Song Analysis
Music has always been a part of human society. All societies on earth, from the primitive races living in near-stone age conditions to the most sophisticated elites of high society enjoy music in one form or the other. It has been said to soothe beasts and to calm raging minds. Of all abstract arts known to man, it mathematics and music are the most noble. However, music transcends mathematics since any individual with a sense of hearing can appreciate and enjoy music, while mathematics can only be enjoyable to professors, mathematicians and that is after years of extensive training and practice. Personally, I have a taste for the rock and roll music of the seventies, eighties, and early nineties, with bands like the Eagles, Bon Jovi and Nirvana being among my personal favorites.
Hotel California by the eagles
Hotel California by the eagles has been acclaimed as being a rock and roll classic. Having been released in February 1977, the song has remained a consistent hit on playlists worldwide. The song has been ranked 49th of all the greatest songs of all time by rolling stone magazine. As late as 2009, it was still selling, and received a platinum certificate for having hit one million digital downloads. This is a legacy to the superb masterpiece written by Don Felder, Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Although the lyrics are captivating by themselves, the guitar solo at the end of the song has earned it critical acclaim. It has been ranked eighth on guitar magazine’s top 100 guitar solos. Guitar world magazine has voted the solo as being the number one 12-string guitar piece (Songfacts.com 2014). However, one thing that really captures the listener’s imagination is the creative use of wordplay and imagery in the song.
The song tells of a weary traveler who spots a lovely looking hotel in a dark desert highway and decided to rest there for the night. The hotel has weird things going on, like whispers in the corridor, and people dancing for weird reasons. The guests are referred to as self- convicted prisoners. Other weird references include a feast featuring a beast that could not be killed. As is to be expected, the lyrics created controversy, and no one knows for sure what the hotel California is about. When asked about the meaning of the lyrics, the band members give cryptic explanations such as the lyrics being a metaphor for the dark, hedonistic trappings of fame, fortune and the American dream. Band member don Henley refers to the song as a narrative on the process of maturing from innocence to experience.
However, some members of the public have created their own interpretations of the lyrics. Some people think it a reference to the process of love, marriage, and divorce. California has a very high divorce rate, and the general theme of the song can be interpreted as the process of love lost during marriage and trying to get out of the “prison” of a loveless marriage. Religious critics of the song think the song may be alluding to the hotel in San Francisco, which served as a church of Satan under the now-deceased Anton Lavey, who was the Satanist high priest. (Ferrell, V, 2006). Other people think “hotel California” may actually be refereeing to a state mental hospital.
The song has an uncanny ability to resonate with its listeners since almost everyone has had the experience of being lured by something, which appeared lovely but turned out to be horrible. The creative use of imagery lends itself to multiple interpretations. One can interpret the song in multiple ways and make it mean different things at different things. The dark themes of the song give it a hauntingly memorable feel. It leaves the listener contemplating on the deception that tends to lure many into undesirable situations such as drugs and promiscuity.
Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
Nirvana is one of the best selling rock bands, with over 75 million albums sold worldwide. The band was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in December 2013 as a result of their influence to rock bands and rock musicians in general (BBC, 2004). Nirvana is ranked by the rolling stone magazine as being 27th on their list of the top 100 great artists of all time. The magazine ranked four songs by the band as being among the top 500 greatest songs of all time, with smells like teen spirit placed at number nine.
The song “smells like teen spirit” is among the best selling singles of all time, according to the BBC (2004). The song rocketed the band to the top of the charts and created a revolution in alternative rock, taking it from the sidelines and highlighting its potential as a mainstream form of rock and roll. One thing I like about the song is the instrumentals. The drum sets a regular, upbeat tempo while the raging electric guitar creates a hyped up mood. The vocals of this song are delivered first in soft tones and then yelled creating a contrast that grabs attention and keeps the listener yearning for more. The alternative rock subculture encourages independence and creative expression and this song captures that theme perfectly.
The song does not have to offer much in terms of lyrics, which appear to be haphazard and disjointed sentences that do not make sense. However, the song has enough loaded words to convey to its audience its general dark tones. Some of the phrases that make up this song’s lyrics include “feeling stupid, and contagious,” “it is fun to lose” as well as “I am worst at what I do best.” These and the heavy, repetitive drum sequence, rapidly strum electric guitar and heavy bass lend the song a unique aura that appeals to teenagers and heavy rock fans. The song itself is a statement against society, expressing the desire to break free from the mainstream and create one’s own way.
The song leaves one feeling some level of angst, a suitable emotion for those who wish to forge their own way regardless of mainstream society. One negative side effect of alternative rock subcultures that frequently rebel against mainstream society is that they stray from society’s safety net and end up indulging in vices such as drugs and promiscuity. Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of the band was known to be a drug addict. He is credited with having said that it was better to burn away than to fade away, an indication that he would rather take his life than give in to mainstream society. On April 1994, Kurt Cobain committed suicide by blowing his head off with a shotgun.
Despite being a great musical hit, the circumstances surrounding the tragic demise of the lead singer gives the song a somber air, depicting the consequences of living one’s life without control.
Conclusion
Music is a great passion for me, and it plays a crucial role in my life. I usually have a playlist of favorite songs on my portable music player, which I like to play when I get up in the morning. I have playlists for almost all moods and times of day. Other than that, music is a way I get to relate with my friends. Most of my friends tend to enjoy the kind of music that I do, and that gives us a common interest. Apart from rock music, I also listen to classical music. The shifting musical preferences speak to different aspects of my being. Rock and pop music is good for social events, and I like presenting mix tapes to my friends and loved ones occasionally. I find classical music intellectually stimulating, and I usually like to do my studies with Beethoven, Bach or Mozart playing in the background. Classical music has great sentimental value for me. One of my earliest memories was sitting on my late grandfather’s lap as he read me a story, with the haunting violin concertos of Tchaikovsky playing in the background. I cannot listen to Tchaikovsky without thinking of my grandfather.
Works Cited
Azlyrics.com (2014). Nirvana lyrics. Web. Retrieved 24th November 2014 from www.azlyrics.com /lyrics/NIRVANA LYRICS – Smells Like Teen Spirit.htm.
BBC (2004). First stars in music hall of fame. Web, retrieved on 24th November 2014 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4000000/newsid_4005500/4005555.stm
Ferrell, V. (2006). Inside Rock music. Evolution facts inc. Altamont, Tennessee, USA.
Songfacts.com (2014). Hotel California. Web. Retrieved 24th November 2014 from http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1121
