Music as Social Commentary Analysis. Hands Held High is a song off the album Minutes to Midnight by Linkin Park. It was written by Mike

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1 S m i t h 1 Sarah Smith English 621 C-Block Mr Coffin December 6 Music as Social Commentary Analysis Introduction Hands Held High is a song off the album Minutes to Midnight by Linkin Park. It was written by Mike Shinoda. The title could be a reference to some sort of protest where the people have their hands held high into the sky, or it could be a reference to the freedom people take for granted that can easily be taken away. This song was written about the United States invasion of Iraq led by George Bush. The man who wrote this song, Mike, was very angry about his country s decision and wanted to critique it. In the album leaflet, it says these lyrics were two of the most inspired verses Mike had ever delivered. This song was written for the American citizens who are scared and confused about their country s decision as well as the rich businessmen and leaders who have no idea what it is like to be poor and think they have the right to some respect. It is important to know about this particular song because it speaks volumes about this generation of war and how nothing has changed when it comes to war when the rich wage war it s the poor who die. The lyrics are powerful and prove a point that needs to be heard by the world. First Poetry Element / Literary Device The most effective form of poetic element used in this song is imagery. Mike s lyrics let one picture so many different things while listening to them. The best example of this is in the second verse. Do you see? The soldiers, they re out today They brush the dust from bulletproof vests away It s ironic, at times like this you pray But a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday The first part of this is stating that modern soldiers do not have it as tough as twentieth century soldiers did. They have their bulletproof vests to protect them and they brush the dust off like it is nothing. That is also a metaphor Mike is saying that although war is difficult for everyone, soldiers nowadays will have an easier time brushing off injury. The second part makes the listener picture United States citizens praying

2 S m i t h 2 for the welfare of their sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, etc, as if their church is their safe haven, but over in Iraq the same people they are praying for have blown up the sanctuaries in which Iraqi people pray for the safety of their own citizens and soldiers. Second Poetry Element / Literary Device Another highly effective poetic element that Mike uses is repetition. One example of this is at the end of the song when he repeats: With hands held high into a sky so blue As the ocean opens up to swallow you He repeats this many times and it puts a specific image into the listener s head. These lyrics could be interpreted as being a metaphor for the freedom everyone thinks they have. People assume that the world is theirs and that they can hold their hands high into the beautiful blue sky without caring about what is happening around them, but at any second that freedom could be taken away from them and they could be plummeted into a world of war and political issues (the ocean opens up to swallow you). The second form of repetition is during the chorus when the band sings amen together. It could be deciphered as a form of irony because so many people consider the Iraq war to be a religious one. By repeating amen after each verse it is almost as if Mike is setting his words in stone as a prayer to live by when it comes to the personal political battles that everyone is fighting. A third example of repetition is the slight change in what Mike says at the end of each verse. And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day In their living room laughing like what did he say Versus: The rest of the world watching at the end of the day Both scared and angry like what did he say The difference between these two lyrics is that in the first one he is talking about what happens when a country first finds out that they are going to war. They sit in their living room and laugh because they think

3 S m i t h 3 it cannot possibly be true. In the second part it could be interpreted as the way the people feel when the war has been going on for a while and they are angered by everything their leader (George Bush) says. Third Poetry Element / Literary Device Another subtle but effective poetic element is symbolism. In the second verse Mike makes what could possibly be a reference to the bible. My brother had a book he would hold with pride A little red cover with a broken spine On the back he hand wrote a quote inside When the rich wage war it s the poor who die The little red cover with a broken spine could very well be the bible, especially since Mike says his brother held it with pride. The reason for him writing that quote inside of it could be to show that when wars happen, religious or not, the ones who wage it are never the ones to actually fight the battles or lose their lives. It is always the poor people because they have no control over what happens to them. There is also a symbol in the first verse. Healing the blind I promise to let the sun in Sick of the dark ways we march to the drum The sun is a symbol for the way Mike says he will let the light in and show people how bad this war really is and how the leaders just keep getting what they want without any regard for the people they lead. He is saying that he is sick of how the soldiers march to the drums without knowing the dark cause that they are supporting. Other Poetry Elements / Literary Devices There is good choice of words in the first verse when Mike is talking about how this war is no different than any other. Cause I m sick of being treated like I have before Like it s stupid standing for what I m standing for

4 S m i t h 4 Like this war s really just a different brand of war Like it doesn t cater to rich and abandon poor Mike is saying that he hates how everyone thinks this war is different. The war still caters to the rich and abandons the poor (personification) in how it always benefits the rich and takes the lives of the poor, literally and figuratively. The word choice and diction for the rest of the song is complex and full of deeper meaning but it is simple to see what Mike is trying to say. Mike s structural techniques are effective because he puts stress on certain words and usually rhymes four times in a row which makes his point all the more clear. As you listen to each verse, Mike s voice gets increasingly powerful and more angry. He starts out soft as if he is trying to keep calm but you can really hear the emotion spike as he starts to get toward the end of each verse. The music in the background is a simple organ and marching drums but it puts the listeners in a mood like they want to get up and do something because it s so effective. Theme and Evaluation In the end, I think that anyone who hears this song will be affected greatly by it. They will understand that no matter how society changes, war will always be the same: the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. That is the theme of this song. Right now it seems like there is nothing we can do about it but this song sends the message that it is possible for us to control our leaders and stop these horrible things from happening. This song has great significance in the world since it says so much about the war in Iraq but also every other war that has ever happened. The people always fall under the control of their leaders and all they can do is laugh or be angry at their words. In my life, I can relate because I remember when gas prices went up, sending the prices of everything else sky high and making life difficult for Canadians as well. Many people had a hard time with money and had to cut back on doing the things they loved and buying the things they wanted and needed. This song has a lasting message and I only wish that more people could hear it.

5 S m i t h 5 Hands Held High by Linkin Park Turn my mic up louder, I got to say something Lightweights step it aside when we come in Feel it in your chest, the syllables get pumping People on the street they panic and start running Words on loose leaf sheet complete coming I jump in my mind and summon the rhyme I m dumping Healing the blind I promise to let the sun in Sick of the dark ways we march to the drum and Jump when they tell us that they wanna see jumping F*** that, I wanna see some fists pumping Risk something, take back what s yours Say something that you know they might attack you for Cause I m sick of being treated like I have before Like it s stupid standing for what I m standing for Like this war s really just a different brand of war Like it doesn t cater to rich and abandon poor Like they understand you in the back of the jet When you can t put gas in your tank And these f***ers are laughing their way to the bank Cashing the check Asking you to have compassion, have some respect For a leader so nervous in an obvious way Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day In their living room laughing like what did he say (Amen) In my living room watching but I am not laughing Cause when it gets tense I know what might happen The world is cold, the bold men take action Have to react or get blown into fractions Ten years old, it s something to see Another kid my age drug under a jeep Taken and bound and found later under a tree I wonder if he had thought the next one could be me Do you see? The soldiers, they re out today They brush the dust from bulletproof vests away It s ironic, at times like this you pray But a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday There s bombs on the busses, bikes, roads Inside your market, your shops, your clothes My dad, he s got a lot of fear I know But enough pride inside not to let that show My brother had a book he would hold with pride A little red cover with a broken spine On the back he hand wrote a quote inside When the rich wage war it s the poor who die And meanwhile the leader just talks away Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay The rest of the world watching at the end of the day Both scared and angry like what did he say (Amen) With hands held high into a sky so blue As the ocean opens up to swallow you