3 Songs with social relevance

Hard to Breathe- Verse
This song is about being angry with the government. The song says to question everything even things that are placed right in front of us and the government feeds us lies and alters the truth to fit their needs and other such things of the sort and most people just ignore it or deny it. I like this song a lot, and I generally agree with the lyrics. I also feel like the government lies to its people a lot to get what they want and to get things to go the way they plan. Also they do hide a lot from us and punish people when they question the government. Its supposed to be a free country yet we're taxed on our homes, our cars, and the road. So overall I think it's a good song, even though others may disagree and say it has no or little poetic value.

An Old Book Misread- Set Your Goals
This song is about not believing in religion or god. Its not an ignorant "i hate god so i hate you" kind of song, it's about not being pulled into something you don't really believe in. It says in it "I don't feel a thing, can't make believe I do. It's something I don't need. It's something that you do and I respect you. Turning that page, turning that page in an old book misread" which says that he doesn't feel anything good when he thinks about religion but he's respects people who do. Then he later says that he's disgusted by the way that he was almost brought up, which was on religion.

White Trash Anthem- Blood for Blood
This song is about being "white trash." He say's he "ain't that kind of white" referring to upper class white people. He talks about things like sleeping on the streets and falling asleep to the sound of police sirens because he grew up in such a poor area. "Your world is MTV. Spring breaks and ecstasy.You got your hopes and you'll get your dreams," means that rich kids get anything they want and are spoiled and they're influenced by watching MTV and doing drugs because they can afford them. Then he compares that to his own life by saying "My world remains unseen by you.Poverty and no family,Broken homes and broken dreams," and his world remains unseen by rich white spoiled kids and they'll never really know the struggles he had to go though growing up

Hyperbole

Half a Person by Trapped Under Ice

"If I never make it home tonight the streets will swallow me whole"

This is an example of a hyperbole because the streets aren't actually going to swallow him whole, he just wouldnt be able to survive another night on the streets.

Simile and Metaphor

Watch Me Sink by Have Heart
"Watch me sink like a stone like a stone like a stone like a stone"
This is an example of a simile because he's comparing himself to a stone using the word like.

My Commitment by The Mongoloids
"But staring down the belly of the beast isn't as easy as it used to be."
This is an example of a metaphor because its comparing life to a beast and staring down the belly of the beast means accepting life's challenges.

Allusion, Ambiguity, and Allegory

The song "Bostons" by Have Heart is an example of an allusion. The name itself is an allusion to the city of Boston. There's also another part of the song where Flynn says "Hyde Park" which is a reference to the neighborhood in the city of Boston. It applies to my theme and genre because its a hardcore punk song and it's about a childhood in Boston that has made him into the man he is now and how he has bottled up hatred for Boston.



The song "Smash It" by Down to Nothing is an example of ambiguity. It's a song about straightedge. It says "For the weak, not for the strong." That's the way a lot of people view straightedge because they think it's lame to not drink or not smoke but thats not actually what the band thinks because theyre straightedge. Its ambiguity because they're showing two different point of views with two different meanings at the same time.



The song "Start a Fire" by Verse is an example of an allegory because it is saying to do one thing but it's using that as symbolism for something else. They keep saying to start a fire throughout the song and they dont really mean to say to start a fire but to instead start a movement to be more aware of everything the government is doing. The movement would spread like a fire so that's the symbolism behind the statement.

Point of View

First Person
He-god-Has Favored Our Undertakings by Ceremony
The first three lines in the first stanza begin with "I" and the fourth line contains the word "me" so it is written in first person.



Second Person
Hawt Lixx by Daggermouth
"You better watch your back
It's not that easy yeah
It's hard to smile with no front teeth
Your cowardice we all see"
The Chorus is written in second person because of the use of the word "you."



Stream of Consciousness
Stay Cold by Trapped Under Ice
"Lost concepts of reality
Make loose the screws that secure my sanity
I take a look at my life what it’s all about
The answers bring me pain and I want out
I pulled you close because the world failed us both
Always knowing nothing could stay gold
The navigator of pain points my way once more
I will always stay cold
You can’t hurt me anymore
I stay cold forevermore
So alone
But you can’t hurt me anymore"
It's an example of stream of consciousness because its just what the narrator is thinking. It's portraying his feelings and thoughts.



Epistolary
Dear Jamie... Sincerely Me by Hellogoodbye
The whole song is written in the form of a letter.

Alliteration

"Pave Paradise" by Have Heart is a good song to look for alliteration in. The song starts "How many miles," and many miles is the first example of consonance. The next line has the phrase "four same faces" and thats another example of consonance. "Have me praying for the places that will leave me one minute to my fucking self," is the next two lines and theres two more examples of alliteration in there with the letter p and the letter m. The first two lines from the chorus "When there's a million more miles to roam, I think of the life left for me back home" theres two more examples of alliteration with the letters l and m. The next line says "a paradise to watch the greener grass grow" which has three g's in a row.

Angst in life in Hardcore punk.

"Nail" by Ceremony
Getting closer to the breaking point. With blatant words, my voice is shot. While my skull takes another hit, I try to cover my broken nose, body's weak, lacks courage and pride. Each blow is more brutal than the last. Seeing my mistakes slowly seep into the earth. Bearing scars that open now and then, each tells a different story. I could really give a fuck if I ever win or lose. Your wounds become a part of you. They condone the real truth.

This song clearly demonstrates the use of imagery. "While my skull takes another hit, i try to cover my broken nose" gives you a mental image of a man being in a fight and struggling to defend himself. "Seeing my mistakes slowly seep into the earth" is talking about his blood getting sponged up by the ground and thats also a strong mental image. "Bearing scars that open now and then" is also a strong mental image of a man with scars from the fights he's been in.


"I Want to Put This to an End" by Ceremony
My heart beats in slow songs pumping moments through my veins waking up in empty beds walk through months of bad mistakes give me back the life I had I really had nothing, nothings better than a city full of lies that push through me I'm a burning building you're a loveless friend now I watch the clock now I walk on knives I got problems I'm a fucked up kid I find problems I'm alone again

This song also demonstrates good usage of imagery. "My heart beats in slow songs pumping movements through my veins" gives a good image of a heart beating and makes me imagine a persons veins in their arm. "Waking up in empty beds" also makes me picture someone waking up by themselves every morning. "I'm a burning building" makes me think of a tall building on fire.