How to analyze a song

PURPOSE: Music is a big part of our lives; even if we are not big music fans, music surrounds us--TV, movies, commercials, church, elevators, or listening to someone else’s music drifting from their earbuds. So what does our listening to music reveal about our (society’s/culture’s) values? For this assignment, you will be conducting an analysis of music. In your analysis you should discuss how the songs (one of my choosing, one of your own choosing) reflect societal trends, values, and culture as it relates to sexual health. We get many of our ideas and values in this society from various forms of media--TV, movies, advertisements, music, etc., and in this paper, it is your job to think about how songs create or feed into societal and personal beliefs, values, and actions.

GUIDELINES:

· You will closely read and listen to the lyrics from one song (of your choosing). You will analyze the song based on its lyrics, the official music video, performances of the song by the artist, interviews from the artist talking about the song, the artist’s Wikipedia page, etc. Some of these other sources may not exist, and that’s okay. It just gives you another source of information from which to gather information for your analysis.

· Include a cover page with your name, course number and name of the class, assignment name, and due date.

· Do not include the writing prompts/questions that are listed below. This should be a paper that is written with proper paragraphs, sections, and should flow nicely together. NOT Q&A format.

· Submit your assignment to Moodle by the due date. Your assignment file name must be labeled in the following format: Lastname_SHPM.fileextension

· Example: DeWItt_SHPM.docx

· Only PDF or Word documents will be accepted. Due: _____________________________________

STEP 1: INTRODUCTION

· Identify a song that contains lyrics that contain messages about sex, relationships, sexual health, feminism, misogyny, sexism, consent, sexual violence, love, etc. Choose a song that will allow you to provide a rich and in depth analysis of the lyrics.

· Why did you choose this song?

· Briefly summarize the main points of the song. What is the overall “message” or “theme” of the song? What is the artist trying to communicate?

· Set the song within the context of its genre or classification--rock, alternative, hip-hop, country, classical, pop, rap, R & B, bluegrass, opera, etc. Is the song typical of its genre? Why or why not?

STEP 2: LYRICS

· Cite the song using APA format at the top of the page.

· Create a table with two columns

· List the original lyrics, line by line, in the left column

· Provide your interpretation of the lyrics in the right column, line by line

· See example for help in formatting

STEP 3: ANALYSIS

These questions are to get you thinking and help guide you with your analysis. An “A” paper will consider the majority of these questions and provide a thoughtful analysis that brings in bigger messages discussed in our coursework/lessons/readings:

· Describe the audience for your chosen song. How do you know who the audience is? Why does this music appeal to some people but not others?

· Why do you think this song was written?

· What do the lyrics reveal about the values of its writers or performers? Of its listeners?

· Talk about the values the song communicates: love, money, a perfect relationship, sex, fun, violence, social responsibility, non-conformity, or/and revenge……

· What cultural or moral values does the song communicate? Are those important you, your culture, or others? Why/why not?

· Are these values realistic? In what ways, or why are they not realistic?

· Are there stereotypes reflected in the lyrics?

· Describe as many as you can identify, and in depth, describe one stereotype clearly, and explain the stereotype

· Include anything else you’d like from your textbook readings or other media watched in class. Feel free to have a references pages and include in text citations for any outside materials you might use or reference (like music videos or other peoples’ analysis of the song you chose)

STEP 4: CONCLUSION

· Conclude. Wrap it up. Reflect. What have you learned in completing this assignment? What would you tell people about lyrics and their influence on people’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors?

Here are some examples of songs. Feel free to choose from the list below if you’re feeling it, or one from your own music library:

· Tell Me More and More and Then Some, Nina Simone

· The Sweetest Thing, Lauryn Hill

· Green Light (Afroganic Mix), John Legend

· Teach Me Tonight (Hootenanny), Amy Winehouse

· Let’s Do It Again, Leela James

· Slow Down, Alicia Keys

· Promiscuous, Nelly Furtado (featuring Timbaland)

· Excuse Me Miss, Jay-Z

· If You Want Some, Young Buck

· Let’s Talk About Sex, Salt-n’-Pepa

· A Kiss is Not a Contract, Flight of the Conchords

· What’s Your Fantasy? Ludacris ft. Shawnna

· I’ll Do Anything For Love, Meatloaf

· I’ll Make Love to You, Boyz II Men

· Love the Way you Lie, Eminem featuring Rihanna

· Tonight I’m F*cking You, Enrique Iglesias

· Pop That, French Montana ft Drake

· Say Aah, Trey Songz

· Bedroom Talk, The Starting Line

· Moves Like Jagger, Maroon 5

· Love in This Club, Usher

· We Can’t Stop, Miley Cyrus

· Hello, Lionel Richie

· Blame It, Jaime Foxx

· Golddigger, Jaime Foxx

· Summer Lovin’, Grease Soundtrack

· Gonna Wanna Tonight, Chase Rice

· My Love, Hopsin

· Sex Type Thing, STP

· Liquor, Chris Brown

· All of Me, John Legend

· Down on Me, Jeremih, 50 Cent

· Bartender, Lady Antebellum

· Tell Your Friends, The Weeknd

Lyric Format/Example—Note, this is only PART of the song, you’ll need to do the whole song (STEP 2)

(Will.i.am) Whatcha gonna do with all that junk all that junk inside your trunk (Fergie) I'ma get-get-get-get you drunk get you love drunk off my hump my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump my hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps Check it out

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(Will.i.am) What are you going to do with your big buttocks your big buttocks? (Fergie) I'm going to get you drunk You will feel drunk with love looking at my buttocks at my buttocks my buttocks and my lovely little breasts Pay attention

I drive these brothas crazy I do it on the daily they treat me really nicely They buy me all these icies Dolce and Gabbana Fendi and Adonna Carin' they be sharin' All their money got me wearin fly brother I ain't askin', They say they love my ass in Seven Jeans, True religion I say no, but they keep givin' So I keep on takin' And no I ain't taken We can keep on datin I'll keep on demonstratin'

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These men are crazy for me Every single day They treat me really nicely They buy me all this diamond jewelry and designer clothing like Dolce and Gabbana and Fendi and Adonna Caring for me, they are sharing All their money goes to my fashionable wardrobe and I don't even ask them to buy it They say they love my buttocks in Expensive Seven and True Religion brand jeans I say, "no, don't buy them " but they keep giving them to me So I keep taking them And no, I don't feel that I have to make a commmitment to these men because of the gifts We can continue dating I'll keep on demonstrating

My love, my love, my love, my love you love my lady lumps my hump my hump my hump my humps they got you.. (Will.i.am) She's got me spendin' (Fergie) Oh, spendin' all your money on me and spendin' time on me (Repeat previous two lines) (Will.i.am) Whatcha gonna do with all that junk all that junk inside that trunk.. (Fergie) I'ma get-get-get-get you drunk get you love drunk off my hump

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My love, my love, my love, my love you love my breasts and buttocks My buttocks They have got you spending (Will.i.am) She's got me spending (Fergie) Oh, spending all your money on me and spending time on me (Repeat previous two lines) (Will.i.am) What are you going to do with your big buttocks Your big buttocks? (Fergie) I'm going to get you drunk You will feel drunk with love looking at my buttocks