Essay on "Popular Song Lyrics Poetry"

Essay 4 pages (1160 words) Sources: 2

[EXCERPT] . . . .

At the same time, the use of the word seems designed to invoke the idea of being a "loser." All of these associations cling to the word, and all seem to work towards the establishment of meaning in the lyrics -- since the next line moves on to describe a girl in the third person, it is entirely possible that all three of these associations with "lose" are intended. The girl is described in poetic language of pun and paradox: the pun occurs in "overbored," which -- to a listener -- is indistinguishable from its homonym "overboard." Either way, though, the effect is paradoxical: a girl who is in over her head is unlikely to seem self-assured, although a girl who finds the party tedious could seem socially superior. The paradox comes from not being able to tell, unless we read the lyrics, that "overbored" (a word which Cobain invented for the song) is what's specified. But a party where one observes a girl is a place where awkward sexual encounters (like loss of virginity) or gamesmanship (like the loss of some competition) or socially-defined ideas of uncoolness (as in whatever loss is attributed to teenage "losers") are all possible. The last line of the first verse, however, captures the sense of the knowing naivete of adolescence. It also crystallizes the lyrical method here: because it is a seeming non-sequitur, we realize that we are to understand the lyrics here as being a kind of collage of impressions, rather than a straightforward statement of anything. As such, the law of vagueness does not erase all meaning -- instead, the song becomes a series of impressions, adding up to some kind of teenage social gathering, in which ideas of sex and immaturity and self-esteem all churn together. If the listener finds this an accurate observation of what teenage social life is like is, then the listener will find the song to be poetically meaningful.

At this point, Cobain introduces the song's repeated chorus. Each time it begins with a repeated chant employing wordplay: "Hello, hello, hello, how low." The sense is of constant introduction to other people at a party, with an insinuation that the only thing anyone is thinking about is "how low" people are willing to go. This could be interpreted morally, or as a winking allusion to "going down" as a euphemism for oral sex, or both. But the collage method of constructing social impressions continues in the climactic part of the song's repeated chorus:

With the lights out, it's less dangerous

Here we are now, entertain us

I feel stupid, and contagious

Here we are now, entertain us

A mulatto, an albino,

A mosquito, my libido (Nirvana, 1991)

Again, the sense of menace that we get from the load of guns in the first line recurs in the sense that something "dangerous" might be happening at the party. But it is clear that we are now talking about a sexual, rather than a violent, situation because the lights are out. Nonetheless, anything sexual seems to be contradicted by the sense of a social group: "Here we are now, entertain us" gets repeated twice. This dispels any sense that, if a sexual encounter is indeed being described, there would be any intimacy or tenderness. Instead, this is teen sex dictated by peer pressure and conformity. Considering that Cobain was writing this song at the height of the AIDS crisis, and of grim warnings READ MORE

How to Reference "Popular Song Lyrics Poetry" Essay in a Bibliography

Related Essays:

Unknown Citizen by Wh Auden Term Paper

Poetry and the Unknown Citizen - by W.H. Auden

Introduction to Poetry: The late Stanley Kunitz received just about every prestigious award and appointment that a poet could achieve. He… read more

Term Paper 4 pages (1499 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Popular Music Essay

Davis, for one:

Miles Davis' artistic interest was in the creation and manipulation of ritual space, in which gestures could be endowed with symbolic power sufficient to form a functional… read more

Essay 7 pages (2706 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Music / Musicians / Instruments

---

Popular Culture Critique Thesis

Adorno/David Cook's Permanent

David Cook: Permanent

Songwriters: David Cook, Chantal Kreviazuk, Raine Maida

Neverwouldathot Music, Sony Music Publishing (Canada) Under International License by Zenith Music Inc.

Vocal Performance at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ1qnKKG5kI… read more

Thesis 6 pages (1740 words) Sources: 3 Topic: Music / Musicians / Instruments

---

Hip Hop Culture in Saudi Arabia Research Paper

Hip Hop Culture in Saudi Arabia

Culture and globalization

Culture which refers to the symbolic systems Williams 91()

through which human beings exist and coexist has been globalized by taking… read more

Research Paper 15 pages (4627 words) Sources: 10 Style: MLA Topic: Music / Musicians / Instruments

---

Data Collection and Analysis Essay

La Vie En Rose

There are a number of popular songs that seem to transcend generational lines, cultural barriers, and even gender performances. One very interesting offering is La Vie… read more

Essay 4 pages (1160 words) Sources: 4 Topic: Music / Musicians / Instruments

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>