How To Use Lady Gaga's Song Til It Happens To You

In today’s society, music controls the way we live our lives. The influence that music has on society has broadened throughout the years and with social media being one of the world’s top priority, the fan base and spectrum for music in general has expanded significantly. Music is used to express feelings, moods, circumstances, experiences, knowledge, and so much more. With this being the case, the lyrics of any song can be interpreted differently by each and every listener. Many song lyrics give positive messages, promoting well-being, whiles others give negative messages, promoting violence, criminal behaviors, sexual contents, and disrespect towards others. With this being said, music reflects what the public demands, and in many cases the negative messages are often times what sells more than those music giving positive messages.

Music has a dynamic ability of influencing emotions, from mood regulation to rumination and self-expression. The presence of political and social messages in popular music is frequently seen across cultures, in particular focusing on social issues and racism (Back, 2000, 127). This paper attempted to explore the political and social messages in popular music, more specifically it investigated the relationship between Soul music and civil rights movements in the United States.

The lyrics of the song tell a story which was extremely similar to many women’s during the war. They describe a woman who learns that a loved one (presumably her husband) is missing in action in the Vietnam War after being shot down. Six weeks later she receives a letter stating that her loved one is dead. What follows is a description of receiving her loved one’s body and medals for his participation in the war along with the comments by many that she should be proud that he served in the war. The repetition of the lyrics “and they tell me that I

The feel-good essence of a lot of commercial pop music has the outcome of concealing the reality of structural where a people may not be treated as equals around the world (McKay, 2000, p.2). Therefore, commercial pop music has the triple socialising effect of having listeners forget the environment that they live in, having them believe there is validity in commercial power, and of muting people by mass-producing blaring, fused type of pop music while censoring others. This is concerning since the increasing variety of media controlled by the same corporations. An argument to this is that this feel-good aspect can help consumers feel, that they have escaped the conditions they live in. (McKay, 2000,

For instance, the song “Ohio” seems to lament the Kent State shootings at the surface level, but from a more analytic perspective, condemns Richard Nixon and the United States military for their irresponsible and unwarranted actions in the Vietnam war, which will be discussed more later in the paper. The mood and tone of the song, which captures the frustration that the youth of America felt regarding Nixon regarding the war in Vietnam when this song, parallels the mood and tone of Starr’s motown classic, “War.” Much like “Ohio,” “War” also delivers a clear and powerful mood and tone of frustration towards the powers that be regarding the war and its drastic effects on society. “War” differs from “Ohio” in the method that it uses to portray this mood, in that “Ohio” utilizes a somewhat typical chorus-verse style to deliver its message, while “War” relies on audience involvement through the use of a call-and-response technique. Throughout the song, Starr takes on the role of a feux-preacher, begging his audience to join with him as they sing, equating their beliefs that the war in Vietnam is worthless and detrimental to society. In spite of these similarities in mood and tone, the two songs could not be more different from a musical perspective, as “Ohio” uses

Charlotte Bunch once said “Sexual, racial, gender, violence, and other forms of discrimination and violence in a culture cannot be eliminated without changing culture.” Our society experiences all of these problems and I would like to focus on the gender perspective in the 21st century and how women have had more of an influence in music than people actually realize. Men have dominated the music industry and business but women have been the underlying reason as for why men and other females have been so successful in the music scene.

The only thing more powerful in mobilizing symbols, sentiments, and sensibilities than popular culture, is personal and shared experiences. What is so potent about pop culture however, is the ability of its participants to share their personal experiences to audiences than can both empathize and relate to the realities these artists present. This extended period of the civil rights and black power era can arguably be defined as the mobilization of the larger public by popular black figures whose individual charismas and drive inspired collective action. Some of these figures were exclusively political, many of which prominent intellects of race academia and/or known for their discourses that captivated thousands. And then there were figures that used their influence as musicians or writers who, with access beyond those with a conscious interest in politics, could incite people to think and reevaluate their lived realities through song and performance. Nina Simone is perhaps the most politically significant figure of the latter group, as she not only actively participated as a proponent of civil rights efforts, but became a pioneer in black power and feminist ideology.

“ You will fall and sprain your wrist. You're your glasses will fly off and be broken in two at the nose piece. You will cut your chin on a rock. Lie still for a moment in the trampled clover. Try not to cry.”

This appeal is the one that is most prevalent and is shown through Aristotle’s three criteria to stimulate emotions from the audience. This song does an amazing job of connecting with the audience on an emotional level and it also touches the audience in some way or other. After I thoroughly read the lyrics I realized that it makes you want to make a change and get involved. I know that after I hear this song I want to go out and do something better for this world and make it a better place. Every day on the news we hear and see the horrible things that are happening and we stop and say well what can you do about it? But once this song is heard it’s like you want to start the change and make a difference in some way. “Can you practice what you preach and would you turn the other cheek” this really struck me hard when I first sat down and took it in. Can you really just walk away from all the horrible things that are going on or can you make that difference that is talked about all the time? Aristotle mentions the 3 criteria’s which are understanding the state of mind of the audience, who can excite the emotions, and understanding the reasons why people become emotional. These 3 can be seen in the line “people killin, people dyin’, children hurt and you hear them crying.” This line is so captive and immensely strong just the thought of what is being said makes you think the

Looking back at when I was assigned to write this Rhetorical Analysis, I was excited. I was given the option of picking two articles or two songs to write about. Being a big lover of music, I took the opportunity to analyze and put into conversation two songs of my choosing. After contemplating over which songs I would be analyzing, I finally chose two and began to brainstorm. However, as I was brainstorming, I realized that one of the songs I chose, did not seem to be very fitting for the message I wanted to talk about. So, after a little more contemplating I chose a different one. The two songs that my Rhetorical Analysis introduce are “Roar” by Katy Perry and “Brave” by Sara Bareilles. I chose these songs because they do a fantastic job at sending out a strong message of self-empowerment. This is a topic that I feel strongly about.

Although it might seem like it, not all songs are about relationships and exploiting women. The band Sugarland has some of my all-time favorite songs. Sugarland’s songs are about making your own decisions, taking life as it comes, not letting others tell you what to do and to believe in yourself. In class we focused on sexually exploiting women in music videos and lyrics. I do not think that we talked enough about all of the feminist artists and the messages they are portraying.

Throughout its history, music has permeated the significant events of American history. Its effect on American society and the way the American people cope with each event has only grown as popular music evolves and new genres reach more and more individuals. People can remember where they were and their exact surroundings to amazing detail when asked about life-changing events in history. Older generations will remember the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Their children will remember when Kennedy was assassinated and when man walked on the moon. Their grandchildren will remember much of the turmoil of the ‘70s and ‘80s and their great grandchildren grew up in the world impacted by the events of September 11, 2001. Even one’s surroundings during the start or end of a relationship or personal events such as graduation, getting a driver’s license, or getting married can all be paired with the music that was popular at the time.

The ability to portray a narrative through a song helps visualize the meaning of a unique story. Depending on the message the song delineates, can either put a saccharine smile on one’s face or generate a cascade of tears. The impactfulness of a story, especially through a song, provides meaningful lyrics which may relate to a dramatic event in a person’s life. Since the days of Native Americans singing songs and telling oracles, the lyrics a song possesses forms special stories that helps a person with their individual struggles in life. Therefore, people often refer to songs to revitalize an unpleasant day. Notable artists usually achieve significant success when they produce impactful songs that many can relate to. Their awareness

Music allows an artist to give those whose voice may not be loud enough to be heard. Their music can cover any issue of poverty, discrimination, segregation, people of color, oppression, and etc. The lyrics are the key part to get any point across but also any footage that accompanies gives the viewer more of an insight into these issues. Many artist/bands like Bob Dylan, Fort Minor, Joyner Lucas, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and Michael Jackson address many issues the class talked about and the point of view of those who are viewed as minorities. The music these artists and bands produce gives the listener an idea of what exactly is happening in the world and what has happened. Each song individually covers the importance that we, as humans, must change the way we think and act and listen to the problems others have and even if it does not affect us.

The media, a powerful source of information but what are the affects? While the media is seen by many as a vital source of information offered through a variety of different outlets, the theoretical underlining affects of the media demonstrates how stories from within it can influence society. The imprtance of not only recongnizing but understanding the media’s affects remains a vital priority in all forms of information today in how it is received and interpretated by different audiences. The level of effect of the media however, has been disputed heavingly, as with different forms of media such as online have developed a different affect for the mass media consumer. When regarding the level of effect the media holds, the 2016 Presidential campaign presents a prominent case study that shows a limiting affect of the mass media that