Who was Leonard Cohen? He was a poet turned singer from the 1960s. At the start of his career, he only wrote poems, but as time went on, he started creating music to put his words to. In the beginning, Cohen’s music was more folk and country based but it transitioned to a more folk rock, spoken, and pop genre during the later years of his career. Throughout Leonard Cohen’s career, he has infamously been called a ladies’ man and he perpetuates this image through his live performances, however, this is only one of the many personas that Cohen portrays. Although the ladies’ man is Cohen’s most infamous persona, Cohen frequently puts on different masks in each of his songs, like the prophet, or the visionary. This method of using different personas …show more content…
Furthermore, these different personas also create this mystery surrounding Leonard Cohen because his true self is never truly revealed through his songs, which draws people to his music because Cohen remains a mystery. Public figures in the media are often criticized for their professions and it was no different for Leonard Cohen who had critics talk down about his music. To address the criticism given to him, Cohen wrote the country ballad, “A Singer Must Die”, in his fourth studio album, New Skin For The Old Ceremony. This was a song written for the critics to tell them that he didn’t care what they said about him and that he was going to continue doing what he wants. “A Singer Must Die” uses metalanguage to address critics’ critique of Cohen’s personas. Furthermore, it was also a song that helped to address how celebrities would hide their true selves from the media, which is something that Cohen had done by portraying different personas in his songs. Moreover, “A Singer Must Die” also addresses Cohen’s personas and how he would continue using these constructed personas to write his songs. In …show more content…
Therefore, Cohen is never truly himself in his songs, which attracts people to his music because they want to figure out who he is. When there is a mystery surrounding someone, particularly a celebrity, people become drawn to this mystery because they want to solve it. However, this mystery is never solved, because most of Cohen’s songs take on different personas and masks. Even as Cohen sings about himself as a singer in “A Singer Must Die”, the singer he portrays isn’t Cohen exactly, but rather it is a version of himself that he has crafted to make fun of how he was being portrayed in the media. Through Cohen’s other personas, like the ladies’ man and the prophet, Cohen’s true self is also never revealed because he wrote his songs in the perspective of the persona he took on. To answer the question from the beginning, we don’t know who Leonard Cohen really was and this is why Cohen is such a talented and amazing songwriter because he was able to keep his true self a secret from the media for over 50 years. Cohen’s personas and the mystery surrounding him made him into someone that people wanted to know and understand, which is why he continued to write songs from the perspectives of different personas rather than base his songs off of his own personal
Michael Jackson is one of the most widely beloved entertainers and profoundly influential artists of all time; he leaves an indelible imprint on popular music and culture. Commonly referred to as the “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson continues to earn millions of dollars beyond the grave- earning over $700 million in the years since he passed away in 2009. As the pop genre derives from an abbreviation of “popular”, the King of Pop maintained record breaking popularity for extended periods of time. Pop music, is typically short and simple commercially recorded songs oriented towards a youth market; the King of Pop challenged stereotypes and the viewpoints of his audience with songs like “We are the World”, “Man in the Mirror” and many more.
American singer-songwriter and folk musician Bob Dylan describes in his autobiography, as well as his life and music in general, the ambiguity of folk songs and their ability to be openly shared, interpreted, and even fabricated, and he believes that human nature is such that we are most comfortable with this opacity. The work of African American artist Kara Walker reinforces this belief, and applies it to history with the exploration of cultural ideas regarding race, sexuality, identity, gender roles, repression, and violence.
Artists write about what they know; they pull feelings from their heart and their songs relay what the artists’ emotions, whether it be of their hometown, their high school crush, or their experiences. Many artists that came to fame during the twentieth century have a fair share of experiences they share with us in the form of their songs. The twentieth century is comprised of the institution of slavery and its effects, war, gender norms, discrimination based on nationality, sex, race, etc., and countless events that sparked protests and uproars in the United States. Music at this time was a phenomenon, and artists could use it to their advantage. Artists used their music to spread awareness about their cause, influence their listeners, and
Many of us have a dream in life to be remembered by all for something great. It’s a lofty goal that only few have, or ever will achieve. Elvis Presley was one of the few people in our American history that achieved this status. Known as “The King of Rock and Roll”, his achievements have influenced our country like none of its precedents. This paper will explain Elvis Presley’s life, his death, and his profound influence after life.
Some people are born to become legends, Bruce Springsteen is one of them. From the second he was born and through his younger years everyone knew he was destined for something bigger than a regular nine to five life, they just didn’t realize the magnitude of what was to come. Born into a all around food middle-class family, no on in that house hold even Bruce, didn’t realize that within fifty years he would reach living legend status. Also have a title of one of the best musicians to every live. After working hard at what he loves, Bruce has become known as a musical hero and inspiration to his fans and fellow musicians. With his deep lyrics, amazing stage presence, incredible guitar skills, and his passion, he is an untouchable force in the music industry. Using his lyrics to vent his emotions and past, but to also add awareness to social issues around the world. Bruce and his love for music affected him his whole life, and has shaped into what he is today. His music now affects the world. His music has truly changed the world (musically and socially) forever.
Song lyrics have set off a great generation of our leisure time than reading poetic devices, therefore song lyrics are better than poetic devices. Song lyrics have dropped numerous lines that attach to us now a days and make us listen to the line over and over unlike poetic devices. Song Lyrics have so much meaning by word choice and by relations.”Mr. Rager” by Kid Cudi, is about people fed up with society and plan on taking a journey. “Dreams” by Edgar Allen Poe, is about a man who dreams of a greater life. Mr. Rager, the song by Scott Cudi, has a better meaning than Dreaming, the poem by Edgar Allen Poe, by personification, allusion, and symbolism.
To give just a preview of the topics that will be discussed, in this paper I will provide a short biography of Michael Jackson, the onset of his career, a brief description of Pop Music, and his impact and legacy on pop culture and other singers as well. Michael Jackson, the name that the majority of people, including those who do not listen to his music, have heard at least once in their lifetime. He began to love the excitement of being under the spotlight, entertaining the audience with all eyes fixed on him. And that is the core element of fame, especially in the pop music industry, which he later changed for good.
Hank Williams was arguably the most influential country music star of all time. Though his life of fame was short-lived, his legend continues to live among millions of fans. Hank was the first legendary country music singer, and he was an innovator of his time. Hank helped country music spread from the rural south to other parts of the nation. Hank was launched to fame with many songs such as “Your Cheatin Heart,” “Jambalaya,” and “Cold, Cold Heart.” The legacy of Hank Williams continues to influence country music fans worldwide.
In todays society poetry is all around us, we use it in music to deliver messages to the average radio listener. According to SelectUSA (The creative Media industry in the United States) The United States music industry in 2011 reached 15.2 billion dollars. With the information given a person can tell that a lot of time and money goes into music in today’s society. The music people listen to have many different elements that an average listener would not pick up. Many songs have poetic techniques that give great meaning to the song that makes the song unique. The song I Love the way you Lie by Eminem and Rihanna and the song Airplanes by B.o.B are similar in ways they use poetic devises and how the over all message of the two songs can relate to the average person that listen to the song.
An icon for decades, legend for an eternity, Michael Jackson’s impact on the world continues to thrive as a silhouette amongst pop culture. His music has influenced many people to "Xscape" from the deceptions of all the "Dirty Diana[s]. " Yet, his talent has encouraged people to "Scream" through all the "Thriller[s]" they receive as his stardom illuminates the stage as the "Smooth Criminal" of performances. His songs vary from selections that you can "Jam" to, those that promote tough love and adornment, while some are advocates for equality. Jackson is and will remain one of the most profound superstars of his time and one of the most dynamic artists in "History."
In this essay I will attempt to decipher how Frank Sinatra changed music. I will try to understand what made his music so different, unique, and genuine that we still worship him like a god today. In addition, I expect to discover how he changed as a person over his five decade career. I want to analyze who he associated himself with, assuming the possibility that these people had an effect on his music and persona. I believe that while his music changed as did his personality. I trust that when Sinatra originally started singing with the glee club of Demarest High School, he had no idea of where his life was heading, nor the legend he was going to become. Thus, as his fame progressed and evolved so did his music and disposition. In my own opinion, there is no one archetypal Sinatra song or album; honestly I don’t even believe that there is even one true Frank Sinatra style. His five decade career seemed to divide into three distinctive eras. Nonetheless, in order to reflect on one’s life we must start from the beginning.
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein were both writers and producers in the theatre, but, their collaborative venture in the 1940’s introduced a new era of musical theatre. First, they wrote the first musical in which every element: music, lyrics, narrative, and even dance contributed to telling the story, each part blending and woven into the whole. Their new idea was a huge sensation with audiences, and brought with it, new recordings of shows with albums and records to follow and revival productions around the world. The duo changed the fate of musical theatre practically overnight, but, it couldn’t have been done without the projects, big or small, that got them there, their
Shel Silverstein, though shaded from the public eye, was a well known author, poet, illustrator, songwriter, photographer and musician. His poems told the story of incredible people, places and animals from around the world of the imagination. He had a following of millions, yet was very secretive about his life. He had many tragedies take place in a short while, not affecting his professional life enough to hinder him from still creating some of the most unusual and wild poems and stories ever told. He is still recognized as one of America’s best poets and was honored by many awards. Shel Silverstein overcame a lot of struggles and still seemed to touch the lives of millions of children and adults all over the world. Shel Silverstein always encouraged his readers to make their own magic, though he was always making enough for all of us to share.
...orgettable. Research shows that “There’s this unifying force that comes from the music and we don’t get that from other things.”(Landau) Bruce Springsteen is a great storyteller and has captured some of the experiences of the American working class. Even when the lyrics are dark or the subject matter is depressing, he manages to provide hope, too. For as long as I can remember, my mother has been playing Springsteen’s music. When I hear a song of his now, it reminds me of driving down the road with the windows down belting out a song with my mom. As Dave Marsh from Creem Magazine prophetically wrote in 1975, “Springsteen’s music is often strange because is has an almost traditional sense of beauty, an inkling of the awe you can feel when, say, first falling in love or finally discovering that the magic in the music is also in you.” (Bruce Springsteen Biography 2)
His songs, which might be considered as simple, actually have deeply philosophical meaning to contemplate on. For instance, the song “Our Love” which he performed tells about the power of love over any biases, stereotypes and differences. Like the song “Our Love”, there are many lyrics which reaffirm the belief in life and love, as well as depict the challenges and struggles on the way. That is why everyone can connect to the songs, finding one aspect of life or another which one has experienced, as