"Sweet Dreams"- Eurythmics vs. Marilyn Manson

The song "Sweet Dreams" by The Eurythmics is a happy, upbeat song about pursuing one's dreams and getting the things that one wants. However, the cover of the song by Marilyn Manson distorts the song into a dark, evil song about one's dreams being corrupted and broken. One major difference between the two versions of the song is the musical style. The Eurythmics version is happy and upbeat, with electric keyboards giving the song an electronic feel. The Marilyn Manson version replaces the keyboards with distorted, somber sounding guitar tone and a much slower tempo, which gives the song a much more dark and evil feeling. The lyrics also differ between the two versions. In the Eurythmics version, the lyrics during the bridge read "Keep your head up, moving on, hold your head up, moving on," which gives the song a positive and uplifting central message. However, in the Marilyn Manson version, this verse is replaced with the lines "I wanna use you and abuse you, I wanna know what's inside you," which gives the song a very dark and twisted central message. The two versions of the song "Sweet Dreams" feature completely different musical styles and themes, which make them feel like two completely different songs.

Top 3 "Angry" Songs

1) Duality - Slipknot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfvVT8Z_P-s
2) Lift Me Up - Five Finger Death Punch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-2yuGgp_U8
3) Animal I Have Become - Three Days Grace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXDC89tZ4IQ

Slipknot's "Duality" is one of the songs that I am drawn to most when I am feeling angry because it is a hard-hitting, heavy song with lyrics that perfectly describe the way I feel when I'm mad. The song is very fast and heavy, which adds to the adrenaline rush that one feels when they are angry. The lyrics in the song reflect feelings of anger and rage, which help to perpetuate my mood. "Duality" by Slipknot's heavy sound and powerful lyrics make it one of the songs I listen to whenever I am feeling angry.

Top 3 "Breaking Up" Songs

1. A Friendly Goodbye - Bowling For Soup   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPPLJaiig_4
2. And So It Goes - Billy Joel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcUCYtyaLrY
3. The Truth Is... - Theory of a Deadman  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiqPQpZTkt0

"A Friendly Goodbye" by Bowling For Soup is a song that I often listen to after a break up because it conveys feelings of spite and anger towards one's former lover in a humorous way. The speaker sarcastically wishes his ex girlfriend a "friendly goodbye," then quickly expresses the anger and spite that he feels towards her. In the chorus of the song, the speaker tells his ex lover to essentially screw off, but censors what he means to say in order to add to the humor of the song. "A Friendly Goodbye" by Bowling For Soup is a funny and sarcastic song about getting back at one's ex and telling them to screw off, which makes it one of the songs I am drawn to after a bad break up.

Theme Portfolio Reflection

For my theme portfolio, I chose to analyze how depression and mental illness are treated in hard rock and metal music. I chose this theme because it is a topic that I have a personal connection with, and I was interested in how the ideas and emotions that go along with depression could be conveyed poetically. The songs that I picked all treat depression as an enemy within oneself that one must battle and overcome. Some songs, like Beartooth's "In Between," stress the importance of fighting against one's depression and finding ways to keep on living, while other songs, like Breaking Benjamin's "Dear Agony," express feelings of hopelessness and dread that are often felt by those struggling with depression. All of the songs that I chose rely heavily on hyperbole and metaphor to express to the listener the powerful feelings and emotions that accompany depression. A common theme in several of the songs I chose is the idea of depression trapping the speaker withing their own mind. For example, in Stone Sour's "Through Glass," the speaker feels as though they are "sitting all alone inside [their] head." Depression is also commonly depicted as a battle between the speaker and their depression, with depression often being personified as an enemy that the speaker must defeat, as in Breaking Benjamin's "Dear Agony." In this song, depression is treated as a "faceless enemy" that the speaker must fight. Another common theme in the songs I chose is the idea that depression can completely take control of one's thoughts and emotions. For example, in The Amity Affliction's "Anchors," the speaker feels as though they will [forever be bound to the bottom of these seas," which conveys the idea that depression can often leave one feeling like there is no escape, and that they will forever be forced to live with the darkness that fills their mind. However, while many songs about depression focus on the feelings of hopelessness and sorrow that accompany mental illness, Beartooth's "In Between" focuses mainly on the need for those with depression to fight their demons and continue to keep on living. In the song, the speaker states that those with depression have to "run to higher ground while there's a chance to live," meaning that they should find ways to fight and get to a better mental state before their depression consumes them. Unlike many of the songs I chose, The Amity Affliction's "Pittsburgh" relies mainly on simile to express the emotions that accompany depression. In the song, the speaker states that their depression has left them feeling "like there's cancer in [their] blood...like there's water in [their] lungs." In this song, the speaker has reached their breaking point, and no longer feels as though they can fight their depression. After doing this assignment, I have learned that to those battling mental illness, it is not just a condition or disorder, but a battle that they must win in order to keep on living.

Theme Portfolio Entry #6

"Remember Everything"
By Five Finger Death Punch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djm3aqUc1-0

Oh, dear mother, I love you   Apostrophe

I'm sorry, I wasn't good enough
Dear father, forgive me   Apostrophe
'Cause in your eyes, I just never added up
In my heart I know I failed you, but you left me here alone

[Chorus]
If I could hold back the rain, would you numb the pain?    Metaphor    Symbolism
'Cause I remember everything.
If I could help you forget, would you take my regrets?   Metaphor
'Cause I remember everything.

Oh, dear brother, just don't hate me   Apostrophe
For never standing by you or being by your side
Dear sister, please don't blame me   Apostrophe
I only did what I thought was truly right
It's a long and lonely road, when you know you walk alone   Metaphor

[Chorus]
If I could hold back the rain, would you numb the pain?    Metaphor    Symbolism
'Cause I remember everything.
If I could help you forget, would you take my regrets?   Metaphor
'Cause I remember everything.

I feel like running away
I'm still so far from home   Metaphor
You say that I'll never change
But what the fuck do you know?
I'll burn it all to the ground before I let you in     Hyperbole/Metaphor
Please forgive me, I can't forgive you now.
I remember everything.

[Chorus]
If I could hold back the rain, would you numb the pain?    Metaphor    Symbolism
'Cause I remember everything.
If I could help you forget, would you take my regrets?   Metaphor
'Cause I remember everything.

It all went by so fast
I still can't change the past
I always will remember everything
If we could start again,
Would that have changed the end?
We remember everything, everything

In the song "Remember Everything'' by Five Finger Death Punch, apostrophe, symbolism, and metaphor are used to convey the speaker's pain and sadness while also creating a sort of musical suicide note. Throughout the song, the speaker directly addresses members of his family, apologizing for apparent wrongs that he has committed against them. In the speaker's eyes, he "wasn't good enough" for his family, and he feels as though he has let them down in some way. These direct apologies from the speaker to his family makes the song feel almost like a suicide note. As the song moves into the chorus, the speaker begins to rely on metaphor and symbolism to convey his pain to the listener. The speaker, presumably still speaking to his family, asks "if I could hold back the rain, would you numb the pain?" Through this metaphor, the speaker is asking if his family would help him recover from the emotional pain that he is experiencing if he can erase the pain that he has caused his family through his wrongdoings, which is symbolized by the rain. The speaker then asks if his family would "take [his] regrets," which is a metaphor for an apology. The speaker wishes to apologize for the wrongs he has committed against his family in hopes of regaining their support during this time of mental anguish. The metaphors and symbolism used in Five Finger Death Punch's "Remember Everything" convey the speaker's wishes to repent for wrongs that he has committed against his family in order to regain hier love and support during a time of mental struggle.

Theme Portfolio Entry #5

"Anchors"
By The Amity Affliction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLbyKLlvoYA

I have so many anchors   Metaphor   Symbolism
So many, so many   Repetition
So many anchors
Far too many to be sailing on these seas   Metaphor    Symbolism
They're pulling me under    Metaphor
And I just want to be freed
But I'm just drowning and clasping   Metaphor

To the tinder and twine   Symbolism
Not the firm planks and rope    Symbolism
That I know to be mine
That I know to be mine
I have so many anchors   Repetition/Metaphor
Bound to my feet
It feels like I'll forever be bound    Simile/Hyperbole
To the bottom of these seas   Symbolism

Will you hear nothing I say
As the tide just sweeps and sways    Personification
As the anchors that bind me   Symbolism
Just rust and decay    Personification
As I tear my flesh from bone     Hyperbole 
As I scream out to the sky
When will I find my way home?

There are sirens watching me   Symbolism
And they whisper and smile to me
And I'm screaming out to them    Metaphor
Please take these anchors from my feet   Symbolism
OH

I see the moon up above   Symbolism
I've failed my hope
I've thrown out my love   Objectification
I still want to live
I still want to hope
I still want to give
I still want to grow
I was dead and gone
I was cold and alone
I was weighed down and buried    Metaphor
When will I find my way home?

Will you hear nothing I say
As the tide just sweeps and sways    Personification
As the anchors that bind me   Symbolism
Just rust and decay    Personification
As I tear my flesh from bone     Hyperbole 
As I scream out to the sky
When will I find my way home?

Let's get it
When will I find my way home?
[x2]

Will you hear nothing I say
As the tide just sweeps and sways    Personification
As the anchors that bind me   Symbolism
Just rust and decay    Personification
As I tear my flesh from bone     Hyperbole 
As I scream out to the sky
When will I find my way home?

As I tear my flesh from bone     Hyperbole
As I scream out to the sky
When will I find my way home?

In their song "Anchors," The Amity Affliction frequently utilize symbolism and metaphor to convey the speaker's struggles with depression and mental illness. Throughout the song, anchors are used to symbolize the speaker's depression, constantly dragging him down further and further. The song opens with the metaphor "I have so many anchors," which conveys that the speaker is battling many internal demons at once, all of which are weighing heavily on the speaker's mind. The speaker claims that they have "far too many [anchors] to be sailing on these seas," meaning that the speaker's struggle with their inner demons has prevented the speaker from living their life, which is symbolized by the seas that the speaker is sailing on. The speaker has tried to go on living their life, but their demons keep "pulling [them] under," leaving the speaker feeling as though they are "drowning." The speaker goes on to claim that they are "clasping to the tinder and twine, not the firm planks and rope," which further symbolizes the speaker's struggles. The "tinder and twine" represent the frail mental state that the speaker has been left in, while the "firm planks and rope" represent the speaker's mental state before their struggles with depression. Later in the song, the speaker states that they have "sirens watching [them]," which symbolizes the speaker's friends and family, who do not understand the speaker's pain. The speaker has been "screaming out to them" for help, but they can only "whisper and smile to [them]" because they do not understand the way the speaker is feeling. The speaker then symbolizes the mental relief that they have been searching for, stating that they "see the moon up above." The moon is a beacon of hope for the speaker, lying far above the rocky seas that the speaker has been drowning in for so long. The frequent use of metaphor and symbolism in The Amity Affliction's "Anchors" helps to convey the speaker's struggle with depression and mental illness, and the pain that they have felt because of this struggle.

Theme Portfolio Entry #4

"In Between"
By Beartooth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWCXZufIFYE

Woah-oah-oh-ohhhh-oh-oh
Woah-oah-oh-oaahhhh
Woah-oah-oh-ohhhh-oh-oh
Woah-oah-oh-oaahhhh

Life just sucks when all you know is the bottom   Hyperbole
It's not your choice, there's no escaping it   Objectification
Get up and run as far as you can
Head to higher ground while there's a chance to live   Symbolism

Don't run away, run away, runaway
Don't run away, run away, runaway (Run!)
Up on the mountain I see down below   Metaphor   Symbolism
It's easy to lose yourself I know
Can't hear what you're shouting, I'm deaf to your show   Metaphor
It's easy to lose your self control   Objectification
Everybody gets high, everybody gets low
Life can be such overdose   Metaphor
Up on the mountain I see down below    Metaphor    Symbolism
It's easy to lose yourself I know in the in between   Euphemism


Life's so dark when everyday is a struggle    Hyperbole
why go out and see the world on fire   Metaphor
Don't let your mindset become what controls you    Personification
Speak right now and make the choice to grow

Don't run away, run away, runaway
Don't run away, run away, runaway (Run!)
Up on the mountain I see down below   Metaphor   Symbolism
It's easy to lose yourself I know
Can't hear what you're shouting, I'm deaf to your show   Metaphor
It's easy to lose your self control   Objectification
Everybody gets high, everybody gets low
Life can be such overdose   Metaphor
Up on the mountain I see down below    Metaphor    Symbolism
It's easy to lose yourself I know in the in between   Euphemism

I won't let pain get in my way   Objectification
I can't have silence claiming me   Objectification/Metaphor
We have strength in numbers, strength in numbers
To get us through the day
No compromises to be made, this is a war we're gonna win   Metaphor
We have strength in numbers, strength in numbers
To get us through the day

Up on the mountain I see down below   Metaphor   Symbolism
It's easy to lose yourself I know
Can't hear what you're shouting, I'm deaf to your show   Metaphor
It's easy to lose your self control   Objectification
Everybody gets high, everybody gets low
Life can be such overdose   Metaphor
Up on the mountain I see down below    Metaphor    Symbolism
It's easy to lose yourself I know in the in between   Euphemism

Woah-oah-oh-ohhhh-oh-oh
Woah-oah-oh-oaahhhh
In the in between    Euphemism
Woah-oah-oh-ohhhh-oh-oh
Woah-oah-oh-oaahhhh
In the in between   Euphemism

In the song "In Between" by Beartooth, the use of metaphor, euphemism, and objectification help to convey the necessity of finding the strength to fight through times of mental anguish and struggle. The first verse begins to describe the effect that mental anguish can have on one's life, stating that it often feels as though "there's no escaping it." This objectification of one's struggles conveys the idea that to those facing mental adversity, their struggle often feels like an inescapable force rather than an intangible idea. The speaker then goes on to stress the necessity of finding the strength to fight, using the concept of "higher ground" to symbolize a state of mental stability and strength. As the song moves into the chorus, the speaker connects with the speaker, and shows that they have face the same struggles. The speaker states that they are "up on the mountain," looking down at the reader from the "higher ground" mentioned in the previous verse. This metaphor is meant to show that the speaker has faced the same struggles as the reader and found a way to fight through those difficult times, and is now attempting to help the reader do the same. The speaker then describes the reader's mental state as "the in between," implying that the reader is caught somewhere between the darkness that has entered their life and the safe place that the reader wishes to reach. This euphemism for the reader's mental state is meant to show that the reader has two different directions that they can go in, and must fight to stay on the right path in order to prevent their depression from consuming them. The frequent use of metaphor, euphemism, and objectification in Beartooth's "In Between" help to convey to the reader the necessity of fining the strength to fight during times of mental struggle.

Theme Portfolio Entry #3

"Pittsburgh"
By The Amity Affliction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khdPVdaGNcQ

I've been searching for an exit, but I'm lost inside my head;   Metaphor
Where I spend every waking moment wishing I was dead.   Hyperbole
For a few minutes get me away from here,
For a few minutes wipe away my tears.
For I am lost right now as the ocean deep;   Simile
I am low my friend and how my heart does sink.  Personification
Yeah I am lost right now as the ocean deep;
I am low my friend and how my heart does sink.  Repetition

It's like there's cancer in my blood,   Simile
It's like there's water in my lungs,   Simile
And I can't take another step,
Please tell me I am not undone.
It's like there's fire in my skin
And I'm drowning from within -   Simile
I can't take another breath,
Please tell me I am not undone.

I've been searching for an exit but I'm lost inside my head;   Metaphor
Where I spend every waking moment wishing this would end.   Hyperbole
I can't take another step, I cannot live inside my mind,   Metaphor
I can't face another day, I am so fucking tired.
For I am lost right now as the ocean deep,
I am low my friend and how my heart does sink.   Personification
Yeah I am lost right now as the ocean deep,
I am low my friend and how my heart does sink.   Repetition

It's like there's cancer in my blood,   Simile
It's like there's water in my lungs,   Simile
And I can't take another step,
Please tell me I am not undone.
It's like there's fire in my skin
And I'm drowning from within -   Simile
I can't take another breath,
Please tell me I am not undone.

I've been searching for an exit, but I'm lost inside my head;   Metaphor
Where I spend every waking moment wishing I was dead.   Hyperbole
I'll take another step for you -
I'll shed my tears until I drown, or until I am underground.   Hyperbole   Euphemism
I'll take another breath for you...
Will you still be there when I'm home, out from the great unknown?  Symbolism

It's like there's cancer in my blood,   Simile
It's like there's water in my lungs,   Simile
And I can't take another step,
Please tell me I am not undone.It's like there's fire in my skin
And I'm drowning from within -   Simile
I can't take another breath,
Please tell me I am not undone.

In the song "Pittsburgh" by The Amity Affliction, simile, hyperbole, and metaphor are used throughout the song to convey the speaker's battle with depression, and the powerful emotions that accompany this battle. The song opens with the metaphor "I've been searching for an exit, but I'm lost inside my head." This metaphor immediately establishes that the speaker feels trapped within his own mind and cannot find a way to escape his dark thoughts. The speaker then states that they "spend every waking moment wishing [they were] dead," which conveys the idea that the speaker's dark thoughts have completely taken over the speaker's mind, and have driven the speaker to the brink of suicide. The speaker feel like they are "lost right now as the ocean deep," meaning they feel that their mind has grown so dark that the speaker no longer knows where he is, and is surrounded by only darkness and emptiness. As the song moves into the chorus, the speaker uses multiple similes to describe the pain that they have been feeling because of their depression. The speaker states that "it's like there's cancer in my blood, it's like there's water in my lungs...it's like there's fire in my skin, and I'm drowning from within." These similes convey the idea that the speaker feels as though their depression is slowly killing them, forcing the speaker to suffer slowly until the day their depression finally takes them. The speaker is forced to "shed [their] tears until [they] drown, or until [they are] underground." The frequent use of simile, metaphor, and personification in The Amity Affliction's "Pittsburgh" is meant to illustrate the gravity of the emotions that the speaker is feeling as a result of their battle with depression and mental illness.

Theme Portfolio Entry #2

"Dear Agony"
By Breaking Benjamin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGrM1sh-8pE

I have nothing left to give   Hyperbole
I have found the perfect end
You were made to make it hurt
Disappear into the dirt   Metaphor/Euphemism
Carry me to heaven's arms   Alusion/Metaphor
Light the way and let me go
Take the time to take my breath   Alliteration/Repetition
I will end where I began

And I will find the enemy within    Metaphor/Symbolism
Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin   Personification

Dear Agony
Just let go of me   Personification/Apostrophe
Suffer slowly
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Dear Agony    Personification

Suddenly
The lights go out   Euphemism
Let forever
Drag me down   Personification
I will fight for one last breath
I will fight until the end

And I will find the enemy within    Metaphor/Symbolism
Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin   Personification

Dear Agony
Just let go of me   Personification/Apostrophe
Suffer slowly
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Don't bury me   Double Entendre
Faceless enemy   Metaphor
I'm so sorry
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Dear Agony    Personification


Leave me alone   Apostrophe
God let me go
I'm blue and cold   Metaphor/Imagery
Black sky will burn
Love pull me down
Hate lift me up    Personification
Just turn around
There's nothing left   Hyperbole

Somewhere far beyond this world
I feel nothing anymore   Hyperbole

Dear Agony
Just let go of me   Personification/Apostrophe
Suffer slowly
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Don't bury me   Double Entendre
Faceless enemy   Metaphor
I'm so sorry
Is this the way it's gotta be?
Dear Agony    Personification


I feel nothing anymore   Hyperbole/Repetition

In the song "Dear Agony" by Breaking Benjamin, the speaker utilizes metaphor, hyperbole, and personification to convey the feeling of hopelessness that often accompanies depression, and the idea of being a prisoner inside one's own mind. The song opens with the line "I have nothing left to give," which immediately establishes the speaker's mental struggle. This hyperbole implies that the speaker has lost all hope for himself and his future, and feels as though he has used up all of his fight in battling his depression. The speaker feels as though the only thing left for him is to "disappear into the dirt." This metaphor not only conveys the idea that the speaker wishes to die, but the use of the word "disappear" implies that nobody would notice if the speaker were to die. The speaker feels as though his depression is not simply an illness, but "the enemy within" his mind. By comparing mental illness to an enemy that he must combat, the speaker conveys the loss of control over his emotions that he is experiencing. The chorus of the song begins with the lines "Dear Agony, just let go of me," which further personifies the speaker's depression as an enemy that the speaker must face, and implies that the speaker feels as though his agony has taken control of his mind. The speaker directly addresses his "agony" throughout the song, which helps to further convey the idea that the speaker's depression is not a condition or disorder, but rather a "faceless enemy" that has taken control of the speaker. The song ends with the hyperbole "I feel nothing anymore," which is meant to imply that the speaker has been battling these demons for so long that he has grown numb to the pain, and has lost the ability to feel any sort of pain or emotion. The personification of the speaker's agony and the metaphors and hyperbole in Breaking Benjamin's "Dear Agony" used to describe the speaker's struggle help to illustrate the feeling of hopelessness that often accompanies depression and mental illness.

Theme Portfolio entry #1

"Through Glass"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCLJgALOiXY
By Stone Sour

I'm looking at you through the glass       Imagery/Metaphor
Don't know how much time has passed
Oh, god it feels like forever   Hyperbole
But no one ever tells you
That forever feels like home  Simile
Sitting all alone inside your head   Metaphor

How do you feel? That is the question
But I forget you don't expect an easy answer
When something like a soul becomes initialized
And folded up like paper dolls and little notes  Simile
You can't expect a bit of hope

So while you're outside looking in  Imagery
Describing what you see
Remember what you're staring at is me

I'm looking at you through the glass       Imagery/Metaphor
Don't know how much time has passed
Oh, god it feels like forever   Hyperbole
But no one ever tells you
That forever feels like home  Simile
Sitting all alone inside your head   Metaphor

How much is real? So much to question
An epidemic of the mannequins  Metaphor
Contaminating everything
We thought came from the heart
It never did right from the start
Just listen to the noises
(Null and void instead of voices)

Before you tell yourself
It's just a different scene
Remember it's just different from what you've seen

I'm looking at you through the glass       Imagery/Metaphor
Don't know how much time has passed
And all I know is that it feels like forever   Hyperbole
But no one ever tells you
That forever feels like home  Simile
Sitting all alone inside your head   Metaphor

'Cause I'm looking at you through the glass       Imagery/Metaphor
Don't know how much time has passed
And all I know is that it feels like forever   Hyperbole
But no one ever tells you
That forever feels like home  Simile
Sitting all alone inside your head   Metaphor

And it's the stars
The stars
That shine for you       Personification
And it's the stars
The stars
That lie to you, yeah-ah
[x2 - on the album version]

I'm looking at you through the glass       Imagery/Metaphor
Don't know how much time has passed
Oh, god it feels like forever   Hyperbole
But no one ever tells you
That forever feels like home  Simile
Sitting all alone inside your head   Metaphor

I'm looking at you through the glass       Imagery/Metaphor
Don't know how much time has passed
And all I know is that it feels like forever   Hyperbole
But no one ever tells you
That forever feels like home  Simile
Sitting all alone inside your head   Metaphor

And it's the stars
The stars
That shine for you, yeah-ah
And it's the stars
The stars
That lie to you, yeah-ah

And it's the stars
The stars
That shine for you, yeah-ah        Personification
And it's the stars
The stars
That lie to you, yeah-ah, yeah

Oh when the stars
Oh oh when the stars that lie

               

  In the song “Through Glass” by Stone Sour, the speaker uses metaphor, simile, and hyperbole to convey the feelings of emotional detachment and separation that often accompany severe depression. The song opens with the metaphor “I’m looking at you through the glass,” which is meant to convey that the speaker feels detached from the people in his life. He feels as though nobody realizes or understands the way he is feeling, despite his desperate pleas for help. The speaker’s loved ones can only stand “on the outside looking in” as the speaker battles the darkness that has taken over his mind. The glass is meant to symbolize the speaker’s depression, which prevents him from communicating his feelings to those he loves. In the following lines, the speaker says that “it feels like forever,” which implies that he has been living with depression for a long time. In fact, the speaker has lived with depression for so long that “forever feels like home,” which is meant to convey that depression is all that the speaker has ever known. The speaker cannot remember a time when they did not suffer from his dark thoughts and emotions, and has become so used to the feeling of emptiness that it has begun to feel like home for the speaker. The speaker’s depression has left him feeling as though he is “sitting all alone inside [his] head.” This metaphor is meant to convey that the speaker feels like he is trapped within his own mind and cannot escape his dark thoughts and emotions. Those who suffer from depression often feel as though they are all alone, which is consistent with the ideas that the speaker is attempting to convey in this song. The speaker in “Through Glass” conveys the emotional detachment that those with depression often feel through the use of metaphor and simile throughout the song.

Pink Floyd "Another Brick in the Wall" Thinkwrite

Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” conveys students’ resistance to the conformity forced upon them by educational institutions through the use of imagery and point of view. The song is told from the point of view of a student who resents the idea that every student is essentially the same in the eyes of the school system, and that students should be taught to look, act, and think in the same way. This idea of conformity is conveyed through the image of the brick wall. Each brick in a wall is exactly the same as every other brick, and according to school teachers, each student is nothing more than “just another brick in the wall.” The student’s resistance to this idea is shown through the lines “we don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought control.” The improper grammar used in these lines is designed to reflect the student’s resistance to the ideas that they are taught by their school system. The video for this song echoes these same ideas of conformity, and conveys these ideas through the powerful imagery used throughout the video. In the video, the students march in lockstep towards a brick tunnel, and exit the other side of the tunnel wearing blank, featureless masks. These masks represent the idea that each student should be taught to look, act, and think in the exact same way. Furthermore, the students are then marched along a conveyor belt, and are dropped into a giant meat grinder. In the ground up meat that comes out of the grinder, it is completely impossible to distinguish one student from another, which echoes the idea of complete and total conformity. However, the video ends with images of the students destroying the brick walls of the school and rebelling against their teachers, which conveys the students’ resistance to the conformity that is forced upon them by their teachers. 

Both Sides Now Thinkwrite

      In her song “Both Sides Now,” Joni Mitchell shifts from the naïve, whimsical views of a young child to the experienced, disillusioned views of an adult to convey that “something’s lost and something’s gained in living every day.” At the start of each verse, Mitchell describes various aspects of life in the whimsical way that a child might, referring to clouds as “ice cream castles.” Mitchell then shifts to a more experienced point of view, describing these aspects of life as a disillusioned adult would. This shifting of attitudes throughout the song helps to emphasize the fact that all aspects of life have two sides, and in order to truly understand the way the world works, one must look at life from “both sides now.” I have experienced a similar situation in my own life. As a young child, I assumed that high school would be a fun and carefree point in my life, much like how I had seen it depicted in my favorite TV shows and movies. However, I now realize that high school is a very stressful time, full of responsibilities and obligations that must be fulfilled. This shift in my point of view is comparable to that of the speaker in Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.”

Slipknot-Snuff Lyrics

                            "Snuff" by Slipknot      Written by Corey Taylor

Bury all your secrets in my skin
Come away with innocence, and leave me with my sins
The air around me still feels like a cage
And love is just a camouflage for what resembles rage again...

So if you love me, let me go.
And run away before I know.
My heart is just too dark to care.
I can't destroy what isn't there.
Deliver me into my fate -
If I'm alone I cannot hate
I don't deserve to have you...
My smile was taken long ago
If I can change I hope I never know

I still press your letters to my lips
And cherish them in parts of me that savor every kiss
I couldn't face a life without your lights
But all of that was ripped apart when you refused to fight

So save your breath, I will not care.
I think I made it very clear.
You couldn't hate enough to love.
Is that supposed to be enough?
I only wish you weren't my friend.
Then I could hurt you in the end.
I never claimed to be a saint...
Ooh, my own was banished long ago
It took the death of hope to let you go

So break yourself against my stones
And spit your pity in my soul
You never needed any help
You sold me out to save yourself
And I won't listen to your shame
You ran away - you're all the same
Angels lie to keep control...
Ooh, my love was punished long ago
If you still care, don't ever let me know
If you still care, don't ever let me know...