"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.