By Mac Bellingham
Music is a very important form of media. It is a way to express opinions and to express ourselves. Writing lyrics is a major part of this medium. Although It is still possible to write a good song with absent or inadequate lyrics, they can help bring a song from decent to amazing. In this article, I will analyse Cavetown’s ‘This is Home’ and show you how you can construct a song’s lyrics in order to create your own meaningful portrayal of your intended themes.
Now, the following information does not apply to every song, as it differs depending on what genre your song is, or what the message is. Some genres or songs like country or parodies do not rely on deep messages. This analysis only applies to songs that want to portray complex and purposeful emotions.
‘This is Home’ is a beautifully written song. It song has multiple ‘on the nose’ themes that aren’t just hidden between the words, they are the words. It discusses themes such as difficulty of being on the aro/ace spectrum, mental health, and gender dysphoria. Cavetown manages to perfectly incorporate all of these themes into this song, not only through writing the lyrics for each, but by layering on multiple different meanings through even just a single sentence. This is shown even in the first line:
‘Often, I am upset That I cannot fall in love, but I guess This avoids the stress of falling out of it’
According to Genius Lyrics, these lines are in reference to two of the three main topics: Being aro/ace, and mental health issues. The singer is saying that they are upset that they are aro/ace, likely referencing their internalised homophobia. However, due to their mental health issues, they think it is for the best, as it means that they are distracted from their anxieties. But this can also be interpreted as the common stereotype that trans people cannot fall in love, referencing more internalised homophobia. This lyric perfectly conveys the difficulties of all the topics in a balanced and nuanced way.
A lesson we can take away here is: Conveying multiple themes through just one lyric, or being able to make lyrics that are to be up to the listener’s interpretations. However, not all lyrics in the song should be like this, otherwise it will be very confusing, but having a balance of ambiguous and straightforward lyrics makes a good song. Potential for interpretation results in an interesting experience for the audience. It also means that it is more efficient in conveying the messages it wants to show.
‘Are you tired of me yet? I'm a little sick right now but I swear When I'm ready I will fly us out of here’
This lyric accentuates the use of conveying multiple themes in one line. Being ‘sick’ could refer to gender dysphoria, a problem that trans people commonly have to face, referred to in this song as ‘flying {them} out of here’. It refers to getting surgery, or taking hormones to change your body; finally dealing with this issue. However, that is not the only interpretation of these lyrics. Being ‘sick’ could also refer to the anxiety and mental issues Cavetown mentions in this song, and then treating it by getting help.
These lines can also bring us to the next lesson: subtlety. Being sick, if taken literally, is being physically ill. But being sick, in this nuanced context, can refer to mental illnesses or difficulties. It sounds beautiful.
‘Turn off your porcelain face I can't really think right now and this place Has too many colors, enough to drive all of us insane’
This line again, perfectly exemplifies these lessons. They relate to the theme, are subtle in their messaging, and portray multiple themes at once, depending on the interpretation. ‘Too many colours’ and driving someone insane can refer to the mental health topic, and how the singer gets overwhelmed with anxious thoughts, making him go insane. But if we think about this line in the perspective of being trans/aro/ace, then the ‘colours’ can refer to pride flags, or how ‘colourful’ people tend to be those who do not fit in with social norms, like those in the LGBTQ community. Overall, it likely refers to how the singer might still be distressed with their identity, and how they haven’t truly come to terms with it.
It is also subtle; whatever the line was trying to imply, Cavetown does not explicitly state it, and instead uses literary devices to spread the message.
In conclusion, by analysing songs, we can figure out how to write our own lyrics. They should be subtle and create interesting visuals, while also managing to encapsulate multiple themes in one line, eliciting audience interpretation. Following the guidelines demonstrated in ‘This is Home’, your lyrics are sure to be impressive.