Culture Assignment

Many of the songs , on the Billboard Hot 100, that the modern culture listen to, are influenced by the same topics and themes. As shown in Rihanna's "Only Girl", Far East Movement "Like A G6", and Roscoe Dash ft. Waka Flacka Flame "No Hands", the current generation is surrounded by many, if not all, songs with similar themes such as love, heartbreak, money, and drugs/alcohol.

The number 6 song, "Only Girl" by Rihanna, is about a girl who wants to feel loved. She wants her companion to make her feel like she's the "only girl in the world". Many young peple in our generation can relate to this. Therefore, this becomes very popular amongst the younger crowd. The simile, "want you to take me like a theif in the night" shows the comparison between the theif and her lover. Rather than stealing objects, she wants him to take her. This specific song shows love and vulnerability.

"Like A G6"" by Far East Movement is a new upbeat song that encourages dancing. For the past nine weeks "Like A G6" has been #2 on the Billboard Hot 100! This song, along with many, influences people to open up and let loose. The rhythm and tempo makes your heard nod whenever you listen to it. The song is about drinking "it up" and just having a good time. The simile "poppin bottles in the ie, like a blizzard", compares the drinks with a blizzard. The use of similes enables us to imagine the song as if we were in it. This song encourages people to have a good time with the use of alcohol.

The last song "No Hands" byt Waka Flacka Flame and Roscoe Dash has been #30 for the past 5 weeks. This song has a fast tempo that also encourages dancing. The simile "got me lost like Nemo" is comparing his location with the movie character Nemo. This song is about men gazing and being entertained by women while they are throwing "money" at them.

Each of these songs help to uncover the modern culture and their role in music. The themes that can be extracted from these songs are love and having a good time. Most if not all of the modern culture just wants to have fun. Music artists use this to pull attention from their listeners.

Song Analysis 1: "Nobody Knows It But Me" -Babyface

Wish I told her how I feel,
Maybe she'd be here right now
but instead...

I pretend that I'm glad you went away
These four walls closing more every day
And I'm dying inside
And nobody knows it but me
Like a clown I put on a show
The pain is real even if nobody knows
And I'm crying inside
And nobody knows it but me

Why didn't I say the things I needed to say
How could I let my angel get away
Now my world is just a-tumblin' down
I can say it so clearly but you're nowhere around

The nights are so lonely the days are so sad and
I just keep thinking about the love that we had
And I'm missing you
And nobody knows it but me

I carry smile when I'm broken in two
And I'm nobody without someone like you
I'm trembling inside
And nobody knows it but me (yeah)

Lie awake, it's a quarter past three
I'm screaming at night if I thought you'd hear me
Yeah, my heart is calling you
And nobody knows it but me (well, well)

How blue can I get?
You could ask my heart
But like a jigsaw puzzle it's been torn all apart
Billion words couldn't say just how I feel
A million years from now you know I'll be loving you still

The nights are so lonely the days are so sad and
I just keep thinking about the love that we had
And I'm missing you
And nobody knows it but me

oooo oohhhhh yeah

Tomorrow morning, I'm a hit a dusty road
Gonna find you, where ever, ever you might go
And I'm gonna load my heart and hope you come back to me

(Say whent the nights are lonely)
The nights are so lonely the days are so sad and
I just keep thinking about the love that we had
And I'm missing you
And nobody knows it but me

Kenneth Brian Edwards, also known as Babyface, is a R&B singer and songwriter from the mid 90’s. Kenneth began writing songs to express his emotions rather than talking about them. As tine went on he began to write songs for major artists like Bobby Brown. This gave his career a jumpstart, and he was determined to work in the music industry. He is considered a very successful songwriter that has produced #1 hits for many talented artists. Many of Kenneth’s songs are about being in love and the song “Nobody Knows It But Me” shows love through the theme and poetic devices.

Kenneth writes songs about love and the struggles involved in love. The song “Nobody Knows It But Me” has a strong love theme. Throughout this song there are many lines that influence the listener to believe that he is heartbroken without the love of his soul mate. The line “How could I let my angel get away” shows weakness. He doesn’t know how or why he let the woman he love leave him. Now that he realizes that he can’t live without her, he yearns for her love. He cannot stop thinking about her and he says “I just keep thinking about the love that we had” (4:2), this line shows the heartbreak theme. When you’re heartbroken you reminisce on what was. The theme of love and heartbreak is shown through this song because he is missing and remembering what he had but no longer has.

Not only does Kenneth use themes to analyze but he also uses poetic devices. Through the poetic devices you can determine a lot about a singer and the meaning of the song. The simile “like a clown I put on a show” (2:5) is comparing him to a clown. He feels as if he is making a fool out of himself for feeling the way he does. An example of personification, “my heart is calling you” (6:3), is giving his heart the human characteristic of calling. This just means that he knows inside his heart he wants her and only her. The last simile “you could ask my heart, but like a jigsaw puzzle it’s been torn all apart” (7:3), is comparing his heart to a jigsaw puzzle. What this means is that his hear is torn and broken because he’s not with his lover anymore. Through poetic devices we can elaborate and analyze the depths and true meanings of songs.

Both poetic devices and themes allow the song listeners to better understand the song and it’s true meaning. The theme enables you to construct an idea and from that idea you can interpret the song different ways. Poetic devices allow listeners to compare and feel the emotions portrayed through the song. These are two very important factors to take into consideration when analyzing a song.