, take my name and just let me be. Then a beggar boy called my name, happy days will drown the pain. On and on and on it came, and again, and again, and again... Take my name and just let me be"
This verse directly speaks to the media, who he calls the KGB, the intelligence and secret police organization of the Soviet Union in the 1800s. Jackson refers to his ridicule and victimization by the media as they spied on his life and manipulated the details to publicly incriminate him. Jackson repeats a line, "take my name and just let me be," It is a desperate plea to take everything he has but to just leave him in peace.
Jackson repeats the lines "how does it feel," "I'm living lonely," stranger in Moscow," and "we're talking danger" throughout the entire song. This enforces his isolation and despair in his life and a cry to the world that he's at the end of his rope.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Stranger in Moscow - Michael Jackson: Background and Muse
(image credit to fanpop.com)
Michael Jackson was an American pop singer who reigned in the late 80's and through the 90's decade as the King of Pop. He was a former child star, lead singer of the famous band The Jackson 5. He emerged as a solo artist and became one of the most famous singers of all time. As a global success, chart-topper, and record-breaker, he had received incomparable scrutiny from the public eye. A part of many scandals and such harsh criticism, Michael Jackson seemed to quickly play the villain role in the media despite his immense global influence and incredible production of music.
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"Stranger in Moscow" was one of many songs written that reflected Jackson's pain by the unforgiving hands of the media and his critics. Stranger in Moscow was written in a hotel room in Moscow in 1993, while Jackson was on his Dangerous World Tour. The song was released as off the HIStory album in 1996. It is arguably Jackson's most personal song.
Despite his indirect cries for mercy through his music and his continued positive outlook, he could never attain the peace he so desperately wanted until his untimely death in 2009.
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"Stranger in Moscow" was one of many songs written that reflected Jackson's pain by the unforgiving hands of the media and his critics. Stranger in Moscow was written in a hotel room in Moscow in 1993, while Jackson was on his Dangerous World Tour. The song was released as off the HIStory album in 1996. It is arguably Jackson's most personal song.
Despite his indirect cries for mercy through his music and his continued positive outlook, he could never attain the peace he so desperately wanted until his untimely death in 2009.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Hero - Nickelback: Full Song Interpretation
Listen to Hero by Nickelback via YouTube
Chad seems to sing in the voice of the hero, Spider Man "I am so high. I can hear heaven... oh but heaven, no heaven don't hear me." He seems describing flying so high in the air as he swings from building to building. He's so high he thinks he can hear heaven, but heaven doesn't hear him because he's alone saving the town with no help.
The chorus begins with Chad singing, "and they say that a hero can save us, I'm not gonna stand here and wait." This seems to mean that man always believes that there is going to be someone there to save them when something goes wrong but the hero, Spider Man, is not going to stand there and wait for that person to come, he's going to rise to the occasion,
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Chad then sings "someone told me love will all save us. but how can that be, look what love gave us: a world full of killing, and blood-spilling; that world never came." In a perfect world, love will conquer all and everyone would love harmoniously in peace. But that's impossible with a world full of crime and war. That perfect world never came.
Next Chad changes the tone and sings "now that the world isn't ending, its love that I'm sending to you. It isn't the love of a hero and thats why I fear it won't do." He's saying that, now that he's saved the world, he's sending love to his people. But he's afraid that his love won't be enough to keep the peace.
Chad seems to sing in the voice of the hero, Spider Man "I am so high. I can hear heaven... oh but heaven, no heaven don't hear me." He seems describing flying so high in the air as he swings from building to building. He's so high he thinks he can hear heaven, but heaven doesn't hear him because he's alone saving the town with no help.
The chorus begins with Chad singing, "and they say that a hero can save us, I'm not gonna stand here and wait." This seems to mean that man always believes that there is going to be someone there to save them when something goes wrong but the hero, Spider Man, is not going to stand there and wait for that person to come, he's going to rise to the occasion,
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Chad then sings "someone told me love will all save us. but how can that be, look what love gave us: a world full of killing, and blood-spilling; that world never came." In a perfect world, love will conquer all and everyone would love harmoniously in peace. But that's impossible with a world full of crime and war. That perfect world never came.
Next Chad changes the tone and sings "now that the world isn't ending, its love that I'm sending to you. It isn't the love of a hero and thats why I fear it won't do." He's saying that, now that he's saved the world, he's sending love to his people. But he's afraid that his love won't be enough to keep the peace.
Hero - Nickelback: Background and Muse
(image credit to Wikipedia.com)
Nickelback is a classic/alternative rock band originating from Canada. The members of the group are the guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and vocalist Ryan Peake, bassist Mike Kroeger, and drummer and percussionist Daniel Adair. The band often sings about love, memories, and struggle. In 2002, Chad Kroeger collaborated with Josey Scott on the Spider-Man theme song, "Hero." The song is inspired by a hero saving his people but the voice behind the song not feeling like there's much hope for him or anyone else.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Kiss From a Rose- Seal: Full Song Interpretation
Listen to Kiss From a Rose via YouTube
Seal begins painting the picture of a dark, gloomy state he was in without this woman. He describes himself as a "graying tower" standing "alone on the sea." The moment he meets this woman she becomes the light that shines on the "dark side" of this tower. He describes his addiction to her love but includes the detail that he wasn't addicted directly to her love but the feeling that it gave him. He continues to depict another image of a beautiful, snowy day and light that she exudes which he can vividly see. In the chorus, he compares her to a kiss from a rose, a flower synonymous for love and divine beauty.
He repeatedly uses the color gray throughout the song. I tie gray to being dull and lifeless and this woman,the kiss from a rose, brings color, vitality, and warmth into his life. He says now that her "rose is in bloom," or now that she has given him all her love, a "light" shines on the "gloom on the gray." Again, she brings light to the darker, loveless side of him.
In the next verse, he describes everything that she is to him. She is "power," "pleasure," and "pain." He again describes her to an addiction that he can't overcome and isn't sure if it's good for him. But then he repeats the image of the beautiful snowy day and the light she shines, which tells the listener that he rather be addicted to her and to be able to see this beauty in his life as opposed to the dark, graying tower he once was.
He ends the song with the repetition of everything he has said in the song. He repeats that he has been kissed by a rose and everything she is to him. It puts an emphasis on how much she has changed his life for the better and how much he's in love with her and the feeling that she gives him.
Seal begins painting the picture of a dark, gloomy state he was in without this woman. He describes himself as a "graying tower" standing "alone on the sea." The moment he meets this woman she becomes the light that shines on the "dark side" of this tower. He describes his addiction to her love but includes the detail that he wasn't addicted directly to her love but the feeling that it gave him. He continues to depict another image of a beautiful, snowy day and light that she exudes which he can vividly see. In the chorus, he compares her to a kiss from a rose, a flower synonymous for love and divine beauty.
He repeatedly uses the color gray throughout the song. I tie gray to being dull and lifeless and this woman,the kiss from a rose, brings color, vitality, and warmth into his life. He says now that her "rose is in bloom," or now that she has given him all her love, a "light" shines on the "gloom on the gray." Again, she brings light to the darker, loveless side of him.
In the next verse, he describes everything that she is to him. She is "power," "pleasure," and "pain." He again describes her to an addiction that he can't overcome and isn't sure if it's good for him. But then he repeats the image of the beautiful snowy day and the light she shines, which tells the listener that he rather be addicted to her and to be able to see this beauty in his life as opposed to the dark, graying tower he once was.
He ends the song with the repetition of everything he has said in the song. He repeats that he has been kissed by a rose and everything she is to him. It puts an emphasis on how much she has changed his life for the better and how much he's in love with her and the feeling that she gives him.
Kiss From a Rose- Seal: Background and Muse
(image credit to inconsideratepatrick.blogspot.com)
Seal is a soul-alternative singer from England. He is best known for his internationally chart-topping song titled, "Kiss From a Rose" which was recorded for the soundtrack of the movie Batman Forever. Seal was raised in an inner city of London by foster parents. He is also well known for his distinguishable facial scars which are a result of being struck by a specific type of the disease Lupus as a child, which afflicts the skin above the neck. Seal began singing in a blues band in Asia but caught his big break when he met famous producer Adamski and recorded his first huge hit, "Killer."
I've been itching to interpret the song, Kiss From a Rose because it's imagery is so rich and paints a dark picture of love and dependency. I believe Seal taps into his original blues and soul beginnings to write a love song that fit the love scene between Val Kilmer and Nicole Kidman in the movie Batman Forever.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Set Adrift On Memory Bliss- PM Dawn: Interpretation of Verse 1
Listen to Set Adrift on Memory Bliss
Attrell, known as Prince Be, begins the first verse painting the picture of a distant memory. He sees a married woman sitting behind a see of fake plants and cocktail glasses. He seems to vaguely remember seeing her before; thinking to himself "I think it's one of those deja vu things." He thinks he may be dreaming and that it may be telling him something but he can't get this woman out of his mind. He then tells us that he doesn't actually know the woman when he says "I wonder what I would find if I met you." All he wants to do is watch her until she gives him an opportunity to meet her.
Prince Be seems to jump memories to a woman he once was intimate with. He quotes her in saying she says, "bet you're probably gonna say I look lovely. But you probably don't think nothin' of me." This implies that he believes that she thinks he never really loved her and hardly thinks of her; that he only had intentions of being of being intimate with her with no strings attached. He then tells us that she was right and he'll be honest about it. He says that she resides in "the corners" of his mind along with other memories that have faded. But this other woman that he continues to dream about is what is consuming his mind
Attrell, known as Prince Be, begins the first verse painting the picture of a distant memory. He sees a married woman sitting behind a see of fake plants and cocktail glasses. He seems to vaguely remember seeing her before; thinking to himself "I think it's one of those deja vu things." He thinks he may be dreaming and that it may be telling him something but he can't get this woman out of his mind. He then tells us that he doesn't actually know the woman when he says "I wonder what I would find if I met you." All he wants to do is watch her until she gives him an opportunity to meet her.
Prince Be seems to jump memories to a woman he once was intimate with. He quotes her in saying she says, "bet you're probably gonna say I look lovely. But you probably don't think nothin' of me." This implies that he believes that she thinks he never really loved her and hardly thinks of her; that he only had intentions of being of being intimate with her with no strings attached. He then tells us that she was right and he'll be honest about it. He says that she resides in "the corners" of his mind along with other memories that have faded. But this other woman that he continues to dream about is what is consuming his mind
Set Adrift on Memory Bliss - PM Dawn: Background and Muse
(image credit to ga8i.blogspot.com)
P.M. Dawn is an American R&B duo who thrived in the 90's. The duo is comprised of brothers Jarrett and Attrell Cordes from Jersey City, NJ. Their unique, poetic like sound can be described as a mix of R&B, soul, hip hop and contemporary. The brothers experienced some tragedies in their lives growing up that I feel set the tone for their individualistic style of R&B that they honed. Their father died of pneumonia when they were quite young and they witnessed their baby brother drown at two years old. In the song "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" is a love song written with slight ambiguity but with heartfelt and emotional diction. The brothers always speak in figurative language and I believe that this song is perfect to dissect.
Friday, March 2, 2012
I Know - Jay-Z: Interpretation Verse 1
Listen to "I Know" via YouTube
The woman is nostalgic of him. She misses him and longs for his touch and the sounds of his music. He uses "heroin tracks" as a play on the word track, both used for a song track on an album but also lines of heroin, an addictive drug. He uses the verb "fiends" and "leans" to play up the fact that she's an addict of him. When he's not around her, she gets cold sweats which is also a symptom of drug withdrawal. He tells her "Bonita Applebum, I gotta put you on. If I didn't, when we cutting, the feeling would be too strong." "Bonita Applebum, I gotta put you on" is a nod to the legendary group a Tribe Called Quest in which they rap figuratively about a woman they each lust for in the song "Bonita Applebum".
In the second part to that line, Jay-Z tells her that he must dilute himself, and his music when he's with her. If not, when they are "cutting," a triple entendre for making love, editing a song, and diluting heroin with a "cutting agent, " the feeling may be too strong and she may overdose. He says that in any form of him, even if he does not give his all, he gives her the pleasure she desires. He baits her, saying "just for one night, baby take me in vein," encouraging her to relapse just this once. He ends by describing what he does to her but how she loves it.. She's acting out of character, itching, and her nose is dripping. These are all characteristics of someone high on drugs. He tells her that he is her physician, giving her the drug, prescription, the drug itself, and the addiction, the consequence of his love.
The woman is nostalgic of him. She misses him and longs for his touch and the sounds of his music. He uses "heroin tracks" as a play on the word track, both used for a song track on an album but also lines of heroin, an addictive drug. He uses the verb "fiends" and "leans" to play up the fact that she's an addict of him. When he's not around her, she gets cold sweats which is also a symptom of drug withdrawal. He tells her "Bonita Applebum, I gotta put you on. If I didn't, when we cutting, the feeling would be too strong." "Bonita Applebum, I gotta put you on" is a nod to the legendary group a Tribe Called Quest in which they rap figuratively about a woman they each lust for in the song "Bonita Applebum".
In the second part to that line, Jay-Z tells her that he must dilute himself, and his music when he's with her. If not, when they are "cutting," a triple entendre for making love, editing a song, and diluting heroin with a "cutting agent, " the feeling may be too strong and she may overdose. He says that in any form of him, even if he does not give his all, he gives her the pleasure she desires. He baits her, saying "just for one night, baby take me in vein," encouraging her to relapse just this once. He ends by describing what he does to her but how she loves it.. She's acting out of character, itching, and her nose is dripping. These are all characteristics of someone high on drugs. He tells her that he is her physician, giving her the drug, prescription, the drug itself, and the addiction, the consequence of his love.
I Know- Jay-Z: Background and Muse
(image credit to lyrics.wikia.com)
Shawn Carter, better known as Jay-Z, is an American Hip Hop artist and arguably the best rapper to date. He was born and raised in Marcy Projects, a rough neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. Growing up, he witnessed many things that influenced his lyrics as he emerged as an artist, including the dealing of narcotics, murder, and other crimes. He has even stated that he used to sell drugs, though as a good "business man", he never once tried his own products. As he developed his multi- million dollar empire selling millions of records worldwide and also creating his own brand of wine, clothing line, record label, and becoming part owner of the New Jersey Nets, his lyrics surrounding the harsh realities of his past life seemed to become irrelevant, for he was far removed from that lifestyle.
On his album/movie soundtrack, American Gangster, dubbed after the American film of the same title, he tapped back into the realm of narcotics for the song titled "I Know" in which he uses addiction to drugs and fortune as a grand metaphor for the craving and dependence a woman has for his love and presence.
On his album/movie soundtrack, American Gangster, dubbed after the American film of the same title, he tapped back into the realm of narcotics for the song titled "I Know" in which he uses addiction to drugs and fortune as a grand metaphor for the craving and dependence a woman has for his love and presence.
Welcome
Welcome to "The Muse in Music!" I have always loved music with lyrics that have a deeper meaning. There are so many intellectually profound artists out there creating music with words that it's listeners sometimes don't fully understand. I will choose a song of a different genre every post and give you a bit of background on the artist of my choice. With that, I will choose a song by him/ her and dissect the lyrics of the first verse, giving you more insight between the lines. Feel free to leave comments and also suggest music from an artist that you'd like for me to decipher. Enjoy ♥
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