Analysis of the Lyrics assignment PDF

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Analysis of the Lyrics of “Glory” by John Legend and Common

We are in the century where we interpret things through our lenses based on what we see, feel, and hear. Music and movies play a more significant role in shaping society, particularly to the youths. While artists and singers use music to express their feelings, audiences can see through the eyes of the artist to get the intended meaning (Stephens, Lynn, & Smith, 45) When explaining the meaning of the song, one must have a clear understanding of the lyrics to avoid misinterpretation or misinformation. The award-winning song “Glory,” written by John Legend and Common, is among the song that has remained relevant over the years. The paper takes both the cultural and the historical approach better to understand the exact meaning of the song lyrics. The song shows the inspiration for non-African Americans to treat African-Americans with dignity and equality in observing all human rights for a better society. The language used in the song to pass the message

Throughout the lyrics of the song, John Legend has pointed out the tragedies of the past affecting Africans-Americans through discriminations and other social inequalities. To help the audience understand the exact meaning of the song, the artist has used a straightforward and direct to the point language. For instance, in the first stanza of his song, John legend introduces

“Glory,” expressing his hope for African Americans. He says, “One day when the glory comes/ it will be ours it will be ours,” it is clear that the language used is simple and direct to the point for everyone to understand. Another line that shows the simplicity of the language used is, “Now the war is not over; Victory isn’t won.” The language in this line is straightforward to show people the suffering of the civil rights movement during the period of segregation and racism. To attain equality and fairness in the society, most people use violence and other wrong approaches. However, John Legend is live in that reality and has used a very peaceful language. In one of the lines, “The biggest weapon is to stay peaceful” Common calls for non-violent resistance in their fight for equality and recognition. Together with the line “Enemy is lethal, a king becomes regal,” the two artists were calling people to embrace one another and live positively despite obstacles and challenges. In most cases, it is young people who are involved in the process of fighting for equality in society. The overall language of peace used by the two

artists encourages people to continue fighting for their rights

Something else to note is that the artists have used the first-person point of view. In this case, the audience can see through the eyes of the artist. To pass the theme of the song better, John Legend and Common have used other literary devices like imagery by first describing the setting of America during the time of revolution. By so doing, John Legend and Common create a mood of inspiration for people oppressed with the hope that they will soon overcome and achieve glory. The song has also used symbolism to pass the message to the intended audience. Legend and Common demonstrate to their audiences that the main idea of having BLM is to finish the fight of discrimination and equality. In this music, Legend has metaphorically used the word torch in “They matched with the torch; we go run with it now” (“Glory” 37-38). The torch, in this case, means the torch of equality, which was first held by the Civil Rights Movements.

Just like in poetry where rhyming words are critical in passing the information, the two artists use rhyming words to show to the world the need for equality. For instance, by rhyming the word “history” and “epiphany,” John Legend is trying to connect African-America people to the realization that they are not through with the fight for equality. Also, the reputation of some words like “Glory” and some lines have been used sparingly in the song. For example, the line “One day when the glory comes” has been repeated several times to show African-Americans that the fight is still on because glory is yet to come. Through the use of metaphor and simile, the two artists are successful in reaching out to the target audience. “Freedom is Like religious to us” is a good example of a simile that shows the importance of freedom to Africans-Americans. The use of analogy and illusion has also helped John Legend and Common to pass the message. What this means to the youths Hip-hop music has gained too much attention in the recent past, particularly among youths in America. While it’s clear that the negative impacts of Hip-hop music overweigh its positive effects, the song “Glory” by John Legend shows that Hip hop can also be used to pass a positive message. The language used in this song is good and healthy, unlike most other hip-hop songs. By referring to his language, the artist shows that the youths of today are educated and need to be fed with the right information. Unlike in the past, where youths used to cause chaos and incitement, the language used shows that youths of today can use a non-violent approach to fight for their rights (Ferguson & Burkhalter 47). Youths are more likely to engage in the

transformational agenda of any society than anybody else. As such, they should receive the right information to help them fight for their rights without causing trouble....