Fiction

Andrew Morse
A block
Fiction


The man was middle aged about 44 years old, he took great pride in his work and walked the halls with an unusual quickness about him. His jacket was long like a dress and fluttered in the wind as the man fast-walked. He was determined to return to his work and finish his research. The lab was shiny and futuristic like something out of a movie. People were everywhere dressed in white lab coats and everyone was always busy. The man desperate to return to his work hurried toward his office. There he opened his locker and obtained his keycard, a necessary tool to enter the research wing. The card showed a young man with large glasses that was seeming fragile. It read “Adam Holmvik”; he thought to himself as he scooped up his card and reinstalled his lock. He concluded his daydreaming, sealed the locker and headed on his way leaving the office door ajar. He reached the private wing of the lab where he was greeted by security, asked to swipe his card, and then escorted through the doors by the same men that had done so for 4 months. He knew what he was working on was important but he didn't know why, all he knew was that there had been a lot of money given to the lab to complete the new project. The team was tasked with creating a new chemical weapon. Holmvik thought it might be for the war but doubted that in the entire country this was the best lab for the job and they had only barely killed some mice never mind millions of people. He walked into a dimly lit lab to find a member of his team excitedly scribbling on a notepad. Holmvik walked over to his desk expecting a forced artificial conversation, however the man began to prattle on of some “break though” never even looking up to greet Holmvik. The man hands Holmvik the notepad and went to get coffee. Holmvik read through the barely legible notes and discovered a new chemical formula that was written. Suddenly focused on the paper he sits down and begins studying the pages. With new life he starts to mix up the chemicals written. It is late now almost 8:30pm, and Holmvik is just leaving, regretfully.

The next morning he enters to building as usual and goes about his routine. Everything is normal until he reaches the doors to the lab. They are usually occupied by two guards but now there is six. He instantly thought something had gone wrong and in a panic hurried in the direction of the door. He was stopped and frisked down by a guard he didn't recognize and then allowed inside. Once inside he met another unfamiliar face, one of strong stature and the traits of a leader. This man had been waiting for Holmvik since he was the head of this research program. Before he could say anything he was escorted by two guards into a vacant office. They told him they would be right back and to stay put. Nervous about the reasons for the unexpected visitors he began to think of all possible explanations. He never thought it would be because they had succeeded. A few minutes passed and the guards returned with the “strong statured man” and then closed the door leaving only Holmvik and the man in the office. The man introduced himself as Henry Stimson the Secretary of War,worried he had violated some government protocol Holmvik began to babble out apologies in fear that his beloved job would be stripped from him. Stimson stopped him and proceeded to inform him that he was there because the project was a success. The chemists working the night shift had finally weaponized the chemical solution and it was ready for use in the field. Amazed Holmvik stared in awe at Stimson, realizing he was getting no reply Stimson continued on explaining that the chemical would be reproduced and placed into bombs. Still not realizing what this ment Holmvik continued staring and Stimson chuckled.
“You're gonna end this war, you're bombs are scheduled to drop on Nagasaki and Hiroshima within 48 hours. Congratulations, we won.”

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Backmasking Essay

There are some cases of back masking that cannot be determined wither or not they were intentional instances or just a coincidence, for example Led Zepplin’s “Stairway to Heaven”. When the song is played forward it is “If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now, it's just a spring clean for the May queen. Yes there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run there's still time to change the road you're on.” Which sounds normal enough, in reverse the lines sound like “'Oh here's to my sweet Satan. The one whose little path would make me sad, whose power is Satan. He'll give those with him 666, there was a little tool shed where he made us suffer, sad Satan.” There is clearly a huge difference between the lines forward and backward however it cannot be determined wither it was intentional or not. I believe it was intentional because the lines forward although sounding normal have a very odd word choice. That means that they had to pick odd sounding words to insure that the back masked message was still audible. This is one of the most famous examples and yet nobody has been able to discover if it was deliberate or not. There are songs that have reverse speech solely by coincidence. Eminem’s “My Name Is” is an example of this. Forward he says “Hi! My name is... (what?) My name is... (who?) My name is... {scratches} Slim Shady. Hi! My name is... (huh?) My name is... (what?) My name is... {scratches} Slim Shady.” In reverse he says “It is Slim. It's Eminem, it's Eminem, it's Eminem. It is Slim. It's Eminem, it's Eminem, it's Eminem.” I believe that this instance was a coincidence and others believe that one subconsciously says things in reverse before they are actually said. However I would agree that this is a coincidence and not a deliberate action by Eminem. With so much suspicion, controversy, and rumors surrounding every song accused of back masking it will be hard to discover the truth about them. Some songs people can understand the writer’s intention like “Empty Spaces” but others like “Stairway to Heaven” may be shrouded in secrecy forever. Intentional or not these examples are interesting allowing insight to a songwriters thought process and the subconscious mind.

311 - "Getting Through to Her" lyrics

"Getting Through to Her" 311 There was an earthquake In her dreams so she thinks her Foundation is crumbling away Fault lines in her words Hoping to show her so disturbed that Has shaped her to what she is today Getting through to her Getting through to her Getting through to her Getting through to her Sometimes when I call She tells me things that were not her fault And her surface starts to break Breakdown a hurting sound I want to tell her that it's ok now But I'm not too sure just what to say Getting through to her Getting through to her Getting through to her Getting through to her All she wants is some breathing room If not tomorrow surely one day soon All she wants is some breathing room If not tomorrow surely one day soon Excuse me did she say She wished she went away And not return to the shame Brought to her those days We'll take man's dirty deeds And suck them out like cosmic beings Into the sun hoping They'll be happy burning But life is not T.V. Life is not T.V. Life is not T.V. She's on wounded knee And well crazy horse that's me Her hard parts I'm cradling I feel refreshed when I watch her sleep Sometimes it's all I need It's all about the company we keep Getting through to her Getting through to her Getting through to her Getting through to her All she wants is some breathing room If not tomorrow surely one day soon All she wants is some breathing room If not tomorrow surely one day soon If not tomorrow surely one day soon

All Time Low - "Break Your Little Heart" Lyrics

"Break Your Little Heart" All Time Low Wide awake, my mistake so predictable You were fake, I was great nothing personal I'm walking, who's laughing now? (Who's laughing, who's laughing now?) I'm wasted, wasting time You talk for hours but you're wasting lines A pretty face but the chase ain't worth the prize I'm gonna break your little heart Watch you take the fall Laughing all the way to the hospital 'Cause there's nothing surgery can do When I break your little heart in two I'm gonna break your little heart in two Party queen, cause a scene so ridiculous Little dress, maybe less so conspicuous You're falling, who's crashing now? (Who's crashing, who's crashing now?) I'm wasted, wasting time I'm moving on but you're left behind A pretty face but the chase ain't worth the prize I'm gonna break your little heart Watch you take the fall Laughing all the way to the hospital 'Cause there's nothing surgery can do I'm gonna break your little heart Show you to the door sew yourself shut Now you're begging for more 'Cause there's nothing surgery can do When I break your little heart in two Don't be so sentimental, no This love was accidental, so Give it up, this was never meant to be more than a memory for you I'm gonna break your little heart Watch you take the fall Laughing all the way to the hospital 'Cause there's nothing surgery can do (When I break your little heart in two) I'm gonna break your little heart Show you to the door sew yourself shut Now you're begging for more 'Cause there's nothing surgery can do When I break your little heart in two

Comparative Analysis

Andrew Morse 11/20/12 One of the most common themes for songs is love and loss. Many of our favorite songs were written because somebody has been hurt or someone has fallen in love. 311’s “Getting Through to Her” and All Time Low’s “Break Your Little Heart” are no different. Both songs are about a relationship that has taken a turn for the worst. However 311 utilizes more literary content in order to portray the speakers struggling relationship while All Time Low uses more repetition to show how the speaker is going to “watch you take the fall”. The two songs main similarities lie in their subject matters. Both of the songs are about relationships but more specifically a relationship that has begun to sour. In both songs the respective speaker talks about his relationship, how things aren't going great, and his troubles. There are not many devices shared between the two songs other than characterization. However the two speakers from the songs are characterized as completely opposites. The speaker from "Break Your Little Heart", as you may have guessed, is made out to be mean and inconsiderate. In "Getting Through to Her" the point of view changes but the speaker still appears as one who is trying to make it work and cares about the other person. Another similarity is the motif of the "girl" in both of the songs and her feelings. The speaker in "Break Your Little Heart" repeatedly mentions the girl’s feelings and how he is going to destroy them. He claims he will “break your little heart / Watch you take the fall / Laughing all the way to the hospital” showing his lack of concern for her feelings and how he will actually enjoy hurting her because he will be laughing while she is hurting. In the latter of the songs the speaker in “Getting Through to Her” is much more considerate and is trying his best to be sensitive to the girl’s feelings but he is struggling, “I want to tell her that it’s ok now / But I’m not too sure just what to say”; he wants to help her but he just can’t find the words to do so. There are a considerable amount of differences between the two songs. The first and most obvious is what the song is about; yes the subject matters are similar but "Break Your Little Heart" is about ending a relationship while "Getting Through to Her" is about preserving a relationship. As a whole "Getting Through to Her" is far more lyrical than "Break Your Little Heart". 311's song contains more powerful devices such motif and symbolism along with subtle devices like wordplay and allusion. There is the motif of earthquakes and fault lines in the song, "Foundation is crumbling away/Fault lines in her words." and "She tells me things that were not her fault/And her surface starts to break/Breakdown a hurting sound" The references work toward symbolizing the state their relationship is in, for they are trying to make it work but they are on shaky footing. The lines while contributing to the motif are also wordplay "She tells me things that were not her fault/and her surface starts to break/Breakdown a hurting sound". When he says “not her fault” it references the idea of the earthquakes. That along with “surface starts to break/Breakdown” is wordplay because she is having an emotional breakdown which is a figurative breaking, while an earthquake would cause real things breaking like the surface of the ground. "Getting Through to Her" also contains historical allusion. The song alludes to Native American history, "She’s on Wounded Knee/and well crazy horse that's me". There is a famous battle in Native American history called the battle of Wounded Knee and Crazy Horse was a Native American chief. This allusion helps to reinforce the precarious state of the relationship that could potentially end in violence. The most notable device in "Break Your Little Heart" is characterization. This is offered in the 311 song but is more prominent in All Time Low's song. The speaker is characterized as selfish and pompous and believes he is better than this girl and that is why he has the right to lead her on and then “break her little heart”. All Time Low and 311 both have great songs with lyrical content hidden throughout each one. It is interesting how they are both able to produce a song that conveys a certain message or subject matter to the listener, but they do it two different ways. "Getting Through to Her" is more lyrical but requires some background knowledge and thinking to discover the true intentions of the authors of the song. "Break Your Little Heart" has less lyrical content but is more relate-able to the listener and can be more easily understood.

Train in Vain Analysis

Andrew Morse Shifting from a break up to remembering his relationship in "Train in Vain" the Clash utilizes a personal point of view, subtle narrative, and essential characterization to portray an accusatory tone. Train in vain is about a break-up between the speaker and his partner. The person that would have the most knowledge about that event would be someone how was involved, so the song comes from the point of view of the person betrayed in this relationship. The subject matter of the song becomes more real this way but the song is also in the second person so it is directed to the person that broke the speakers heart. This helps the song to achieve the accusatory tone because being directed to a specific person makes the song almost like a conversation between the two with one person telling the other what they did wrong. The song contains a deep narrative or a very concise one depending on how it is looked at. Some listeners may think the song is repetitive but it could also narrate the events the speaker went through after they split up. The song shows the harshness of the speakers heartbreak and how his life deprecated without his partner. The speaker says "I see all my dreams come tumbling down / I won't be happy without you around" which shows he is hurt but when he says "Now I got a job / But it don't pay / I need new clothes / I need somewhere to stay / But without all these things I can do / But without your love I won't make it through." Now the speaker has reached an all time low and has had downward spiral and is almost pleading his partner to return to him. It displays how things have just kept getting worse for him. For a relatively short song "Train in Vain" contains a deep characterization of the speaker and a minimal characterization of his former partner. The characterization of the speaker shifts in the song. At the beginning he seems to be angry and accusing the other person. As the song goes on he reveals how much he needed the person and how much he relied on them. In the first verse of the song he says "You said you love me and that's a fact / Then you left me, said you felt trapped" It is obvious that he is upset but he comes across as more angry then sad. Later in the song he says "But without all these things I can do / But without your love I won't make it through" showing how much he relied on them and how it is their fault he is sad contributing to the accusatory tone of the song. Train in Vain is a great song by the Clash. With a quick glance it may appear a simple and repetitive song. However it is full of emotion and one can really get a sense of the feelings and the tone that was intended to come across even though the music itself doesn't appear angry or slow and sand. Also like every piece of art or literature the song tells a story with a common subject matter that many can relate to and can understand the feeling associated with the song.

Train in Vain by The Clash lyrics

"Train In Vain" Say you stand by your man Tell me something I don't understand You said you love me and that's a fact Then you left me, said you felt trapped Well some things you can explain away But my heartache's in me till this day [Chorus] Did you stand by me No, not at all Did you stand by me No way All the times When we were close I'll remember these things the most I see all my dreams come tumbling down I won't be happy without you around So all alone I keep the wolves at bay There is only one thing that I can say [Chorus] You must explain why this must be Did you lie when you spoke to me Did you stand by me No, not at all Now I got a job But it don't pay I need new clothes I need somewhere to stay But without all these things I can do But without your love I won't make it through But you don't understand my point of view I suppose there's nothing I can do [Chorus] You must explain why this must be Did you lie when you spoke to me? Did you stand by me Did you stand by me No, not at all Did you stand by me No way Did you stand by me No, not at all Did you stand by me No way

Slinky by 311 song analysis

Shifting from a near hopeless attempt at getting a girls attention to fantasizing about their relationship in "Slinky" 311 utilizes lucid imagery,subtle hyperbole, and concise narrative to show that she "has the power" and "that's okay". The song "Slinky" although having many short verses rather than fewer longer ones is still full of imagery. At the beginning of the song when the speaker is first noticing this girl one receives a good description of the events. When the speaker says "I don't smoke, but I asked her for a cigarette" one can get a good idea of what happened. One could picture him going up to someone and asking them for a cigarette just as an excuse to start a conversation. This line also contains indirect characterization; this excuse the speaker has created shows that this girl makes him nervous and he doesn't want to blow it. This shows how much she means to him because he is a mess for a guy who is usually confident. Hyperbole is used in the song to show how hard the speaker has fallen for this girl and show how much power she has over him because he would do anything for her. The speaker says "She can move me and that's okay, Has the power to turn paper inky". This displays her affect on the speaker, she could likely actually pick up the speaker and move him but the lyrics are ment in a figurative sense. Also she has the power to turn paper inky is just a figure of speech and an exaggeration used to show how much control she has over the speaker. "Slinky" is structured so that there is a short verse than the chorus following every verse. Even though there isn't a lot of words in each verse the song still manages to contain a narrative that explains the speaker's encounters with this girl. The speaker first meets her a club and uses a lousy cigarette excuse to start a conversation. This first scene depicted displays how they meet and the awkwardness involved in meeting someone new. The next verse is the speaker talking about how much he likes this girl. He says " She's the one girl that I just dig, love" and he proceeds to talk about how amazing she is. In the final main verse he talks about how she is in control "She stole my brain, Girls that do me like that, there's not many". The song ends without clearly informing the listener if the events in the second and final verse actually happened. The most likely outcome was that the speaker had met her and was just thinking about her and fantasizing in the third verse like the second. For a relatively concise song "Slinky" is able to tell a story about a man's pursuit of a girl he meets at a club. Although on the surface it appears a simple narrative it goes deeper than that. With a second look a hidden ambiguity is revealed. From there it is left to the listener to interpret the lyrics and decide if the song has solely a literal meaning or if the speaker was simply imagining parts of the song.

Slinky by 311 lyrics

"Slinky" I was at this club minding my tea I saw this fine young thing so I thought that I would see I don't smoke, but I asked her for a cigarette I know it's lame, but I haven't got a better one yet You guess the rest, I'm not the type to fess I sing this song because I tell you she's the best That slinky girl is in my brain Now I'll never be the same No one can ever see What that slinky girl means to me So I'll just pretend But I feel like Mackadocious, she's sweet and precocious She's the one girl that I just dig, love, yes, I'm not above this You think that's whack then, bro, you lack You bore me that macho crap makes me snore, see, me, I'm all about the females, the women, the jewels of this world Those flowers like that slinky girl That slinky girl is in my brain Now I'll never be the same No one can ever see What that slinky girl means to me So I'll just pretend But I feel like Well I met her one night I'd seen her before She stole my brain then showed me the door Girls that do me like that, there's not many But I've met one, that's plenty I'm glad to say that she gets her way She can move me and that's okay Has the power to turn paper inky The girl has me and she's so That slinky girl is in my brain Now I'll never be the same No one can ever see What that slinky girl means to me That slinky girl is in my brain Now I'll never be the same No one can ever see What that slinky girl means to me Uh-oh So I'll just pretend But I feel like All right, break it down

Little Green Analysis

Andrew Morse Block: A Transitioning from her final goodbyes to her realization of her child's fate, in "Little Green" Joni Mitchell utilizes naturalistic figurative language, dichotomous mood, and innate characterization to show that "there'll be sorrow" before Little Green can "have a happy ending." Throughout little green there is many references to nature and the environment. Even the title "Little Green" is a direct reference to nature. The imagery is almost all in relation to nature, "Call her green and the winters cannot fade her." Joni Mitchell isn't really going to name the child green she is just figuratively speaking and the imagery in the line relates back to the theme of spring and nature. There are also several other instances where figurative language is used; "Like the nights when the Northern lights perform." This line features personification because it is saying that the northern lights perform however the lights cannot do that for they are innanimate. A unique feature of "Little Green" is the dichotomous mood. The mood starts out somewhat optomistic then transitions into a more sad and sorry mood. In the first verse the last line is "Little green, be a gypsy dancer." This is Mitchell's way of telling her child to do whatever she wants as long as it makes her happy. Later in the song the mood shifts, "He sends you a poem and she's lost to you", "You're sad and you're sorry but you're not ashamed. The subject matter shifts to Mitchell's realization of her child's fate which takes away her optimism. Like any song "Little Green" possesses characterization. However ,unlike many songwriters and authors, Mitchell doesn't devote any part of her song to characterization. "Little Green" tells the story of Mitchell's daughter that she was too young to support and had to put up for adoption. There is an emotional narrative in "Little Green", especially for a short song. As one experiences the story the recieve all of the characterization they need at the same time. After hearing the song one could give a good description of Mitchell, her daughter "Little Green" and the father of her child who walked out on them. "Little Green" is a deep and personal song for Mitchell. If one simpily listened to the song they might not have been aware of the true subject matter of the song. However with a thorough analysis one suddenly is aware of a dark and personal time in Joni Mitchells life. This realization is reserved for the attentive and those who can decipher the hidden literary devices packed throughout the song.

From within the top ten songs I chose these songs: "One More Night" by Maroon 5, "Too Close", by Alex Clare and "Everybody Talks" by Neon Trees. The reoccuring motif throughout all of these songs is relationships. Popular music has the same subject matter for the artists know what the majority of the audiance likes and that their music will sell. Each song references relationships but "Everybody Talks" talks about gossip and rumors too. These songs say a lot about our culture and more importantly our generation. I believe that all of the songs make connections to relationships, love, and gossip because they are things that kids and teens, for the most part, can relate to.The artists know what kids like and that their music will sell so they dont stray far from these basic ideas. I don't think the artists should be blamed for making the same music as everyone else.If I was going to make a ton of money doing one thing that everyone was doing or a little doing something original I would probably take the money too. Most people like this kind of music because they can relate to it. However does that mean that people can relate to it only because all they care about is theirs, and others relationships and gossip and rumors. That is exaggerated but I think the songs show that many people's priorities lie in gossip and relationships. In most popular music,besides ganster rap, gender isn't a factor. In these songs male singers talk about the struggles in their love life. There is also a Taylor Swift song ,or all of them, that talk about her love life. Wither these songs are negatively or positively describing their partner both genders do it. Also rapper is prodomminantly males but Nicki Minaj is a female rapper altering the sterotype that rap is only for male artists. Success is measured in numerous ways. It could refer to album sales or money. The success that is in songs is usually about the number of females someone has had interourse with, how many cars they have, or how much drugs and money they have.

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Declaration

 For my theme genre I have picked relationships in rock. I chose this theme because I thought there would be a lot of music that would fall under relationships because it doesnt just mean romantic relationships but any relationships someone has in there life like with family and even friends. I picked rock because it is a type of music that I enjoy listening to and rock can apply to modern day rock, classic rock, and alternative rock too.