Barbara Miedema November 5, 2016 Song Essay
When people get into their cars one of the first things they do is reach for the radio. What if that radio wasn’t there? What would they do? People don’t realize but they use the radio to escape having to sit in silence with nothing but their own thoughts. Often times when the mind is left alone to wander it stumbles upon things that people try to push out of their memory and avoid. By using strong imagery, structural devices and sound effects song writer Tyler Joseph of Twentyone Pilots discusses this theme in the song “Car Radio”.
All throughout the song Tyler manages to incorporate striking diction and phrases that set in place the impact that sitting in silence has on a person’s mental state. …show more content…
It starts by saying that what he is thinking about pains him so much that it feels as if it is affecting his physical being. When he refers to someone being killed in a dream he is talking about reflection on himself and what parts of himself that he has shut off and doesn’t acknowledge. Since there isn’t any sound or distraction to help deal with all of the circling thoughts he is forced to pay attention to what is going on in his head. When people think for too long about their life and everything going on it is easy to become overwhelmed by it all. When Tyler says that he “could pull the steering wheel” he is saying that it would be so easy to alleviate all of the craziness and thoughts with just a simple jerk of the wheel. Along with using imagery there are interesting structural devices incorporated to emphasize certain aspects of the …show more content…
In this case the devices used add to the overall feel and theme of the song. All through the song there are multiple cases of enjambment. One of the most significant cases is when Tyler says, “Oh my, /Too deep/Please stop thinking.” Breaking up this sentence into three parts makes it stand out more. When things don’t flow smoothly together it can catch people off guard and make them listen. In this part of the song he is just waiting and wanting all of his thoughts to stop and be able to feel a sense of relief. Also, in this song there are times where refrains are used. The phrase, “And now I just sit in silence” is repeated all through the song. When certain phrases are repeated in songs they tend to stick in people’s minds. Doing this creates a sense of silence being the major cause for all of the dismal thoughts and feelings experienced. Realizing that silence is the problem makes people think about that fact that they use the radio as a distraction which is the point that is trying to portrayed in the song. Not only do imagery and structural devices help amplify meanings of songs but the sounds effects that are weaved in play a significant role as well.
In “Car Radio” the way that rhyme is used and how the beat compliments what is being said is an essential way how the theme is represented. When rhyme is included in songs it brings attention to what is being said.
When people get into their cars one of the first things they do is reach for the radio. What if that radio wasn’t there? What would they do? People don’t realize but they use the radio to escape having to sit in silence with nothing but their own thoughts. Often times when the mind is left alone to wander it stumbles upon things that people try to push out of their memory and avoid. By using strong imagery, structural devices and sound effects song writer Tyler Joseph of Twentyone Pilots discusses this theme in the song “Car Radio”.
All throughout the song Tyler manages to incorporate striking diction and phrases that set in place the impact that sitting in silence has on a person’s mental state. …show more content…
It starts by saying that what he is thinking about pains him so much that it feels as if it is affecting his physical being. When he refers to someone being killed in a dream he is talking about reflection on himself and what parts of himself that he has shut off and doesn’t acknowledge. Since there isn’t any sound or distraction to help deal with all of the circling thoughts he is forced to pay attention to what is going on in his head. When people think for too long about their life and everything going on it is easy to become overwhelmed by it all. When Tyler says that he “could pull the steering wheel” he is saying that it would be so easy to alleviate all of the craziness and thoughts with just a simple jerk of the wheel. Along with using imagery there are interesting structural devices incorporated to emphasize certain aspects of the …show more content…
In this case the devices used add to the overall feel and theme of the song. All through the song there are multiple cases of enjambment. One of the most significant cases is when Tyler says, “Oh my, /Too deep/Please stop thinking.” Breaking up this sentence into three parts makes it stand out more. When things don’t flow smoothly together it can catch people off guard and make them listen. In this part of the song he is just waiting and wanting all of his thoughts to stop and be able to feel a sense of relief. Also, in this song there are times where refrains are used. The phrase, “And now I just sit in silence” is repeated all through the song. When certain phrases are repeated in songs they tend to stick in people’s minds. Doing this creates a sense of silence being the major cause for all of the dismal thoughts and feelings experienced. Realizing that silence is the problem makes people think about that fact that they use the radio as a distraction which is the point that is trying to portrayed in the song. Not only do imagery and structural devices help amplify meanings of songs but the sounds effects that are weaved in play a significant role as well.
In “Car Radio” the way that rhyme is used and how the beat compliments what is being said is an essential way how the theme is represented. When rhyme is included in songs it brings attention to what is being said.