Analysis of the Song Some Nights by Fun

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"Fun" is an American indie pop band formed by Nate Ruess in 2008. Since then they have released two albums, Aim and Ignite in 2009 and Some Nights in 2012. Both of these albums were both financially successful because of their deep and meaningful lyrics that Nate himself wrote. Their song, “Some Nights”, was released on June 4, 2012 as part of the album with the same name.

The song is interesting because reading the lyrics, listening to the song, and watching the music video all give different meanings about the song. Reading the lyrics suggests that the song is a depressing story about the inner turmoil the writer is feeling and how he is not sure what to do with his life. But after listening to this upbeat and happy song, it seems like it may not be as dreary as it seemed at first. After watching the music video the message can be reinterpreted to be about the internal conflicts of a soldier fighting in a war and he does not know what he is fighting for. The fact that the music completely changes how the lyrics are interpreted is interesting. Nate uses many literary techniques to make this song mysterious and open to interpretation depending on how it is experienced.

Reading the lyrics makes it seem like the song is a very depressing story about the writer’s life and how he is lost and does not know what to do with his life. At the beginning of the song the singer states, “Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck / Some nights I call it a draw” (1-2). The singer suggests that he is a gambler and that some nights he “cashes in his bad luck”, meaning he gambles his money away, and some nights he calls it a draw, meaning he went even. The song then states, “Some Nights I wish that my lips could build a castle / Some nights ...

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...ho she loved is not going to be the same man who comes back after the war.

Nate Ruess has done an amazing job creating a song that has many different meanings, depending on how it is interpreted. However, if there is one thing that is not likely to be debated it is that Some Nights is a song about the inner turmoil people experience. Whether it is a musician who just reached fame and glory, or a soldier forced to fight for his country. The fact that this song also has an upbeat and catchy tune completely contradicts this meaning though. It is interesting that the music buries the message and makes it more subversive. Some Nights is one of the more original songs on the radio because it explores the turmoil of being a celebrity, which most people do not realize exist.

Works Cited

Ruess, Nate. Some Nights. Fueled by Ramen, 2012. CD.

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