Adi’s Interpretation of Picasso and Camus

audio of Adi’s description

The Head and the Heart-Down in the Valley

“Down in the Valley” is a song that was released in 2010 by the folk/pop band The Head and the Heart.  The band’s name describes its sound of their music perfectly; the lyrics and music are both inspired by intellect and emotion.  By analyzing the lyrics and sound of “Down in the Valley”, one can detect existential themes as well as relate it to Meursault inThe Stranger.  One interpretation of the song’s poetic lyrics is that it is telling a story of the life of lead singer Jonathan Russell.  He can do what he wants in life and he travels around, but other things that he has no control over come into play and he always returns back to where his life used to be (the valley).  His life is very repetitive, and eventually he turns to drinking because there is no purpose to his life anyway.

The sound produced in the production of “Down in the Valley” are driven by guitar and piano, with accents of violin and drums. The singing is made up of soft male voices, sometimes singing different lyrics in the background of each other.  If you listen closely, the song has a female voice as well in a few parts.  The singing is made up of a trio of voices, with three more people playing instruments completing the music group.  The song starts out with just a guitar tune, and a low voice begins sorrowful lyrics.  A violin steps in for a moment, and then the voice continues to tell his story and a piano and drums kick in.  The lyrics step up to a slightly higher tempo, but then they slow down again and it is back to a violin and guitar only.  After a series of oh oh’s created by multiple voices, the faster pace picks up again.  The next series of oh oh’s is accompanied by all of the instruments by a soft voice in the background pronounced lyrics that are hard to understand, which continue on.  The song picks up in the most hopeful tone of the entire thing, and then the lyrics and instruments slow done again before the song comes to an end. The final lyrics and sound of the song are the same depressing lines and tones as the song ends with.  The sound of the music alone delivers the message that life is repetitive.  The song ends the exact same way that it starts.  In the middle, there are a lot of different sounds and lyrics, but in the end none of it matters.

Many of the lyrics from “Down in the Valley” relate to existential themes.  Jonathan Russell portrays his perspective on life as that he has free will, but life is absurd and mundane.  The opening lines of the song “I wish I was a slave to an age old trade” and “…my rough and rowdy ways” show that he does not follow absolute systems, which is an existential idea.  Slaves are forced to do certain things by absolute systems, so if he was a slave he would be forced to be someone he’s not.  Instead, he has “rough and rowdy ways”, doing his own thing and not following the rules.  Existentialists believe in free will, and they believe that following absolute systems because they limit personal meaning to life. The singer also seems to believe in absurdity, feeling as though there is no meaning to life.  His life is hopeless and repeats over and over again.  The quote “But it don’t make no difference if you sit or you stand” means that no matter what he does in life, nothing changes.  “We do it over and over and over again” and “’Cause they both end in trouble and start with a grin” suggest that he feels his life is the same thing over and over again, and nothing ever ends up worth it.  The singer also expresses that he feels alienated.  The lines “Down in the valley with / Whiskey rivers / These are the places you will find me hidin’” show that he feels alone in his life, hiding, and the whiskey rivers reference implies that he drinks.  Throughout the song, the singer refers to the valley, which represents where he always ends up in life, when there is no sense in going anywhere else.

Many of the existential parts of this song can be related to the character of Meursault in Albert Camus’s novel The Stranger.  In the book, Meursault breaks free from absolute systems.  On page 59, he shoots the Arab.  Although it is against the law and societal norms, he does it unexpectedly and does not even feel guilty afterward.  In “Down in the Valley”, the singer suggests that he already does not follow absolute systems.  Both do things without thinking them through first, making their own decisions.  Another thing is that Meursault does not feel emotion.  Although “Down in the Valley” sounds very sad, there are no lyrics that prove the singer is sad.  He is depressed because he turns to alcohol, but that makes him feel numb.  His life is meaningless, with everything occurring over and over again, getting him nowhere.

Another example of how the lyrics of “Down in the Valley” relate to Meursault in the novel The Stranger is the part of the song that is difficult to understand.  It is the part of the song when the singer is talking about a girl, but he never connects her to any emotion.  The most common lyrics applied to this part of the song are “I hear your name and then / I saw you standin’ out / I saw your face in the crowd and you came out / You saw me crossin’ the valley and you came in”, but many people claim to hear different things and there is no published version of the lyrics so one cannot be sure.  Based on these lyrics, this part of the song could be compared to parts in The Stranger when Meursault is with or thinking about Marie.  On page 35, Meursault says “she asked me if I loved her.  I told her it didn’t mean anything but that I didn’t think so”.  Throughout the book, he focuses on the physical aspects in life, and never his emotions.  This quote shows that even though he is with Marie and is attracted to her, he doesn’t have feelings for her. Based on the lyrics from the song, the lead singer of The Head and the Heart could feel the same way about the girl he is discussing.

It is surprising how many songs include existentialistic themes.  The lyrics and sounds of “Down in the Valley” were easily analyzed for existential themes and things relating to Meursault’s existential character.  This song seemed out of the ordinary for The Head and the Heart because they typically write love songs, and most do not contain any existential thoughts at all, but they do portray a sense of depression and longing as well as alienation.  Within this song, the singer expresses existential thoughts relating to free will, absurdity, repetition, not following absolute systems, and alienation.  Jonathan Russell and the rest ofThe Head and the Heart, as well as Meursault feel that their lives or on repeat, think that life is absurd, make rash decisions whether or not they are rough, and demonstrate ideas of having free will and not predetermined destiny.  One would not be able to sense this by listening to just one of another of The Head and the Heart’s songs, but by listening to this one and a group of others, existentialism becomes obvious.  The group was created in 2009 after meeting through a series of open mic nights in Seattle, Washington.  It is a tough lifestyle, with repetitive shows and very little money, but that is their own choices that they have made.  Though they may believe that life has no meaning, their decisions are completely up to them and they can make their lives into whatever they want them to be.  Through free will, the band creates beautiful music and lives their lives to the fullest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4jFyOsY54M

Lyrics of Down in the Valley, from: http://lyrics.wikia.com/The_Head_And_The_Heart:Down_In_The_Valley

I wish I was a slave to an age-old trade
Like ridin’ around on railcars and workin’ long days

Lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways
Lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways

Call it one drink too many
Call it pride of a man
But it don’t make no difference if you sit or you stand

‘Cause they both end in trouble and start with a grin
Yeah they both end in trouble and start with a grin

We do it over and over and over again
We do it over and over and over again

Oh-oh
Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

I know there’s California, Oklahoma
And all of the places I ain’t ever been to but
Down in the valley with
Whiskey rivers
These are the places you will find me hidin’
These are the places I will always go
These are the places I will always go

I am on my way
I am on my way
I am on my way back to where I started

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

One more for the stars and their eyes in the walls
I hear your name and then, I saw you standin’ out

I saw your face in the crowd and you came out
You saw me crossin’ the valley and you came in

Look at the sign on the door and it reads to me
Just like the grass and the sign when you walked in

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

I am on my way
I am on my way
I am on my way back to where I started

California, Oklahoma
And all of the places I ain’t ever been to but
Down in the valley with
Whiskey rivers
These are the places you will find me hidin’
These are the places I will always go
These are the places I will always go

So I wish I was a slave to an age-old trade
Lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways

TUPAC Changes

Tupac Shakur was born on on June 16, 1971 in Brooklyn, NY. Tupac grew up to become one of California’s most loved and respected rappers, and he lived up to his title. Leading a dangerous rock star life style Tupac found himself in trouble with the law multiple times. One of Tupac’s best selling records was titled “Me against the World”. He also became embroiled in a feud between East Coast and West Coast rappers that most likely lead to his untimely and violent deThe melody is not slow but it is also not fast. Not upbeat or depressing. The first line of the song “i wake up in the morning and i ask myself is life worth living or should i blast myself?” connects to the idea of existentialism because the philosophy “regards human existence as unexplainable”. The line in the song questions is this life worth the everyday struggle we face? Is the up hill battle of life the peak of our miserable duration on earth? Or is death our sweet release. Meursault would most likely feel indifferent to this question because he is unable to feel deep emotions that would persuade his opinion. Meursault shows that he is not effected by most of the emotions that contribute to our everyday decisions as humans. For example he can not tell his girlfriend Marie that he loves her but he can also not tell her why. Without theses emotions to truly connect to a person’s psychical being there is no reason to our lives here on earth.”Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares one less hungry mouth on the welfare” again this line of the song is telling us there is no value to human life, and there is no obligation for us as humans to feel remorse for others. We are only compelled to suffer from things connected directly to us because there is no consequence for neglecting the distress of others.

Tupac talks about the absolute systems that we are uncontrollably born into. “I’m tired of bein’ poor & even worse I’m black my stomach hurts so I’m lookin’ for a purse to snatch Cops give a damn about a negro pull the trigger kill a nigga he’s a hero”. He talks about the fact that he is “tired of being black” he argues that African Americans are treated different by the judicial system in America because of their skin color in which we have no control over. Meursault also faced this problem

This also shows and aspect of absurdity because there is nothing you can do to get away from the fact that you were born with a certain skin color. This idea could also represent anxiety. Anxiety is the feeling of unease you get when you start to recognize that life is absurd.

In the book the stranger Meursault has difficulty connecting with the people in his environment. Although he may interact with Solamano, Raymond and his girlfriend Marie he is just as satisfied being alone with his own thoughts. This is an example of alienation, because he can not truly understand people and they can not understand him. The book conveys that Meursault dose not understand or pick up on most human emotions that are expressed throughout the book therefor he is alienated if he feels it or not. For example when he is at his Mothers funeral he hears a lady crying and tells us that it is annoying to him, when most people would feel pity or empathy.Tupac expresses the feeling of alienation in the line “I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere unless we share with each other”. He is saying he would like to be able to “share” and understand the people around him but things in the world that people do will not let him. He can not understand why people can do such unethical things and until you can identify will everyones reasoning we will all be alienated. we can not truly understand someone until we can understand everyone.”We gotta start makin’ changes
learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers” in existentialism we are all strangers, we are all individuals even in our absolute systems with the people that we are supposed to understand and the people that are supposed to understand us.

B.o.B

The main character, Meursalt, from Albert Camus’ book The Stranger, portrays existentialist characteristics much like the lyrics in the song The Kids written by B.o.B. Meursalt believes his life is full of facticity and he is simply along for the ride. He also does not have the ability to express his emotional feelings, but rather focuses on his physical attraction to life. B.o.B creates an uptempo, pop beat throughout The Kids and the lyrics show perseverance. Bobby Simmons tenor voice expresses his will to persevere through life. Janelle Monae’s cameo adds a sweet melody in contrast to B.o.B’s pop beat. She raises questions that make the listener think about how they will express themself in the world. This song adequately reveals how although life is difficult and nothing is guaranteed, you must endeavor in your own passions and take responsibility for your life. Throughout Meursalt’s entire narration of the story, he is completely calm even when what’s being discussed or shown is a violent, angry scene which proves how he can make it through life even when it’s hard.

Facticity is defined by being thrown into situations we have no control over. Meursalt falls under this definition because he comes to the realization that there is not much he can do once something has already happened. For example after his mother was buried he states, “it occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that really nothing had changed” (Camus 24). As well as showing how he doesn’t care about his absolute system of life, he again shows his lack of emotional connection when he makes the claim “that really nothing had changed.” The normal reaction to someone losing their mother would be mournful, but Meursalt acts as if the tragic event had never occurred. His careless personality is shown again after his arrest for the murder of an Arab. He is required to appoint an attorney for his case but is confused by it because he believes what is done is done and he is clearly guilty. He states “I said I thought my case was pretty simple” (Camus 63). It is evident that Meursalt doesn’t care about the mess his is in because it’s just facticity.  Meursalt is taking responsibility for his actions just like B.o.B expresses how you have to accept your faults and move on. In the sixth stanza he tells us “It’s funny because looking back on the past that I had/ all my days, in the streets trying to prove that I was bad.” This clearly shows how B.o.B took responsibility for his past and has moved on from it. B.o.B’s belief in factiticy is shown in the chorus of his song, “We’re trapped inside the matrix/forced to play our hand.” B.o.B realizes he is trapped in society and wants to break free of his absolute system and in order to do that, he must overcome all obstacles.

Meursalt is in a relationship that is strictly physical from his perspective, with another character, Marie. His absurd ways leave Marie confused. For instance, when Marie asks him to marry her he narrates to the reader, “It didn’t mean anything but that I probably didn’t love her” (Camus 41). His ability to show no sign of emotional connection is relatable to the lyrics in the ninth stanza, “how can he ever give love/ when no love is in his heart?” Meursalt’s inexpressible personality is shown again when he and his neighbor are conversing. His neighbor, Salamano, gives his condolences about his mother passing away and he again tell us “He said he supposed I must be very sad since Maman died, I didn’t say anything” (Camus 45). Like in B.o.B’s song, Meursalt has no “love” in his heart therefore, he is incapable of expressing his emotions to anyone which is why he relies on his physical attractions to get him through life.

Towards the end of the novel when Meursalt’s life is coming to an end, he comes to the realization that there is no fate. When his death sentence beings to approach he demonstrates his acceptance with death. He states, “Since we’re all going to die, it’s obvious that when and how don’t matter… I had to accept the rejection of my appeal” (Camus 114). Meursalt forces himself to be okay with the fact that his life is ending because he is in control of his own destiny. Towards the end of The Kids the lyrics demonstrate how you control your actions. In the 11^th stanza, “Will you run or will you share your light/tell a story of the live and try?” proves that B.o.B believes only you can determine the outcome. It is evident that both Meursalt and B.o.B are existentialists because of their absurd ways of excluding themselves from the norms of society.

Jack Johnson-surfer, rock star, potential existential philosopher with a guitar.

Look around and what can people see? The nation running around in order to fulfill the things that make them happy? Every day people walk through life looking for an answer to what his or her lives mean.  They are all in search of the answer to the basic questions “why are humans here” “what am I doing with my life”, and “what am I supposed to be doing right now”.  Kids grow up and go to school, only to get good grades, and then get into another school, and then graduate in order to find a good job.  Society gives us this image of what a good life is, and as humans, we form our life around these ideals in order to create the life that is seemingly picture perfect.  However, there is an idea called essentialism.  This belief focuses on the fact that you have free will, and that every moment of your life leads up to your death, which is when you finally become whole.  It also says that our own human nature is not based on cultural expectations, but on the choices we make.  Existentialists believe that existence drives our essence, and that we have the power to choose if we want to succumb to the ideal picture of humanity, or if we want to live our lives for ourselves and disregard the social norms implemented on our society.

Throughout history, we have seen countless existentialist ideas depicted through literature, songs, poems, and people.  One book that relates to existentialism is The Stranger by Albert Camus.  This book focuses its story on the Dailey life of Meursault, a man who is incapable of human emotions.  He can only connect with the physical aspects of human life, and, shows a lot of existential themes throughout the book.  A song that also shows existential themes is Never Know by Jack Johnson.  Throughout this song the lyrics show a deep connection to multiple themes of existentialism and the areas of life it connects to.

The first theme this book and song relates to is the concept of Human Nature.  The lines “So I turn the page and read the story again and again and again/ Sure seems the same with a different name/ We’re breaking and rebuilding/ and we’re growing always guessin’” refer to the same story being repeated over and over again, and it talks about human growth.  The concept of human nature through existentialism is based not on expectations of our culture but from the choices we make throughout our life.  Existentialists believe in essence over existence.  Because of the cultural norms implemented into society, certain factors compel us to make choice, which in turn, creates the idea that essence drives our existence.  The fact that this is showing that we are growing and always guessing, are referring to the different choices we make and how that drives our humanity.  Human nature also directly relates to The Stranger because Meuseralt does not follow the cultural norms set in place by our society.  He does not get the emotional reactions to the physical aspects of life he sees, and therefore cannot understand or follow the norms of the people around him.

The Stranger and Never Know also relate to the concept of Absurdity.  The lines  “We’re tryin’ but where is this all leading/ We’ll never know/ It all happens so much faster/ Than you can say disaster/ Want to take a time lapse and look at it back/ We found the last/ one but maybe that’s just the answer” show this theme.  The theme of absurdity expresses the idea that there is no actual meaning to life, and that things happen just because they do, not because there is a meaning behind it at all.  These lines show this because they are saying that we don’t necessarily have a purpose and that some situations just happen because they do and we will never know why.  This relates to The Stranger because Meuseralt does not see a universal remaining to his life.  He lives day to day and that’s it.  He doesn’t look into his future and whenever he faces situations certain situations, like killing the Arab, he doesn’t connect to them like most people would, and he instead just accepts that it happened and that is all there is to it.  During his trial, everyone else was trying to come up with a somewhat logical reason for him to kill the Arab, but Meuseralt did not understand why people thought that was necessary.  When questioned on his motives, all he said was “it just happened that way” and moved on.

A third theme these relate to is Facticity.  This is the concept that you are thrown into the world at a certain point in time, into a certain culture and family, and into a certain body without any choice.  The lines “We’re just moments/ We’re clever but clueless/ we’re just human” show this because it is saying that you are just moments in history without there being a specific point to you being there at that precise time or place.  Meuseralt does not question anything about his life.  He is easily content with his financial situation, and his connect to his mother.  When his mom died he did not stop to question how or why.  All he did was take one day off from work to go to her funeral, but he did not even look inside the open casket one last time.  Also, Meuseralt and all of the characters accept that they are living in their society in their time period without any challenge or throughout as to why.

A big concept of Existentialism is absolute systems.  This can relate to philosophy, religion, science, school, family, and your society, ect.  These are systems that can help shape you as a person and therefore cannot find yourself because there are predetermined limits on the way you might or feel in a given situation.  The line “ and you can either sink or swim” shows that.  People can either succeed or fail in the systems already put in place for them by the society in which they live.  The book shows this theme because Meuseralt follows the daily routine of going to work, buying an apartment, and potentially getting married like everyone else at the point of life at which he is in.  He succeeds in what he does, but he does not get the meaning behind what he’s doing and doesn’t find himself through his daily routine.  The line on page 19 quotes “I had a hard time getting up, because I was tired from the day before.  While I was shaving, I wondered what I was going to do and I decided to go for a swim.”  Everyday Meuseralt’s life is narrated by what he does every second of every day.  The Stranger incorporates his daily routines, and shows the absolute systems in which he lives, because they can influence his actions.

The last theme that relates to both this poem and book is death.  This is one of the most important themes of existentialism because everything you do in your life leads up to this ultimate moment.  When you die, that is the moment in which you finally become whole, and find yourself.  The last lines of the song, “We’re just human/ Amusing and confusing/ We could try it but where is this all leading/ We’ll never know” show this.   In death everything you do up to that point define you and you are in incomplete version of yourself until that point.  These lines show this because it is talking about the concept of humanity, and the fact that you are human.  Is also directly says that you don’t know where life is leading, which can be connected to the fact that you do not truly find yourself until the very end of your life.  The line, “we’ll never know” is very strong and ends the song on a powerful note because it again is connected to the fact that you don’t know who you are until the end of your life.  This related to The Stranger because Maman dies in the beginning of the book, and it references her starting over when she is put into the home.  She started to get involved with a man that lived there, and she made close friends and started to find out what meant the most to her.  When she noticed her health declining she began to realize exactly what she wanted and needed in her life.  You briefly hear that she started to try to live her life to the fullest and make every second count because she knew she was near the end of her life and that in that ultimate moment of death, she wanted to truly become whole with good things defining her.

In both The Stranger and Never Know, many aspects of existentialism are shown, and it is a very strong point to make in both the form of a song and the form of a book.  All of these concepts can be related to humanity, and what it means to truly be human.  The answers to the questions “why are humans here”, and “what am I doing with my life”, cannot be answered through the beliefs of existential people.  You can see these extremely dramatic themes in many books, and songs, but most importantly throughout The Stranger and Never Know. 

I heard this old story before

With the people keeping calling for the metaphors

That don’t leave much up to the imagination

So I want to give this imagery back

But I know it ain’t just so easy like that

So I turn the page and read the story again and again and again

Sure seems the same with a different name

We’re breaking and rebuilding, and we’re growing always guessin’

Never knowing shocking but we’re nothing

We’re just moments

We’re clever but we’re clueless

We’re just human

Amusing and confusing

We’re tryin’ but where is this all leading

We’ll never know

It all happens so much faster

Than you can say disaster

Want to take a time lapse and look at it back

We found the last one but maybe that’s just the answer

That we’re after but after all

We’re just a bubble in a boiling pot

One breath in a chain of thought

The moment’s just combusting

Feels certain but we’ll never never know

Sure seems the same give it a different name

We’re begging, and we’re needing and we’re trying and we’re breathing

Never knowing shocking but we’re nothing

We’re just moments

We’re clever but clueless

We’re just human

Amusing and confusing

We’re helping rebuilding and we’re growing

Never know

Never know

Never know

Knock knock on a door to door

Tell you that the metaphors is better than yours

And you can either sink or swim

Things are looking pretty grim

If you don’t believe in what ?? feedin’

It’s got no feeling so we’ll read it again and again and again

Sure seems the same, so many different names

Our hearts are strong, our heads are weak, we’ll always be competing

Never know we’re shocking but we’re nothing

We’re just moments

We’re clever but clueless

We’re just human

Amusing and confusing

We could try it but where is this all leading

We’ll never know

Edie Brickell- What I Am- (probably an existentialist)

 The principles of existentialism are explored in the song “What I Am” by Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians. The artist conveys the themes of individuality, absolute systems, authenticity, and absurdity which are essential contributions to existentialism. The artist questions philosophy and religion and their roles within their lives, which shows the thought process that existentialists use to define their lives. Many of these existential themes are also explored in Albert Camus’ book “The Stranger,” but the main character, Meursault, does not seem to be clued in to the thought process and lifestyle of existentialists, he just has existential tendencies. The glue that holds existentialism together and those who share this belief is the thought process behind which existentialists define themselves.  Eddie Brickell’s song “What I Am” is thematic of existentialism holding true to the definition of a true existentialist whereas Meursault does not consciously make these decisions in an effort to identify his own meaning.

               When Edie Brickell sings the lines “Philosophy is the talk on a cereal box, Religion is the smile on a dog” she says that religion and philosophy look nice, but mean nothing. People want to interpret the dog smiling, but there is no meaning. Brickell basically urges the audience to take it as it is and to not find meaning in something that does not exist. This is expressed in a very light way; the music is upbeat and simple, showing that Brickell doesn’t think this is a heavy subject, just a simple fact. The artist explores the theories of authenticity and individuality, major themes in existentialism, during this verse and expresses that philosophy and religion take away from the process of defining yourself and exploring your individuality by not allowing you to discover things for yourself. This is where Meursault differs from existentialists, he is not unreligious because he feels that it takes away from the responsibility of creating your own purpose and meaning in life, he is just not able to identify the emotional abstract. He is so focused on the physical aspects of life that he can’t imagine anything that isn’t tangible. Like Meursault, Brickell is unable to find meaning in philosophy or religion because it does not help them make meaning of their lives.

Brickell states on multiple accounts throughout the song that “I am what I am,” showing that no one defines her and that she has free will over her own life. There are no absolute systems that define her and there is nothing pre-determining her life’s course. Every consequence that she receives is derived from every action she makes. When Brickell asks the audience “Are you what you are-or what?” she is questioning those who attempt to define themselves with religion and philosophy and is questioning whether or not they are even their own person, or if an absolute system is defining who they are. Meursault, like Brickell, does not find meaning in absolute systems and does not understand others and their attempts to use these systems to define their lives. In Part II of “The Stranger,” Meursault did not understand the clerk’s need to have Meursault accept God. The clerk said that “all men believed in God, even those who turn their backs on him.” Meursault could not understand how this man would not be able to find any meaning in his life if this simple statement did not turn out to be true. Both Edie Brickell and Meursault depend on themselves to make meaning in their own lives and are not dependent on the guidelines of an absolute system to make a meaning.

               Throughout “What I Am,” Brickell sets the imagery of standing on the shore between religion and philosophy and her own existential views, trying not to wade into the water towards things that she does not believe in. She describes philosophy as a walk on slippery rocks, almost making her slip into the waters away from her own values and religion as a light in the fog, tempting her to stray away from her own path. She pleas to the audience and asks them to “choke me in the shallow water before I get too deep” essentially asking for someone to pull her back if she is drawn into the waters of religion and philosophy. She finds the ideas tempting because sometimes it is easier to just conform to someone else’s ideas for you instead of defining your own, but she believes in the responsibility of defining yourself, so she is conflicted by her own temptations.  The use of light in “The Stranger” expresses the emotional aspect of life that Meursault is antagonized by. Throughout his mother’s funeral procession and before he killed the Arab man, he was pestered by the light of the sun that was beating down on him, pressuring him, evoking his emotions. The occurrence of the imagery of light and its effects on Meursault increase as the events reach the climax and Meursault finally breaks under the pressure of his conflicting thoughts. The light made him uncomfortable and hostile, paralleling his frustrations towards identifying emotional facets in his own life.  The metaphors used by Brickell and Camus show the portion of life that both Brickell and Meursault do not want to acknowledge, but that they are tempted by.

               Edie Brickell opens up the song with the line “I’m not aware of too many things, I know what I know if you know what I mean,” essentially paralleling Meursault’s entire demeanor, whether he recognizes it or not. Meursault is only capable of seeing the physical aspect of life- it is the only thing he understands. He is not able to connect to the emotional side of life, making it impossible for him to understand other people’s emotions or how his actions make people feel. Because of his inability to identify the emotional abstract, he is unaware of a whole fraction of life and is not able to have conviction behind his existential tendencies. At the end of the song, Brickell pleas to the audience “Don’t let me get too deep,” asking her listeners to deter her from the realm of philosophy and religion. If Meursault were to plea to an audience, this would be his plea to not have to delve in the emotional abstract of life. Meursault wants to stay in his comfort zone, but he is forced, at the end of the book, to come to terms with his mortality, exploring a whole new aspect of life. Will Brickell be forced to confront her attraction to philosophy and religion?

 

 

 

Within Temptations- Empty Eyes full of Existential Angst

               Within Temptations Empty Eyes, sung by Sharon den Adel, describes the existentialist search by a woman for meaning after a particularly bad event has befallen her at the hands of someone, it is implied, she cared deeply for. While the initial event that caused the feelings of confusion and betrayal are never mentioned, it is obvious that they hurt deeply and have caused a permanent rift between Sharon and the subject of the song, who also remains unnamed. Sharon’s anxiety at suddenly being thrown into a world where nothing makes sense anymore is a nice counter-point to Camus’s existentialist characters in The Stranger.

               When the Recipient committed the act or acts that caused this feeling of betrayal, it caused Sharon to reconsider her relationship with the recipient, now she feels that the recipient’s presence is only harming her. This evident from the first lines of the song, “Determined by your faith, you attempt to make up, You lay out your case like the enemy, but all that you got through your dirty white lies, You’ll find the damn correct way to blame me for your crimes”.  It appears that the recipient of the song felt compelled to try to mend the relationship, but instead of facing the problem instead chose to foist the blame onto their partner. That they are harmful is almost stated outright in the third stanza, “You’re like a ghost within me, Who’s draining my life”, the last two words, “my life” have great emotion placed in them, drawing attention to them, and reinforcing Sharon’s plight. While both Meursault and the Recipient were obviously the wrong match for their partners, Meursault was never outright malicious, he just didn’t care. “A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn’t mean anything, but I didn’t think so” While Meursault is very blunt and to the point, he doesn’t mean to hurt Marie, he just doesn’t care as long as he can get physical pleasure from her.   There is another character relationship that clearly is a mirror of the type depicted in the song. Raymond’s relationship with his girlfriend is not a pleasant one, characterized by beatings and mistrust on both sides. And while the relationship is viewed through the eyes of a character who has only a passing interest in the strife, and genuinely does not care, or endeavor to find out more, this song could very well be said to be from the point of Raymond’s mistress. A girl, in love, broken and betrayed, who now searches for meaning behind the acts that have been committed against her.

            Throughout the song, the pursuit of meaning features heavily. This comes to head in the chorus, which is repeated three times throughout the song. “I don’t know where I’m going, in search for answers, I don’t know who I’m fighting, I stand with empty eyes”, while she wants, she needs, to find the answers to the questions that have been plaguing her; she knows not where to start. The discovery of the web of lies and deceit around her have left her confused and reeling. Great emphasis is placed, on the last line, “I stand with Empty Eyes”, which is echoed numerous times throughout the song. Eye’s that no longer can see could be referencing Sharon’s blindness to the impending event, or more likely, it represents her fruitless search for meaning to what has happened. She cannot see what she is searching for, or even how to search for it. While Meursault does not spend much time in contemplation while he is living his normal life, he spends much of the second act alone with his thoughts in his cell. Unlike Sharon in the song, his search bears fruit, at least for him. His realizations lead to his belief that it truly does not matter when he dies, for he can do nothing to halt his eventual death. Sharon cannot allow herself to come to that realization , searching for meaning to her suffering is literally the only thing she has left, and if she gives up and lets go, she has nothing.

            Anxiety pervades the song; Sharon search for answers may well turn out to be fruitless, that what happened was just a senseless act of absurdity. She herself acknowledges this when she states, “I’m about to give in, Got nowhere to go, Afraid of my sense,  I’m holding on, There’s no other way, No doubt in the end, But I ain’t got a thing to lose, Nothing to defend”. Her search has so far proved fruitless, and Sharon is beginning to get the sense that she might never find the answers she is looking for. This does not deter her though, she has nothing to lose by continuing her search, she’s already been dealt a deadly blow, and she has to keep moving forward. Meursault, on the other hand, let’s the search go once he comes to the realization that Sharon has been avoiding. He truly believes that it matters not when he dies, whether the next day as criminal, or twenty years in the future, he still will die. “”Deep down I knew perfectly well that it doesn’t matter whether you die at thirty or at seventy, since in either case other men and women will naturally go on living…Whether it was it was now or twenty years from now, I would still be the one dying”(Camus 114). While Meursault has given up on hoping for a continued existence and come to the conclusion is was all meaningless and not worth it, Sharon continues to strive for the meaning in life, because that is all she can do.

The song ends before any kind of resolution can be found to Sharon’s search for meaning. It ends with “It’s like my soul is see through, right through my empty eyes…”.With the second line being repeated as it fades into the guitar and drums until they too fade out as the song ends. This itself is a repetition of a stanza uttered earlier in the song. Sharon receives no resolution to her search, remaining stuck in the same state she began in, lost and confused on how to move forward, still sightless to what her life has truly meant. The Stranger, conversely, does provide a resolution with Monsieur Meursault. He, in his final days leading up to his execution, becomes an existentialist, under the sway that his life has no meaning even as his head is literally on the chopping block. This is an outcome that Sharon refuses to except, continuing a search for meaning that might never be found and may not even exist anymore, if it existed at all.

 

 

 

Hollywood Undead- Masked Existential Crusaders-Young

Young

 

How does one know their destiny or what awaits them in the future? Is their destiny controlled by our decisions we make today? Or is their destiny predetermined by god? The idea of existentialism contradicts the previous statements. Existentialism is the belief that there is no such thing as fate or god. Meursault, the main character from the book, The Stranger, connects to the many ideas of existentialism. The song, Young, by Hollywood Undead also connects to the many ideas of existentialism and the struggle of Meursault.

The song, Young, by Hollywood Undead is part of the album Swan Songs. The album was released on September 2, 2008.  Hollywood Undead is a rock band that performs and writes songs about life. (How life is unfair or about alcohol/drugs) In the song, the beginning starts off at a slow steady pace. Then when the lyrics begin, the pace changes to a faster, more medium pace. The intro to song begins a guitar solo and effects. When the lyrics begin, drums immediately join in, creating an “angst” kind of feeling. I believe the reason the band chose this order of instruments/sound arrangement was to get the listener excited/ “whooped up” when the lyrics begin. The song starts off with the chorus “We are young, But we have heart, born in this world as it all falls apart, we are strong, we don’t belong, born in this world as it all falls apart.” Sung by Aron Erlichman.  The volume of the song rises whenever the chorus is sung. The volume lowers after the chorus during the other versus sung by George Ragan. This is to emphasize the main message the song. Towards the end of the song the pace slows down just like in intro. Throughout the whole song, a slow/medium pace is maintained. The timbre is higher during the chorus and is lower in versus and toward the end of the song. All of these factors cause an overall feeling of belittled, frustrated, and anger. Young is about life not being fair. The message is how the youth is blamed for the adults’ mistakes and the impact it has caused on society.

Young has many existential components. Absurdity is one of the themes that are portrayed in Young. Absurdity is the idea that there is no actual meaning or universal meaning to life and that some occurrences may not have any meaning whatsoever. In the song, it says “Feel the beating of our hearts, fleeting hope as we depart…”  “Feel the beating of our hearts” refers to our lives. The words fleeting, hope, and depart show that the George Ragan does not think that there is a meaning to life or that some events that happen in life also have no meaning and happen by chance. This idea of absurdity also portrayed in The Stranger. Meursault, the main character, goes about life, not caring. Stated above, the line “Feel the beating in our hearts, fleeting hope as we depart” connects to Meursault and how he just goes about life. He does his job, and daily routine, but Meursault doesn’t believe that there is an actual meaning to life.  Another one of the themes used in the song is absolute systems.

Absolute systems is idea that philosophy, religion, and science will always fail at meaning of existence and that they are not worth following because they limit your own personal meaning to life. In the song, it also says “Yes we wave this flag of hatred but you’re the one who made” This shows that the Ragan follows these absolute systems because of the one who made them. The words “flag of hatred” shows that the singer is not in favor of these absolute systems, but follows them anyways. Later in the song it continues “All together walk alone against all we’ve ever known” This line then shows the Ragan going against the absolute systems, showing that they are not worth following. Absolute systems is another theme that is portrayed in The Stranger by Meursault. In the beginning of the book, Meursault follows the rules of his neighborhood/sity or absolute systems. Later on in the book, Meursault defies them, by killing an Arab man. The line stated above “Yes we wave this flag of hatred…all together, walk alone against all we’ve ever known.” These lines connect to Meursault in the beginning of the book and how he turned out in the end. The theme, of alienation is also used.

Alienation is when one feels like a “stranger” in their life and that people cannot fully understand them because each person’s meaning of life differs. Young reads “Hear us whisper in the dark, in the rain you see the spark” This line is talking about how others in society doesn’t understand the singer’s meaning of life. The word dark emphasizes how others aren’t able to see the Ragan’s meaning of life. “In the rain you see the spark” refers to being able to see the “stranger” in a crowd or the one that differs from the rest and feeling like an “outcast”.

Another theme that is used in Young is forlornness. Forlornness is the sensation of isolation and depression that occurs upon realization that one is on their own to create meaning. It is also the idea that a person is always in a state of forlornness as long as their identity is based on things can break down. In the song, it says “But you take who we are, the innocence of our hearts” This shows that Ragan has lost his identity/meaning. The song continues “Made to kneel before the alters as you tear us apart” This refers to the idea that once Ragan lost his meaning, and that he is broken down and has given into society. Similar to the song, Forlornness is also shown in The Stranger. Meursault has very different moral standards. For example, Meursault does not cry or grieve over his mother’s death. Society has trouble accepting his moral standards, seeing him as an outsider or outcast. Later in the book, Meursault is at his trial for killing an Arab man. Meursault confesses that he didn’t have any feelings for his mother’s death, causing damage to his reputation because of how society viewed him.  Another theme is facticity.

Facticity is the idea that one is “thrown” into the world and into a certain body, society, culture, family, time and place etc. and that one has no choice in regards to these things. (The background and history of existence) Young states “We are young, but we have heart, born in this world as it all falls apart…” This shows how Aron Erlichman believes that we are caring about others, but we are born into a cruel/unfair society. The song continues “We are strong, but we don’t belong, born in this world as it all falls apart.” This shows that  believes that he is strong and willing to help society, but doesn’t belong because it is an unfair situation. Facticity emphasizes the idea of being thrown into unfair situations. This line supports that idea strongly and that the singer believes that he deserves better. The final theme that is portrayed in the song is death.

 Death is the ultimate moment in one’s life and the end. It is also the idea that since one is still constantly discovering their identity, they are an incomplete definition until their death.   The song says “ We get so sick oh so sick, we never wanted all this, medication for the children with no reason to live” The phrase “We get so sick oh so sick, we never wanted all this” refers to the singer being tired of seeing the way of life. “Medication for the children with no meaning to live” refers to the death that follows after Ragan is tired of living. The song continues “So we march to the drums of the damned as we come watch it burn in the sun, we are numb…We will fight or we will fall, till the angels save us all” This last line shows the struggle that is fought and that death will be involved either way. “We will fight or we will fall” refers to both Erlichman and Ragan fighting and succeeding or dying while trying. “Till the angels save us all” refers to the end of the struggle when the fight is over and the both the singer are dead. This line also connects to Meursault. An existentialist believes that the end is when the character development is complete, thus finding peace with them. Meursault says “But I was sure about me, about everything, surer than he could ever be, sure of my life and sure of the death I had waiting for me. Yes, that was all I had…I had lived my life one way and I could just as well have lived it another.” This connects to the idea of death and how Meursault knows that his character development is complete. He continues “Throughout the whole absurd life I’d lived, a dark wind had been rising toward me from somewhere deep in my future, across years that were still to come, and as it passed, this wind leveled whatever was offered to me at the time, in years, no more real that the ones I was living.” This shows how Meursault acknowledges his absurdity and existentialist views throughout his life.

To conclude, absurdity and absolute systems were the two themes of existentialism that stood out the most in the book and connected well with the song, Young. Existentialism is the idea that there is no such thing as fate or god and the ability of free will.  Free will is the belief that people can do what they want, when they want to do it. Free will is used in both the Young and The Stranger. As stated above the line from Young states “All together, walk alone against all we’ve ever know”. This line shows the rise against absolute systems, but free will as well. It shows that the singer had the choice whether or not to ride against the absolute systems. In the book, The Stranger, Meursault has the free will to kill the Arab man and do the things he does in his life. The song Young contains many traits that make it an existentialist piece. Meursault contains many of the same traits, also making him an existentialist.

 

 

 

The Shins- Existential Sleeping Lessons

The Shins are a popular band that is known for their alternative/rock sound. Each song has powerful and meaningful lyrics and typically leaves the listener with their own interpretation of the song and how it relates to their life. Many of The Shins songs touch on existentialist themes, whether expressing a longing for unrequited love, telling a story of a troubled person, or advising the listener to take on Mercer’s carefree way of life. Many of the songs’ themes are also themes that can be seen in Albert Camus’ The Stranger. Specifically The Shins’ song Sleeping Lessons can be related to the main character of the novel – Meursault.

            In the song, Sleeping Lessons, the lead singer, James Mercer is encouraging the listener to take advantage of their free will. He advises to break free from absolute systems – or the things that you’re a part of that define who they are. This song pushes the listener to free their true self and not let the norms of anyone or anything shape who they are or what they do. In The Stranger, Meursault seems to take advice from Mercer towards the halfway point of the book. Though Meursault is typically very reserved and removed from society because of his inability to understand the abstract emotional world, he breaks from his typical behavior when faced with his friend Raymond’s enemy; an Arab that is the brother of Raymond’s mistress.

Similarly, Mercer sings, “And glow/glow/melt and flow/eviscerate your fragile frame/and spill it out in the ragged floor/a thousand different versions of yourself,” showing the existentialist theme of free will and defying absolute systems through saying “eviscerate your fragile frame”, or in other words break out of the shell that society created. Here, Mercer’s voice is echoing and slow, the lack of percussion allowing his words to directly penetrate the mind of the listener, with the message sinking in. As Meursault walks down the beach with a gun in his hand in the hot sun, he  shows a “different version of [him]self” when rather than being the typical removed and calm person that he is, he disregards the expectations of how someone should behave and how he has been formed to think, and blatantly shoots the Arab.

            After being put in jail for his actions, Meursault exercises his belief in free will when he rejects the belief in God and religion after the chaplain at the jail tries to make Meursault find God and allow Him to guide Meursault to feel remorse for his sin. Mercer perfectly describes Meursault’s feelings toward the chaplain’s shame when he sings these words passionately with guitars and drums building in the background, emphasizing the importance of his words. He declares, “you’re not obliged to swallow anything you despise.” Meursault has a similar view that no one has to accept anything or love anything or do anything that they don’t like or don’t want to. In Meursault’s words, “I just didn’t have the time to interest myself in what didn’t interest me.” Meaning, especially at the time that he had been condemned to death (but could be true always) that he is not going to bother getting involved in something that he doesn’t care about. This is clearly showing Meursault’s free will.

            During Meursault’s last days as he awaits his execution for the murder of the Arab, the first lines of Sleep Lessons perfectly describe the process of Meursault’s thoughts. Mercer sings, “Go without/till the need seeps in/you low animal/collect your novel petals for the stem. . .” Meursault “goes without” any emotions or ties to the world for most of his life. In his cell nearing his death, his fears of death are revealed, creating a need for a comfort to “seep in” and settle his newly appeared emotions. Once Meursault realizes that he’s feeling an array of emotions he lets them out in a screaming and crying fit to the chaplain, acting as an “animal”. After he discloses his feelings, he “collects [his] novel petals from the floor” and uses all that he’s ever known and felt to come up with an idea of the meaning (or really, lack thereof) of life and comes to terms with what he’s been condemned to.

            The underlying meanings in this song’s lyrics, it structure and organization allow it to be pictured playing in the background as The Stranger reaches its climax. As the song builds up and reaches the most intensity, with the entrance of strong guitar and percussion, Mercer sings “. . . and see that I do what I do.” This matter-of-fact statement could be Meursault’s exact thoughts, as he simply and with little emotion approaches the climax of the book and kills the Arab. As the song slows back down, the song ends with the echo of “you’re not obliged to swallow anything you despise,” some of Meursault’s last conclusions of life during his final days.

Go without
Till the need seeps in
You low animal
Collect your novel petals for the stem

And glow
Glow
Melt and flow
Eviscerate your fragile frame
And spill it out in the ragged floor
A thousand different versions of yourself

And if the old guards still offend
They got nothing left on which you depend
So enlist every ounce
Of your bright blood
And off with their heads

Jump from the hook

You're not obliged to swallow anything you despise

See, those unrepenting buzzards want your life

And they got no right

As sure as you have eyes

They got no right

Just put yourself in my new shoes

And see that I do what I do

Because the old guard still offend

Their pudgy hearts and slimy hands

They’ve got nothing left on which we depend

So enlist every ounce

Of your bright blood

And off with their heads

 

Jump from the hook

You’re not obliged to swallow anything you despise

 

 

 

 

Rilo Kiley and the Absence of God

The Absence of God
Rilo Kiley is an indie rock band led by a strong female vocalist. With honest lyrics, the lead singer, Jenny Lewis connects with the audience with a straightforward, and at times, ruthless attitude that draws the listener in. Although unknown by most, Rilo Kiley carries a persistent outlook on their self-sufficient style of music. Having released four albums since 2001, the band broke up officially in 2011, with guitarist Blake Sennett stating that, “I would say that if Rilo Kiley were… hmmm… a human being… hmmm… he’s probably laying on his back in a morgue with a tag on his toe. Now, I see movies where the dead get up and walk. And when they do that, rarely do good things happen.” Despite the breakup, their music still lives on in many peoples’ lives. The album “More Adventurous”, released in 2004, features a song called “The Absence of God”. This song relates to existentialism because it describes religious disobedience and denial of societal expectations. It also shows the truth about facticity, God, and free will.

Religious insurgence is demonstrated in the first line, “The absence of God will bring you comfort.” This profound idea expresses the content and understanding that a higher power does not exist. Without unnecessary explanation of the meaning of life, humanity will accept their existence, rather than question it. Being strictly tied to a religion is an uncomfortable annoyance, which results in nothing more than distress. In The Stranger, Meursault is asked if he believes in God, he replies with a steady and secure “no”. “That was his belief, and if he were ever to doubt it, his life would become meaningless.” This quote implies that people who believe in God, base their lives solely on religion, which in an Existentialist’s eyes is foolish and idiotically selfless. A commonality within existentialist beliefs is “the absence of God.” They believe that any divine power has abandoned us, and left us to fend for the facticity of life.

Rilo Kiley also expresses the idea of facticity in their song. One line states, “There’s no relief for the bleeding heart.” This line implies that people have no control over the heartache in life, all complications are perpetual. Once the unfortunate has happened, it is not worth worrying about. In the novel The Stranger, we see this idea occur in Meursault’s life. One example is when Maman dies, and without distress and emotion, Meursault says, “Maman was buried now… really, nothing had changed.” Also, when asked in if he had felt sadness the day that Maman died, Meursault said, “I probably did love Maman, but that didn’t mean anything.” These heartless realizations show Meursault’s firm skepticism in repentance. He believes that there is no worth in despair; what is done is done. Meursault has been thrown into a situation in which he has no control; therefore, no one has control. Due to atheist belief of existentialists, facticity is inevitable and cannot be cured by any higher power. This supports their idea that nothing happens for a purpose; life is the ultimate disappointment.

Free will is a recurring theme in the song, “The Absence of God.” The second stanza declares, “I am not my body, or how I choose to destroy it.” This demonstrates that she amounts to more than her physical existence, and she has a self-utilized ability to manipulate how others view her. Jenny Lewis sings this matter-of-factly, as if she desires others to recognize her recklessness. “The need to destroy things creeps up on my every time.” This line supports the existentialist idea that humans have the free will to live spontaneously and recklessly. Without religion and morals, there is no one to dictate how you think, act or make decisions. Meursault experiences this value in The Stranger, when he impulsively shoots the Arab. Without true reasoning, Meursault takes the Arab’s life, resulting in imprisonment. When interrogated, Meursault feels no repentance or guilt for his actions. Meursault’s boldness almost exploits his negligence, like Rilo Kiley.

Rilo Kiley exploits the existentialist notions that are present in The Stranger. All forms of existentialism carry a stern attitude toward life and humanity. “The Absence of God” demonstrates the culmination of existentialism in a more personal approach. The group has many other Existentialist songs such as “The Good that Won’t Come Out” and “It Just Is.” With poetic lyrics and meaningful innuendos, Rilo Kiley expresses disregard and insurgence for standards. Albert Camus also expresses this in his award-winning novel The Stranger. One instance this is emphasized is when Meursault is speaking with the Magistrate. The Magistrate represents religion, forceful and overbearing. Meursault and Rilo Kiley are the condescending, disobedient and manipulative embodiment of existentialism.

The absence of God will bring you comfort, baby
And planning’s for the poor so let’s pretend that we’re rich
And I’m not my body or how I choose to destroy it
Folk singers sing songs for the working, baby

We’re just recreation for all those doctors and lawyers
There’s no relief for the bleeding heart
‘Cause they’ll be losing bodies tonight

And Rob says you love, love, love and then you die
I’ve watched him while sleeping and seen him crying with closed eyes
And you’re not happy but you’re funny and I’m tripping over my joy
But I just keep on getting up again

We could be daytime drunks if we wanted
We’d never get anything done that way baby
And we’d still be ruled by our dueling perspectives
And I’m not my perspective
Or the lies I’ll tell you every time

And Morgan says, maybe love won’t let you down
All of your failures are training grounds
And just as your back’s turned you’ll be surprised she says
As your solitude subsides

And Mike I’ll teach you how to swim
If you turn the bad in me into good again

And I say there’s trouble
When everything is fine
The need to destroy things
Creeps up on me every time
Just as love’s silhouette appears
I close my eyes and disappear tonight

And something’s got to change
‘Cause our love’s the slowest moving train