Existentialism Essay

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Existentialism is a difficult philosophy to define as many philosophers have rejected the term being applied to themselves. The main idea of existentialism, “existence precedes essence” (Sartre), is one of the accepted definitions for existentialism. Some of the other themes associated with existentialism are, “Dread, boredom, alienation, the absurd, freedom, commitment, nothingness, and so on” (Stanford). Existentialist themes are prevalent throughout film and literature, but the philosophy is not as common in popular music. Existentialism has made a significant impact upon popular music’s lyrics. The theme of alienation is prominent throughout existentialism. In The Beatles song, “Eleanor Rigby”, the two characters are completely isolated
The song has themes of despair, freedom and nothingness. The song starts out with an acoustic guitar and a complex string section that builds up throughout the song. The song starts out with Thom Yorke singing very melancholy about the theme of freedom, “I go / Where I please” (Radiohead, “How to Disappear Completely” 3-4). Soon after he sings, “I walk through walls / I float down the Liffey” (“How to disappear Completely” 5-6). The narrator addresses the theme of freedom and that he is in control of his life. Throughout the song Thom Yorke’s voice gradually fills with despair and becomes more dramatic. The theme of nothingness is the main theme of the song. The lyrics that are repeated the most often are, “I’m not here / This isn’t happening” (“How to Disappear Completely” 7-8), the song is a wonderful example of an existential crisis. In the last part of the song the vocals and the string section become more intense and dramatic. He sings, “Strobe lights and blown speakers / Fireworks and hurricanes” (“How to Disappear Completely” 19-20), while the string section swirls around his voice and acoustic guitar. The lines 19-20 in, “How to Disappear Completely” reference large events that make the narrator feel small in the grand scheme of things, which is again followed by, “I’m not here / This isn’t happening” (“How to Disappear Completely” 21-22). The song is about the
The song immediately starts with the theme of alienation. Brian Wilson sings, “I keep looking for a place to fit in, where I can speak my mind / And I’ve been trying hard to find the people that I won’t leave behind” (The Beach Boys, “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times, 1-2). Pet Sounds was mainly an album made by Brian Wilson himself and he used the band as studio musicians. The isolation Brian Wilson experienced while writing the album contributed to the themes in this song. The lyrics, “Every time I get the inspiration to go change things around / No one wants to help me look for places where new things might be found” (“I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times”, 12-13). This could mean he was isolated when he decided to take a completely new direction with the band’s music on the album Pet Sounds. The Velvet Underground had several songs with existential themes. One of the most prominent examples of this is the song, “Heroin”, off their album The Velvet Underground & Nico. The song has the themes of “existence precedes essence” (Sartre), freedom, dread, nothingness and alienation. The song starts out with the lyric, “I don’t know just where I’m going” (The Velvet Underground, “Heroin” 1) and then continues with the

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