Finding Creativity in History

I Believe in Love - BarlowGirl

How long will my prayers seem unanswered?
Is there still faith in me to reach the end?
I'm feeling doubt, I'm losing faith,
But giving up would cost me everything.
So I'll stand in the pain and the silence
And I'll speak to the dark night

I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining,
I believe in love, even when I don't feel it
And I believe in God, even when He is silent
And I, I believe

Though I can't see my story's ending
That doesn't mean the dark night has no end
It's only here that I find faith
And learn to trust the one who writes my days
So I'll stand in the pain and the silence
And I'll speak to the dark night

I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining
I believe in love, even when I don't feel it
And I believe in God, even when He is silent
And I,

No dark can consume Light
No death greater than this life
We are not forgotten
Hope is found when we say
Even when He is silent

I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining
I believe in love, even when I don't feel it
And I believe in God, even when He is silent
And I, I believe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXyXNC15clQ
(This is a live video. I could not find one that wasn't, but it does have them explaining how they wrote the song as well)

I've heard this song many times at BarlowGirl concerts, and have heard the story on how the girls wrote this song, and thought it would be an interesting idea to show a song that took on a part of history for an idea, as well as a quote written by someone else. In short, the band was reading a book about the holocaust and came upon a story of people returning to a concentration camp and written on one of the walls of the men's camp was the lines of the chorus

"I believe in the sun even when it's not shining,
I believe in love, even when I don't feel it
And I believe in God, even when He is silent"

They then took those lines and created this song, that may not only be seen as a story of the thoughts the man may have had during his time in the camp, but can also be taken for our own lives. There are a few techniques and pieces of the song I wanted to share with you all.

There are many words and ideas that we see repeated throughout the song. These include faith, dark or darkness, and silence. Many of these create similar thoughts and ideas, but are used to form an emphasis on what the speaker is feeling, and create and image of their surroundings. We can tell from the tone that the speaker is in a dark place in their life and is struggling to find hope to continue on. This feeling of darkness connects with the chorus, in believing "in the sun" even through this darkness and struggles or pain. This darkness can also symbolize isolation, as nothing else can be seen or felt, just the solitude. And with the bridge, we see the realization that "no dark can consume light", that this darkness will not last forever.

Along with darkness we have the word silent or silence. This is not simply speaking of a silence from the world around them, but is hinting at the silence of God. Like many people during the Holocaust, the speaker is crying out to God and wondering where He is. We see the connection being played on from the quote from the concentration camp to the speakers life. They are seeking his voice, but instead find silence and feel they are "speaking to the dark night". When it comes to the word faith, this is creating the contrast to the situation around the speaker. Though faith can likely mean belief, it can also be associated with strength, or will. The speaker is losing "faith" or the will to keep on living on hoping for things to get better.

One of my favorite parts of the song is the second verse. Here the speaker is creating metaphor of life and stories. It states "though I can't see my story's ending" and that they will "learn to trust the one who writes my days. This is creating the idea that our lives our stories that have already been written, regardless if we know what is contained in the pages. The speaker cannot see where their life will take them, but is attempting to find faith and trust that their lives have been written out for their good.

The chorus also shows some juxtaposition, as we are led to compare these three thoughts. The speaker knows the sun is still there when they cannot see it, or there is love in the world when they cannot feel it, so therefore they can still believe in God when he's silent. I believe it's a wonderful song that can embody the situation of the man at the concentration camp, and can as well, depict our lives in the everyday form.

I hope that this song has shown you some new techniques or ideas in writing. While it is wrong to steal another person idea as your own, or plagerize what someone has written, that does not mean that we are not allowed to seek inspiration from other people's lives or ideas. We have to make sure to make it our own, such as the band did here. Repeating words also helps for emphasis on the theme you are trying to depict, and the tone is likely the most useful in helping your audience understand what you feel or believe. Other forms of figurative language, like metaphors or juxtaposition, can also help create a comparison or image for the audience as well. Have fun experimenting with these techniques and ideas.

Different Genres of Lyric (Understanding Rap)

In order to have a deeper understanding of the writing process of different styles of music, you must examine them very closely. One genre of music I am going to use as my example today is rap. This type of music is very different from the other songs that I have elaborated on previously (mainly rock) however, it is still a lyric, just in a different form. You use a slightly different technique when writing for dfiferent generas that I will try to explain as "hints and tips" of writing this type of music. When you read and write lyrics there are some things that you want to take into consideration to help you become a better writer yourself. What you will find below is my observations of this form of writing through Eminem's song Stan, and hopefully you can use it as an aid to formulate, breakdown, and understand your writing deeper, and the writing of others.

Stan lyrics located at link below:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/stan-lyrics-eminem.html

Listen to and watch the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZTM3Cv0vrw

Hints and Tips

Understanding Sampling

What is sampling? It refers to "the taking of a portion of an already established track and using it as the framework for a new song." Generally this is used to serve as the foundation for the rap vocal you are trying to create. There are actually two styles of sampling called "sample" and the "ghost song track."

1) Sample
The most popular form of sampling takes a part of a track, which is where it got its name "sample". It usually takes the form of a specific beat from a song. Some of the most common samples of this are taken from a drum or bass track, although you can use a "vocal sample" for your new song you will create since we are learning about writing styles.

Examples for references:
Listen to and break down on a sheet of paper any rap, dance or rave song. Listen for different styalistic choices the author makes and take note of them. Did you like/dislike them? Did they work for the song or hold it back? What type of tone is used in the song? Does it all flow cohesively as a whole? Is there anything else that caught your mind? You can use this sheet later as a reference to when you begin to write your own work.

For an example of vocal sampling, take a look at Eminem's song “Stan”. It uses a vocal sample from Dido's song “Thank-you”.

2) Ghost Song Track
This second kind of sampling is not as commonly used. In general it takes the entire melodic track of a pre-existing song, and it creates a completely new lyric for the song. This form of song writing should not be mistaken for "alternate lyrics" however, because you need to totally disregard the lyrical arrangement of the previous song and focus on the remaining melody. It may be an easier way for you to get started if you have trouble starting things on your own completely from scratch.

With most beginning writers, the number one fault is poor prose style. It is one of the first signs of an amateur writer. A prose style that "haults" your writing is one that makes readers squirm, sweat ,and struggle to follow your thoughts. But you avoid this problem! How you ask? How can you develop a flowing, easy-to-read, pleasant writing style? The answer is to study the great masters of lyric style and use my guides. What you will find there can inspire you to write in a similar vein.

The Kind

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 Verse
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

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbnGAMLf2Bc

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.

-Adri

What's the Difference Between Poems and Lyrics?

Have you ever thought about what the difference was between a lyrical song and a poem? Maybe you thought they were the same thing, maybe you thought that they were distinctly different. Here I am going to analyze the some of the similarities and differences between the two based on the writing styles through a song writen by Sting called "Fields of Gold." You can find the lyrics below:

"Fields Of Gold"
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in the fields of gold

So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold

Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in the fields of gold

See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in the fields of gold
We'll walk in the fields of gold

Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold

Similarities Between Lyrics and Poems
I believe that first in order to understand the differences between these two writing styles you must first understand the similarities. In general, the same virtues that make a good poem such as effective imagery, compelling themes, originality, and emotional appeal also make for good song lyrics. They both require a skilled use of language in which the writer elaborates on different rhyme patterns or word sounds which break up the stanzas giving the reader or listener a sense of rhythm, impact, and understanding. Many of these writings also engage the reader/listener on an emotional level relating to them as a whole or in a particular situation that might have happened in their life. Some examples of how they do this are the use of several different writing styles including metaphors, similes, alliterations, hyperboles, personifications, onomatopoeias.

An example of this in the song is "We'll walk in the fields of gold." It is repeated several times throughout this song in which it is an example of a roundelay (a poem or song with a regularly recurring refrain). There is also a play on words through the way that the author uses the stanzas and lines to keep you flowing through the piece. This lyric also engaged you emotionally elaborating on his life through childhood, to meeting a women and having kids, to death.


Differences Between Lyrics and Poems
Despite having several similarities however, these two are not the same thing. A poem is designed to be read on the page either aloud or in silence with your own voice speaking the words that are writen on the page. In a lyric, it is designed to be sung by the human voice and heard with music in which someone else is singing (reading) the words to you and you are listening. Yes I understand that you might say "but I sing with my own voice therefore I am speaking the words on the page" however, they are still being sung to you even though you are "singing along." This gives you a much different perspective between the two. For example, when you are listening to a song, you do not have the luxury of going back and re-reading it, you can not stop to dwell on every line.

Examples: (Short and Sweet)

* Poetry can be of almost any length and lyrics must be concise.
* A poem can be read silently, however, a lyric must be sung.
* A poem stands alone without music and a lyric must work well with the rhythm and structure of music.
* A poem can be dense in ideas and structurally complex, it is designed to connect with a reader.

After listening to this song grab a sheet of paper and answer these following questions. This will better help you understand and create a road map as to what the differences are. You can keep this as a reference for these two types of writing styles:
1.) After listening to this song how did it impact you emotionally? What do you think the authors tone was? How did the music set a tone, or change what you origionally felt if he had just sung it alone?
2.) Does it all seem to flow together as one cohesive piece? What to you makes writing flow?
3.) Does the author emphasize any part more than others? (Use examples from the song) How does that impact the overall song and its interpretation. What techniques do you use in your writing to emphasize something/make it stand out more?

Now read aloud this lyric to yourself and answer these following questions:
1.) Did it have the same impact on you after reading it as opposed to listening to it? Was something missing, or did it still feel as a flowing cohesive piece?
2.) Was the tone different to you in any way since you were in control as the reader verses the listener? How can this impact the way you write in knowing these changes?
3.) Is there anything else that you took away from this piece considering the two very different circumstances it was placed in? Why? How will that impact your own writing?

Tone
The tone of this song is one in which he feels joy towards the love in his life, his children, and his natural surroundings and just being one on this earth. This is portrayed through the first four stanzas. Then in the last stanza, he elaborates on this feeling a little more stating "See the children run as the sun goes down, among the fields of gold " but he knows that the joy is going to end one day and is content with that in stating "many years have passed since those summer days, among the fields of barley " and "you'll remember me when the west wind moves, upon the fields of barley."

Really a Love Song?

"Love Song" by Sara Bareilles

Lyrics:

Head under water

And they tell me to breathe easy for a while

The breathing gets harder, even I know that

You made room for me, but it's too soon to see

If I'm happy in your hands

I'm unusually hard to hold on to

Blank stares at blank pages

No easy way to say this

You mean well, but you make this hard on me

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'Cause you asked for it

'Cause you need one, you see

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this

If you're on your way

I'm not gonna write you to stay

If all you have is leaving

I'mma need a better reason to write you a love song today

Today

I learned the hard way

That they all say things you want to hear

My heavy heart sinks deep down under you

And your twisted words, your help just hurts

You are not what I thought you were

Hello to high and dry

Convinced me to please you

Made me think that I need this too

I'm trying to let you hear me as I am

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'Cause you asked for it

'Cause you need one, you see

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this

If you're on your way,

I'm not gonna write you to stay

If all you have is leaving

I'mma need a better reason to write you a love song today

Promise me you'll leave the light on

To help me see with daylight, my guide, gone

'Cause I believe there's a way you can love me because I say

I won't write you a love song

'Cause you asked for it

'Cause you need one, you see

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this

Is that why you wanted a love song

'Cause you asked for it?

'Cause you need one, you see

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this

If you're on your way

I'm not gonna write you to stay

If your heart is nowhere in it

I don't want it for a minute

Babe, I'll walk the seven seas when I believe that there's a reason to

Write you a love song today

Today

Lyrical analysis:

"Love Song" was written by the singer Sara Bareilles. I picked this song because whenever I have heard it, I felt nothing but confusion. She writes in such a contradicting terms. Throughout the song, the writer has no poetic rhyme scheme.

The writer breaks up the verses in very short amounts. However, the chorus is much longer, but repetitive to give emphasis on the point she is trying to get across to us. There is also use of slang such as "gonna" and "I'mma." I don't really see any major significance of why she writes with these, but then I remembered it is a song, and that's probably why. To help shorten and speed up her long sentences in the chorus, she also uses many contractions.

The lyrics of the song "Love Song" show irony throughout. The most visible form of irony is that she writes, "I'm not going to write you a love song," when clearly the song is entitled "Love Song." Another form of irony is in the first verse "Head under water, And they tell me to breathe easy for awhile."

In the second verse, she writes "You made room for me, but it's too soon to see, If I'm happy in your hands." I believe this is an example of a metonymy because the "in your hands" is a figure of speech for being dependent on that person. Also figuratively speaking, she writes that she is "unusually hard to hold onto."

She writes everything with so much imagery, that we can really understand the message she is trying to convey. For example, in the verse where she writes " My heavy heart sinks deep down under you, And your twisted words, your help just hurts, You are not what I thought you were" We can't help but see and understand the images of her "heavy heart sinking" and the personification of his "twisted words."

Then we see that the writer delves into the repetitive chorus of "I'm not gonna write you a love song." Here is the line that makes everyone want to scream because it is a love song! She is making such a dramatic ordeal about how she is NOT going to write him a love song unless he follows all these certain conditions. "Babe, I'll walk the seven seas when I believe that there's a reason to Write you a love song today." Well I guess we are to assume that she walked the seven seas because she wrote a love song.

So after this analysis, are you lead to believe it is actually a love song?

When writing, I believe sometimes adding irony and confusion will attract readers to want to know what the real message is that the writer is trying to convey.

To view this song, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi7Yh16dA0w

-Amanda Bonbrisco

Tone & Attitude

The following song called "Savior," performed by the band Rise Against, was written by vocalist, Tim Mcllarth. I chose this song after I heard my boyfriend listening to it. The music and beat really got my attention and I decided to research the lyrics and I found them to be quite interesting. I think the writer of this song put a lot of emotion into the lyrics, and I would like to analyze them as a reader.

"Savior" by Rise Against

Lyrics:

It kills me not to know this but I've all but just forgotten
What the color of her eyes were and her scars or how she got them
As the telling signs of age rain down a single tear is dropping
Through the valleys of an aging face that this world has forgotten
There is no reconciliation that will put me in my place
And there is no time like the present to drink these draining seconds
But seldom do these words ring true when I'm constantly failing you
Like walls that we just can't break through until we disappear

So tell me now
If this ain't love then how do we get out?
Because I don't know
That's when she said I don't hate you boy
I just want to save you while there's still something left to save
That's when I told her I love you girl
But I'm not the answer to the questions that you still have

But the day pressed on like crushing weights
For no man does it ever wait
Like memories of dying days
That deafen us like hurricanes
Bathed in flames we held the brand
Uncurled the fingers in your hand
Pressed into the flesh like sand
Now do you understand?

So tell me now
If this ain't love then how do we get out?
Because I don't know
That's when she said I don't hate you boy
I just want to save you while there's still something left to save
That's when I told her I love you girl
But I'm not the answer to the questions that you still have

1000 miles away
There's nothing left to say
But so much left that I don't know
We never had a choice
This world is too much noise
It takes me under
It takes me under once again
I don't hate you
I don't hate you

So tell me now
If this ain't love then how do we get out?
Because I don't know
That's when she said I don't hate you boy
I just want to save you while there's still something left to save
That's when I told her I love you girl
But I'm not the answer to the questions that you still have

I don't hate you
I don't hate you, no

Lyrical Analysis:

Writers of lyrics are similar to any other writers with the small difference that they prefer their words to be heard by singing, rather than shown by reading.

Let's take a glance at the beginning verse. He starts off by talking about his forgetfulness of everything about the girl. He starts to realize his ignorance of her ageing. The older she gets and the more time is spent causing her to cry in the following verses: "As the telling signs of age rain down a single tear is dropping
Through the valleys of an aging face that this world has forgotten." As the verse continues, he describes that the reason for her tears are due to his "constant failing." He reveals a drinking problem to help time go by faster because there are issues between them that he cannot conquer.

This first verse we see repetition of the word, "forgotten" to show that he is obviously quite forgetful of things that matter.

He continues throughout the lyrics to explain to us the anguish he goes through just being around her. He describes things that are very painful in the second verse such as "Bathed in flames we held the brand." Even though, he may be in pain of the relationship, the girl he is with believes she is able to rid him of his pain. She wants to be his "Savior." Particularly in the chorus, we are brought to the writer's main thoughts in the rhetorical question of "if this ain't love, how do we get out?" This girl is obviously in love and stays with him because she wants to "save" him, even when he doesn't believe there is any hope for him to be saved.

There are metaphors present when he says "But i'm not the answer to the questions that you still have," "But the day pressed on like crushing weights," and "This world is too much noise."

A simile we see is "Pressed into the flesh like sand." Also some personification in the lines "They deafen us like hurricanes"

After many of these details and stylistic devices, we see one last rhetorical question other than the one in the chrous, that asks, "Now do you understand?" What we as "listeners" are asking ourselves is "Was he asking me or the girl in the song?"

Through all his pain and agony of being stuck with this girl, who wants to be his "Savior," he comes to a contradicting conclusion. The last two verses he realizes how he is unable to grasp reality and the world, and that he really does need help. Mostly in this last verse we see that even if he does not love her in the same way that she loves him, he doesn't hate her because he realizes she is right in saying he needs to be saved.

"This world is too much noise
It takes me under
It takes me under once again
I don't hate you
I don't hate you"

Here we see repetition of the lines "I don't hate you," which is also repeated at the very end of the song; therefore, we know it is significant either because he really wants the girl to know or because he is trying to convince himself that he doesn't hate her.

The writer's tone and attitude change throughout the song. It begins with feelings of dread in his relationship and a realization of his drinking problem, but ends with feelings of remorse and sorrow.

The word "Savior" is not only the title, but holds the most power and is a dominant in throughout the song.

Sometimes writers of songs try to make their lyrics almost like a story. There is repetition so that the listener of the song understands; however, there is a story line within every song that a reader can understand the writer's language of music.

The actual music video of this song may be viewed at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8X3ACToii0

-Amanda Bonbrisco

99 Red Balloons

The song that I have chosen to do first is called 99 Red Balloons origionally writen in German but converted over to English because it became such a popular song. The song was writen origionally by Nena and then several other groups did covers of it including Goldfinger and Blondie. I chose to start off with this song because there is so much meaning behind it and the way that it was writen that I would like to uncover.

Hear/Watch the song here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur79O0S78bs

Origional literally translated lyrics by Nena:

Have you some time for me,
Then I'll sing a song for you
About 99 balloons
On their way to the horizon.
If you're perhaps thinking about me right now
Then I'll sing a song for you
About 99 balloons
And that such a thing comes from such a thing.

99 balloons
On their way to the horizon
People think they're UFO's from space
So a general sent up
A fighter squadron after them
Sound the alarm if it's so
But there on the horizon were
Only 99 balloons.

99 fighter jets
Each one's a great warrior
Thought they were Captain Kirk
Then came a lot of fireworks
The neighbors didn't understand anything
And felt like they were being provoked
So they shot at the horizon
At 99 balloons.

99 war ministers
Matches and gasoline canisters
They thought they were clever people
Already smelled a nice bounty
Called for war and wanted power.
Man, who would've thought
That things would someday go so far
Because of 99 balloons.

99 years of war
Left no room for victors.
There are no more war ministers
Nor any jet fighters.
Today I'm making my rounds
See the world lying in ruins.
I found a balloon,
Think of you and let it fly away.

Lyrics that the cover bands used:

You and I, and a little toy shop
Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got
Set them free at the break of dawn'
Til one by one, they were gone

Back at base, bugs in the software
Flash the message, "Some thing's out there
"Floating in the summer sky
Ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine red balloons
Floating in the summer sky
Panic lads, it's a red alert
There's something here from somewhere else

The war machine springs to life
Opens up one eager eye
Focusing it on the sky
Ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine Decision Street
Ninety-nine ministers meet
To worry, worry, super-scurry
Call the troops out in a hurry

This is what we've waiting for
This is it boys, this is war
The President is on the line
As ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine knights of the air
Riding super high-tech jet fighters
Everyone's a super hero
Everyone's a Captain Kirk

With orders to identify,
to clarify and classify
Scrambling in the summer sky
As ninety-nine red balloons go by
Ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine dreams I have had
Every one a red balloon
Now it's all over and I'm standin' pretty
In this dust that was a city

If I could find a souvenir
Just to prove the world was here
And here is a red balloon
I think of you and let it go

My Evaluation:

So as you can see, the German version literally translated is much darker than the English version. (however they have much in common.) When you convert something of important context from one language to another it looses it richness, and also possibly its meaning. This song starts out with a child buying 99 red balloons in a toy shop and letting them go just for fun.
Common folk think that they are UFO's, and when they show up on the military's radars,
Generals of armies think they are enemy craft and conteract a percieve nuclear war, before finding out the fact of the situation (that its just the most childlike of things...balloons).
Balloons is a like a Heteronym in this case because it stands for 2 different things:
1. A balloon literally,happiness, childhood
2. Nuclear war, paranoia, hysteria, nothingness
(This writer uses heteronyms throughout)

The writer's attitude and tone in writing this song is one of joy and happiness turned into paranoia and hysteria. She is imagining an innocent child in having fun, and then causing the world to be completely destroyed by a nuclear warfare. She is writing from her perspective of what happened in the 80's when we were worried about every little thing, and letting us know that if we would have taken it too far, we would have been "the dust that was a city."

The breaks in the text allow the author to clearly state each different idea/scenario and allow us as readers to take a break after each 4 line phrase, and really think about what was said. If we were given the song as one big block of text, we would not interpret it the same way and it would not have the same impact. Each paraphrase is distinct to the overall song and allows us to flow more easily through it and put it together as a whole.

Using heteronyms is quite common when writting about things that are emotional for the writer and reader. They leave a sense of "letting you make your own of it." You can interpret it any way that you choose and the author leaves it open for you to make their piece one of your own allowing you to become a part of it. You relate to it more easily since you interpret it how you want. Try using this technique of writing in your own work. Don't always spell everything out for your reader. Allow them to take from it whatever they choose. It will help them relate more personally to your work and have a better understanding of it.