Song Analysis #3

“Every Rose has its Thorn”
By: Poison

The band “Poison” was formed in the year 1983. The band is an
American rock/metal band and is considered to be a “glam metal” band. They
originally started with the name “Paris” but adopted “Poison” only a short
time after the band was formed. The band consists of members Bret Michaels,
C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, and Rikki Rockett. Poison began to experience
major popularity in the late 1980’s and early 90’s. Their album “Open Up
and Say…Ahh!” peaked at #2 on the American music charts. The album consists
of 4 top 10 hits and their only #1 song ever in “Every Rose has its Thorn”,
which was released in 1988. The song was written by Michaels after his love
affair ended. The woman he was seeing cheated on him, and he found out when
he called her and heard a man’s voice in the background. “Every Rose has
its Thorn” is a song that shows despair with the use of sad lyrics, poetic
devices, and a great song structure.
“Every Rose has its Thorn” is a song that clearly shows the sadness
in Michaels’ voice and lyrics. He is heartbroken, and doesn’t understand
why she left him. In the lines “Was it something I said or something I did,
Did my words not come out right”, Michaels is clearly questioning why she
left him. He blames it on himself for the breakup. He is saddened because
he feels every great girl he meets, always has a bad side. He compares the
girl to a rose, and how every “rose” has a thorn, or a bad side. Also, he
compares the situation to “a knife that cuts you, the wound heals, but the
scar, that scar remains.” Michaels is saying that he will eventually heal
from his wound that the woman caused, but the affect she left on him will
remain like a scar. The scar will always remind him of how sad he was after
she left him. Michaels is obviously pointing out how sad he is and is
showing his despair in this song.
In “Every Rose has its Thorn”, the song is written with many poetic
devices to show despair in the lyrics. The song title “Every Rose has it
Thorn” is actually a metaphor, and it is comparing a beautiful woman to a
rose, that has a bad side, like how a rose has a thorn. The use of the
metaphor allows the audience to compare how Michaels is feeling about this
woman, to a rose. The song also uses a simile in the line “like a knife
that cuts you”. In this line, Michaels is comparing how he feels after the
woman left, to a knife that slices you. Also in the lyrics, Michaels uses
imagery. He writes and sings about roses and scars, and he uses these to
create the image in the mind of the audience/reader. The song also has a
bridge and a breakdown in it. The bridge comes right after the first
chorus, and it adds a different tempo to the song. The breakdown comes
after verse 4, and it is a solo that adds a more dramatic affect to the
song. Michaels and the band did a wonderful job developing a great song
structure with the use of the bridge and the breakdown. With the use of
these poetic devices, the lyrics furthermore show how sad Michaels is over
his lost.
Poison’s overall message in the song is that even though somebody
looks so elegant and beautiful; they have a downside or as they call it a
“thorn.” Their mood in the song is a loss of happiness and it makes the
listener/reader feel pity for Michaels. When I listen to the song, I feel
sorry for him. It has a slow and sad tempo that really gets you to feel for
him. It also creates a well developed image and really makes you feel what
Michaels is feeling. It relates to my theme of despair because the song is
clearly showing how sad this man is. To me “Every Rose has its Thorn” is
one of the saddest songs from the 1980’s and should be considered one of
the best written songs from that decade.

Song Analysis #3 lyrics-"Every Rose has its Thorn"

"Every Rose has its Thorn"-Poison

We both lie silently still
In the dead of the night
Although we both lie close together
We feel miles apart inside

Was it something I said or something I did
Did my words not come out right
Though I tried not to hurt you
Though I tried
But I guess thats why they say

Chorus:
Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has its dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Every rose has its thorn

Yeah it does

I listen to our favorite song
Playing on the radio
Hear the dj say loves a game of easy come and
Easy go
But I wonder does he know
Has he ever felt like this
And I know that youd be here right now
If I could have let you know somehow
I guess

Chorus

Though its been a while now
I can still feel so much pain
Like a knife that cuts you the wound heals
But the scar, that scar remains

Solo

I know I could have saved a love that night
If Id known what to say
Instead of makin love
We both made our separate ways

But now I hear you found somebody new
And that I never meant that much to you
To hear that tears me up inside
And to see you cuts me like a knife
I guess

Chorus

Creative Project, Short Story, lyrics- "Every Rose has it Thorn"

"Every Rose has it Thorn" by Poison, short story

"Killing in the Name" by Rage Againest the Machine

"Killing in the Name" by Rage Againest the Machine is one of the most controversial songs ever. The song is talking about how some police officers and other public officials belong to the KKK. The song is describing that the police officers murdered African-Americans and "justified" their murders because they were cops and wore badges. Rage Againest the Machine is explaining their disgust towards these racist cops and how just because they wore a badge doesn't mean they can kill innocent people. This song relates to my theme/genre because it is talking about the despair that KKK caused many innocent families and how some police officers were involved in the brutal attack of these people. The song often recieves complaints because of how the band says the F word over 15 times in the soing, but I feel it raised an important social time in American history.

"Killing in the Name"

Killing in the name of!
Some of those that were forces are the same that bore crosses
Some of those that were forces are the same that bore crosses
Some of those that were forces are the same that bore crosses
Some of those that were forces are the same that bore crosses
Huh!

Killing in the name of!
Killing in the name of

And now you do what they told ya (11 times)
But now you do what they told ya
Well now you do what they told ya

Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, theyre the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, theyre the chosen whites
Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, theyre the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, theyre the chosen whites

Some of those that were forces are the same that bore crosses
Some of those that were forces are the same that bore crosses
Some of those that were forces are the same that bore crosses
Some of those that were forces are the same that bore crosses
Uggh!

Killing in the name of!
Killing in the name of

And now you do what they told ya (4 times)
And now you do what they told ya, now youre under control ( 7 times)
And now you do what they told ya!

Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, theyre the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, theyre the chosen whites
Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, theyre the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, theyre the chosen whites
Come on!

(guitar solo: yeah! come on!)

F*** you, I wont do what you tell me (8 times spoken becoming a shout by the 8th time)
F*** you, I wont do what you tell me! (8 times, shouted)
Mother******!
Uggh!

"Born in the U.S.A" by Bruce Springstein

"Born in the U.S.A" by Bruce Springstein is considered one of the most misinterpreted songs ever. Many people believe that Springstein is showing his national pride with this rock anthem, but he actually is showing how shamefully Americans treated the Vietnam veterans after they did not win the war. Springstein says, "So they put a rifle in my hand, Sent me off to a foreign land." He is expressing how people were given a gun and were sent to Vietnam to fight in the war. He is publically criticizing the way the veterens were treated and how America should be ashamed for what they did. The song relates to my theme/genre because it talks about the despair the veterens had to face when they cam home from the war and were treated with no respect. This song clearly cast a shameful eye on Americans, and it is not a song about national pride as most people think.

"Born in the U.S.A."

Born down in a dead mans town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog thats been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up

Born in the u.s.a., I was born in the u.s.a.
I was born in the u.s.a., born in the u.s.a.

Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man

Born in the u.s..a....

Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man said son if it was up to me
Went down to see my v.a. man
He said son, dont you understand

I had a brother at khe sahn
Fighting off the viet cong
Theyre still there, hes all gone

He had a woman he loved in saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms now

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
Im ten years burning down the road
Nowhere to run aint got nowhere to go

Born in the u.s.a., I was born in the u.s.a.
Born in the u.s.a., Im a long gone daddy in the u.s.a.
Born in the u.s.a., born in the u.s.a.
Born in the u.s.a., Im a cool rocking daddy in the u.s.a.

Political Songs

"Stupid Girls" by Pink
The message of the song is not to sell yourself short. Prove you have a brain and use it to better yourself not be what someone else wants you to be. One of the passages states "With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teeny weeny tees, Where, oh where have the smart people gone?" This is criticizing the Hollywood stars that are looked up to and idolized, such as Paris Hilton who go around carrying her little dog, and wearing skimpy clothing and is a celebrity not for her intelligence but because of her money. Pink's tone in the song is angry, and irritated. She doesn't understand why these celebrities act like this just to get attention.

"Rockstar" by Nickelback
The message of this song is about how so many people will do anything to become rich and famous, and live like a rockstar. Nickelback is criticizing how people will do anything to get recognized and become famous. They use a tone of mocking to show what people do to get noticed. In the lines "I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame, I'd even cut my hair of change my name" Nickelback is showing what people would do to be a star. They find it bad that people do these things for fame.

"American Idiot" by Green Day
This song is sending the message of how America is changing. Green Day is explaining how everything is described in the media, and people are going crazy. They clearly are angry and vindictive against the direction in which America is headed. In the lines "One nation controlled by the media, Information nation of hysteria" they are showing their disapproval of how everything is shown in the media and how everyone is going crazy over it. They are clearly showing a tone of disgust in this song.

"Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous" by Good Charlotte
In this song, Good Charlotte is clearly criticizing of how rich and famous people can basically do anything they want, but they wouldn't be able to live in a normal everyday person's shoes. The band is saying how rich people always complain over anything even though they have everything. In the lines "well did you know when you were famous you could kill your wife and there's no such thing as 25 to life" the band is describing O.J. Simpson and how he had the money and fame to be found innocent over the murder of his wife even though the evidence was clearly evident that he did kill her. The band uses a aggravated tone in the song. They are showing their disgust to rich and famous people and how they take life for granted.

"The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan
In this song, Bob Dylan is promoting change. He is explaining that change is going to come know matter what and that you should be ready for it. In the lines "you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone" Dylan is using a metaphor to show that people must be prepared for the change or they won't survive it. Dylan's tone used in the song is excitement. He is trying to tell people about change and is promoting the idea in a positive way.

"Youth of a Nation" by P.O.D

"Youth of Nation" by P.O.D is a tragic song talking about the Columbine Shootings in Colorado that occured on April 20th, 1999. This song takes the perspective of some of the students that were tragically murdered. The lyrics are describing how people lost their lives and were killed. The lyrics describe the shooting in the line "Instead of taking the test I took two to the chest". This line is saying how instead of just a normal day of school, he was shot twice. This line is also a form of imagery. It descibes the feeling and the tragedy in the shootings.

"Youth of a Nation"

Last day of the rest of my life
I wish I would have known cause I didn't kiss my momma good-bye
I didn't tell her that I loved her or how much I cared
Or thank my pops for all the talks and all the wisdom he shared
Unaware I just did what I always do
Everyday the same routine before I skate off to school
But who knew that this day wasn't like the rest
Instead of taking the test I took two to the chest

Call me blind but I didn't see it coming
And everybody was runnin
But I couldn't hear nothin, except
Gun blast, it happened so fast
I didn't really know this kid though I sat by him in class
Maybe this kid was reachin out for love or
Maybe for a moment he forgot who he was or
Maybe this kid just wanted to be hugged
Whatever it was I know it's because

We are, we are the youth of the nation
We are, we are
Youth of the nation
We are, we are the youth of the nation
We are, we are
Youth of the nation

Little Suzzie, she was only twelve
She was given the world with every chance to excel
Hang with the boys and hear the stories they tell
She might act kinda proud but no respect for herself

She finds love in all the wrong places
The same situations just different faces
Changed up her pace since her daddy left her
Too bad he never told her she deserved much better

Johnny boy always played the fool
He broke all the rules so you would think he was cool
He was never really one of the guys
No matter how hard he tried
Often thought of suicide
It's kinda hard when you ain't got no friends
He put his life to an end they might remember him then
You cross a line and there is no turning back
He told the world how he felt with the sound of a gat

We are, we are the youth of the nation
We are, we are
Youth of the nation
We are, we are the youth of the nation
We are, we are
Youth of the nation

Who's to blame for the life that tragedies claim
No matter what you say it won't take away the pain
That I feel inside, I'm tired of all the lies
Don't nobody know why
It's the blind leadin' the blind
Guess that's the way that the story goes
Will it ever make sense somebody's gotta know
There's gotta be more to life than this
There's got to be more to everything
I thought exists

We are, we are the youth of the nation
We are, we are
Youth of the nation
We are, we are the youth of the nation
We are, we are the youth of the nation
We are, we are the youth of the nation
We are, we are
Youth of the nation
We are, we are the youth of the nation
We are, we are
Youth of the nation
Youth of the nation
Youth of the nation
Youth of the nation