To start off, I will first explain that I will have to take a little different approach to the "stanza" rule to make my analysis work for my chosen song. The song I have chosen, "Possum Kingdom" by the Toadies, does not evoke the desired effect through just one stanza, but relies on the combined effect of the completed whole to achieve its message. The song, the Toadies' one-hit-wonder from 1994, plays out like a typical alternate rock(in this case Post-Grunge) love song: a rough-around-the-edges guy meets a nice girl and wants to her to give him a chance to express his love. The speaker asks his crush to "Make up your mind/Decide to walk with me/Around the lake tonight.../By my side" serving as a synecdoche for the social tension between the two characters. The speaker also indirectly characterizes himself as gritty, stating that Behind the boathouse/ I will show you my dark secret". Our protagonist does display quite a soft side though, after the girl decides to take the walk with him, telling the girl he wants her to "be my lover" and his "blushing bride". The gritty man also flatters his potential lover, employing direct characterization when he claims she will "Stay as beautiful.../Forever". He continues to act like a typical love-struck young man, complimenting the girl and furthering continuing her characterization of eternal beauty, asking her to "Do you wanna/ be my angel?". Now's the part that makes me love this song: the last verse. The final verse consists of just one lyric, repeated eight times: "Do you wanna die?". Now the realization sets in; those compliments of eternal beauty and her acting as his "angel" are not sweet comparisons, he literally means what he says. Bodies do not age, by killing the girl, she becomes an angel, and our speaker's dark secret: he's a murderer.
The speed that this song switches tones makes me love it enough to analyze it, I really love anything that can make such a radical and quick switch and retain its audience. Once again, I will return to The Fall as my focal film of the week, as I did not talk about it at all in my first semester farewell. The story within a story structure and tone of this film lends itself to just this sort of thing, especially do to the fact that it is told and partially controlled by a six year old with poor English skills. For example, towards the beginning of the film, the narrator, Roy, changes the protagonist of his story, The Masked Bandit's, voice and physical appearance more than once, all within 2 minutes. Aspects of Roy's story change on a dime in order to please the little girl into doing things for him. These story elements greatly help to further the effects of the tone and characterizations of the two primary characters in the movie: Roy and Alexandria. This quick changing technique, used both by The Fall and "Possum Kingdom" works very effectively to enhance the meaning and effects of both film and song, respectively.
Two links this time: This one to the scene from The Fall, and This to "Possum Kingdom" by the Todies.
Connor-
ReplyDeleteI thought that your analysis and decision to focus on the song as a whole is very interesting. I am not familiar with the song nor the movie, but from what I have read, they both seem interesting. I have realized that I really, really enjoy songs that tell a story and allow the story to develop throughout the song, much like "Possum Kingdom."
Connor I am also a fan of sudden changes in both music and movies. I especially like it when the artist takes you along in one direction for the majority of the time and then switches things up at the last second. I imagine that is how people felt when they found out Darth Vader was Luke's father the first time; pure shock.
ReplyDeleteThat's brilliant! I sensed an air of creepiness throughout the first part of the song, but rejected my thoughts as cynicism towards romance in general, instead of trusting my suspicion. I love how the artist rips the rug out from under the listeners at the end- what a way to keep the audience alert! Situational irony in its truest sense.
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