Lyrics for Think Tank Project

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

Well, they'll stone you when you're trying to be so good They'll stone you just like they said they would They'll stone you when you're tryna go home Then they'll stone you when you're there all alone
But I would not feel so all alone Everybody must get stoned
Well, they'll stone you when you're walkin' along the streets They'll stone you when you're tryna keep your seat They'll stone you when you're walkin' on the floor They'll stone you when you're walkin' to the door
But I would not feel so all alone Everybody must get stoned
They'll stone you when you're at the breakfast table They'll stone you when you are young and able They'll stone you when you're tryna make a buck They'll stone you and then they'll say, "Good luck"
Tell ya what, I would not feel so all alone Everybody must get stoned
Well, they'll stone you and say that it's the end Then they'll stone you and then they'll come back again They'll stone you when you're riding in your car They'll stone you when you're playing your guitar
Yes but I would not feel so all alone Everybody must get stoned, alright
Well, they'll stone you when you walk all alone They'll stone you when you are walkin' home They'll stone you and then say they all are brave They'll stone you when you're set down in your grave
But I would not feel so all alone Everybody must get stoned

*This is a deep song, man

Top Song Defense: Peer Feedback

Here are the lyrics to the song:  

American Pie by Don Mclean

[Intro]
A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step

I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died

[Chorus]
So bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Verse 1]
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in rock and roll
Can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died

[Chorus]
I started singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Verse 2]
Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me

Oh, and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned

And while Lenin read a book on Marx
A quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died

[Chorus]
We were singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Verse 3]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance

'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?

[Chorus]
We started singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Verse 4]
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan's spell

And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

He was singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Outro]
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play

And in the streets, the children screamed
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken

And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died

And they were singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Chorus]
They were singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin' "This'll be the day that I die"

Comparison of Finally Moving by Chris Webby and Rock Bottom by Eminem

- Before you read this know I am very aware that Chris Webby is not a midwest rapper but I think these songs compliment eachother nicely and make a good comparison-

            Reoccurring themes link songs together that were made by two unique individuals. The sound of one’s struggles in music is universal. Rap music is filled to the brim with songs about difficulty in life. One such instance is Finally Moving by Chris Webby and Rock Bottom by Eminem. They share many similarities, but are kept separated by the artists’ distinct personalities.

            Eminem, or Slim Shady, lived a very isolated life from Webby, so naturally his song contains different content and difficulties. One is that he seems more taxed by the stress; “I’m poppin’ percocets, I’m a nervous wreck…” He also has a child that he works to take care of. Em gets worked up about not providing his daughter with the right kind of life; “And my daughter’s down to her last diaper: that’s got my ass hyper”. It is apparent that Eminem is more angry and violent. He says “Minimum wage got my adrenaline caged, full of venom and rage…” and “Holdin’ two glocks, I hope your doors got new locks on ‘em…”. In this track, Slim declares he is willing to commit violent acts and steal because he hit rock bottom.

            As Slim’s song branched out, Chris’s also covered different topics. Webby is not forced to work like Em for his daughter, but he states “I can’t live at my parents house forever, broke as f***, life could be so much better…”. This shows that he still has the desire to acquire currency, even if he is not forced to. Webby is more into rap for the experience than the benefits; “This is what I live, this is what I breathe. Without hip hop, there’d be no me…” He depends on rap as an outlet and career instead of only a source of profit. Another example of this is: “These other kids do it for the Itunes cash; I do it for free, it’s all love like that.” Chris has created many albums called mixtapes. They are one of the purest forms of hip hop and if released online, are given for free. If he only wanted to generate revenue, he would not have mad free music that took time and effort.

Some ideas are almost parallel in these tracks. Both artists speak of their struggle, even though they vary in degree. A problem for both emcee is a lack of money to spend, but their reasons for wanting it branch in opposite directions. The moods to the songs are almost identical, being depressing, except for Webby’s last verse which can only be described as inspirational. They are also not proud of their behavior in te past of possible future. Slim says “That’s rock bottom: when you want something bad enough to steal” and Chris raps “Everybody tells me that I’m talented and clever but I still have nothing to show for my endeavors.” The Detroit lyricist and suburban party rapper shared many qualities in these songs.

Diamonds from Sierra Leone by Kanye West Analysis

Shifting from speaking of the problems in Sierra Leone to joking around, in “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” Kanye West and Jay Z use thought-inducing irony, clever pun, and strong symbolism that can make the listener imagine all the diamonds they speak of.

Poetic devices can encourage thought in a listener or reader of a work. Irony can make an audience stop and contemplate the differences between the two situations compared. Kanye talks about Sierra Leon in Africa and how it is affected by the diamond mining that is all too common there. He says “Over here, theres the drug trade; we die from drugs. Over there they die from what we buy from drugs: the diamonds, the chains….” He is showing the irony that people in America die from selling narcotics, but also have people die in Africa from buying diamonds with their money earned.

A pun is another device that can make a listener think and maybe even laugh. Jay Z makes the analogy of himself to a business. He states “I’m not a business man, I’m a business man, let me handle my business, damn.” He is saying that he is a business instead of being a mere salesperson. The added emphasis on “man” the second time he said it is to show that it is local color. This gives the statement a whole new meaning.

Symbolism makes lyrics deeper than they would be if something was said straight out. Jay Z questions “How could you falter, when you the rock of Gibraltar?”, and the rock of Gibraltar is a symbol for him. It is a land mark that marks the entrance of the Mediteranean Sea which countries could control it to control the major sea. Jay is saying that he controls the rap industry like it controlled the mediteranean. He then says “People lined up to see the Titanic sinking, but instead we rose from the ashes like a phoenix.” His career is the Titanic and people expected a great disaster but the simile afterwards showed he pulled a miracle.

Jay Z and Kanye use devices throughout the song that cooperate to keep a listener entertained. Irony proves an interesting point that requires thought. Pun can also do the same, except it is also humorous. Symbolism stops the person in their tracks compared to these other thought creating devices. “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” is a well thought through track that brings up interesting ideas.

Analysis of Rap Game by D12

Switching from a serious political statement to angry sounding satire, in “Rap Game” the emcees of D12 utilize well placed internal rhyme, dark irony, and sweet alliteration to let the listener know that they need to sell their soul if they want to make it in the rap game.

Internal rhyme makes a line sound smoother and can make it roll from the tongue easier. In his verse, Proof says “The nastiest band with gats in each hand we never bow down to be a flash in a pan.” Band and hand rhyme, but hand is not the end of the bar. Pan is an imperfect rhyme to those words and completes the line. At the end of the verse he says “So we can battle with raps, we can battle with gats, matter of fact we can battle with plaques.” This has the same rhyme scheme as the last line.

Irony is used to produce dark humor in this song. Kuniva starts his piece off by saying “I’ll walk into a party and just start bustin’, right after I hear the last verse of Self Destruction.” Self Destruction is a song by KRS-One that is about how black people should not fight each other because it holds them back as an ethnicity. It is ironic that Kuniva fictionally listened to this song before starting such violence. Later in the track, Bizarre says “My little girl she shouldn’t listen to this lyric; that’s why I glued headphones to her ears and made sure she hears it.” He has the persona of being a horrible father and it’s ironic that he would make her listen to rap after saying she shouldn’t.

Alliteration is another device that composes a sweeter sounding line. It can make be a powerful tool in a song. Slim’s verse has the words “Switchblade with a little switch to switch blades, and switch from a six to a sixteen inch blade; s**t’s like a samurai sword, a sensei.” The alliteration makes this line much more entertaining to speak and better sounding.

The rappers of D12 use poetic devices such as internal rhyme, irony, and alliteration to perfect their flow and add shady humor to “Rap Game”. Internal rhyme and alliteration were what made the song sound better. This hooks the listener in so they pay attention to smaller details. Irony brought forth the comedy and gave the song more entertaining value. D12 combined these to form a complete and well thought out track.

Analysis of Stan by Eminem

            Shifting from an obsessed fan’s perspective to his own, in “Stan”, Eminem makes use of earnest and bitter tone, skillfully placed point of view, and gloomy mood that fabricates an entertaining and mournful tale bound to pull an emotion response from the listener.

            The tone of Eminem is enough to move any listener and gives life to the mentally unstable fan. The first verse is sincere, for he claims to be his “biggest fan”. In the story, Eminem does not write back so he becomes angry. Stan says “You ain’t called or wrote, I hope you get a chance. I ain’t mad, I just think it’s f**ked up you don’t answer fans”. Finally after not getting a response in “two months”, Stan becomes outraged and snaps. He yells into a recording while driving off a bridge with his girlfriend in the trunk. The resentment in his voice is so strong, even though it is a fictional story.

            The point of view used in this song adds to the story in a way that could not be expressed without it. Eminem finally responds to the letters claiming that he was busy and apologizes for not sending a reply sooner. He talks about how Stan sounds obsessed and that he should see a psychiatrist, and is about to talk about a news story he saw when he realizes the man in the report was Stan. He says “Come to think about it, his name was, it was you?..Damn”. Without point of view, the song would have been more dull and have less depth.

            Mood works coincide with tone to make listeners experience mournfulness. Everything about the song adds to the mood. The music, the slow chorus, and the way the narration unravels help create a gloomy atmosphere. The chorus is “My tea’s gone cold I’m wondering why, I got out of bed at all. The morning rainclouds on my window, and I can’t see at all. And even if I could it’d all be grey…” This sounds like someone who is depressed and cannot see any reason to do anything.

            Eminem uses tone, point of view, and mood to make a sad and powerful song. Tone provides depth and life for the character Stan. Point of view gives a listener the feeling of surprise when Eminem writes him back after he commits suicide. Finally, mood strengthens the other poetic devices and binds the entire song together. “Stan” elements expertly placed to make it a piece of art.

Intro

I've created this blog to point out the good rap that people don't hear anymore because I feel modern Hip Hop has gone stale. Midwest rap is more focused on the flow and ingenuity than the hook, which is the focus of too many songs. Kids nowadays just listen to emcees with songs not even written by the artist. Lyricists are supposed to be clever, and can make you laugh or cry: something I'm not feeling too often with new rhymes.