Worst Song I've Ever Heard!

"Bawitdaba" by Kid Rock



I feel that the worst song I have ever heard in my entire music collection is “Bawitdaba” by Kid Rock. First, it is painfully loud and Kid Rock screams throughout the entire thing. The beat is okay, but the words are bad. He is unnecessarily explicit, and very repetitive. Also, what does “bawitdaba” even mean? It is overall such a poorly crafted song.
As if the bad words aren’t bad enough, he screams them so loud you can barely understand what he is saying in the first place. He would lose a lot of points for poor enunciation and also for unnecessary repetition. There is next to no poetic devices in this song. Not even much imagery and you can find that in almost every song. The main reason I hate this song so much is because of his scary voice. The way he screams is like somebody is dying. To me, that is not enjoyable to listen to. It doesn’t pump me up in any way, and it doesn’t make me feel happy at all. If I knew more of what he was even saying, I would probably hate it even more. He also talks about women in a degrading way, as if all of them are hookers. This is definitely one of the worst songs I have ever heard, and Kid Rock is better than that.

My Song

Senioritis by Samantha Walsh

I've got a bad, bad cold

But there's no sneezing and no coughing

My life is on hold

When will this start stopping?

Chorus:

Senioritis is hitting me hard

teachers, papers, I'm all set with that

Senioritis is pulling me down

I need to get out of this school

Out of this town

I go home after school

Just wanna relax, stay cool

But no, there's work to do

It's got me feeling o, so blue

help...

(Chorus)

They tell me its the last stretch

You better do your best

I say " dont care"

I think im just like the rest

Just like the rest

I've put so much work into high school

Why give it all up now?

Maybe it's time for me to realize this

All I ask is "how?"

Its a bad, bad cold

My life-its on hold

help

(Chorus)

Its a bad, bad cold

All I ask is

How?

Social Relevance

Waiting On The World To Change by John Mayer

This song has social relevance because it talks about the problems in the world. This song addresses the problems such as the media and the government. In the opening stanzas, the narrator says "now we see everything thats been going wrong with the world and those who lead it and we feel like we don't have the means to rise above and beat it." This addresses the government because they are the leaders of our world. It seems that the people who would be singing this song are teenagers who feel that they do not have a purpose in life, and nobody is listening to them, so they feel helpless. The narrator also addresses the issue of war when he says “now if we had the power to bring our neighbors home from war, they would’ve never missed a christmas, no more ribbons on the door.” This addresses war and how the community strives to do something in order to get those troops home safe for the holidays and to be with their families. The next stanza says “if you trust your television, what you get is what you got.” This is referring to if you trust the media and what they say about different issues, that is all you will believe and that could be frustrating for yourself.

Drive On by Johnny Cash

This song, "Drive On" by Johnny Cash addresses Vietnam. The narrator opens the song with the powerful words, "I got a friend named Whiskey Sam he was my boonierat buddy for a year in Nam, he said is my country just a little off track, took ‘em twenty-five years to welcome me back but, its better than not coming back at all.” This illustrates the powerful struggle that soldiers in Vietnam had to face and the hardships they had to pass through in order to get over their fears. This person explains that it took them twenty five years to fully be himself again. The next few lines read “many a good man I saw fall And even now, every time i dream i hear the men and the monkeys int he jungle scream.” This explains the struggle that he has to deal with the fact that men were killed in front of him yet he is still alive today. He still gets haunting dreams of hearing the men screaming for help and the “monkeys” screaming in the jungle. The word “monkeys” can be interpreted in many ways but I believe that it is talking about the other people from Vietnam. The monkeys are the foreigners to them.

American Woman by The Guess Who

The song “American Women” is very conflicting. It was written by the Canadian band, The Guess Who, around the time of the Vietnam War. It is said that it was inspired by a problem the band encountered while crossing the Canada/US border involving the Vietnam War draft. Thus, this would give listeners the impression that this band is bitter towards American Women. There are also rumors that this song is commentary on America imperialistic attitudes at the time of the Vietnam war. Whomever is listening to the song can interpreted in their own way, but I believe it is about the bad attitudes that were being seen during the Vietnam War. Nonetheless, it has social relevance to the Vietnam War if not just American women in general. The Guess Who made it more socially relevant because of the fact that they are Canadian and they are singing about American people, and also that it was released at the time of the Vietnam War. This song, evidently, could not be played at The Guess Who’s concert at the White House which they were going to sing for president Richard Nixon. This is another reason that it is socially relevant because if it were not about something significant why would it matter if they sang it or not?

The World in Six Songs part 2

Friendship

We're Going to Be Friends by Jack Johnson

The song "We're Going to Be Friends" by Jack Johnson is about the narrator and a school friend. He talks about them walking to school and what they will be doing together each day. They seem to really enjoy each other's company and while they are together they have a lot of fun. This is a huge aspect of friendship. To be together and love every moment of it, and most importantly to be looking forward to the next time they will be playing with each other.

Dig by Incubus

The song "Dig" by Incubus highlights the true meaning of friendship, that is, to be there for somebody when they need it most. The narrator says "if i turn into another dig me up from under what is covering the better part of me." This speaks of a true friendship because in a true friendship a person will help their friend be the best person they can be. If they ask for something, their friend should make a promise to do it. The true piece of friendship in this song is when the narrator says "each other....when everything else is gone." Friends should stay together even if the world were to turn against them. As long as they have each other, they can be alright.

Joy

Your Body is A Wonderland by John Mayer

This song is very joyful because it is about a man and how he is happy with the person he is with. He seems extremely happy because it is only them two together, and he wants to discover this woman even more than he already has. He also explains how the hair that falls on her face makes him extremely happy. Overall, this is a very happy, upbeat song and a great mood lifter.

Summer Romance by Incubus

This song is joyful because the narrator has finally "found the way for" him and his partner to "finally be free." He seems to be very excited about this realization because he explains that "when we get there, we're gonna go far away. Making sure to laugh; while we experience anti-gravity." He obviously wants to get away with this person, and it is a very happy moment because he has finally figured out how he can do so.

Comfort

Comfortable by John Mayer

This song is about a man being in love with a girl, but then them two end up not being together. He then finds another woman but remembers how comfortable he was with his first love. He says that their love was so "comfortable and so broken in." He longs for this comfort again with this other woman because that is what he knows. Usually when somebody is comfortable with something, they stay with that because they feel "at home" in a sense.

Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews Band

The song "Crash Into Me" is about comfort because the narrator is clearly talking about how he loves being very close physically and emotionally with this girl. He says "touch your lips just so I know" and this can be interpreted as him being in love with this person, and that when he touches their lips he knows. He feels comfortable being close with this person because this is the person that he loves and nobody else can compare to them.

The World in Six Songs

Friendship

"We're Going To Be Friends" by Jack Johnson. This song is about two people becoming friends at a school yard. They seem to be young children becuase they are playing a lot. The narrator explains that they are having a ton of fun and it seems that he values their friendship greatly. He even thinks bout this friend when he goes to bed at night, and he is hoping for fun all over again the next day.

Religion

"Belief" by John Mayer. This song is about believing in what you want to believe in, pertaining to religion. John Mayer is singing about accepting every religion for what it stands for. That everybody should believe in whatever theyd like to believe, no matter what religion they are apart of. He says "we're never gonna win the world," which means that not everybody will have the same beliefs at the same time, so instead of trying to win the world over with one religion, everybody needs to accept that and live the way they want to live but also let others do the same as well.

Joy

"Your Body is A Wonderland" by John Mayer. This song is very joyful because it is about a man and how he is happy with the person he is with. He seems extremely happy because it is only them two together, and he wants to discover this woman even more than he already has. He also explains how the hair that falls on her face makes him extremely happy. Overall, this is a very happy, upbeat song and a great mood lifter.

Comfort

"Comfortable" by John Mayer. This song is about a man being in love with a girl, but then them two end up not being together. He then finds another woman but remembers how comfortable he was with his first love. He says that their love was so "comfortable and so broken in." He longs for this comfort again with this other woman becuase that is what he knows. Usually when somebody is comfortable with something, they stay with that because they feel "at home" in a sense.


Knowledge

"Drive" by Incubus portrays knowledge becuase it is about a person learning from their experiences. He talks about him coming to the realization that he should be "behind the wheel." The wheel symobilizes his life, and he believes that he should be the one running his life and nobody else. He explains that "whatever tomorrow brings i'll be there, with open arms and open eyes, yeah." This song portrays a great lesson for its listeners, instructing them to run their own lives and do not let anybody behind the wheel besides themselves.

Love

"Hey, Soul Sister" by Train. This song is about a man and his obsession with a woman. He is clearly in love with her as he says "the smell of you in every single dream I dream," and "youre the one i have decided is one of my kind." He is deeply in love with her and does not want to miss anything that this woman does. It is a happy love song and makes the mood of the listener very happy for these two people.

Euphemism and Pun

Pardon Me by Incubus



Euphemism


The song "Pardon Me" by Incubus is about a man longing for peace throughout the earth, and the understanding the people around him. He believes that everyone plays mindless games. This is a Euphemism becuase he says "pardon me" before he says "as I burst into flames." He says such a harsh thing nicely by adding pardon me in front of it because he is pardoning himself before he says those violent words.



Oil and Water by Incubus



The song "Oil and Water" by Incubus is an euphemism becuase the narrator is explaining that these two people just do not mix, and he puts it in a polite way. Instead of using more vulgar language or relating their relationship to something more harsh, he uses oil and water as a metaphor. He also says that there is "no parasol that could shelter this weather." He refers to their bad relationship as weather instead of saying that it is just bad in itself. I believe that this entire song is a euphemism becuase the narrator compares his relationship with someone else to oil and water and along the way uses other metaphors, but he does not bash this other person in any way.


Pun

11 am by Incubus



The song 11am is about a man that misses his partner and wants them back, and he is longing for forgiveness from this person. When he says "the garbage truck beeps as it backs up, and I start my day thinking about what i've thrown away" he uses a pun. The pun is that the garbage truck is picking up the weeks trash, and he is thinking about what he has thrown away. He is not thinking about what trash he has thrown away, but what he has given up in his life such as this girl. This is a pun becuase trash is thrown into the garbage, and the truck is there to pick it up.


Dig by Incubus


The song "Dig" by Incubus is about somebody longing for the love of somebody else. They want the reassurance that this person will remind them if they are not being themself, and also that they will be there for them when everything else is gone. The narrator uses a pun when he says "we all have something that digs at us, at least we dig eachother." The first dig is talking about something that is bothering those people, the second dig is about liking eachother. Another pun used in the song is "dig me up from underwhat is covering the better part of me" this can be seen as digging something out of the dirt, becuase the dirt is covering that certain something. What the narrator is really saying is to get him out of the way he has been acting if it is covering the better part of him.

Allegory, Allusion, Ambiguity

Allegory-

Believe by The Bravery


This song, "Believe" by The Bravery is an all around allegory. It has symbolic meaning aside from what the song plainly sounds like. The narrator says "Waiting for our ship to come but our ships not coming back." When he says this, it is evident that these people are not, in reality, waiting for their ship to come, they are waiting for their realization of what is going on around them as the rest of the song illuminates. Another line reads "Something's always coming you can hear it in the ground, It swells into the air with the rising, rising sound and never comes but shakes the boards and rattles all the doors." The point of this line is not to make the listener believe that there is some type of monster living in the boards of a home, but to symbolize that there is something in the back of these peoples minds telling them they need to start doing something important with their lives, and they are longing for this realization.

Allusion-

St. Patricks Day by John Mayer



This entire song is alluding different holidays and months of the year. The narrator is longing for St. Patricks Day because of the specific reasons that he does not like the other months. He alludes to November, December and the holiday of Christmas, January, February and it's holiday of Valentines day and finally he mentions St. Patrick's Day. He longs for St. Patricks day so he can forget about January being frozen, and being alone at Christmas time, because he clearly is missing somebody and maybe he will see them around St. Patrck's day.


Ambiguity-

A Kiss To Send Us Off by Incubus


"A Kiss To Send Us Off" by Incubus is about somebody longing for one last kiss from, evidently, somebody they care about. The song is ultimately ambiguous because there are a few things that the narrator might know that the audience is confused about such as why should they meet on November 11th. Also, why do they need to kiss "before the sky falls out this cloud" they are hovering on? It is very ambiguous because it can leave the listener with many questions as to why the narrator is so specific about where they need to meet and what will happen if they do not kiss.

Metaphor

I Want You by Third Eye Blind

Metaphor

A metaphor is a poetic device comparing two things that have something in common without using the words "like" or "as." The song "I Want You" by Third Eye Blind has comparisons such as "my urge is genuine." This compares his urge to being genuine. Also "the rhythm is so feminine," he is comparing his rhythm to being feminine. He also says "deeper than bones" which is comparing how low his soul goes with how deep bones are, but without using the simile words.


More Than A Memory by Hoobastank



Metaphor

This song, "More Than A Memory" by Hoobastank holds a metaphor in its chorus, which is throughout the entire song. The title of the song and the main part of the chorus is "you're so much more than a memory" which is comparing this person as more than a memory without using the words "like" or "as." There is another part of the song that holds metaphor. This is "it seems crystal clear to me." This is comparing something, or "it" to another thing that is crystal clear.

Simile

Love Song by 311


Simile

The song "Love Song" by 311 is a great song for this literary device. In each verse the narrator compares how this person they are longing for makes them feel. Such as "you make me feel like I am home again," "you make me feel like I am whole again," "you make me feel like I am fun again," "you make me feel like I am free again," and "you make me feel like I am clean again." Because a simile is a comparison using the words "like" or "as," this song fits perfectly into those guidelines.


Better Together by Jack Johnson



The song "Better Together" by Jack Johnson is all about comparing what life is with and without this girl, and that in the end it is better when they are together. He uses simile when he says "like, a shoebox of photographs" when comparing his dreams and how they are made out of real things like a shoebox of photographs. Also, he says "love is the answer, at least for most of the questions in my heart like, why are we here, where do we go, and how come its so hard." He is comparing love and the questions in his heart.

Irony and Paradox

11am by Incubus


Irony


The song 11am by Incubus has a significant line that exemplifies the peotic device of Irony. The phrase "you're always first when no one's on your side" is ironic because when you come in first there is nobody there to bask in your glory with you. Usually when somebody comes in first in some sort of race, they have somebody at the finish line to congratulate them for their win. In this case, it is ironic that when this person comes in first, nobody is there to cheer him on.

Here Without You by 3 Doors Down


This line from the 3 Doors Down song, "leave their way to say hello" is ironic because people do not usually leave to say hello. Usually people go places to say hello, they do not leave places to do so. The irony used in this phrase is situational irony because it is an unexpected outcome. The unexpected outcome is saying hello after leaving somewhere.


You and Me by Dave Matthews

Paradox

This phrase "and you know we could do better than anything that we did" is a paradox because it is contradictory towards the people it is about, but it makes sense at the same time. Usually people would like to do their best the first time they do something. This phrase is suggesting that these people should do better than anything that they did, which is also hard to do because they have already done these things, and time cannot be turned back in order for them to do things better a second time around.

Personification

Amber by 311



Personification

The song "Amber" by 311 has a couple examples of personification. First, the narrator says "amber is the color of your energy" this statement personifies energy because energy cannot physically be a color. It makes energy seem like it is a live which is not the case in most situations. Another example of personification in this song is "head blind to fear." This personifies a head as being blind. In reality, a head is not blind but the eyes on the head are. It makes the head seem human-like itself without the other aspects of a persons body. Really, the head is nothing without the body and other organs, so it cannot be blind on its own.


For You by Barenaked Ladies


Personification

The song "For You" as a couple examples of personification. First, when the narrator says "enigma wrapped in a mystery" personification is present. The word "mystery" is personified because it cannot really wrap itself around something. It is a word, not a living being. Another example of personification in this song is "fool consumed by fear." Fear cannot physically consume anything, especially a fool. This phrase makes fear seem like a person consuming or eating a fool, or taking over their life.

Point of View

First-person: I Shot The Sheriff by Bob Marley

In Bob Marley's I Shot The Sheriff he explains his experience with the law by using the words "I" and "Me." For the entire song he is telling his story from his point of view, making it first-person. Examples are "I shot the sheriff" and "but I didn't shoot the deputy."

Second-person: You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift

In this song, Taylor Swift explains that a boy belongs with her by using "You," "he," and "she". She is telling the story but talking to a boy and a girl by using those personal pronouns. Examples are "He's on the phone with his girlfriend she's upset" "she's going off about something that you said, she doesn't get your humor like I do."

Third-person Subjective: She Likes Me for Me by Blessid Union of Souls

The narrarator talks about his feelings as well as his girl's feelings throughout the entire song. He conveys these feelings the entire time by saying words like "she likes me for me."

Stream of Consciousness: comfortable Numb by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd sings this song out of nowhere. It is described as Stream of Consciousness becuase of this. Throughout the song, the narrarator is explaining very random events, and the song does not have an even, organized flow to it. Examples are "can you show me where it hurts?" and "a distant ship's smoke on the horizon."

Hyperbole

Hyperbole

Drops Of Jupiter by Train


Monahan, Patrick. Lyrics. “Drops of Jupter” Drops of Jupiter. Clumbia. 2001. http://www.elyrics.net/read/t/train-lyrics/drops-of-jupiter-lyrics.html. Web. 9 February 2010.

Alliteration

Assonance
Consonance

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing by Jack Johnson




Johnson, Jack. Lyrics. “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” In Between Dreams. Brushfire. 2005. http://artists.letssingit.com/jack-johnson-lyrics-sitting-waiting-wishing-l297xdv. Web. 8 February 2010.


I Wish You Were Here by Incubus



Brandon, Boyd. Lyrics. “I Wish You Were Here” Morning View. Epic. 2001. http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Wish-you-were-here-lyrics-Incubus/723112D10329A3D148256AB5000A629A.. Web. 8 February 2010.


Seperate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey



Perry, Steve. Lyrics. “Seperate Ways (Worlds Apart)” Frontiers. Columbia. 1983. http://www.lyrics007.com/Journey%20Lyrics/Separate%20Ways%20(Worlds%20Apart)%20Lyrics.html. Web. 8 February 2010.

Imagery

I Miss You by Incubus

Imagery

The song I Miss You by Incubus exemplifies proper use of imagery in a number of its lines. Although it is a short song, the listener can easily understand what they should be imagining while hearing this rock song. The song starts with imagery when it reads "to see you when I wake up is a gift." The listener can imagine the narrarator waking up and seeing the person they are missing, and being happy about it. "I see your picture, I smell your skin on the empty pillow next to mine" is an exeptional example of imagery in these lyrics. The listener can easily picture this person looking at a picture and laying next to an empty pillow. The listener can also picture a person "wasting away" at that part in the song. In the second to last line, the listener can be left with the image of these two people seeing eachother "again whether far or soon" and with the knowledge that the narrarator is longing for a specific person.

I Miss You by Blink 182

The song I Miss You by Blink 182 is filled with imagery throughout. The listener is first presented with imagery in the second line when they hear "angel from my nightmare" and then again in the third and fourth lines "shadow in the background of the morgue" and "unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley." All three of these ines exemplify proper imagery. The listener will picture an angel in the narrarator's nightmare, a shadow in the background of a morgue, and a victim in a dark valley. As the song moves on the singer says "I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight" which forces the listener to imagine somebody tossing and turning in bed, or wide awake in the middle of the night. Imagery is again expemplified when the narrarator sings "this sick strange darkness comes creeping on so haunting every time," I counted the webs from all the spiders," and "catching things and eating their insides." The listener will picture a scary type of darkness creeping in on someone, spider webs and among them spiders catching things and eating their insides. The last bit of imagery is at the song's end when the nararator sings "stop this pain tonight." The listener can picture somebody trying to help another person due to their immense pain.

Boyd, Brandon. Lyrics. "I Miss You." Make Yourself. CD. Epic.2001.http://www.lyrics007.com/Incubus%20Lyrics/I%20Miss%20You%20Lyrics.html . Web. 3 February 2010.

Barker, Travis. Lyrics. "I Miss You." Blink 182. CD. Geffen. 2003. http://www.lyrics007.com/Blink182%20Lyrics/I%20Miss%20You%20Lyrics.html. Web. 3 February 2010.

Theme/Genre for Poetry of Song Assignment

The first theme that came to mind when I first heard of this assignment was "longing for someone." The genre I am going to use for this theme is alternative rock. From what I hear when listening to this type of music, I seem to notice that a lot of these songs are about missing somebody. They have a lot of meaning and and value in what they are singing about, and I can usually relate to it. Some of my favorite bands belong in the alternative genre, and I am excited to find more bands and songs that relate to my theme! Adios