Never Grow Up lyrics

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Fiction Story

Greg,

      Worst week of my life. I met this girl camping, I swear she’s insane. We hook up twice and she’s instantly in love with me. She won’t leave me alone! I was with two other girls too, one even had the same name as her, but she was the only one that got so attached. Thank God she lives a few states away. Next time you’re coming camping with me, you can take all the clingy girls.

                                                     

                                                                              Mike

Brianna,

      I met the most amazing guy! He’s tall, tan, muscular, and completely adorable. He lives kind of far away, but I don’t care. He’s so sweet; I would do anything to make him happy. I really like him; I can see myself with him for a long time. We need to have a sleepover soon to catch up! See you soon, love and miss you!

                                                                              Stephanie

Mike,

      Hi baby! I miss you so much. When do I get to see you again? When’s the next time you’re going camping? I love camping with you, it’s so much fun. Maybe next time you can introduce me to your parents. We can make this work sweetie, the distance can’t separate us. I hope I can see you soon! Write me back! Love you!

                                                                              Stephanie

Mike,

      I guess you’re busy, but I miss you! If you can make time to write to me I would really appreciate it. I asked my parents when we can go camping again, and they said soon! I’m so excited I really want to see you. If you find another girlfriend I understand, we’re far away, but I really want to make this work. I can’t stop thinking about you, you’re always on my mind. I need you in my life, Mike. I really hope I get to see you soon. I love you!

                                                                              Stephanie

Greg,

      She seriously won’t leave me alone. This girl is crazy. If she writes me one more letter asking when we can see each other, I’m going to rip my hair out. She doesn’t understand that I don’t like her. At all. We were never even dating in the first place. I completely used her. She found out about the other girls and she forgave me! I don’t know what I’m going to do I’m freaking out.

                                                                             

                                                                              Mike

Stephanie,

      Please leave me alone. I don’t want anything to do with you. Camping was a one time thing. It will never happen again. You need to grow up and move on. We were never dating, and we will never get back together. Like ever. I would appreciate it if you would stop sending me letters. You just make yourself seem desperate. We are miles and miles away from each other. It would never work between us.

                                                                              Mike

Dear Diary,

      I don’t know if Stephanie will ever leave me alone. I told her we can’t be together; it just wouldn’t work out. She really got on my nerves I don’t understand why she was so extremely clingy. We were only at the campground for a week, and we only hooked up two nights. It’s not a big deal, it happens all the time. I don’t know, maybe she’s like weirdly religious and doesn’t date much. Either way, I’m just glad I told her to stop bothering me. I can’t handle all of her crazy moods.

                                                                              Mike

"How Do You Sleep?" and "Stuck In The Moment" Analysis

Jesse McCartney and Justin Bieber are both very talented musicians. Although McCartney’s peak of popularity was during the previous decade, he has been very successful and captured the hearts of millions. Bieber has been more recently popular within the last few years, but has equally had major success. McCartney and Bieber appeal to similar audiences with common themes, despite their differences in expression.

McCartney’s song “How Do You Sleep?” depicts the aftermath of a breakup. The speaker is addressing his former girlfriend and telling her about how awful it has been without her in his life. Though he has attempted to go on with his life, he has “yet to find a girl like you”, referring to his previous girlfriend. He speaks of his regret in losing their relationship and tells her, “Now wishin’ I had more time with you”, expressing the extent of his sorrow. Similarly, Bieber’s song “Stuck In The Moment” refers to a stalemate in a relationship. The speaker is in a forbidden relationship, and cannot bear to hurt his love. As he addresses her, he explains, “You and I, both know it can’t work/ It’s all fun and games ‘til someone gets hurt/ And I don’t, I won’t let that be you”. Because of this, he wishes the two “had another time” and “another place” in which they could be together. Both McCartney and Bieber portray broken relationships with an inevitably sorrowful ending.

                Both artists are utilizing second person point of view, where they are speaking to their loved one, yet the way in which they convey their feelings differs. McCartney is conveying his still evident feelings for his loved one even when their relationship has ended. He is speaking to her, asking “How do you stay awake knowing all I do is think of you?”, because his life has been miserable without her and he needs her back in his life. Bieber is revealing his feelings to his loved one through the song, utilizing allusions like “Now Romeo and Juliet/ Bet they never felt the way we felt/ Bonnie and Clyde never had to hide like we do”. While expressing his feelings, he also reveals his views on the potential relationship. He explains to her, “But everything we have is stuck in the moment/ And there’s nothing my heart can do”. Although he has a great amount of feelings for her, he can’t put her through any pain. While McCartney and Bieber express their feelings differently in their respective songs, each maintains a consistent point of view and common theme of difficult relationships.

                By utilizing second person point of view and common themes of love and loss, Jesse McCartney and Justin Bieber convey their feelings to loved ones. McCartney portrays the misery he feels because of his dying relationship. He reaches out to his loved one and attempts to appeal to her by recalling all of the joyful memories they had together. Bieber expresses the extent of his love, although he can’t be with his loved one. He defends his decisions based on his fear of losing her or having her suffer from their relationship. Both Jesse McCartney and Justin Bieber have overwhelming feelings which they convey within their songs directed toward loved ones.

"Breathe" Tone Analysis

Depicting the difficulty of a break up in “Breathe”, Taylor Swift utilizes fleeting passion, common analogies, and depressing hyperbole to convey an intimately solemn tone, revealing the struggle of letting one’s love go.

Illustrating a challenging break up in “Breathe” results in a consistent passion within the song. The speaker’s obvious infatuation with their previous partner reveals an underlying depressing tone. The couple was clearly very close, which enhances the difficulty in leaving each other “after all this time”. Swift uses this terminating passion to expose the fact that break ups are “never simple, never easy”. The speaker’s attachment to their partner makes it very difficult to break away from their old habits of being with them.

Alluding to analogies throughout the song build a sense of commonality by creating familiarities within the song that the audience with also relate to. Swift utilizes an analogy to describe the partner’s relevance in the speaker’s life, saying “you’re the only think I know like the back of my hand”, revealing the heavy importance the partner has in the speaker’s life. Further on, Swift mentions, “it’s two a.m., feelin’ like I just lost a friend”, uncovering the speaker’s deep sadness because of the situation. The analogies consistently within the song add to the speaker’s solemn tone due to the nature of the break up.

By over emphasizing certain aspects of the nature of the couple’s relationship, Swift enhances the intimate feeling of the song. The couple clearly had a very intimate relationship, relying on one another to achieve happiness. When the speaker says, “never wanted this, never want to see you hurt, every little bump in the road I tried to swerve”, it gives the listener a sense of overwhelming affection that only a highly committed couple can achieve. This creates an intimacy beyond most relationships in that even while the couple is in the process of breaking up, the two are so closely bonded that they couldn’t possibly survive without each other; “I can’t breathe without you, but I have to”.

Taylor Swift’s development of such a personal relationship reveals an intimately solemn tone which conveys the struggles of leaving behind unforgettable memories and unequivocal passion in the form of a dying relationship. 

"Breathe" by Taylor Swift lyrics

I see your face in my mind as I drive away

'Cause none of us thought it was gonna end that way

People are people and sometimes we change our minds

But it's killing me to see you go after all this time

Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm

Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm

Music starts playin' like the end of a sad movie

It's the kinda ending you don't really wanna see

'Cause it's tragedy and it'll only bring you down

Now I don't know what to be without you around

And we know it's never simple, never easy

Never a clean break, no one here to save me

You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand

And I can't breathe

Without you, but I have to

Breathe

Without you, but I have to

Never wanted this, never want to see you hurt

Every little bump in the road I tried to swerve

People are people and sometimes it doesn't work out

Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fall out

And we know it's never simple, never easy

Never a clean break, no one here to save me

You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand

And I can't breathe

Without you, but I have to

Breathe

Without you, but I have to

It's two a.m., feelin' like I just lost a friend

Hope you know it's not easy, easy for me

It's two a.m., feelin' like I just lost a friend

Hope you know this ain't easy, easy for me

And we know it's never simple, never easy

Never a clean break, no one here to save me, oh

I can't breathe

Without you, but I have to

Breathe

Without you, but I have to

Breathe

Without you, but I have to

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry

"Tell Her" Analysis

            Alternating between different points of view in “Tell Her”, Jesse McCartney utilizes subtle characterization, devoted hyperbole, and affectionate tone to convey the idea that love cannot be broken by distance.

McCartney’s use of characterization reveals underlying elements of the speaker and his love interest. The characterization enhances the background of the two people in love, adding to the anticipation of their reunion. Confidently, McCartney reveals, “I know she knows, but won’t you please, if you see my girl just tell her I miss her smile”. The love between the two is obviously very strong, but he still wants to reinforce his devotion to her.

By using hyperbole, McCartney develops the love story of the man and woman separated by distance. The exaggeration of the longing for his loved one increases the bond between the two. As he waits for the day when he can again be with her; he’s “counting the minutes, gonna see her in a little while”. He repeatedly uses hyperbole to convey his “indescribable” love for his love interest.

 The tone of the song is affectionate, directed towards the speaker’s love for the woman in his life. He continually expresses praise for his loved one and refuses to let anything to get in the way of their love. McCartney expands on his feelings, saying “she’s the one thing that I could never live without”. He utilizes this loving tone to reinforce their unwavering love for each other.

While creating visual and auditory diversity with his interchanging points of view, Jesse McCartney conveys the durability of love in “Tell Her” through subtle characterization, devoted hyperbole, and affectionate tone continuously throughout the song. 

"Tell Her" by Jesse McCartney lyrics

I know how it feels

To wake up without her

Lying here all alone

Just thinking about her

I can't believe

Her hold on me

It's something indescribable

I know she knows

But won't you please

[Chorus:]

If you see my girl

Just tell her I miss her smile

Tell her I'm counting the minutes

Gonna see her in a little while

I know when she

Holds on to me

She's the one thing that I could never live without

Oh, oh, oh, oh

And tell her I love her

Oh yeah, just tell her I love her

The way that she moves

You know what it does to me

And when I catch her eye

I can hardly breathe

Still can't believe

Her hold on me

She's just so indescribable

I know she knows

But won't you please, please

[Chorus]

Every time that I'm around her

I just go to pieces crashing tumbling to the ground

I'm so glad I found her

I know how it feels

[Chorus]

Oh yeah, just tell her I love her

"Little Green" Analysis

Shifting point of view throughout “Little Green”, Joni Mitchell utilizes naturalistic imagery, revealing characterization, and earthy personification to reveal the underlying idea that life can be filled with joyful moments, but “sometimes there’ll be sorrow”.

Incorporating vivid descriptions within the song creates a clear naturalistic image. Mitchell begins with strong imagery in “Born with the moon in Cancer” which is meant to describe the astronomical time when a baby was born, but also contains prominent nature based imagery. Comforting imagery is also found toward the end of the song referencing thoughts of childhood and happiness like in the line “there’ll be icicles and birthday clothes”, which are typically joyful memories from one’s childhood.

Characterization of the child’s father in the song is important to the development of the universal idea that “sometimes there’ll be sorrow”. “He went to California, Hearing everything’s warmer there” and left his child before she was even born. The mother of the child had no way of taking care of her daughter and gives her up for adoption. The progression of this characterization of the father helps support the story within the song.

Personifying earthy elements consistently throughout “Little Green” enhances the feeling of the naturalistic imagery. Both devices play off one another to create an intense connection to nature in the song, which also ties into the birth of the child, “born with the moon in Cancer”. The personification of seasons and the Northern Lights also strengthen the nature feel in the song. By utilizing many instances of nature being personified, the focus of the song is put on the connection between the beauty of nature and the beauty of the child.

Joni Mitchell’s use of naturalistic imagery, earthy personification, and revealing characterization reveal the idea that throughout one’s life, there will be enjoyable moments and there will be unpleasant moments. “Little Green” tells the story of a mother who has no choice but to give her daughter up for adoption, and the song is meant to convey to the child that although she will encounter many difficult things in life, she is blessed and her life can be very successful.

Popular Music as a Reflection of Culture

Shifting from the theme of relationships in the songs “One More Night” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” to the theme of longing for an identity in the song “Some Nights”, the top three songs in the country all utilize upbeat music, similar uses of onomatopoeia, and common shifts within the music to appeal to our modern American culture.

            The three most popular songs in the country at the moment all contain an upbeat music style. The musical aspect of the songs is important because it is the first things you most often hear when the song begins. Having a cheerful melody selection makes the song appealing to many audiences, which attracts a large profit. With the help of an appealing tune, a song can become very popular and successful in American culture.

            Incorporating the use of onomatopoeia in a song can also add to its attractiveness to large audiences. All three songs utilize, in one way or another, the sound “oooh”, which is also appealing to listen to. It is a simple element of the songs that links them together even though they are generally different.

            Tempo changes in the music of a song affect the mood of the song. The top three songs of the American culture all develop changes in the music. This allows the audience to easily identify a shift in the song as well as create a distinction between lines or verses of the song. The songs utilize the change in music to draw attention to the shift and add depth to the song.

            American culture is largely based on our popular music. The top three songs right now are “One More Night”, by Maroon 5; “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, by Taylor Swift; and “Some Nights”, by Fun. Although these songs are not all similar in terms of theme and mood, they all utilize comparable devices to attract listeners. Their use of similar tempo shifts, language, and melody are contributing factors to their great success in the music media industry.

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Theme-Genre Declaration

I chose the theme of love in the genres country and popular music. The main reason I chose this is because of my bestfriend, Brianna DelSanto. Almost any music I listen to is because of her. She is a huge influence on my music decisions because we will often listen to music together. She will play random songs that I've never heard of and I end up loving them. For example, I used to hate listening to country music, but once she played country music for me I learned to love it. So most of my favorite songs I share in common with her, which gives us something to bond over. I chose the theme of love because I find love songs not only enjoyable but they're inspiring to me. I love listening to cute love stories, and love songs are even better.