Post by soakthesin on Sept 3, 2012 20:06:16 GMT -5
It appears that everyone has heard Blind Melon’s “No Rain", typically linking the band with the songs carefree feel. However, many people do not notice the deeper connotation the lyrics hold. When the prosperous single “No Rain” was released, it gave the illusion of an upbeat, cheerful song, yet the lyrics revealed a misleading morbidity with lines such as “I'd like to keep my cheeks dry today, and all I can say is that my life is pretty plain. “ The song focuses on the element of depression, which leads to a lack of energy and trouble in preserving interest in life. This songs irony presents itself through an upbeat tempo, repetition, and melancholy diction to address the topic of depression.
When the music first starts, the song appears happy with its finger snap intro intermingled with maracas and joyful guitar melodies, but these instruments are veiling the gloomy lyrics in the background. The rhythm envelops the audience in a sense of comfort and joy. However, if the listeners engage in the lyrics he or she would realize the protagonist in the song, says his life is mind numbing and he enjoys “watchin’ the puddles gather rain.” The songs repetition of the words “pretty plain” stresses the idea of his dull life. He continues to say, he doesn’t understand why he sleeps all day, and complains that there’s no rain.” These lines in the song are important because it is when the listeners first hear the idea of no rain, and start to make connections to the title. If the audience is alert, the realization that this song is about a depressed character starts to become evident. He wishes for rain, when rain is generally associated with gloominess, grayness, and an absence of light. These underlying murky messages are very satirical compared to the blissful rhythm playing over the lyrics. Also, the title “No Rain”, deceives the listeners into believing the protagonist of the song wants sunny weather. Though, in reality he is distraught that there is no rain because that is his only excuse to stay home. He declares that he has no interest with his life, therefore, the single way he can stay awake is to read, but it just “rips his life away.” By these lyrics, the listener can assume that fantasy characters are the only companionships he can relate to, but he craves physical friendships. The lyrics then carry on to say that, all he wants is an escape. The recurrence of the word escape is a sign that he wants freedom from disappointment. When Shannon Hoon sings the word escape, it lingers as if he is emphasizing the difficulty and extensive time it takes to recover from depression. In reality though, Shannon Hoon had a major addiction to cocaine, and the “escape” he is singing about, may be a drug escape. The drug addiction notion may also explain how it could “rip his life away,” by allowing his drug abuse to ruin his efficacious career. Either way the listener takes it, the person in this song is tired of his tedious life and insists on an escape to discover contentment. The lyrics used, show the exhaustion he feels from hiding behind a façade of happiness, represented by the upbeat tempo, and his hunger for something tangible.
Next, the song’s irony presents itself when he sings in a pleased voice that “he pours some tea for two”, making a listener that is not concentrating on the lyrics of the song, be misled into thinking he is with a friend. Although, in the following line he says he wishes someone is there when he wakes, and to “stay with him.” These lyrics hint on the idea of companionship. The bass player Brad Smith’s former girlfriend, who was clinically depressed, inspires this song. He wrote about how she needed him to be sane, however, as he wrote the song, he realized it was more about him needing her. This song relates the idea that he just wants someone to appreciate his point of view and accept him for who he is. He simply wants a friendship that will help him escape from his plain life. In the song, he literally calls for support when he says, “I just want someone to say to me oh, oh, oh,” he screams out the word “someone” as if pleading for anyone to help him. Meanwhile, the elated melody plays over his shrieks for help, seeming as though the depression is a disease that persists to control his life. In the chorus, he strains the fact that if he has someone who loves him he “would have it made.” His depression would disappear if he simply had another uplifting emotion around him. However, instead of the same repetitive phrase of sanity, one can see that he has hope for his self-happiness when he says, “I really wanna really gonna have it made”. Instead of relying on someone else for his sanity, he says he will have it made. This lyric presents a positive viewpoint he has on his life. He believes he will one day have freedom. This is the only line in the song that is not ironic compared to the instrumental beat.
The songs happy melody invokes the listener’s attention; yet, the diction of the song should not be disregarded. The upbeat tempo is a way to symbolize the façade that the protagonist of the song wears in order to live his depressive life style secretly. Shannon Hoon himself was a contrast. In Details magazine Chris Heath wrote, "He was crazy and rude, and yet also unbearably sweet… There was an incredible spirit about him, wanton and careless, but also somehow innocent and invigorating." This explains why “No Rain” is such a contradicting song. People enjoy when songs are ironic because it allows a society to explore a deeper meaning and relate it to his or her lives.
When the music first starts, the song appears happy with its finger snap intro intermingled with maracas and joyful guitar melodies, but these instruments are veiling the gloomy lyrics in the background. The rhythm envelops the audience in a sense of comfort and joy. However, if the listeners engage in the lyrics he or she would realize the protagonist in the song, says his life is mind numbing and he enjoys “watchin’ the puddles gather rain.” The songs repetition of the words “pretty plain” stresses the idea of his dull life. He continues to say, he doesn’t understand why he sleeps all day, and complains that there’s no rain.” These lines in the song are important because it is when the listeners first hear the idea of no rain, and start to make connections to the title. If the audience is alert, the realization that this song is about a depressed character starts to become evident. He wishes for rain, when rain is generally associated with gloominess, grayness, and an absence of light. These underlying murky messages are very satirical compared to the blissful rhythm playing over the lyrics. Also, the title “No Rain”, deceives the listeners into believing the protagonist of the song wants sunny weather. Though, in reality he is distraught that there is no rain because that is his only excuse to stay home. He declares that he has no interest with his life, therefore, the single way he can stay awake is to read, but it just “rips his life away.” By these lyrics, the listener can assume that fantasy characters are the only companionships he can relate to, but he craves physical friendships. The lyrics then carry on to say that, all he wants is an escape. The recurrence of the word escape is a sign that he wants freedom from disappointment. When Shannon Hoon sings the word escape, it lingers as if he is emphasizing the difficulty and extensive time it takes to recover from depression. In reality though, Shannon Hoon had a major addiction to cocaine, and the “escape” he is singing about, may be a drug escape. The drug addiction notion may also explain how it could “rip his life away,” by allowing his drug abuse to ruin his efficacious career. Either way the listener takes it, the person in this song is tired of his tedious life and insists on an escape to discover contentment. The lyrics used, show the exhaustion he feels from hiding behind a façade of happiness, represented by the upbeat tempo, and his hunger for something tangible.
Next, the song’s irony presents itself when he sings in a pleased voice that “he pours some tea for two”, making a listener that is not concentrating on the lyrics of the song, be misled into thinking he is with a friend. Although, in the following line he says he wishes someone is there when he wakes, and to “stay with him.” These lyrics hint on the idea of companionship. The bass player Brad Smith’s former girlfriend, who was clinically depressed, inspires this song. He wrote about how she needed him to be sane, however, as he wrote the song, he realized it was more about him needing her. This song relates the idea that he just wants someone to appreciate his point of view and accept him for who he is. He simply wants a friendship that will help him escape from his plain life. In the song, he literally calls for support when he says, “I just want someone to say to me oh, oh, oh,” he screams out the word “someone” as if pleading for anyone to help him. Meanwhile, the elated melody plays over his shrieks for help, seeming as though the depression is a disease that persists to control his life. In the chorus, he strains the fact that if he has someone who loves him he “would have it made.” His depression would disappear if he simply had another uplifting emotion around him. However, instead of the same repetitive phrase of sanity, one can see that he has hope for his self-happiness when he says, “I really wanna really gonna have it made”. Instead of relying on someone else for his sanity, he says he will have it made. This lyric presents a positive viewpoint he has on his life. He believes he will one day have freedom. This is the only line in the song that is not ironic compared to the instrumental beat.
The songs happy melody invokes the listener’s attention; yet, the diction of the song should not be disregarded. The upbeat tempo is a way to symbolize the façade that the protagonist of the song wears in order to live his depressive life style secretly. Shannon Hoon himself was a contrast. In Details magazine Chris Heath wrote, "He was crazy and rude, and yet also unbearably sweet… There was an incredible spirit about him, wanton and careless, but also somehow innocent and invigorating." This explains why “No Rain” is such a contradicting song. People enjoy when songs are ironic because it allows a society to explore a deeper meaning and relate it to his or her lives.
