Lines Of The Song example essay topic

"Colorblind" by The Counting Crows I am colorblind Coffee black and egg white Pull me out from insideI am ready (repeat 3 times) I am taffy stuck and tongue tied Stutter shook and uptight Pull me out from insideI am ready (repeat 3 times) I am fine I am covered in skin No one gets to come in Pull me out from insideI am folded and unfolded and unfolding I am colorblind Coffee black and egg white Pull me out from insideI am ready (repeat 3 times) I am fine (repeat 3 times) The song "Colorblind" by The Counting Crows nothing less than perfect for the scene it was chosen for in the film "Cruel Intentions". It was played was one of the film's main characters lost her virginity to another character. Though it was a beautiful fit for the scene which it played upon I don't believe the meaning behind the song is the newness of being deflowered. The lyrics and the instrumentals accompanying them are both extremely simple in contrast to the actual meaning behind the song.

To be quite succinct, the song itself is relatively simple but it is the meaning and the effort put forth in each and every line that makes it so deep. In the first line, 'I am colorblind" (1), this is a clear depiction the songwriter's (Adam Du ritz) perception of everything. His emotions have been dulled due to pains of the past consequently render ring him cold and unfeeling. He sees everything as it is; there is simply no middle ground or grey area when it comes to life. This can be seen in the next line, "Coffee black and egg white' (2) He sees everything just as it is presented, not for what it could be if viewed differently with an open mind and open heart. "Coffee black" is a representation of how he merely sees the black of the coffee, as opposed to perceiving the richness, aroma, or other detectable qualities.

The next two lines, 'Pull me out from inside. / I am ready, I am ready, I am ready' (3-4) signifies the fact he is in a shell with a wall of defense up. He does not want to let his guard down, leaving him vulnerable to the pain that only a loved one can bring. In the next line when he says he is ready for love three times, this is an indication of the fact that he is ready to succumb to the power and the feeling of love. He indeed is apprehensive about the situation and is having a sort of inner battle.

This can be seen in the following lines, "Taffy stuck and tongue tied, / Stutter shook and uptight' (5). A taffy is a relatively sticky substance. This a clear representation of how stuck he is in terms of his ambivalent feelings towards letting go of the pains of the past in order to enjoy the potential happiness of the future. "Tongue-tied" is a phrase frequently associated with the feeling of confusion, and there is no better phrase for the situation. "Stutter shook" is exactly what it sounds like. It is an indication of how shook up by the situation the writer is.

Uptight is also has a direct meaning in the sense of his general apprehension towards the situation. The following four lines are repetition of previous lines and generally have the same meaning behind them. 'I am covered my skin, / No one gets to come in, / Pull me out from inside' (10-12); these three lines by far has to be the most touching part of the song. It is actually sort of self explanatory in a sense. By saying he is covered in skin it is analogous to having a wall of defense up that no one can penetrate, hence the next line "No one gets to come in" (12). The next line, "I am folded and unfolded and unfolding" (13).

This shows that he has decided to open up and shed the pain of the past and move on. The next lines are simply repetition and have the same meaning as previously explained. There are several poetic elements within the context of this song. Most notably is the most common poetic element of song -- rhyme scheme. There is no distinct rhyme pattern: however the words at the end of several lines contain a similar "I" sound. Later in the song there are two consecutive lines that break from the pattern but rhyme with each other both containing the "in" sound. (i.e. lines 10-11).

There is no staccato meter or prescribed syllabic measure for the lines of the song. Another notable poetic element present in the song is the use of metaphor. The writer says "I am taffy stuck and tongue tied" to allow the reader to more easily relate to his dilemma. The reader can relate to the stickiness of taffy and the confusion of being tongue tied.

The writer could easily have used a simile-"I am stuck like taffy and tongue tied"-but the artistic use of the metaphor was more appropriate for the ambiance of the song. The writer chooses metaphorical use to promote the ambiguity of his subject matter. Imagery is also present within the context of the song. The imagery portrayed in this song because it allows the listener visualize this scenario and his emotions. Phrases like "coffee black and egg white" which is repeated twice in the song, enables the listener to envision the message he's trying to convey.

Refrain is one of the characteristic components of many lyrical compositions, whether poetry or song. The refrain identified in this song is when the writer repeated the phrase "I am ready" three times; this is the key phrase that most accurately expresses the writer's mentality, thus dictating the tone of the song. The repetition only serves to the purpose of reinforcing the message. The song, once again, is quite simple but it is this simplicity that makes the song as powerful as it is.

It was very well written and every musical instrument that accompanied the song was epic. This piece of work is truly a masterpiece..