- I chose the presentation: Music and Addiction. As addiction is the topic at hand, the lyrics and the social context have the most meaning, although I saw that for both the songs chosen the musical characteristics of the two had been shown to follow the lyrics. For instance, for the song, “Sober” by Demi Lovato, the person chose to write about the crescendo/decrescendo of the melody, which correlated with the occurring lyrics which could symbolize addiction’s path in her life. Lovato struggled with her addiction, and with fame came paparazzi, whom documented/described her check ins to rehab centers, and how she withdrew from the public eye to handle the situation. For the song “Master of Puppets” by Metallica, it also references how addicts’ lives are similar to how the song’s tempo moves relative to the chaotic emotions that encompass how addicts’ feel during the course of their highs and lows. I understood where the presenter was coming from, and agreed with them on their stance regarding the phases of addiction(as well as recovery/rehabilitation that come after) that show up in various parts of the songs. The presenter chose two songs that were able to showcase the difficulties of what addicts go through on a daily basis, and its additional aspects of how the song’s musical elements helped along that understanding for the listeners.
- Had I chosen the topic : Addiction, I would have used the two songs: Painkiller by Three Days Grace, and Linkin Park’s: Breaking the Habit. My song choice is similar to the original presenter, as they too chose a rock song, however both my songs are in the genre, as compared to their one(from the two shown in the presentation). They’re both in the same genre which is rock, but Three Days Grace song is hard rock. “Painkiller” directly references it, with lyrics like, “You know you need a fix”, “the dose that you die on”, and the obvious, “painkiller”. The lyrics show the inherent desperation addicts feel when they miss a dose of their favorite high, and even if they die because of their addiction, they can’t stop themselves from reaching for the drugs that make their pain go away for a while. It’s exactly why they’re addicted, it’s because they stop feeling or opposite, feel more, by letting out their emotions. As with the lyrics, the singers of the group are able to fit those emotions into the song, the raw pain coming out from the way they’re able to not quite scream, and manage to keep it all together. For Linkin Park it’s alternative rock/alternative metal. Slight differences, but it’s clearly shown between the two as Linkin Park’s song doesn’t have the harsh grating of multiple voices rising in pitch, in tandem with the chords. Chester’s voice is at a steady, stable pitch, consonant rather than dissonant with the guitar and drums in the background. Although, he does raise his voice towards the end of the chorus, which signals the letting go of the habit that’s ruining the narrator’s life, even if there is the off chance that the person will come back to it, thus is an addiction over the course of life, it’s simply unpredictable, but it can be managed, and stored away where it can do no more harm than one would want. There is also the personal struggle that went unseen in this song at the time, the main singer, Chester Bennington had an addiction with drugs and alcohol, that went on for some years, until his suicide three years ago. It also relates with my topic: Life Transitions, which everyone goes through, even more so for addicts, whose lives may be upended by their inner turmoil. Although, if they do turn their lives around for the better, it also relates, because that’s a huge life decision they must make, in order to get clean and stay that way.
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I like how you explained in detail the analysis of the lyrics in the song “Painkiller” and how the topic of addiction is shown from that. I also think that you did well in being able to relate the main singer and his personal experiences with drugs with the different musical characteristics.
I found it interesting how you connected songs to emotions! I definitely agree that singers put the emotions they feel into a song, and it is their way of the raw pain coming out. Sometimes we want to keep how we are feeling inside from close loved ones because we think they wont understand or they wont give us the answer we are looking for. Songs help us express that stress out.