Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Holly Pepper- Assign. 1


Fiona Apple is a singer and artist that I admire. I decided to choose the lyrics to her song “Extraordinary Machine”. Her music and songs are deeply enrooted in metaphors, ritual resistance, and forms of socialization whether she is for or against it. There are many things that connect Fiona Apple’s lyrics to Cultural Elements, and socialization in Chapter 5. I want to discuss some of the different topics that relate to her music in relation to our book.
First I want to address the Cultural Elements section of Metaphors. Fiona uses metaphors as figures of speech in her music all the time. In the lyrics of “Extraordinary Machine” she uses a metaphor by describing herself as a machine. Another section of Cultural Elements I want to compare to “Extraordinary Machine” is Rituals. In our book it talks about rituals being anything from day to day rituals, to big annual celebrations, to cultural value systems such as what is considered normal to certain groups of people or organizations. In Fiona’s “Extraordinary Machine” lyrics she talks about breaking “traditions” of modern day celebrity rituals with lines such as “I certainly haven't been shopping for any new shoes…” and “I certainly haven't been spreading myself around, I still only travel by foot…” I don’t know about you but I don’t know of to many celebrities that travel by foot?

I also wanted to discuss and compare Fiona’s lyrics to socialization. Her lyrics describe parts of the process of her socialization when she writes “I am the baby of the family, it happens, so - Everybody cares and wears the sheeps' clothesWhile they chaperone…” and in turn she also describes her resistance to socialization and not wanting to except the “norm” in other lines, “ I mean to prove I mean to move in my own way”.

In conclusion after analyzing “Extraordinary Machine” lyrics and seeing how it relates to Cultural Elements, and Socialization, it shows me that as an artist Fiona writes with many forms of communication processes and isn’t just stuck on one way of writing. This confirms that when I am listening to Fiona Apple that I am listing to something that is a truly unique form of art, and that her music is genuine at core.


"Extraordinary Machine"
I certainly haven't been shopping for any new shoes
-And-
I certainly haven't been spreading myself around
I still only travel by foot and by foot, it's a slow climb,
But I'm good at being uncomfortable, so
I can't stop changing all the time
I notice that my opponent is always on the go
-And-
Won't go slow, so's not to focus, and I notice
He'll hitch a ride with any guide, as long as
They go fast from whence he came-
But he's no good at being uncomfortable, so
He can't stop staying exactly the same
If there was a better way to go then it would find me
I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me
Be kind to me, or treat me mean
I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine
I seem to you to seek a new disaster every day
You deem me due to clean my view and be at peace and lay
I mean to prove I mean to move in my own way, and say,
I've been getting along for long before you came into the play
I am the baby of the family, it happens, so-
Everybody cares and wears the sheeps' clothes
While they chaperone
Curious, you looking down your nose at me, while you appease-
Courteous, to try and help -
but let me set your
Mind at ease(Chorus)-
Do I so worry you, you need to hurry to my side?
-It's very kind
But it's to no avail; I don't want the bail
I promise you, everything will be just fine
If there was a better way to go then it would find me
I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me
Be kind to me, or treat me mean
I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine
-Fiona Apple

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