Billy Joel Lyricism

The song I chose is “It’s Alright, Ma” by Bob Dylan. This song contains many instances of dramatic and verbal irony. Throughout the song Dylan uses contradictions to comment on society and uses wit as well to convey the hypocrisies of society. For instance, Dylan says, “while preachers preach of evil fates, teachers teach that knowledge waits, can lead to hundred-dollar plates…but even the president of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked” (.

I chose the song “Praying” by Kesha. This song is possibly inspired by an ex. This ex of Kesha’s told her she was nothing without him, that she couldn’t make it on her own. She believed these things for a while, then realized she didn’t him. She told herself she could do it, and that she was powerful and strong. Even though all this has happened and the ex is gone, she still hopes he’s okay. She hopes he finds his peace and becomes a better person. In the song she states, “No more monsters, I can breathe again.” She saying that now that this ex is gone she can live and they aren’t holding her down anymore.

Songs are written to evoke emotion, feelings, to be relatable. Song writing, or lyricism, is an art form. Lyricists carefully craft their lyrics to not only entertain an audience, but to also evoke an emotional response whether it be happiness, anger, sadness, etc. Songs are not solely the instruments emitting a beat but the lyrics as well. The instruments reflect the tone that is set in the lyrics. Music can be only instruments but that is categorized as instrumental music. By listening to the words in a song, a person can extract its message. Two strongly contrasting songs in terms of tone, message, and context are Heathens by 21 Pilots and Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World. There are literary similarities, but there are also many differences that set these songs apart from each other and elicit differing emotional responses from the audience. Heathens and What a Wonderful World have contrasting themes related to the times from which they were written influencing each song’s meaning, but they were written in a similar way with the same intent to inform the audience.

Located in Dallas, Texas, Lyric at Midtown Apartments has the perfect location when you want to be in the center of things. Restaurants, pubs, and a wide variety of shopping establishments are all located conveniently near the complex. Public transportation is readily available and the highway is also close by, which makes commuting to your job very easy. Also located nearby, are schools, colleges, and universities.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself” by Jess Glynne is my theme song because the lyrics explain the struggles of finding oneself, how everyone gets knocked down and encourages me to be myself. Being a victim of bullying, it was difficult to remain true to me. However, I grew up and realized other people’s opinions do not matter and continue to be me. Now, I show my true self to others every day and they accepted me. Regardless how many times life knocks me down, I always get back up. People make mistakes, but the mistakes do not characterize who a man is, nor do other people’s

Something that makes Badlands such a beautiful work of art are the lyrics, which are simple and beautiful enough to make them relatable to nearly anyone who listens to them. Many people have criticized Halsey’s lyrics for being “generic,” however, they are creative and carefully written, but may not appeal to everyone. One of her best lyrics is a fan favorite, “you were red, and you liked me because I was blue. But you touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky, and you decided purple just wasn’t for you.” This lyric is from the song Colors, which was written about Halsey’s brief relationship with Matty Healy from the band The 1975. It describes a relationship in which one person changes another so much that they find they no longer are attracted

The favorite song I chose is Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin, which features topics of mistakes and how we can change for the better. The song begins by telling about a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold. This shows that the lady is selfish, and her purchasing of a “stairway to heaven” means that she is also rich and greedy, because she knows “If the stores are all closed/With a word she can get what she came for” (Page 4-5). Towards the end of the song, we learn that the lady has changed her ways and has let go of her old self, which shows characterization by the songwriter. This classic rock song is accompanied by a theme of hope and being able to change. If you’re going down the wrong path and you think you’re running out of time,

I’ve heard thousands of song that people published. Some are good, some are not so good. Every once in a while, there are songs that gives me a spark of feeling. “This City” by Patrick Stump and “Sleepwalking” by The Chain Gang of 1974 are one of them. The song “This City”, sings about how Patrick loves his city and that he would stay there for life. The song “Sleepwalking” sings about a man who got his heart broke and he thinks it’s all a dream. “This City” reminds me of a time I moved to a different state and “Sleepwalking” reminds me of a time I got my heart broken.

Every song has a story to tell, and some contain hidden stories or lessons, while others are completely blatant. In Billy Joel’s song, “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” he does not hesitate to be very obvious with what he tries to prove, which is how all of the events in his song contribute to one large fire. I chose to remediate Joel’s song because it spoke to me with historical context. When researching the song, I read a majority of the history behind it and decided to reflect upon it in a visual picture collage, combining a majority of the elements he mentions with pictures--all circled around a fire in the middle. I decided to also make red-dyed cupcakes reflecting the fire Joel speaks of and ice them with a flame, yet placing an X over it,

Have you ever rode in a car subsequently after some tremendous event just occurred in your life then a song begins to sing perfectly with what is going on in your situation? I feel like this has happened often to many people. Being almost eighteen years old, throughout my life there have had plenty of experiences that match perfectly with songs. I like to compare it to a soundtrack of my life.

The song “I Lived” by OneRepublic is song all about making the best of life in every way possible. It talks about opportunities, success, fears, and setbacks all which are a part of life. The song encourages the listener to take control of their lives so they can have no regrets after it is too late. It embodies who I am because I always try to do what is best for the present and the future. The song motivates me because it is written in the perspective of someone who has found happiness in their own accomplishments. Listening to their story makes the goal of overall life satisfaction seem more reachable. Despite negative moments and the events that I cannot control, I have the power to react to them with a positive mindset knowing that everything

My passion for music really didn’t kick in until I wrote my first song. I had been playing guitar for about 6 years, but until my pen hit the paper I never experienced how cathartic music can be. It allowed me to escape from the crazy and stressful world and bleed everything I was feeling onto the page or over the strings. I have written close to 40 songs and each one has a special place in my heart for a specific time in my life. The stories I tell in my songs allow me to step into the shoes of someone else, or perhaps make my own fit just a little more snug. I like to find energetic riffs and sometimes quirky lyrics that inspire me to look at life a differently or find value in things or moments that are normally overlooked. As I build my following I hope to give listeners what my songs have given me—a three minute hiatus from everything else. Hopefully that three minutes can last them a life time.

The second song I analyzed was “Paradise” by Coldplay. Similarly to “Kids”, the song “Paradise” starts with the idea of childhood. “When she was just a girl she expected the world. But it flew away from her reach so she ran away in her sleep and dreamed of paradise” is the opening verse for this tune. It talks of a young girl with big dreams expecting the world. As the girl in the song grows up she finds that life is not as simple as she believed. “Life goes on, it gets so heavy. The wheel breaks the butterfly. Every tear a waterfall. In the night the stormy night she'll close her eyes.” Those lyrics are a good example of how life has some downs, tears, and storms, but it talks of how the girl stays positive when the song says, “She’d say, ‘I know the sun must set to rise.’” I think this song is a good reflection of me. I have big dreams for myself, but as life goes on I go through some bumps in the road. I have encountered many of my own stormy nights, but I know the sun will rise to a clearer and brighter day in time. I have learned not to expect things to be handed to me, but to chase after my dreams, and my own perfect paradise to a path of success.

Billy Joel wrote a beautiful song about honesty. Do you know it? We will hear it together.

Today I see myself differently than when I was a toddler. There are good and bad events that have shaped me into the person I am now. Good and bad things happen to everyone; although maybe not the same events that have occurred in my life or in the order that they have happened. These songs that I have picked, paint a picture of the past events or feelings I have had in my life.