Ghosting by Mother Mother (Fear)

 

In this song, Ghosting by Mother Mother, the singer uses metaphors, symbolism, ambiguity and allegories to portray the fear of being forgotten or ignored.

The song begins with the singer introducing the audience into what he has been doing, which is "Ghosting" Though this is not a literal term, in fact it is allegory and means that he has been haunting others, perhaps trying to grab attention. Ghosts are generally invisible, so perhaps he feels that even though he has been,"ghosting" causing a disturbance ("Ghost in your house, ghost in your arms. When you're tossing, when you turn in your sleep, it's because I'm ghosting your dreams"), he has felt unnoticed.

The singer comes to realize that his tactics of "ghosting"-meaning haunting to catch ones attention- to be useless. The singer decides to come clean of his foolish acts, "And this is why I have decided, to pull these old white sheets from my head." Notice how the singer mentions that the sheets are old, meaning that he has used this tactic of "ghosting" for some time now. He continues, "I'll leave them folded neat and tidy, so that you'll know I'm out of hiding." Again, this is allegory, the singer does not literally mean to come out of hiding, only that he is done playing games and has finally come clean. This is the singer's resolve, as they realize that their effort to be noticed is showing no progress. The singer repeats the first stanza, perhaps to add emphasis on the fact that this is his struggle; being invisible, with no means of finding a "home", or a person to consider a friend as a place to return to.That his fear is being unnoticed by the person, perhaps maybe society in general, is chasing after, and to never be noticed.

The speaker has come to terms with himself to finally leave the person they are pursuing after. This is were the singer says, "And this is why I have decided, to leave your house and home unhaunted." In this specific stanza, the singer realizes the significance of how much the person they are chasing after, really doesn't need, nor want them. He is aware that this person, "Don't need poltergeists for sidekicks." Poltergeists are generally spiritual beings that haunt, "supernatural beings supposedly responsible for physical disturbances such as loud noises and objects thrown around." While, "poltergeists for sidekicks", is ambiguity, it is also the description that is directed towards how the singer is trying to catch attention, be noticed, and to stop being a ghost. The chorus of the song is important and essential to the meaning of the song. The singer says, "You don't need tricks, you don't need treats. You don't need no Halloween, and you don't need me." 

As if the singer is saying that his, "ghosting" is nothing but a costume for Halloween. It is a metaphor for saying that his feeling can only be addressed when acting up, or causing a disturbance to grab attention. As well as the "tricks" and "treats" symbolize his feelings. In total, the singer is saying that the person that he is pursuing after does not need his attempts of starting a relationship, in fact, the person is not even noticing him. As well as the singer is beginning to see that his pointless antics were never going to be noticed, as the person does not need him in their life. 

The speaker makes a new approach, coming clean as he had removed the "old white sheets" from their head. Instead, the speaker asks, "Hey, would it be so bad if I stayed?" and continuing to mention, "I'm just a ghost out of his grave, and I can't make love in my grave." an allegory for he has no "home" nor no place/person that he can proudly claim as a friend. The next lines, "I won't put white into your hair. I won't make noises in your stairs. I will be kind and I'll be sweet, if you stop staring straight through me." as his proposal stating that he will no longer be "ghosting", or pestering, if he is simply noticed. Perhaps being noticed here means that the person has to stop ignoring his feelings, and if they were to reject him, they should give him a straight answer. Lastly, the singer repeats the first stanza and the third to emphasize the fear of being rejected, and being ignored by the one that has meant a lot to them.

Fear

fear

ˈfir/ 

noun: fear; plural noun: fears

1.

an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat

Or perhaps, it is a feeling that upsets one because they are not willing to lose what it is that causes them happiness. Fear is a very interesting emotion, as everyone has experience this emotion themselves, and in many different ways. Through songs, I have found that singers will talk about things they fear. Such as loving a loved one, or facing their past, maybe even fearing of what the future holds. Again, all expressed in different ways because everyone experiences fear differently.

I have found that you can sense a singers fear based off their lyrics, the tone, and sometimes the general vibe of how the sound of the song is presented. There are many reasons why a singer could, and would, sing about the things that they fear. Feminist singers sing about their fears in order to spread awareness. Some singers may sing about their fears because that is their way of coping with a traumatic event, or something that is bugging them. They express their feelings through music because people can, and will, be able to relate. That is what is so universal about music. Music, no matter the language, the people, sound etc, can bring people -no matter what of the sorts- together.

I have chosen three songs, that I believe demonstrate good examples of different fears. To begin, we have Hop Along's, Trouble Found Me. This is a song generally about a young girl finding out that her hero, or role model, being taken away by perhaps illness. The speaker's fear is being alone with out that light still shining in front of her. From growing with her mother, to having to find a way to make her own light. Next, Ghosting by Mother Mother, represents someone feeling invisible to society or a single person of whom they are trying to get their attention from the most. It portrays what isolation feels like, and how they can relate to a ghost; their main fear is being ignored forever by the person they seek the attention from.

Again, music is universal and can bring people together. One emotion that is probably the most common and repeatable, is fear. That is why I believe that fear is a strong theme to find songs and connect to. Seeing many songs of people that have fear, we are reminded of how we are all human.

Trouble Found My by Hop Along (Fear)

In the song Trouble Found Me by Hop Along, the singer uses allegory, ambiguity, metaphors, and dramatic irony to portray an image of her hero being taken away.

The song begins with the singer saying, "Trouble found me sleeping, so I followed it down stairs." This is an allegory for her curiosity bringing her downstairs to find her mother sitting in the couch. She tells how she remembers, like it was an event that can be remembered vividly because it had changed everything from that point. The singer then says, "The sound of the chopper flying low. We didn't know why it was coming". In this song, the singer connects her mother to a hero, thus becoming a metaphor. A figure in which she had seen as a fighter, or someone that resembles a "war soldier".

So when the lyrics tell of the chopper coming, this can be a metaphor for a doctor, or the "chaplain", telling them bad news. The sound of it flying low represents that this "news" was unexpected and sudden. The "chaplain" proceeds to tell them that, "You came in with your jaw torn, still talking." Meaning that the mother was staying strong, despite the fact that she was fighting for her life. This is the synecdoche of the song; the mother is found ill fighting for her life, like a soldier, and the daughter, the singer, seeing her as a war hero. In this song, the comparison is between a war soldier and the mother.

The singer proceeds to tell that she has come to see her ill mother, who is in the hospital. She questions,"I wonder which one of us looked stranger then." An allegory for saying, who looked more pitiful? The sick and dying mother, or the lost daughter. This leads into the next part of the song where the singer sings, "Once I thought being lost was only a part of being young." This is ambiguity and shows that seeing her hero being taken down, has suddenly made her feel lost and more vulnerable without her hero figure at a young age. She has realized that in life you can be taken away so easily, thus leaving her to feel discomfort. It is also dramatic irony, as the singer is aware of this fact and thus concluding that her troubles are not just something everyone goes through when growing up. This is something that is effecting her at home, something like how "Trouble found me," is saying that her mother getting sick in inevitable.

At the hospital, the mother is a roommate with an elderly man. There, he seems to be delusional, "yelling louder than anyone," and saying "mama" repeatedly. He continues to yell, "Little white mice run across my bed." This is symbolism of mothers. The singer uses an indirect metaphor of a mother to the mice. The white mice is symbolism for purity and perhaps security, and when the man calls out for his mother, he is telling her of the white mice. The white mice also symbolize being watched over, hence the security. This is something the singer notices, and realizes that even if her mother is gone, somehow her mother will still be able to watch over her. It is unclear of whom is speaking when the phrase, "I can't believe someday I'm gonna die." is spoken, thus becoming ambiguity. If it were the mother speaking, the sentence would become irony, because in the beginning of the song, the speaker and mother were aware that death was a possibility.  So the fact becoming unbelievable even when told by doctors, it is irony. This songs theme is that the singer fears losing sight of her hero, or herself, and having to overcome the idea of being on her own someday. This song creates many possibilities of its true meaning, and the literary devices used here is endless alongside the possibilities of the meaning.

Original vs Cover

Here, I will be comparing Local Native's cover to King Krule's original song, Out Getting Ribs.

The Original:

In the original song by King Krule,the first thing you notice is the rich bass of his voice.Which is shocking, considering it's coming from this pencil-thin, hollow-cheeked boy. The song is very simple in itself. Mostly consisting himself singing, the picking of a guitar and a simple bass in the back. In total, the song is very down tempo and relaxed, and if you listen to the lyrics carefully, it's very personal and intimate. Even the covers cannot compare to this original, as his voice is very soulful and unique; something that other versions cannot touch.

The Cover:

Now this song is very unique, and has many differences compared to the original song. To begin, there is more sound! A beat in the back, drums even and guitars and bass of course. The singer is octaves higher than King Krule; not matching that low and deep voice of his. As well as the singer in Local Natives, is singing in harmony with other background singers. This gives the song more depth, and the sound is now more up beat. Compared to the original version of Out Getting Ribs, it's more up beat and not something that brings a down tempo atmosphere. Instead, it gives this song life and more flavor, though it doesn't have as much soul as King Krule's original, it is still a very good cover.

Top Three List

Melancholy

 Trouble Found Me by Hop Along

The definition of melancholy is
noun: melancholy

1.

a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.

In my opinion, this song brings out some sort of sadness and a feeling of emptiness. I had figured that it may not be so much as the lyrics, as it is the instrumental break down of the guitar. It is a sweet tune that can lull you into deep thought and perhaps sleep. I find comfort through this song when I seek out the feeling of feeling down. It's like being addicted to a certain kind of sadness, and I believe that melancholy has some strong tie to this emotion that some of us crave. This song helps me to reach a point of relaxation and to remain feeling melancholic.

 Formulas and Frequencies by Whirr

You can see that most of the songs that I chose for my list, between melancholic and nostalgic, they are very simplistic. But something about the songs make them very unique and creative. In this song, unless been given the lyrics, it is very unclear what the singer is sing about. Rather, the lyrics cannot be heard clearly. I believe this is what makes the song unique, because when you are to dwell in your room and have the song in the background, you're not so focused on the lyric, and you can now think clearly on your own. Or you can make up your own lyrics to what sounds like gibberish in this song. It brings a melancholic feeling because it is very relaxed, almost sad. Like a song to play after a long day at work, and you would like something down tempo; a song to revive yourself after being mentally exhausted

Anger/ Agitated 

Ends by Clippings

In dire times when I am searching for a song that is just as aggressive and angry as I am feeling, I choose to listen to Ends. Something about how the nonrhythmic beat and the harsh tone of the rapper, gets me into the mood. I come to this song because its just generally aggressive. The song uses many literary devices as well, and the lyrics are somewhat relatable. In a sense that when you see the world, you are very angry and the lyrics are criticizing all that is wrong with the world, and it's corruption.

I Have A Problem by Beartooth

Typically when you are angry, you build up adrenaline. When I search for songs that put lighter fluid to the fire, I am looking for fast, up beat and aggressive songs that will pump my adrenaline. There really is not much to explain why I like this song, or any song in the category in general, besides the fact that I am looking for music that will boost my adrenaline. As for why I would want to add more to my adrenaline, it is because sometimes releasing negative energy in large waves like if you were fuming over something for a long period of time, you can easily get rid of that negative energy to finally cool off and relax.

Nostalgia 

Baby Blue by King Krule

I always turn to Baby Blue for times when I want to remember something good. For example, a memory of a person that I am not as close to anymore, or my favorite moments from the previous summers. It's very simplistic in terms of sound; the bass of his found, the riff of the guitar, nothing too out of range. Very simplistic, and a good song for when you want to relax and think, or just things that send a good vibe. I'm very emotionally attached to this song for the soul purpose of the songs meaning, and how I came to find this artist. I found this artist through a friend that I don't talk to much, and it brings memories of nights where we would talk. So I believe this song is very fitting for under the category of nostalgia. 

    Merry Christmas Mr, Lawrence by Ryuichi Sakamoto

This song is bittersweet to me. I am brought to a time in my childhood that I like to remember most. This song is an instrumental sound track from a movie called Spirited Away, and as a child, it was one of my favorite movies. This piece being very bittersweet to me because, it makes me happy. The rhythm is fluid, the soft sound of the piano, and it helps produce images in your head for when you are writing. Though, it also makes me sad because I'm brought back to a time that I wish to return to the most. Thus making it nostalgic. But, I'm grateful to this song as it helps me relax, fall asleep, or is good for when I'm doing homework. 

Nostalgia

nos·tal·gia

näˈstaljə,nəˈstaljə/

noun

noun: nostalgia; plural noun: nostalgias

a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.

Nostalgia is an interesting thing to experience. It is a common emotion, and everyone can think of a time in which has given them a happy memory, or a warm feeling. An emotion you feel that hugs your heart, making you feel warm and content. Everyone has different ways of experiencing nostalgia, and sometimes nostalgia feels different for everyone. Sometimes it feels bittersweet, because they are past memories and the longing for wanting to go back to that time is strong, and leaves a sad impression in you. Or remembering something simply just makes you happy. Either way, nostalgia is an emotion of positivity and brings some sort of happiness. Nostalgia as well can be experience in different ways, such as seeing, touching, smelling, and hearing. Music is a large key tool to bring nostalgia upon oneself. Whether we relate to the lyrics or the song holds special meaning and one has become emotionally attached to that song. No matter, there is numerous ways that nostalgia can be found through music and other forms of senses (sight, smell, touch).

I had chosen three songs, Shiver by Lucy Rose, Insomnia by The Hiatus and Sleep Where You Fall by Nicknames  to represent different kinds of nostalgia. In Shiver, the singer experiences a bittersweet memory of a relationship that helped her learn to love more, and regret less. In Insomnia, the singer goes through a negative side of nostalgia. Despite reliving happy memories through his dreams, he feels remorse and wishes to run away from them. Then, lastly in Sleep Where You Fall by Nicknames, the singer shows aggression through the events of friends being stuck in a frozen time, and yet finds closure within moving on without them. This type of nostalgia is kind of like remembering the good times they had, but needing to move on- even if it is without them, to finally make progress in their future.

All these songs have a strong connection, and that is through strong emotions. Nostalgia is an emotion that is almost inescapable, because it is an emotion that is brought through memories of the past. I chose this theme because I know that a lot of people can either relate to the songs that I had chosen, or can relate through the idea of different ways nostalgia had effected us. Nostalgia is a deep emotion that we can all relate to and have some sort of memory that effects us greatly.

Sleep Where You Fall by Nicknames (Nostalgia)

 In the song Sleep Where You Fall by Nicknames, the singer uses metaphors, ambiguity, allegories and symbolism to depict a feelings of aggravation of friends being stuck in time and place.

I believe that that the singers way of singing through this song is a very key important point. Because he is shouting/screaming, and I believe this is a representation of his aggravation and annoyance. The singer begins with, "Consistency? The future is the only thing I see slowly creeping up on me." The singer means to say, who needs consistency to predict the future, when the future is something that is suppose to come at you like a surprise. He continues this idea through saying, "Growing up defines tough luck, like throwing up the excess that you slugged." An allegory for growing up was filled with unexpected mishaps, leaving a 'bad after taste' like throwing up. Only the after taste symbolizes these events leaving a strong impression on their childhood. This expression is also shown through the following lyrics ,"To keep you breathing, teach you something, even just to wake you up." The line, "Depraved and righteous" is a direct allusion from the bible, meaning that the world if full of people claiming righteousness, yet in reality depraved, and corrupt. The singer continues saying, "And you'll miss your friends." It is a simple line, but has an impactful meaning; through life and its hardships, you will miss simple things like your friends. Your friends become your home, and when witnessing depraved yet righteous acts through life, you wish to find peace through being with friends.

The singer finds a dilemma through his journey through life, "Growing roots cement your shoes to the pavement, no evasion." Here, he is talking about his friends and how, "I'll just stay here a few more years," is the problem. He believes that to stay were it is safe, their home town perhaps, or an allegory for staying in the past and not moving on. He continues, using an hyperbole to exaggerate the impossible, "Have you melted the tarmac." Tarmac is the run way for an airplane, to deliberately melt that tar means that it was run over repeatedly and under hot pressure. I believe this is a metaphor for his friends going under the pressure of moving on with their lives, to progress out in the world and to not sit back where it's safe in their home town. The speaker says, "Can you not taste how stale this place is yet?" an allegory, meaning have they yet to realize that if they stay in their home town where it is a place that lacks opportunity. Or meaning that they are stuck in a time where it is frozen, like being stuck in a time where they are still kids, and these moment are becoming tasteless to the singer, but still flavorful to his friends.

The speaker asks his friends, "Are you enslaved and flightless, chained to this island?" He is confused as to how they are blind by nostalgia by the grounds where they had grown up, to realize that they are not moving at all in life. Asking rhetorical questions again like, "Is it worth waiting for your friendships to end?" As if these friends are oblivious to the ending results to how this relationship. As though they believe that it will continue forever, in a frozen space and time of nostalgia and their youth. The chorus is critical to this song, and it very important as it becomes the synecdoche of the song. To, "sleep where you fall, keep it surreal" is to give up without a fight. It is a metaphor, and he uses this to demonstrate what his friends at home are like. The singer means that, if one were to fall, or to fail at something or come to a dark point in your life, one would fall asleep to brush off, or perhaps, run away from responsibilities. To sleep where you fall is something that people who give up on society and progress will do. At this point, they will, "Keep staring at your potential, though the rain seems so torrential." Referring to when they "fall", they give up, only to see their potential disappear and water down through the water. The dramatic irony is that the singer knows that it is hard to move from a safe place, to where they do not know. He understands that they are afraid of failing; "The sorrow in realizing where we are is all we know, and we know nothing's a crushing blow." The speaker tries to motivate his friends, and perhaps himself, "So set your sights on brighter lights and squint your eyes. Shut the windows, go outside to feel the wind blowing. It's nice right?" The singer wants his friends to imagine a future for themselves that is so bright, that their eyes will squint. But instead of being discouraged by the high goals, he wants his friends to "close the windows", ambiguity for either stop the taunting. Or to finally let go of their safe home town to be let out into the open, where they can "feel the wind blowing." meaning opportunity coming their way.



This song is rich with metaphors, "A new life slice tastes better than the antiquated pie, come take a bite." Here, the singer is trying to say that getting a taste of something new, which is getting out in the real world, is fresh and better than to dwell in the safe zone of their homes. Dramatic irony takes its roll when the singer is aware of how much he may be a hypocrite. He sings, "Through advice I give, I find myself a hypocrite." Saying that, sometimes even he too, comes down nostalgia's road to remember the times he had with his friends. And maybe how hard it is to not to want to go back after, "Here at my best still thinking back to summers I spent sleeping in the shack." His greatest, and undeniable worst discovery is finding that, "Through this life I've lead, I find parts of myself already dead." Meaning that sometimes through life, you find a point where you would like to crawl back in time, and visit nostalgia as if it were an old friend. Sometimes growing up means that you cant always look back, and despite how much people enjoy experiencing nostalgia, it holds them back from moving forward. Because sometimes life gets too rough, and all one wishes to do is to go back to a time and place where nostalgia was marked. 

Shiver by Lucy Rose (Nostalgia)

The song Shiver by Lucy Rose, is a song about a love that was bittersweet and hard to let go, despite the rough relationship that the couple shared. The singer uses allegory, metaphors, synecdoches, and symbolism to express this theme of bittersweet love throughout the song.

The song begins with, "We broke, everything that was right. We both enjoyed a good fight,"  she uses past tense to show that what they had, is now gone. It was a relationship that they had enjoyed and hated; living and learning from this relationship. To "Sewed all the holes we had to breathe. To make the other one live," is ambiguity for suffocating each other in their unhealthy relationship. They wanted the other to hurt, just as much as they had through the times they were together. It could also represent that in troubled times, they would patch up their "holes", meaning that they were each others support and savior. The holes is symbolism for the points where they meet a rough patch, or not getting along well, and in order to "breathe again", they would have to help each other to remain in that relationship. This song brings a sense of nostalgia, because the singer is looking back at the times where they were together. Whether it was good times, like, "I loved the way you looked at me. And I miss the way you made me feel." or times where they had to patch the holes in order to breathe.  To " Shiver like I use to," is a metaphor for getting that feeling of falling in love again.

Though to say that you will shiver again, is to say that you are forcing yourself to feel those kinds of feelings again. Or is it that she is saying that she will fall in love with him again, in due time. This then becomes dramatic irony, because the singer realizes that despite the fact that their relationship is over, and time may have passed, she realizes that she misses being in a relationship with that person.  She continues to say that, "We stole every moment we had to make the other one feel bad. And we hoped that we could be what we knew, it never turn out to be real." Meaning that living in that relationship was like a dream, that the love seemed like an illusion to cover the moments that were sour. Despite all of this, the singer wants to portray a good image for what their relationship really was by repeating the phrase, "Ill shiver like I use to." Which is the snyecdoche for a love that had taught lessons and left an impression on her forever. In her last statements, she continues to sing, "And if we turn back time, could we learn to live right." A rhetorical question to wanting to know that if they had gone back in time, knowing what they know now, would they be able to make it work without having to patch up holes. To have a relationship that will not have "holes" in the first place. The theme of this song could be nostalgia, because the singer talks about a time in which she wishes to return to. She dwells on the memories of their relationship, and she acknowledges the things that could have been done to save their relationship. It a bittersweet song about a love, hate relationship.

Insomnia by The Hiatus (Nostalgia)

In the song, Insomnia by The Hiatus, it uses literary devices like ambiguity, symbolism, and synecdoches, and symbolism to show a time where the singer remembers a friendship in which they were their savior.

The song begins with the singer talking about a time where he wakes from a nightmare that was so sweet, that it was haunting; "I wake up from a nightmare, where we had out best days. And wonder where it has gone wrong.". Despite the dreams being about good times, the singer is taunted by these memories because what he had is now gone, and this is becomes symbolism of the song. In these moments, the singer wonders what had happened to their relationship that had caused them to stop interacting with each other.  The only thing that can be done is to, "Just keep up the prayer." meaning to pray, or ask God for forgiveness for what may have been the problem. The song continues, and the singers concludes that he has indeed changed, "Still trying to remember who I was, and how things used to be." Becoming dramatic irony that things are not what they use to be, and the nostalgia of having these memories is haunting.

Using repetition, the singer says, "Save me." To be interpreted as, 'save me from my own self, for I have changed and forgotten how I use to be.' or to be saved from the memories/nightmares that keep haunting him. In order to repent for what has gone wrong, and from what he wishes to forget, he "prays" to God. In this song, insomnia remains as a large symbol to the true meaning of what the singer is trying to interpret through his lyics. Insomnia is the synecodoche  that demonstrates that the speaker has experienced sleepless nights over the course of events such as losing a friend/a good relationship, and the nightmares that keep haunting him. Insomnia seems to be making its way into seeing him every night and taking away these memories of the times he had and turning them against him.


Though the memories are sweet, they are hurting the speaker for they are what is holding him back from moving on. As if Insomnia has become his mechanism to protect himself from these memories. He tells himself, "Stay awake, or I'll just fall apart in memories." meaning, to give in to insomnia and avoid dreaming of a time he cannot return to. In this song, the singer could be seeing insomnia as a form of himself. A form in which is running away from his past, and would rather have sleepless nights than to be reminded of his mistakes by reliving nightmares every night. When the singer says, "I'm not the one you want. I'm not the one you know." this is ambiguity, as he is talking to insomnia. He saying that he is willing to forgive himself, thus being released from his nightmares and abandoning his other form of himself, insomnia. His final words are, "I hope you are fine, Insomnia" symbolism for finding closure. The repetition of "Save me." continues, as well as the first stanza of the song, to bring emphasize of the fact that he wishes to be saved from his own mistakes.