English 1302

Critical Reading, Writing, and Thinking in Argument

Argument in Song

For this extra-credit assignment, I would like you to examine a set of lyrics of your choosing. Find a song that you feel makes a unique or interesting claim. As a “comment” to this post, please post the following:

1. The complete lyrics to the song you’ve chosen

2. A paragraph discussing what you see as the claim, support, and warrants of the lyrics. Are the other non-essential elements of Toulmin present that you can identify?

3. A paragraph examining the audience of the work — who is the song meant to appeal to? Take genre, musical style, claims, etc. into account. For example, if you are looking at a country song, who might be the target audience for that song and how would they be distinct or different from the audience for a song in the rap genre? Are you in the target audience for the song you chose? Why or why not? How does that affect how you view the message of the lyrics?

3. What other elements of the rhetorical situation do you feel are important in analyzing these lyrics? Constraints? Exigence? Author? and why?

Please post this assignment by Monday morning (Feb. 19th) for 5 points extra credit.

13 Comments

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13 responses so far ↓

  • 1    Richard Dale // Feb 15, 2007 at 9:33 pm

    I choose the Oompa Loompa song from Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory.

    Here are the Lyrics
    From Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-do
    I have a perfect puzzle for you
    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-dee
    If you are wise, you’ll listen to me

    What do you get when you guzzle down sweets?
    Eating as much as an elephant eats
    What are you at getting terribly fat?
    What do you think will come of that?

    I don’t like the look of it

    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-da
    If you’re not greedy, you will go far Greed
    You will live in happiness too
    Like the Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do

    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-do
    I have another puzzle for you
    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-da-dee
    If you are wise, you’ll listen to me

    Gum chewing’s fine when it’s once in a while
    It stops you from smoking and brightens your smile
    But it’s repulsive, revolting, and wrong
    Chewing and chewing all day long

    The way that a cow does

    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-da
    Given good manners, you will go far
    You will live in happiness too
    Like the Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do

    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-do
    I have another puzzle for you
    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-da-dee
    If you are wise, you’ll listen to me

    Who do you blame when your kid is a brat?
    Pampered and spoiled like a Siamese cat
    Blaming the kids is a lie and a shame
    You know exactly who’s to blame

    The mother and the father

    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-da
    If you’re not spoiled, then you will go far
    You will live in happiness too
    Like the Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do

    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-do
    I have another puzzle for you
    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-da-dee
    If you are wise, you’ll listen to me

    What do you get from a glut of TV?
    A pain in the neck and an IQ of three
    Why don’t you try simply reading a book?
    Or can you just not bear to look?

    You’ll get no…you’ll get no…you’ll get no commercials

    Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-da
    If you’re not greedy, you will go far
    You will live in happiness too
    Like the Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do

    The claim of this wrong is that performing the actions listed in the song is bad for the child and reflects badly on the parents. The warrant is that no one likes rude behavior listed in the song. Another warrant is that any extreme in anything such as eating, greed or watching T.V. is not good for you. The most important warrant of all is that parents should know what is best for their children and not let the behavior listed above happen. The actual support for all of this is written in the song as tiny oompa loompa provide vivid examples of what they are talking about such chewing like a cow or pampered like a Siamese cat. Another essential element to this sng is the presentation of the son by little elves basically who seem to know a great deal about children and what kind of guidelines they need. Perhaps because they are child like themselves.

    The song is from a kids movie and is meant to appeal to kids, but the song also has another audience and that is the parent of the child. The song points out incorrect behavior and actually gives tips to both child and parent on how to correct the situation like reading a book instead of watching TV all day. The tone of the whimsical one especially since it comes from little orange men who look like children. It easier to give advice like this and it be accepted from a child like being in musical number than if this was presented in monologue in the story. More about the song is the rhythm within the song that provides another way the son and advice is more accepted.

    With regards to the Rhetorical situation the text is more of a child limerick and there is rhyming and a beat to the song. The targeted audience is children of any age. The author gives us the feeling that the Oompa loompa are the author and that make the whole song work and its gives the song some credibility. More so that if it was coming from an adult. The cause of this argument was the failure of each child to overcome a particular sin or personality failure and be good children

  • 2    Tiffany // Feb 15, 2007 at 10:49 pm

    I chosed “Change in the house of Flies” by Deftones:

    I’ve watched you change
    Into a fly
    I looked away
    You were on fire
    I watched a change in you
    It’s like you never had wings
    Now you feel so alive
    I’ve watched you change

    I took you home
    Set you on the glass
    I pulled off your wings
    Then I laughed
    I watched a change in you
    It’s like you never had wings
    Now you feel so alive
    I watched you change

    It’s like you never had…
    annhh-ahah (6 x)

    I look at the cross
    Then I look away
    Give you the gun
    Blow me away
    I watched a change in you
    It’s like you never had wings
    Now you feel so alive
    I’ve watched you change
    And you feel alive
    You feel alive (2 x)
    I’ve watched you change
    It’s like you never had wings ahhh ahh ahh…

    Annhh-ahah (6 x)
    You change (3 x)

    People are so caught up with impressing others or trying to fit in with the crowd, that they loose their own identity. Most people are so artificial that they purchase items that make them closer to celebrities, such as Paris Hilton, Mannie Fresh, or Hillary Duff. Everywhere there are advertisements promoting people to copy cat each other. For example, in present society plastic surgery is one of the most popular ways to change the way someone looks. Many common people (non celebrities) are spending thousands of dollars to look exactly like someone in Hollywood. Society is full of hypocrisy. One minute they will tell you to be an individual and the next they will say, “Wear this or you are nobody.” In the mellow song “Change (In the House of Flies)” by Deftones the lead singer, Chino Moreno, vocalizes how he watches his friend follow the crowd and she hates herself for it. This song argues that some people “…change,” (Moreno 1) to fit into society, so “Now [they] feel so alive,” (Moreno 9) and when others try to help them to be an individual, they “Blow [you] away.” (Moreno 27)

  • 3    sowa1302 // Feb 15, 2007 at 11:12 pm

    Richard,

    This is fabulous. What a great idea! I laughed when I saw this, and this is one of the reasons it’s great to be a teacher — your students come up with creative things you would never have thought of! I liked your point that Oompa Loompas may have more “cred” with kids than parental figures!

    Tiffany,
    Also a great idea! I like how you’ve connected the song to current pop culture and maybe some constraints of your own.

    Thanks for the ideas, guys!

    Ms. Sowa

  • 4    William Machel // Feb 16, 2007 at 5:31 pm

    Artist: Toadies Song: Tyler

    And she runs through her days with a smile on her face
    And she runs, and she waits, and I wait

    We can drive to anyplace, day or night, across the state
    And in the morning, into Mexico, we will wake up

    I find a window in the kitchen, and I let myself in
    Rummage through the refrigerator, find myself a beer
    I can’t believe I’m really here, and she’s lying in that bed
    I can almost feel her touch, and her anxious breath!

    I stumble in the hallway, against the bedroom door
    I hear her call out to me, I hear the fear in her voice
    She pulls the covers tighter, I press against the door

    I will be with her tonight!

    You just really have to watch the music video. This song just talks of old happy memories of a guy with his girlfriend. They are always taking road trips and are happy together. A fight breaks out between them and the guy leaves and the girl is left crying at home. The guy comes back all drunk and can’t get into the house, so he crawls through an open window in the kitchen and is back in the same house with his girlfriend from years past. The song ends with him slumped against the door and her under the covers, in her bed listening and knowing it’s him.

  • 5    Courtney // Feb 16, 2007 at 6:45 pm

    When you’re out with your friends
    In your new Mercedes-Benz
    And you’re on drugs
    And you show up late for school
    ‘Cause you think you’re really cool
    When you’re on drugs
    And you put on your headphones
    And you step into the zone
    When you’re on drugs
    But the world don’t care
    If you are or are not there
    ‘Cause you’re on drugs

    Give it to me!
    We are all on drugs, yeah
    Never getting enough (Never get enough)
    We are all on drugs, yeah
    Give me some of that stuff (Woo!)

    And you twitch in your seat
    ‘Cause you wanna hit the street
    When you’re on drugs
    And you cause such a fuss
    ‘Cause there’s no one you can trust
    When you’re on drugs
    And the best of your days
    Will vanish in the haze
    When you’re on drugs
    And you wish you could quit
    ‘Cause you’re really sick of it
    But you’re on drugs

    Give it to me!
    We are all on drugs, yeah
    Never getting enough (Never get enough)
    We are all on drugs, yeah
    Give me some of that stuff (Woo!)

    I want to confiscate your drugs
    I dont think I can get enough… Uh!

    Give it to me!
    We are all on drugs, yeah
    Never getting enough
    We are all on drugs, yeah
    Give me some of that stuff (Woo!)

    We are all on drugs (We are all on drugs)
    We are all on drugs (We are all on drugs)
    We are all on drugs (We are all on drugs)
    We are all on drugs (Woo!)

    There are two simple claims in “We Are All On Drugs”. The first is that more people of different classes and social groups are using drugs more frequently. The second is that drugs control your life. The first claim is supported by the beginning of the song where a wealthy, high school student that uses drugs is described as well as the catchy, frequently used line, “We are all on drugs”. An explanation and examples of how drugs affect you and your daily life is later provided in the next verse and the chorus. The affects of drugs and their control on general life are widely known in America and the claim is easily believable. The song is very catchy and was played on both pop and alternative stations, like most Weezer songs are. Since Weezer has been on the radio for over a decade, their fans form a very large target audience with varying ages. I am in the target audience and am a Weezer fan. This did not really affect how I viewed the message of the lyrics. I think your upbringing and experience with drugs is what will affect how you perceive the lyrics. For example, I am from an urban neighborhood in the Bay Area of California. Growing up in the ghetto, it was easy to see the negative affects and the power of drugs. Somehow I ended up living in the Grapevine-Southlake-Colleyville area. Suddenly I was going to school with spoiled kids exactly like the ones described in the first verse of the lyrics. I realized it doesn’t matter where you are or how much money you make (or don’t). There are drug problems everywhere and that is exactly what this song describes.

  • 6    sowa1302 // Feb 16, 2007 at 6:49 pm

    William,

    This is my favorite Toadies song, but don’t you think it’s incredibly creepy? This guy is fantasizing about a girl, and then he breaks into her house at night? What about the fear in her voice and the violent undertones of this song? What is the claim? To get your full 5 points, give me a little more than a summary of the music video. Address the questions I have asked you to look at, such as identifying the rhetorical situation and elements of Toulmin. Great song choice!

    Courtney,

    Interesting lyrics! I like how you’ve analyzed a few possible claims of the song, rather than just finding one. Do you think that one is a dominant claim and one is maybe a sub-claim? Are there other claims in this song that could be classified as sub-claims?

    Thanks for the examples, guys!

    Ms. Sowa

  • 7    Vishal Sharma // Feb 17, 2007 at 6:15 pm

    Artist: Eminem

    Song Title: “Sing For The Moment”

    [Verse 1]
    These ideas are nightmares to white parents
    Whose worst fear is a child with dyed hair and who likes earrings
    Like whatever they say has no bearing, it’s so scary in a house that allows
    no swearing
    To see him walking around with his headphones blaring
    Alone in his own zone, cold and he don’t care
    He’s a problem child
    And what bothers him all comes out, when he talks about
    His fuckin’ dad walkin’ out
    Cause he just hates him so bad that he blocks him out
    If he ever saw him again he’d probably knock him out
    His thoughts are whacked, he’s mad so he’s talkin’ back
    Talkin’ black, brainwashed from rock and rap
    He sags his pants, do-rags and a stocking cap
    His step-father hit him, so he socked him back, and broke his nose
    His house is a broken home, there’s no control, he just let’s his emotions
    go…

    [Chorus]
    {C’mon}, sing with me, {sing}, sing for the years
    {Sing it}, sing for the laughter, sing for the tears, {c’mon)
    Sing it with me, just for today, maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you
    away…

    [Verse 2]
    Entertainment is changin’, intertwinin’ with gangsta’s
    In the land of the killers, a sinner’s mind is a sanctum
    Holy or unholy, only have one homie
    Only this gun, lonely cause don’t anyone know me
    Yet everybody just feels like they can relate, I guess words are a
    mothafucka they can be great
    Or they can degrade, or even worse they can teach hate
    It’s like these kids hang on every single statement we make
    Like they worship us, plus all the stores ship us platinum
    Now how the fuck did this metamorphosis happen
    From standin’ on corners and porches just rappin’
    To havin’ a fortune, no more kissin’ ass
    But then these critics crucify you, journalists try to burn you
    Fans turn on you, attorneys all want a turn at you
    To get they hands on every dime you have, they want you to lose your mind
    every time you mad
    So they can try to make you out to look like a loose cannon
    Any dispute won’t hesitate to produce handguns
    That’s why these prosecutors wanna convict me, strictly just to get me off
    of these streets quickly
    But all they kids be listenin’ to me religiously, so i’m signin’ cd’s while
    police fingerprint me
    They’re for the judge’s daughter but his grudge is against me
    If i’m such a fuckin’ menace, this shit doesn’t make sense Pete
    It’s all political, if my music is literal, and i’m a criminal how the fuck
    can I raise a little girl
    I couldn’t, I wouldn’t be fit to, you’re full of shit too, Guerrera, that
    was a fist that hit you…

    [CHORUS]

    [Verse 3]
    They say music can alter moods and talk to you
    Well can it load a gun up for you , and cock it too
    Well if it can, then the next time you assault a dude
    Just tell the judge it was my fault and i’ll get sued
    See what these kids do is hear about us totin’ pistols
    And they want to get one cause they think the shit’s cool
    Not knowin’ we really just protectin’ ourselves, we entertainers
    Of course the shit’s affectin’ our sales, you ignoramus
    But music is reflection of self, we just explain it, and then we get our
    checks in the mail
    It’s fucked up ain’t it
    How we can come from practically nothing to being able to have any fuckin’
    thing that we wanted
    That’s why we sing for these kids, who don’t have a thing
    Except for a dream, and a fuckin’ rap magazine
    Who post pin-up pictures on their walls all day long
    Idolize they favorite rappers and know all they songs
    Or for anyone who’s ever been through shit in their lives
    Till they sit and they cry at night wishin’ they’d die
    Till they throw on a rap record and they sit, and they vibe
    We’re nothin’ to you but we’re the fuckin’ shit in they eyes
    That’s why we seize the moment try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and
    hold it
    Cause we consider these minutes golden
    And maybe they’ll admit it when we’re gone
    Just let our spirits live on, through our lyrics that you hear in our
    songs and we can…

    [CHORUS X2]

    The claim is that Eminem is trying to make his audience, the people, who buy his music, to understand that rap artists write music to express their emotions. Also, rap artists carry weapons to protect themselves, and their families. The support of these claims is personal experience because Eminem has experienced this in his life. The warrant is the fact that many people assume most rap artists have not had any education, however Eminem did graduate high school, and was accepted into Harvard.

    The song is meant to appeal the children who think it is cool to have a gun, when rap artists are “just protectin” themselves. What children do not understand is that most rap artists were/are members of gangs, thus their families may be in danger because of gang rivalry. I am not amongst one of the people in the target audience, because I understand the reasoning for why Eminem has weapons to protect his family, but I believe that other children buy weapons, because they want to be “cool” like their idols. Nothing affects the way I view the rap genre, because I’ve noticed that most songs that artists write are written from the heart and from life experiences, thus from my experience most people like music because of the lyrics, or the music.

    In this song there seems to be no constraints, because most songs do not have profanity, however this song does, thus it seems that the only constraint has been broken. The exigence has already been stated because it is similar to the appeal. Eminem explains in this song for why rappers do what they do and why they make certain decisions such as having a gun. Also, the title of the song, “Sing For The Moment”, plays a role, because children seem to cherish and remember the most joyful moments in life.

    Also, while I was reading the lyrics to the song, it seems to me that the verses are set up similar to a paper. Verse one is the introduction, followed by the chorus which is the transition, then verse two which is the body paragraphs, followed by another transition, and then verse three, the conclusion.

  • 8    Kyle Herrley // Feb 17, 2007 at 8:22 pm

    His old man was a rebel yeller:
    Bad boy to the bone.
    He’d say: “Can’t trust that other fella,”
    He’d judge ‘em by the tone of their skin.
    He was raised to think like his Dad:
    Narrow mind full of hate.
    On the road to no-where fast,
    Till the Grace of God got in the way.
    Then he saw the Light an’ hit his knees an’ cried an’ said a prayer:
    Rose up a brand new man; left the old one right there.

    Here’s to the strong; thanks to the brave.
    Don’t give up hope: some people change.
    Against all odds, against the grain,
    Love finds a way: some people change.

    She was born with her mother’s habit:
    You could say: “It’s in her blood.”
    She hates that she’s gotta have it:
    As she fills her glass up.
    An she’d love to kill that bottle,
    But all she can think about,
    Is a, a better life, a second chance,
    An’ everyone she’s letting down.
    She throws that bottle down.

    Here’s to the strong; thanks to the brave.
    Don’t give up hope: some people change.
    Against all odds, against the grain,
    Love finds a way: some people change.

    Thank God for those who make it:
    Let them be the Light.

    (Let them be the light)
    (Some people change.)
    Here’s to the strong; thanks to the brave.
    Don’t give up hope: some people change.
    Against all odds, against the grain,
    Love finds a way: some people change.
    Some people change.

    (Some people change)

    This song claims that with love certain people who have been stuck in a certain way for a period of time can change their ways. Most of us assume that if a person is on ways there is no ways that they could be any different. maybe people just need that something or someone to give them that push start into a new and better direction. It states in the lyrics “Againt all odds,”
    This is a country song by Montgomery Gentry, and like most country songs this tells stories of situations the lesson is teaching. This song appeals to anyone who is struggling to make good decisions who have made bad one most of their life . In this case its is usally pointed towards an older crowd because they have lived longer and had more chances of making mistakes. This song really appeals to me because I was a different person before my accident. Before I only cared for myself and was selfish. The right people came to me and now Im a totally different person. Im sure this song cann apply to alot of people in their situations.

  • 9    Gabriela Garcia // Feb 18, 2007 at 2:29 pm

    I chose “Same Mistake Twice” by 311

    It’s one thing to make the
    Same mistake twice
    Another thing to make it
    All of your life
    It’s one thing to make the
    Same mistake twice
    Another thing to make it
    All of your life

    The more you strengthen your denial
    The more you turn to your desire
    Na na na na
    Appetite fight you’ll beat it yet
    Na na na na
    By hook or by crook on that I would bet
    Just hang on in there

    It’s one thing to make the
    Same mistake twice
    Another thing to make it
    All of your life

    Lost in a barrel of wine and whining
    Snared in a trap of your own designing
    Don’t be so sure
    Nobody knows when it will end
    Don’t be so sure
    Wouldn’t I speak up if I’m a true friend
    Just hang on in there

    It’s one thing to make the
    Same mistake twice
    Another thing to make it
    All of your

    Life, your life
    Another detail just goes by
    Fallen into the abyss that has become your life

    It’s one thing to make the
    Same mistake twice
    Another thing to make it
    All of your life

    All of your life

    The reason why I chose this song is because of the lyrics of the song. What the song means is that you learn from your mistakes, but its another thing if you don’t learn from them and you keep committing them for the rest of your life. In this case of the song, it refers to a friend who has a drug abuse problem, and they’re are offering moral support. You have to face the fact that you do have a problem, otherwise it’ll be harder for you to get over it and fix it.

    The song is meant to appeal to fans of 311 (obviously) but more specifically to those who have drug problems. The target audience is usually a younger audience like teenagers and college students who are being introduced to such substances.The audience is usually a lot different from the audience of country fans. You don’t normally see someone dressed like a cowboy at a 311 country. And from the little I know about country music, most of their song topics are usually about alcohol and drinking, or even love songs. I am in the target audience of 311 because I am in the age range of their audience, but their lyrics don’t affect me personally because I am not a victim of drug or substance abuse.

    Exigence and author can definately be used for analyzing these lyrics because the author is trying to let their friend know that they are there to try and help, offering that moral supports. Exigence can also be used because the author is recognizing that something is not right with their friend and they are trying to help them make things right.

  • 10    Morghan // Feb 18, 2007 at 3:39 pm

    Look at the two of you dancing that way
    Lost in the moment and each others face
    So much in love your alone in this place
    Like there’s nobody else in the world
    I was enough for her not long ago
    I was her number one
    She told me so
    And she still means the world to me
    Just so you know
    So be careful when you hold my girl
    Time changes everything
    Life must go on
    And I’m not gonna stand in your way

    But I loved her first and I held her first
    And a place in my heart will always be hers
    From the first breath she breathed
    When she first smiled at me
    I knew the love of a father runs deep
    And I prayed that she’d find you someday
    But it still hard to give her away
    I loved her first

    How could that beautiful women with you
    Be the same freckle face kid that I knew
    The one that I read all those fairy tales to
    And tucked into bed all those nights
    And I knew the first time I saw you with her
    It was only a matter of time

    But I loved her first and I held her first
    And a place in my heart will always be hers
    From the first breath she breathed
    When she first smiled at me
    I knew the love of a father runs deep
    And I prayed that she’d find you someday
    But its still hard to give her away
    I loved her first

    From the first breath she breathed
    When she first smiled at me
    I knew the love of a father runs deep
    Someday you might know what I’m going through
    When a miracle smiles up at you
    I loved her first

    The claim of this song relate back to the idea of no matter what happens the love of a father and daughter will never die. warrants of this claim are found through the little examples and incidents that the “father” gives through out the song such as describing that little freckle faced girl that he tucked into bed all those nights. Incidents such as those that take fathers and daughters of the real world back into memories. The purpose of this song, like many other country songs, is to teach its listeners a lesson or relate to them in some sort of way. In this example the audience is fathers as well as their daughters who are engaged in a relationship or just daughters that have just gotten out of the house. The message is that love never dies and a bond between a father and daughter can’t be broken. Heartland supports it claim by once again just appealing to the audiences memory, giving example that most likely we have all encountered at one time.

  • 11    Spenser Walters // Feb 19, 2007 at 2:57 am

    “All Hail Halo”
    by Bullets and Octane
    Born again like a coma
    I’m a head that spins in a congregation of sin
    Know you can’t but you wanna
    Raise your hands for all this lost religion
    You suffer endlessly while the preacher preaches
    Digging his fingers in me
    His message molesting me
    All along so strong so wrong
    But I kind of like it
    Bow our heads, forgive me in this moment of silence
    If I die before I wake this faith means nothing really at all.
    Such a Saturday night lover
    And in the early morning
    There’s a Sunday’s forgiveness
    Repentance over and over to a safe secure place
    Your heavenly disgrace now
    Wink your eye to your altar boy’s thighs
    Is that your choice of toys
    Hey father, hail Mary said 1, 2, 3
    Bow our heads, forgive me in this moment of silence
    If I die before I wake this faith means nothing really at all.
    Do we all stand in the right hand of your heavenly father
    While the left one creates me to poison everyone
    Say it aint so, but it is
    Do we stand up, sit down, kneel for the one true creator
    While the preacher has his hand with a boy saying you’ve been saved
    I don’t know, but you’d think so
    All Hail Halo
    This god, this throne
    It’s all you’ve known, that’s all you know(section repeats 3 times)
    Bow our heads, forgive me in this moment of silence
    If I die before I wake this faith means nothing really at all.
    Bow our heads(x3)
    This fate means nothing really, means nothing really at all
    The song appears to be about hypocrisy in church and specifically references the incidents of child molestation in the Catholic Church. Bullets is speaking out about “Sunday morning Christians” who claim to be good Christians but they look down upon and punish those around them for committing sins that they themselves have on several occasions committed. This type of hypocrisy is rampant in churches and can often be traced back up the church hierarchy to the leaders of the church like Sunday school teachers and in the songs example priests. They reference altar boys so that they can highlight the corruption of the church official who preaches to his congregation about living morally good lives while he himself is not practicing what he preaches. Bullets is assuming that we are aware of the molestation that has occurred in the churches and the practice of repenting from ones previous sins.
    The audience the song is addressing is the rock and roll fans of the world, a group that is themselves often viewed as immoral. Some fans may be able to relate easily to the song as I did. The hypocrisy in church is the reason that I stopped attending church. I didn’t enjoy someone telling me I was a bad person and a bad Christian because I’ve done some things that are considered “wrong” in the churches eyes; things that every human is guilty of doing at one time or another. Religious extremists would see interpret the song much differently than your average rocker. They would think it wrong and claim that Bullets was “attacking churches” when they are actually only attacking the hypocrites within churches. Nobody is perfect and Bullets understands that and is trying to get the message through to their fans and anyone else who will listen.
    Being that the author of the song is a rock band from California some might think that they lack credibility as a group that should be speaking out against hypocritical practices in church. However they have likely experienced these things first hand since they feel strongly enough to write a song about it and if this is the case are virtual experts on the subject. Rock bands while having the appeal of celebrities also maintain a down to earth air about them that helps them connect with their audiences and helps them to convey their messages better than say a politician could.

  • 12    Spenser Walters // Feb 19, 2007 at 2:59 am

    When I copy and pasted my comment from microsoft word it took the liberty of removing all the spaces between verses and paragraphs, sorry about that.

  • 13    Azeez Olabode // Feb 19, 2007 at 1:41 pm

    John Mayer-”Waiting on the world”
    me and all my friends
    we’re all misunderstood
    they say we stand for nothing and
    there’s no way we ever could
    now we see everything that’s going wrong
    with the world and those who lead it
    we just feel like we don’t have the means
    to rise above and beat it
    so we keep waiting
    waiting on the world to change
    we keep on waiting
    waiting on the world to change

    it’s hard to beat the system
    when we’re standing at a distance
    so we keep waiting
    waiting on the world to change
    now if we had the power
    to bring our neighbors home from war
    they would have never missed a Christmas
    no more ribbons on their door
    and when you trust your television
    [ these lyrics found on http://www.completealbumlyrics.com ]

    what you get is what you got
    cause when they own the information, oh
    they can bend it all they want

    that’s why we’re waiting
    waiting on the world to change
    we keep on waiting
    waiting on the world to change

    it’s not that we don’t care,
    we just know that the fight ain’t fair
    so we keep on waiting
    waiting on the world to change

    and we’re still waiting
    waiting on the world to change
    we keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
    one day our generation
    is gonna rule the population
    so we keep on waiting
    waiting on the world to change

    we keep on waiting
    waiting on the world to change

    It’s about voicing opinions and making the world and government understand what’s going
    claim; hisclaims isthat the masses generally are sitting back not taking action on thing we see wrong in our enviroment
    support;not a whole lot
    warrants;he believes that nobody is standing up for what is right,just standing at a distance and letting things happen everybody should take action,get involved with there society.

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