The Kind by Flyleaf
Verse
It's like being in love
You rob your own mind and defile your bed
You ignore the fate of the players who both end up dead
And you pretend for us and you pretend for them
This fairytale will make them jealous of you
Chorus But it's not the kind, the kind you talked about
And it's just the kind that rips the clothing off your mind
And for the first time your right arm becomes useful
As you sin with it, you wanna cut it off
But instead you thank God for all of the wrong you do
Chorus
But it's not the kind, the kind you talked about
And it's just the kind that rips the clothing off your mind And she is feeding you and you lie with her
And for the first time your right arm becomes useful
As you sin with it, you wanna cut it off
But instead you thank God for all of the wrong you do
Bridge
You cut the cord today, with God's hand to hold yours steady
He waits for you to apply the pressure, the warmth of His breath
Wrapped in His words as He repeats His truth, after truth,
after truth, after truth, after truth, after truth, after truth, after truth, after
Chorus 2
And it's just the kind, the kind you talked about
And it's just the kind that clothes your mind with Christ
He is feeding you, and you know the truth
And I pray this is the last song I will sing to you
Outro
I'm sorry father, I'm sorry sister
I'm sorry brother, I'm sorry father
I'm sorry father, I'm sorry sister
I'm sorry brother, I'm sorry everybody
This song is off of Flyleaf's new album Memento Mori. If you are familiar with the band they are a Christian rock band, with some screamo, so most of their songs contain biblical references or statements. While we will be looking mainly at the lyrics and techniques that the writer Lacey Moseley uses, it is also effective to pay attention to the music and vocals, as we can sense the seriousness of the song, and shifts in emotions.
Reading through the lyrics of this song, I took it as a song on adultery, lust, or even an addiction with pornography (these can also tie together in different ways). One of the first things we notice is that the piece is written almost as a conversation, giving the idea of someone confronting a friend of their addiction. It allows the reader to feel like they are there, almost even looking in.
We also see a usage of repetition throughout the piece. When we reach the chorus we get a repetition of the word "kind". It is a vague word that can be used to describe different ideas, such as truth or relationship. Another repetition we see in the song is the phrase "after truth" used in the bridge. The repetition is there to show us that this speaking of truth does not occur once, but many times, with more explanation and depth into those truths as they are spoken. Another idea that is repeated is the action of cutting the "sin" away. In the second verse it says that as we sin we "wanna cut it off", a form of description that I believe, helps to show the disgust and attempt to be free of something, especially as it later says how he "cut the cord today". These hints of cutting that sinful part off, is a symbolism the artist is trying to show for that sense of freedom or not being held down by ones sin.
We see the bands use of figurative language to describe lines like "she is feeding you" or "wrapped in his words". We can understand that these are not literal details of what's going on, but are describing the ideas. The first being that the girl is feeding his sinful desires, and the second is more like a description of protection by the "words" that are holding him as he gives up the addiction. In the song we also see a comparison going on between life before and after letting go of that addiction and following God. In the beginning, he is being fed by her, a way to describe how his sinful desires are being fueled by this addiction, while at the end he is being fed by Christ. Instead of the sinful desires being fed, he is being fed truth, and we are to see how life changes for the better with this change. In the end we also see a shift in the voice. While before it was in a conversation form, the last part seems to almost change to the man's voice or line of thinking, feeling sorry for the things he has done.
We can see through Flyleaf's song some techniques that are useful and may help to better our own writing. One of the main techniques to try would be repetition when trying to show significance to a certain word or idea. It is also effective to find a voice that is appropriate with the writing you are doing. In the case of Flyleaf's writing, songs are more personal, and can therefore use different forms of voices or styles, such as the conversation approach used here. Hope you enjoy the song, and have fun experimenting with these techniques.
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