The struggles of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) people for human rights, civil rights, and equal rights has moved to the center stage throughout the world. Inspiring artists, such as Katy Perry and Macklemore, shared their point of views in regards to LGBT through their songs. Katy Perry’s song “Firework” from her album Teenage Dream (2010), focused on the idea of revealing your true self to the world, instead, of keeping it a secret or a hidden darkness inside of you. It tells us not to be afraid of whom we really are but to be proud of it. Then in Macklemore’s “Same Love” song from his album The Heist (2012), he mentioned that human, civil, and equal rights and compared it to the issue of LGBT; that any kind of hate and unacceptable …show more content…
In the first opening lyrics, “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, Drifting through the wind, Wanting to start again;” these lyrics question individuals who are weak and vulnerable and being compared them to a plastic bag, drifting in whichever direction society takes them. These individuals tend to feel worthless, powerless, and tiny in a community because most of the time, they do not even know themselves. Another lyric, “You don’t have to feel, Like a waste of space,” which means that no one is any less important than anyone else and there is a reason for their existence in this world. This contributes to the overall meaning since it tells people that in society, everyone is equal regardless of their preferred sexuality. The song tittle along with the lyrics, “Baby you’re a firework” is comparing an individual’s character to the color of the sparks. Everyone in the world is a human being who has their own unique characteristics; therefore, Katy Perry is expressing that everyone should show their true colors to the world. Everyone is meant to shine and stand out from the rest, no matter what others believe (Montgomery, 2010). This is significant and touching for those who are different and afraid to reveal their true self because it gives them …show more content…
It is more understandable because Macklemore tells an experience of being “gay.” Also, that it is okay to be proud of who you are and that you cannot change who you are so go ahead and just accept it. Lyrics go as read, “For those that like the same sex had the characteristics, the right-wing conservatives think it's a decision, and you can be cured with some treatment and religion.” These lyrics are stating that even politicians believe being homosexual is a decision oneself chose to be. That LGBT is an option and not a given but the truth is, they do not understand how hard it is for LGBT individuals to accept it themselves. As the next set of lyrics describes how a LGBT individual would think “And I can’t change, even if I tried, Even if I wanted to.” This again states that being homosexual is not a choice and they cannot change something that is unchangeable. Love from a mother to a father, parents to their children, woman to a man, man to a man, woman to a woman, are all the “same love.” As long as affection is being traded and shared, it is the same love that any others are receiving and this should be acknowledged and
The song has heavily used imagery when stating “And the Legal pads were yellow, hour’s long, pay packet lean. And the telex writers clattered where the gunships once had been.” This is used to explain his stress of coming back to civilization after war and all the things that once traumatized you are now take place in a different way. The song also uses Social Criticism“And she was like so many more from that time on. Their lives were all so empty, till they found their chosen one.” This is used to say that a female’s life is incomplete until they settle down and marry. Cold chisel has added this in to reconnect with their message to show that women are incomplete without their male counterparts and it makes it hard for both people in the relationship after war because of a miscommunication between love and
This song talks a lot about the baggage of the past that people hold onto instead of letting it go. All that baggage is only going to end up hurting you more and more instead of helping you in any way possible. An example is the opening
In the song talks meanly about how a guy pretends to be someone who he isnt so that people get along whith him. Based upon a research about the song, its basically about how a guy takes to dinner pretndending to be a good person, in conclusion he drugs her so that he can take her to a hotel and raped her.
This allows the listener to visualize a woman on fire but the woman not being affected by the flames pointing out a woman’s strength and also how much pain she can endure without showing signs of hurt. Further in the song Key’s goes on to say that “she got her head in the clouds, and she’s not backing down” shining a light on the amount of drive and persistence a woman has and how she will stop at nothing to reach her goals no matter how outlandish they may seem. A very powerful message is being given when Key’s says “looks like a girl but she’s a flame, so bright she can burn your eyes, better look the other way”. The use of the hyperbole helps compare a woman to having the power as equal to fire illustrating the emotional and mental strength a woman has in order to endure anything thrown her way, no matter her outer appearance. This statement also exaggerates a woman’s potential, instilling fear in anyone who doubts her, as well giving off the impression that you should never underestimate a woman because she is stronger than what meets the
In our society, equality has always been a reoccurring issue. All the way from early slavery and the Holocaust to discrimination toward African Americans and same-sex marriages. As much as our world works on being equal, each culture has its differences. In Michael Jackson’s song, “Black or White” and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ song, “Same Love,” they approach the same topic, equality. Each song is touching on the important issues of the time, racial discrimination and same-sex relationships. Both artists have the same visions on fairness and each song is just the start of how people started to change their views on these equality differences.
Macklemore begins with “When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay, / 'Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight. / I told my mom, tears rushing down my face.” In just these first couple of lines, the listener is easily able to understand what the song is about, and also comprehend the stereotype that is associated with gays and lesbians. The listener is given the equation that Macklemore made up when he was younger; he added the stereotypes that were given to gays: being artistic, having a gay relative, and being tidy. By following these fashions, he assumed that he was gay as well. When Macklemore states that tears were rushing down his face, it gives even more awareness to the negative connotation that gays
For years homosexuality in the United States of America has been looked down upon by citizens, religions, and even politicians. The homosexual culture, or the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender), has been demoralized and stuck out and lashed against by the Heterosexual community time and time again. To better understand the LGBT community we must first grasp the concept of Sexual Orientation.
Currently, only 13 countries offer rights for members of the LGBT community. Within those countries, few offer equal rights such as health care, marriage rights, and adoption to LGBT members. Many people around the globe would agree that these rights, along with all other rights granted to heterosexuals, should not be granted to these members of the LGBT community. One prevalent notion is that being gay, or being included in the LGBT community, is unnatural. This notion is simply incorrect; everyone, no matter their gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation does, in fact, deserve the same liberties as their heterosexual counterparts. Being a member of the LGBT community has no negative effect on the lives of others unless those people view heterosexuality in a negative light, allowing it to bedevil them, and ultimately change the way they live their life. Being gay is completely natural. Though some would argue that homosexuality is unnatural, others would disagree, being that research has been conducted. The conclusion was that the way people think and feel towards others is s...
In Amy Lowell’s “Fireworks,” Lowell shows the dangers of holding onto a bad relationship. Lowel uses the connotations of fireworks to establish the peril that can come with the joys of fireworks. “ Lowell uses imagery to enforce this danger that may come with seeing someone you’ve had a defective relationship with. “And go up in a flaming wonder / Of saffron cubes, and crimson moons” (14,15). The use of warm colors, like red, links to the risk of this relationship. The sharp edges and points of the shapes displayed could also signify the danger of being with this particular person again. When they meet their mixed energy creates a dangerous atmosphere that the narrator should remove themselves from. Lowell also uses the connotations of fireworks
In essence, this song carries various sociological concepts. It concentrates on the main idea about the social construction of reality and talking about how reality is changing. The song questions the actions and mentally of individuals violating the norms and values of society. The band takes into consideration various factors of why it is happening including the media and religion. As a result they talk about such influences taking control building and developing a sense of self. This is a great song about present day problems and how society changes with them.
“Same Love” by Macklemore is a song that tackles a tough social issue and the importance of the issue in a very successful manner. I have great respect for Macklemore for choosing such a controversial and important topic, when his celebrity status is still relatively new and in the limelight. He saw that he had the power and media’s attention, so he took that opportunity and used it to make a positive statement.
This music video is told from the perspective of the queen. She has no king and is searching for an equal. A group of men come to her bearing gifts to show they are worthy of such an honor. If the gift is not sufficient Perry uses her dark magic upon the man and transforms the man into an object. Katy Perry is the center of attention and is always in the front of the camera. The
Gay, Faggot, Dyke, and Butch are a few examples of gay slurs that society has used in negative light. “’Man, that’s gay’ gets dropped on the daily/we become so numb to what we’re saying/call each other faggots…/gay is synonymous with the lesser” (Macklemore Ln 35-36, 39). These lyrics identify how we as a society make the idea of being gay a bad thing. When he says that gay is synonymous with the lesser, he is saying that society thinks that because you are gay, you are lesser than everyone else. It’s the same idea that woman and black people have gone through in history. Black people were believed not to have a choice because they were below white men and the same idea went for woman as well until people fought for their rights. He wants us to realize that this war for gay rights has already happened in different forms: “It’s the same hate that’s caused wars from religion/gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment” (Macklemore Ln 40-41). He also adds imagery to this statement by showing images from the past of a black and white woman running at the beach and laughing together and the American flag flowing. The image of the flag is shown because it is supposed to represent freedom but for a homosexual person, it restricts them from being who they
In the music video there is a scene in the end of the video where after Katy has been through everything, she is in a meadow with a man that resembles prince charming, they both go in for a kiss and prince charming crosses his fingers and Katy sees that so she punches him on the face and he fall away into a bush. This appeals to logos because if someone who claims to love you really do not love you and has just been using you from the start, a punch in the face is what he would be rewarded with. When someone is deceiving you your logical reaction is to get very angry and that causes us to do stupid things. Katy is telling us through this video that you cannot let someone or something control you, you will get hurt but you will recover. That's the logical thing to do when you're down; you get back up and learn from your mistakes. Like Katy, when we falling from external comforts, we too can “pick up every piece, and land on our feet” with new internal realizations. As she claims, truly, we “Need nothing to complete