One of the things that got me back into TTTE was the banger soundtrack and character themes. Music has always been a huge part of my life, I have classical training for the piano and an in-depth knowledge of musical theory and harmonic practices for classical music. So here are some of the things I noticed about various character themes and some of the engines' whistles.
Gordon is considered to be the biggest engine out of the main 12, and this could be reflected in his whistle, as it has the greatest interval between the two notes which make it up, that being a minor seventh between C and Bb.
James' whistle (G - C#/Db) is a tritone/Augmented 4th/Diminished 5th. In medieval times, this interval was considered to be a representation of conflict, discord (no, not THAT Discord) instability and danger. You can hear it in pieces like the iconic opening to Camille Saint-Seans' Danse Macabre, and in Hector Berlioz's La damnation de Faust to represent the titular character's arrival in Hell. James, I've noticed, is pretty damn insecure. He clings to his red paint like a lifeline and hides behind a veneer of arrogance and vanity. He can be quite boastful, to the detriment of his relationships with other engines, with him usually being the aggressor in conflicts with them. So I suppose the use of a tritone for his whistle is appropriate.
Percy appears to (mentally) be the youngest of the main 12, and this could be represented by having the highest whistle out of all of them.
Thomas' character theme and Edward's Series 2 theme both feature modulations to the parallel major of the initial key's relative minor, with Thomas' theme starting in F major and ending in D major, and Edward's theme starting in C major and ending in A major. The "relative minor" of a major key is the minor key which shares its key signature (ex. the relative minor of F major is D minor since they share the same key signature of one flat, likewise with C major, A minor and a key signature of no accidentals). The "parallel major" of a minor key is the major key which shares its 1st note (AKA, the tonic). So....like mentor, like mentee. Or like Father, like Son, in terms of musical themes.
Henry's theme is in a quadruple meter (following an 8-measure phrasing pattern, likely 12/8 time), meaning that there are 4 beats to a measure. However, each one of these "beats" consists of a triplet(If you were to count out a measure, it'd be 1-2-3 4-5-6 7-8-9 10-11-12, and you'd conduct it like 4 beats instead of each of the 12 individual notes) And Henry is the number 3 engine. Hmm.......
If I think of any more, I'll post 'em. If anyone even reads this lol
P.S: One of my favourite OSTs is Kingdom Dance from Tangled, and every time I listen it, I think of the twins. Probably because it uses the E Dorian mode (with a dash of E Mixolydian) which is common in Scottish music. Just in case anyone's confused, the "Dorian" mode is an 8-note scale which starts on the second note of a given major scale. (e.g, E is the 2nd note of a D major scale, so its Dorian mode uses the same signature of 2 sharps). The Mixolydian mode is an 8-note scale which starts on the 5th note of a given major scale. (e.g, E is the 5th note of an A major scale and thus, its Mixolydian mode uses the same key signature of 3 sharps).
One key theme in Wicked is superficiality. The world of Oz is a place where honest conversation is difficult to come by. Almost everyone is pretending to be something, or believe something, or have something, all to get what they want.
Popular approaches this theme with the subtlety of a hyperactive wrecking ball and gives a musical monologue about how this world works, and why.
Because Galinda has been portrayed as ditsy up to this point, with a bit of the self-serving schemer archetype thrown in for flavour. But here, we see just how intelligent she is. Galinda has caught on to how the world works, and understands what buttons to push.
Let me explain.
SPOILERS AHEAD (Wicked)
The first element to be brought under examination is Wicked's love for subverting expectations. By this, I mean that certain mindsets in the world have stereotypes associated with them, take idealism and cynicism for example.
From what I have observed, when a writer wants to use one of these archetypes, they will probably draw on a few common ideas. The former is usually portrayed as stary-eyed and naive, or unflinchingly positive. Cynicism meanwhile has a certain sarcasm to it. A cynic might feature a permanent scowl and a dry remark as a kneejerk reaction to anything.
In short, Cynics are usually written to be villains who are overcome by hopeful heroes, or to be heroes who are proven right by a world where hope is meaningless. Idealists on the other hand are either heroes who make the world a better place by sheer force of goodness, or naive fools who the world breaks down.
Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule, but those exceptions are mostly more developed characters in their own right, so the label of "a cynic" doesn't really fit them. Batman is an idealist (when he's written properly).
What is fascinating about Wicked is how the characters are presented. Elphaba is introduced as cynical, she fits the archetype to a tea. But after a musical number, her character swaps entirely. She keeps the sarcasm, but the hopefulness becomes a driving force that goes against the stereotype.
Galinda is... introduced as a bit of a ditz. She's got an ego, she gets what she wants all of the time, she has a well-known family. She's the generic rich kid, essentially. Fiyero gets the same treatment.
For the record, By Galinda, I mean young Glinda, and I am treating them as separate entities until they meet back up.
Anyway, when Galinda starts singing, her real worldview becomes clear. It's possible to argue that it wasn't particularly hidden to begin with, but in Popular, she bludgeons you over the head with it.
"Celebrated heads of state
Or 'specially great communicators
Did they have brains or knowledge?
Don't make me laugh!
They were popular!
Please, it's all about popular!
It's not about aptitude
It's the way you're viewed"
As much as I despise it, Galinda is kinda right here.
In 1964, Henry Littlefield published an essay in the American Quarterly titled The Wizard of Oz: Parable on Populism in which he gave some opinions on a theoretical metaphor inherent in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz book (if you don't want to read it, TedEd has a video discussing it and its legacy). He claimed that it was an inherently political book about the time Baum wrote it.
The sparkly new world looks even better if you put on tinted glasses, and only works if you understand that the wizard's power is empty, so Littlefield proposed.
Scholars since have praised, debated, and debunked Littlefield's essay. Pointing out the fact that this is pattern recognition with hindsight, in the same way that you can look to the stars and see a goat.
Essentially, there is an argument for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz being political, and there is an argument (most famously made by its Baum himself) that it is just a children's book.
Wicked is a satire, and not a children's book, so it gets away with some heavy insinuation, but to avoid landmines and a lack of knowledge on my own part, I am going to talk exclusively about how this affects the land of Oz itself, rather than its implications for the real world. Please don't argue in the replies.
So, Galinda's hypothesis here is that the leaders of Oz do not get to where they are because of any actual skill, but rather because they were well liked by either the people, or their superiors. She gets proven right about this throughout the musical. Madam Morrible moves up in the world by presenting Elphaba to the wizard, the Wizard gained power by giving Oz a common enemy, and Galinda and Fiyero themselves gain status seemingly out of nowhere.
In Oz, it doesn't matter what you know, but who you know, and who knows you.
In the show that I watched, Galinda was played by Courtney Monsma, who knocked this number out of the park. Galinda is an incredibly cynical character, but Monsma played her with what I can only describe as "manic pixie energy", which circles back to Wicked's idea of superficiality.
Because the ditzy pantomime of Galinda present in What is this Feeling and half of Dancing Through Life is nothing compared to the madness that is Popular. This is a character who knows exactly how to toss her hair to get what she wants, who knows how to make people think she is something she isn't.
Monsma played a character who was well aware that perception would get her further in life than intelligence, and was having fun with that confidence. But she is actually clever, Galinda has picked up on this fact that everyone else has just accepted subconciously, but now she can explain it.
This song feels like a hyper fixation rant. The frantic obsession was a mere outlet for the excitement of finally being able to speak to this worldview head on to someone who she respects and knows will actually understand her. This song feels like Galinda and Elphaba are on emotional and intellectual equal footing.
This song is also part of my case for Wicked as a queer musical that only works as a story because the romance doesn't. As in, this is a story about a romance that could have been, and that romance reads as queer to me. I will get more into it next week, but for now, I will say this:
This song doesn't matter, and that's exactly why it does matter.
This is the moment when Elphaba and Galinda connect, and share. This is Galinda trying to give back for the wand and make up for her previous behaviour to make Elphaba less of an outcast. But she has already done that.
The moment at the end of Dancing Through Life when Elphaba and Galinda share the spotlight, when Galinda makes herself look like a fool to match Elphaba, when she lets the outcast lead, and the rest of the room goes along with it. That moment is when the romance is kicked off, that is the moment when she starts making amends. That is the moment when she starts to make Elphaba less of a social pariah.
That dance renders Popular superfluous, or at least it does on paper. In reality, this song is doing a lot of heavy lifting in the foreshadowing department, even more so than What is this Feeling, in my most humble of opinions.
Popular happens because Galinda is right about so much in her world, but wrong about the most important thing. Brains and knowledge are irrelevant in Oz, perception is powerful, but empathy rules them all.
Galinda gives this big show of how amazing she is for helping people. Look at her, she's so good. But, Elphaba doesn't care about that, and Galinda does. The romance doesn't work in the end because Galinda realises too late that in the big scheme of things, superficiality is nowhere near as fulfilling as connection. That's why her romance with Fiyero breaks off, and its why her romance with Elphaba is doomed. She only realises this when both options are off the table.
The romance between Elphaba and Galinda breaks apart, but it can only do that because it was there to begin with. You can't tear down nothing.
You could read the relationship as entirely platonic, a friendship that breaks down. But art is subjective, and to me, the romance makes this story so much more compelling.
Final Thoughts
Popular is a popular song in the fanbase. It's an absolute bop, but it's also one of the simplest numbers in the entire production. The set is two beds, there is no fancy dancing, just one character sitting still and the other jumping around like she's on springs. The set doesn't change, there are no extra characters, nothing.
This song doesn't let anything distract from the character drama that is going on in centre stage, so that the audience can take in what is actually being said and done.
Next week, I am taking a look at I'm Not That Girl, and I will being going all in on the queer reading of this musical. Although, that is a heterosexual love song, right? How could that be queer? I have thoughts, so stick around if that interests you.
In Keep Your Friends Close, from Epic, Odysseus has these lines, which have Got to be my favorite in the whole song.
“So much has changed, but I’m the same” and “Yes, I’m the same”
And I just think it’s so incredibly interesting that we see this mentality from him. This Insistence that he hasn’t changed even though we Obviously know he Has Changed. A line from the Same Song is,
“Everything’s changed since Polites”
Like?? Babe, you Have changed. The men you’re leading can see it, can feel it.
But it’s so amazing? That Jorge Rivera-Herrans added this, because the fact is that Odysseus Has changed because of the war, the journey, the cyclops, Polites.
Everything has changed, including him as a person. It’s as though he doesn’t believe he can go back to Penelope and his son if he’s a different person from when he originally left them. Which isn’t inherently true, but the fear of returning to them as a completely different person and not being accepted?? I feel it. It’s why he insists on this crazy idea that he’s the same person.
So, as we know, Into The Woods is a satire. It is as some level making fun of fairytales. However, I actually think that the most satiric song in the musical is Little Red Riding Hood’s ”I know things now”. Let me explain.
As I said, a lot of the jokes in the musical are slightly making fun of the logic in fairytales, like ”You can talk to birds?”, or ”Two of her tears wetted his eyes and restored his vision”.
So why is Little Red’s number satiric? I mean, she is just talking about how she has learnt new things and will be careful in the future. Well, if we actually take a look at what happened to her, she might just be one of the most traumatized characters in the show.
First off, she is catcalled on the way to her grandma, I hope most ’ know that ”Hello, little girl” is supposed to have some weird sexual undertones since the story is about how kids should not follow predators.
Right after that, she does not only find out how her grandmother is dead and eaten up, she also gets eaten up, just to come back.
Later in the musical, we even find out how her mom and grandma has died, and we can assume that both of them are her only guardians, because why wouldn’t she just move in with a father at the end?
However, after a day that would scar someone for life, the song ”I know things now” is basically just her brushing the whole situation off and saying to herself how she will do better next time. I think this makes fun of most fairytales since most of them do not really focus on how the character is mentally.
Rapunzel in the musical is also brings this up but in another way, she is actually a pretty realistic character in the show:
”You just locked me in a tower without company for fourteen years, then blinded my prince, and banished me to a desert where i had little to eat and again no company and then bore twins. Because of the way you treated me I will never ever be happy…”
Sry if this is too long but I never saw someone mention this but I love this musical and wanted to talk about how smart it is.
I’m about 5 episodes into Hazbin Hotel, and I’ve noticed a very interesting problem with the music. If you’ve read into any criticism of Hazbin Hotel, you find that across the board people are complaining about how tacked on the musical numbers feel. Tonal issues and poor writing notwithstanding, there’s actually a pretty easy patch for this, and it lies in vamping.
so what’s a vamp? The best way I can explain it is using another musical: The Little Mermaid. Take a look at the song Under the Sea. You’ll notice that as Sebastian is singing, music pulls up into his words, making the transition from speaking to singing more natural and less jarring. That repeated melodic passage is a vamp, and there’s a conspicuous lack of any such thing in HH.
To fully realize why Hazbin Hotel has this problem, we need to take a slight detour. There’s an old adage in musical theater: When the emotion becomes too strong for speech, you sing. When the emotion becomes too strong for song, you dance. In Under the Sea, Ariel will not listen to what Sebastian says, so he must sing. The singing then progresses to dancing as the song reaches its climax. The cycle of talk-sing-dance is vital in creating the necessary energy to make a number engaging.
In short: Hazbin Hotel throws this all out of a third story window. Let’s take a look at one of the most popular songs: Loser, Baby.
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The question is, why must Husk sing to Angel Dust? The lack of a vamp makes Husk’s (a notably straightforward and grumpy character) song seem to come from fucking nowhere. Because the is neither escalating emotion or vamping the transition from talking to singing is jarring and sloppy. If one would take a closer look at Hazbin’s music you’ll find this problem in almost every song, though the one I can give the most credit to is Poison.
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There’s an escalation of emotions! Angel Dust cannot properly express his pain through words, so he sings. When singing is not enough, he dances as well. It’s actually a pretty good example of animated musical theater and the progression of emotions through visuals. It’s still not perfect (see: better executed vamp), but it’s a step in the right direction that the show does not make again.
Musical Themes in Nimona: Ballister's Introduction
So Im a bit if a music nerd, and as I’ve been rewatching Nimona and listening to the score (Which is now available and you should totally TOTALLY listen to it if youre into intrumental music, it is FIRE) and I love trying to catch little leitmotifs in the music and learn how the music is telling the story. While listening to the score I caught something that really made my heart happy so I’m gonna share!!
🚨⚠️Long Post Alert⚠️🚨
Since Tumblr is a SQUARE and doesn’t allow multiple videos in a post, I'm gonna compile all of my clips to a single video and number the clips so you can hear what I'm talking about as I explain
Okay here we go!
1. Ballister’s Theme: This little melody is meant to represent Ballister in the music, particularly when something important happens in Ballister’s arc. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear it throughout the score.
I wrote it out as sheet music just so its easier to notice how its being used. Ballister’s theme is in C# Major
2. Ballister's Theme in "The Night to Knight": This piece is played at the very beginning of the movie when the news reporters are giving us, (the audience) the rundown of whats happening. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear Ballister’s theme play when the reporters start talking about Ballister, its just in a different key. (I mixed the music louder in this example cause in the actual movie the music is much MUCH softer and that's how I missed it the first time)
I wrote it out as sheet music too. The note progression has the same intervals between each note as the original Ballister’s theme, just in G major instead of C# Major.
I just thought it was supes interesting how the music introduces us, the audience, to Ballister before we meet the guy :) And that sweet sexy brass and strings section playing his theme very heroically and triumphantly indicates that, again, before we have even met Ballister, that he's going to be a major character. The movie wastes no time in telling us who Ballister is and his importance to the story both literally (the news reporters talking about him) and musically (in the score). Which is a good thing since the movie is called "Nimona" and the only character you can expect is Nimona.
(^Obviously if you read the comic before watching the movie you knew that. But for those of us who didn't read the comic beforehand, this was a pretty bangin introduction to Ballister)
If you just listen to the score, even without knowing what the story is about, you can sorta put together whats happening based on the musical themes. I listened to Ballister's Theme first (cause I was excited. I love character themes) and then after I listened to The Night to Knight, and I was able to figure out when the reporters started talking about Ballister in the scene based on this alone.
Anyway that's all for now
I am working on a much longer in depth analysis of the musical themes in Nimona, specifically about analyzing Nimona's and Gloreth's theme and how its used in the score. So stay tuned if you're into that sort of thing! :)
I fucking love how like the original cast recording of Hadestown in Wait For Me it sounds like Hermes is mocking Orpheus, but in the Broadway Cast Recording, Hermes sounds like a dad trying to gauge how upset his son will be about the fact that his hamster died and whether or not he'll notice if he replaces it.
"heeeeey the big artiste 😅 ain'tcha workin on your masterpiece???"
versus
"'Eeeey! The big artiste! Ain'tcha workin' on yer masterpiece?😆 "
But in all seriousness, he goes from in the OG Cast Recording as just a "spectator". Supposedly he doesn't care, he's seen this happen before, it's no big deal (by the end though I have never heard someone sound so defeated and close to tears than OG Hermes, oh my fucking gods. The way he so softly goes, "Well. Alright," at the beginning of Road to Hell II, and his voice breaks because he's seen this before and knew how it ended and gods he wish it ended differently).
But then in the Broadway recording, we've got a different Broadway actor playing Hermes. From the start of it, you get told Hermes practically raised the boy! You're given how they've got a close relationship, how fond he is, how he protects and guides him and encourages his music and tells him stories to inspire him- 'cause the muses ain't always there.
So in Wait For Me- …he sounds desperate, half begging Orpheus not to go, half begging him to just come back alive. It goes from the OG recording's lighthearted joking, "aw you ain't reaaaally goin', but if you do 👀 here's how you get in in one piece," to the Broadway recording being so full of fear of desperation, of terror, because he's not supposed to go down there and it's dangerous and Hermes might never see him again. From joking around to, "I know I can't stop you, but goddammit, don't you dare die."
His voice is soft and scratchy, telling a secret and scolding Orpheus, making sure the instructions stick. It's something whispered in a dark alley or into a crack in a wall, not something sung in the autumn sunlight, by a joking trickster who doesn't care whether you stay or go. It's sung by someone who's scared because he loves Orpheus and he knows where he's going.
hi im also a raymond shields lover [you know this its no surprise] and i am also SOOO autistic about music so i totally ripped apart his theme to analyze it and i wanna hear YOUR THOUGHTS PLEAAAASEEE I NEED SOMEONE TO BE INSANE WITH
HELL YEAH an excuse to geek out about Joking Motive? You better believe I'm taking it
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Ok so right off the bat—THE FIRST FOUR NOTES. The first SEVEN notes, even—you can hear Miles’ Great Revival motif, plain as day. Close listeners will recognize that this iconic ascending minor third and whole step pattern can be heard all over the Investigations soundtrack, everywhere from the cross-examination and objection themes to the character themes—including but not limited to Kay, Lang, and in this case, Ray (there’s even an inverted version in Gregory’s theme that uses a descending half step and major third instead!). What’s really interesting is the use of this motif sort of contradicts Ray’s attitude toward Miles when we first hear the track—it’s played during his initial introduction when he still has that grudge towards him. It’s not NECESSARILY out of place considering even Quercus Alba’s theme uses the motif, but it’s a pretty strong musical foreshadowing that he could potentially be swayed over to Miles’ side, which is indeed followed through on later.
As for the main body of the track itself, it’s pretty distinctly blues-y, making gratuitous use of standard blues chord progressions (Am7 -> D7 and whatnot) and pentatonic melodies ornamented by that sweet sweet flat 5 that I have now dubbed “the Ray Note” because the man has melted my brain (what else is new). One thing worth noting that’s a bit atypical of the genre, however, is the Fmaj7 chord used a couple of times throughout (in Roman numeral notation it would be the VI chord); the first instance of it is about 44 seconds into the linked video for reference. This, in my opinion, is a really clever way of hiding emotional nuance underneath the otherwise upbeat instrumentation and playful melody—the VI chord sounds a bit more melancholic in comparison to everything surrounding it and hints that despite his jokester persona, Ray might not actually be as cheerful as he seems.
And now my favorite part—the synesthesia of it all. Idk if you’ve read my pinned post or not but basically the key of a song has certain colors, moods, scenery, etc. associated with it in my brain and it’s been a part of my life since even before I had any sort of musical training. Joking Motive is in A minor—which is represented by the color gray and its associated moods are those of emptiness and yearning (it’s a functional opposite to E flat minor which is pitch black and represents the crushing weight of despair). And I mean. Considering Ray’s whole character revolves around the void left in his life after Gregory’s death and how he desperately tries to fill it by doing everything he can to bring Miles back to his side? I’d say the key choice fits pretty well. If Capcom REALLY wanted to steal my heart away and make me even MORE smitten than I already am they could have put it just a half step higher in B flat minor (my favorite key of all time. Beautiful midnight blue queen I love her so much) but their key choice reflects him too perfectly so I’m willing to overlook it.
And that’s about it, really! I hope you enjoyed reading my insights—Joking Motive is one of my favorite tracks so I'm glad we can be autistic about it together <3
So The official Lyrics for “Ascension” just dropped...
...and it’s time for a musical analysis. A.k.a. I lost it because this song is juicy and the interpretation and analysis dragged me through a spin, and if I had to lose my mind, you all should too.
Time for some interesting tidbits I've found with The lyrics of ascension, its musical cues, and phoenixflare (because bias, but I actually make good arguments for it! The song pretty much does it for me, to be quite honest.)
Warning: quite a long analysis
OK first of all, basics Here are the official lyrics, and here’s a video with the song for quick appreciation and reference. For context, Ascension is the song that plays in the final fight against Bahamut, when Phoenix and Ifrit fuse and they duke it out in space.
The song starts with Brass & Heavy chorus but the moment Ascension is name dropped into the song is at the culmination of Joshua and Clive fusing. Afterwards it also introduces a solo of violin. A violin solo is indicative of Dion. You learn this from the OST where he fights Odin earlier in the game. This could feasibly be a nod to two things:
1) You would think The Ascension aspect in its true form is The fusion of Ifrit and Phoenix, but since this Dion's/Bahamut's fight it's instead a clue that true ascension is what spurned the fusion in the first place: stop Bahamut, save the people and save Dion (Joshua) & Destroy the mother crystal, Protect Joshua, defeat this corrupted form of Bahamut (Clive).
2) This Ascended form will bring back Bahamut to his senses no matter how terrible the struggle (Brass & Heavy mournful Chorus turned again to violin solo)
3) The lyrics for that moment go as follow:
In courage, conviction (through the night)
We find our redemption (find our light)
That we might make our ascension
I could hazard a guess and say that the fusing of the eikons represent Forgiveness/Redemption for what they did to each other at Phoenix gate (otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to do it).
However I think it's important to point out that, even before mentioning fire further into the song, Through the night / Find our light is also reflected in Joshua's/Phoenix theme with From Dark light be reborn and rise from Shadow / and Shadow in the Night.
Night (and night as shadows) are prevalent in Joshua's/Phoenix theme and It's especially notorious since it's the only instance in Ascension where Night is mentioned. One would think "ah it's because Phoenix's theme started the night of phoenixgate”, and yeah that could be it, but why then not do more allusions on Ascension since it's also nighttime?
(Also it’s worth pointing out that the violin solo after Phoenix and Ifrit fuse is also overtaken again by brass instruments and the Chorus. So while there's hope, it's just heralding the beginning of the struggle to break Dion free)
...and Speaking of free
let's get to our next bit:
Burden shouldered
Seven worlds of teardrops falling to the sea
Bitter seeds, these, e're yearning to be
Free!
Holy Mother set us free!
Strike our irons, be our
All those meta about Dion's burdens being too heavy on him, chaffing him down, making him bitter and not being able to do naught else but bear it??? Here you have your confirmation!
“Burden shouldered” is obvious the interpretation.
“Seven worlds of teardrops falling to the sea” is a double punch because it could allude to the fact that Dion cannot allow himself to cry in a moment of weakness (he is Bahamut, the Symbol, The champion of the Empire, the Hope bringer, His Father's son) and so the seven worlds worth of tears shall fall into the sea -that is, the place where nobody can differentiate whether it's a tear or just seawater. It also alludes to the fact that, all of this is happening in an isle, surrounded by sea, but instead of his rage falling there, it rains onto the people of the dominion.
“Bitter seeds, these, e're yearning to be”: Through the time of shouldering the Burdens of the Empire with all the privations they entailed and never being recognized for them -even loathed and schemed against!- Dion has grown bitter, and was yearning to be.
Free!
But how, Oh, how does he believe he will find Freedom?
Through Greagor, The holy Mother. Unsurprising given that he's a Scion of Sanbreque.
And what does he envision the freedom granted by Her to constitute?
Free!
Holy Mother set us free!
Strike our irons, be our
Solace
Temperance
Virtue
Vengeance
Keep these words in mind (especially vengeance), because they're about to take you on a spin as did me when I realized the turn around.
After the crescendo of what Freedom through her guidance entails, this hectic section of heavy contrasting chorus, brass and tense strings ends with:
Firmament over us
Fundament 'neath us
He wants to reach The firmament, leave everything beneath. Do you know who else is spurned to fly over the Firmament, and contemplate the nothingness below? Yes, you guessed it: The Phoenix. Look up to the heavens / The firmament reddens / Throw open your wings and fly! & Look down to the nether / Bid Farewell Forever / Throw open your wings and fly!
But unlike the Phoenix, there's no guiding light in the firmament, no Dawn to look forward to. Dion wants to escape it all, to Rise through the firmament, to leave it all, the chains, the guilt, the horror of what he just did behind, seeking the guidance of the Holy mother and the freedom she represents.
Again, this section ends with a strong statement of brass and strings. You could even say it's an ultimatum, and the presentation of Dion's current emotional turmoil amplified by the Crystal's/Ultima's madness.
... and then, we go back to the strings, tense, but more prevalent before once again, trying to be overtaken by the brass instruments. And so, the chorus, milder now, assuaged somewhat, continues with the brass not being as prevalent as before (and I'm about to lose it):
Take flight into the starry heavens
On high, celestial procession
Fire on ruby mountaintops
To guide us to the word of god(dess)
We all know this. We are all aware of this.
"Take flight into the starry heavens", yes we are fighting in space, Dion was able to break through the firmament and leave.
"On high, celestial procession" Dion, mad with grief, guilt, bitterness and a yearning to be free stands supreme among the stars. A procession fit for a King about to end it all. Even though we know this isn't what Dion, so full of love, of dedication and tenderness for his people would want.
He needs to be stopped from his madness, to be hold gently, to be calmed down, guided through his grief back to safety. and behold! Here comes Ifrit Risen the Phoenix (with extra help).
"Fire on ruby mountaintops" This is self explanatory, Joshua and Clive have arrived, together, an ascended form with all the implications their ascension meant. But again, Phoenix, focus on the phoenix whose main Motivation is Dion. He arrives to
"To guide us to the word of god(dess)" the us in this case clearly means Dion, who pleaded to Her before for freedom. Yet it is the Phoenix, who arrives and will guide him to the word of god(dess). The word of the goddess in this case means freedom since that's what Dion yearns for and pleaded to Her.
And what, pray tell, is the phoenix's guidance (also, High Sanbreque priests who? It's the Phoenix, Joshua, the one that will become the true guide to the word of the Goddess, not they who conspired against Dion, who bought into Anabella's scheme) to what true freedom, what Dion's answers and yearnings are?
Solace
Temperance
Virtue
Ascension!
(Bold done by me, but the exclamation mark is in the lyrics)
Ascension The type Phoenix and Ifrit got at the beginning, that's true freedom, punctuated for emphasis. Not the Madness Bahamut has become after absorbing the crystal, that’s not Acension.
The phoenix will guide Dion to it, to true freedom, to true Ascension So this was right where I lost it.
(it's also worth of note that "Ascension!" has an exclamation mark, while "Vengeance" had none, just forceful intonation!)
Ok no. I lied. I was THIS close to lose it, but I held on just by my nails. The song, with now a hopeful tint continues with:
Guide our spirits ever higher
And higher and higher and higher, higher!
On wings of Faith
We'll rise again
"Wing of faith" we know refers to the phoenix, who is guiding true the word of the Goddess. (Phoenix, not Ifrit because who of these two has the wings? Thought so) and with it, Bahamut and Dion will rise again, hinting that they will not die by the end of this fight, but survive and rise again, better (and free, hopefully)
and THEN.
THEN!!!!
Bahamut's string solo theme without brass instruments finally plays and I actually LOST it. If that isn't a confirmation in musical form I don't know what to tell you. Excuse me for a moment while I SCREAM
The song continues and yes the brass now accompany the string solo of Bahamut's theme. Now, instead of being overtaken by it and the chorus as it happened previously in the phase of the fight before this, when the chorus starts it's a whispers and it flows, it doesn't overtake.
Ware ye the madness
The breeds inside us
Tides of fury flowing, ebbing
Mists of malice whorling, wending
Veil of Nothing, never-ending
Dare not seek what lurketh down beneath
No!
It its frantic however, even when it states that the turmoil is waning. It's both a reassurance and a warning, conveyed by the crescendo of the chorus and culminating in the following statement:
An Evil Hiding from the sun
Blinded, he screameth eschaton immanent
This is ultima btw. It's a warning about ultima.
What, pray tell, does Eschaton mean anyway? It can't be the Zettaflare, right?
Indeed, this is what Eschaton means (via Dictionary.com)
Theology. the final age and the consummation of history, including the Last Judgment and the defeat of evil, the eternal blessedness of the righteous, and, in some traditions, the creation of a new heaven and earth:
Idk i dont want to like, make a character or media analysis bc i do not think I'm smart enough for that but i do have thought that feel like i HAVE to share
Falsettos is my favorite musical of all time and so of course i seek fanfic and fanart and fanworks in general of this piece of media. And while Modern!AU are not my thing i do like the occasional fanart. BUT
I just do not think that Mendel and Trina would be together in modern times. I do not believe they are the perfect pairing and i do not believe they are this super healthy super cute ship. I'm not even sure Trina truly loves the guy at first
I think, musical-wise, she was attracted to him, maybe she even liked him, but she married him because she felt like she had to.
Its literally spelled for us in Trina's song (reprise)
And for doubts that I've been feeling, I'll ignore them when I can
Loving our lives (Mendel) vs Liking our lives (Trina)
Our hands were tied. My father cried "You'll marry!" We married! (abt Marvin)
It's hard to put my thoughts into words, especially bc English is not my first language. But what i want to say: Trina married the first time because she had to. She was maybe pregnant by then or had lost her virginity or something. Then, she was a single Jewish wife in 1788. Can you imagine how hard that probably was? not only that but her ex-husband is also gay. So the second time she also had to marry. She was raised to want the perfect life
She was raised to want this. And so, when another man appeared, who wanted her despite being divorced, already having a child, and having STDs, why would she say no? Even if she didn't quite love him, even if she wasn't sure about the marriage, she knew chances like this would be hard to get again. So she left her feelings aside and said yes. What other choice did she have?
And sure, i do believe she learned to love Mendel. Maybe not the same way, i do think Mendel will always love her more, but i think she learned to be happy with what she got.
But i don't think is fair. I think in modern times she would either not have married Marvin, and if she had then i don't think she would have married Mendel, even less that quickly
I like to imagine modern Trina being happy single. Being a working woman, having friends she could confide with, being content with herself, and taking her time. And having good sex. Because my god, that woman deserves good sex. Not even in her second marriage did she get the sex she deserved
idk, this was a rant, obvs, and not a super well thought and shit. i just wish people would be more into Trina. I just feel like people think way more abt Marvin and Whizzer and leave the women to be basically their cheerleaders
Don't get me wrong, Whizzer is my fav character but... i just wish the fandom would at least put a little bit more thought into the women on the show
ANNOUNCEMENT: An Analysis of Transgender Dysphoria Blues
On May 24, 2012, Rolling Stone introduced Laura Jane Grace to the world. Laura was already a well-established figure in punk music (for better or for worse) for her role as the lead member of Against Me!, but she was known by a different name and as a different gender. While not the only high-profile transgender musical artist in history (Wendy Carlos and Kim Petras come to mind), Laura is one of the biggest, and she has gone on to inspire thousands of trans people, punks, and trans punks (such as myself).
2 years after the Rolling Stone article, Against Me! released Transgender Dysphoria Blues, a landmark album in the history of queer music. So, I thought that, in honor of the start of pride month, I would finally get started on a project I've been thinking about for a while: a complete lyrical and musical breakdown and analysis of TDB. I intend to interpret TDB as a concept album telling two simultaneous stories, one Laura's own story of coming out and the other the story of a trans sex worker. This is a large project, so it will come in the form of 5 essays:
(Brief content warning here (there will be more detailed ones at the start of each essay) for discussion of transphobia, familial rejection and trauma, death, and suicide, and for use of anti-trans and generally anti-queer slurs)
Part 1 - Prologue: A brief overview of Laura's career up until the release of TDB through quotes from Laura's autobiography Tranny and the analysis of 4 pre-TDB songs: The Disco Before the Breakdown, Pretty Girls (The Mover), Searching For a Former Clarity, and The Ocean.
Part 2 - Introduction: Laura introduces both herself and the main character of the album (who I'm calling the True Trans Soul Rebel, or just the Rebel for short) through the first two tracks, Transgender Dysphoria Blues and True Trans Soul Rebel.
Part 3 - Rejection: Laura and the Rebel both deal with discrimination, rejection, and even violence from family, friends, and society at large on the next three tracks, Unconditional Love, Drinking with the Jocks, and Osama Bin Laden as the Crucified Christ.
Part 4 - Loss: Mounting anxiety and insecurity comes to a head for both Laura and the Rebel as they both lose friends and lovers and are left contemplating loss and death on the tracks Fuckmylife666, Dead Friend, and Two Coffins.
Part 5 - Death and Rebirth: The Rebel hits rock bottom and commits suicide on new years' eve on the penultimate track Paralytic States, but on the same evening Laura, also close to giving in, finally decides to come out to the world as she eulogizes the Rebel on the final track Black Me Out.
If you look up "iconic Broadway songs", you get lists upon lists of musical numbers, but there are a few constants. Beside One Day More from Les Misérables, Don't Cry For Me Argentina from Evita, and Seasons Of Love from Rent, you will usually find Defying Gravity, from Wicked.
If you think about it, this is actually rather weird, right? The aforementioned songs are about preparing for death, dying, and looking back on life, respectively. Defying Gravity is about a witch deciding to fly. A story that is objectively fantastical (it depicts magic and flying monkeys in a place that definitely does not exist) stands next to stories of real-world history and events, and nobody bats an eyelid because... well... because it's just that good.
This is like a corgi winning a race fair and square against a ton of cheetahs.
I think it's worth examining just what Defying Gravity does to stand beside giants, and what story it is telling.
Let me explain.
SPOILERS AHEAD: (Wicked)
Defying Gravity is a battle cry.
When you examine a piece of media, the first thing you need to understand is what it is that that piece of media is trying to achieve. For example, if you examine a commercial for toothpaste through the same lens as a commercial film, that commercial will fall short. Similarly, if you examine a song that is trying to get stuck in your head through a classical, technical lens, things get funky.
You can, of course, apply those different lenses if you want. That's the fun thing about art, there are few rules. But even then, you need to understand the purpose of the text.
Defying Gravity is a battle cry.
It is a song that calls to arms its listeners. It says to Oz that things will get better, if Elphaba has to tear down the world to make it so. And it tells the audience to get excited, because someone has just started shaking things up.
The song is a turning point in the musical. It is the end of act one, and it sets the trajectory of the second half of the story. It defines how the characters will behave going forwards. But also...
Defying Gravity is a breakup song.
I don't think the two are disconnected at all. Wicked is about reality and dreams colliding, and it follows the seeking of freedom. The twist is that for freedom, you have to give up your safety, and Glinda isn't prepared to do that, but Elphaba is.
This is a piece by @abd-illustrates (Youtube, Deviantart). Although I believe it's technically about No Good Deed, I feel it's relevant here and a spectacular feat of artistic merit that I had to put it in.
Wicked has been accused of queer bating by fans, and while I see that angle, I don't quite agree. I think that the romantic relationship between Glinda and Elphaba does happen, but the fact that it doesn't work is key to the story. They are doomed lovers, and this song is that breaking point.
What is more valuable to our protagonists? Autonomy or stability? Both characters pick different options, and that incompatibility tears them apart.
"Elphaba, why couldn't you have stayed calm for once? Instead of flying off the handle!
I hope you're happy
I hope you're happy now
I hope you're happy how
you've hurt your cause forever
I hope you think you're clever"
Glinda's perspective here is clear, she believes in the system she is a part of. She sees its flaws, but because they work for her, she sees them as strengths. And this is understandable, the system has only benefited her, so she is blind to its faults.
But understandable is not the same as agreeable, and I am inclined to follow Elphaba's logic here. The system is unjust, and directly in opposition to her goal of fairness and equality. She wants to make the world a better place, and now that the system's lies are revealed to her, she needs to take things in a different direction.
"I hope you're proud how you would grovel in submission
To feed your own ambition"
So, the sides are established, and this song serves as a battle of ideas. Both characters want their friend to join them, and its notable how they go about doing that.
Glinda falls on aspiration and references a previous song to get her point across.
"You can still be with the wizard
What you've worked and waited for
You can have all you ever wanted"
I feel the need to point out that Glinda wasn't present when Elphaba sang The Wizard and I, and yet she matches the tune and meaning almost perfectly. Elphaba hasn't merely told Glinda her dream, she has shared her dream with her, and confided in her that incredibly vulnerable side of herself.
Elphaba acted so differently in The Wizard and I than in the rest of the story, she was less guarded, and more childish with that naive hope that she holds onto throughout the entirety of the show. That hope just becomes less naive and more relentless.
Elphaba has shared that naivety and hope and whimsicality with Glinda, and it's that relationship that Glinda is calling on now. Remember us, remember our dream.
However, for all Glinda's canniness and understanding of the world, she doesn't understand people, and she doesn't understand Elphaba.
Elphaba wanted to meet the wizard for a reason. She had a motive behind her dream that superseded the specifics of how it would play out.
"But I don't want it
No, I can't want it anymore"
Notice the vernacular that Elphaba uses. She can't want to be with the wizard. In her mind, doing the right thing isn't a choice. To Elphaba, good is a force that has pushed her to where she is right now, and forced her to sing this song.
Essentially, Elphaba is a paragon hero and is actively unmaking the grey morality of the setting. Often in media, "realism" is shorthand for everyone being either selfish or misunderstood. It's a pessimistic worldview of life that I don't entirely agree with.
That does happen in real life, don't get me wrong. The vast majority of the world is made up of people who are capable of actions that are good, bad, or neither.
But there are people out there who are truly cruel and evil, trust me, I've met some of them. But I've also met their opposite, people who are kind and compassionate and do what they think is right because to them, there isn't another option.
Elphaba is that second type of person, and the musical has got its audience to take this for granted at this point. But it's worth remembering that this character is the Wicked Witch of the West, the cartoon bad guy of an iconic work of literature. The musical hasn't made her more morally nuanced; it has made the world more nuanced, and that has reframed this character entirely.
The song even reminds the audience of this fact through the ensemble, just to make the juxtaposition more obvious.
"Look at her! She's wicked, get her.
No one mourns the wicked! So we've got to bring her
Down"
This is actually foreshadowing for a later song.
Back to this part, the backing of the song has spent the majority of its run time playing elaborate movements, but for Galinda and Elphaba's talk about dreams, it simplifies. Galinda gets a bare trickle of that floaty harmony, but Elphaba gets next to nothing for her line. Mostly.
This, combined with the slowing down effect brought on by the fermata (the symbol that looks like an eye), gives the conversation an intimate tone. The two have just each other to hear, and nothing to get in the way. It also frames Elphaba's line as reassurance. There is a storm coming and she is telling her girlfriend that things are going to work out ok in the end.
However, the big chords come back in on the "anymore" and lead into the key change that covers the rest of the song. This is a metaphor for the change that is happening in Elphaba's mind. As she makes her decision on how to proceed, and recognises that things are now different, the slow build up to this song's finale is finally got underway.
The rest of this song is just a build up to a final crash of sound. It rises in a few beats with the choruses, as Elphaba tests her wings, so to speak. And the song gains momentum slowly as more instruments are added.
If you thought I wasn't going to at least reference Glee's multiple performances of this song and how in that series, Defying Gravity is explicitly synonymous with queerness and pride, welcome to the blog. I make analysis posts, maybe stick around if you like this kind of thing.
"Too late for second guessing,
too late to go back to sleep"
There are two separate ideas being intertwined here. First up is the reiteration of Elphaba's inability to stop. Once again, she is doing the right thing because someone has to do it, and soon it will be too late. But the duality of this phase links that idea with the revelation about Oz. She can't go back to sleep, she can't go back to ignorance. Now that she knows what she knows, she has to act.
"Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost.
Well, if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost."
This isn't particularly complex storytelling, but it's effective none the less. Elphaba is saying her realisations out loud to keep the audience up to speed. In this instance, she has been chasing acceptance, and now understands that she was never going to get it from Oz, and that what she would have to do to obtain a facade of understanding is not worth it.
The fact that my analysis of that phrase is just saying it again but slightly differently is a pretty good example of how effective the storytelling in the line is.
"I'd sooner buy defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down"
The first chorus of this song is remarkably understated. It doesn't have the confidence of latter verses, and I will discuss why I think that is in a moment. The orchestra pulls back to a few instruments, and the drum plays a light rhythm on one of its... ok I my musical knowledge is a bit limited here. The bit of the drum that goes "tss tss tss", you know the one.
This gives it a light feeling that adds to the unsteady feeling of the chorus as Elphaba tests the waters and learns to fly. But she needs guidance, and support, and who does she turn to for that?
"Glinda, come with me."
This is the first time Elphaba has been thinking on the spot. Usually, she thinks everything through before she says it, but now she is running entirely on a single train of thought. I cannot stress enough how this thought process is literally: "love, kiss goodbye, Glinda". Historians will say they were close friends.
A leitmotif is a recurring musical phrase that represents a certain theme. For example, earlier in the musical, Galinda's "you deserve each other" musical phrase was repeated to show false relationships and false promises, and was also used in The Wizard and I to foreshadow the false promise of the Wizard and his gifts.
The Unlimited Leitmotif is used exclusively to symbolise Elphaba and Glinda's relationship. You can read that as platonic if you want, but there are some context clues that I would argue suggest otherwise. For example, it's called the "Unlimited" leitmotif for a reason.
As I have kept harping on about, the most valuable thing a person can achieve in this musical is freedom. This is a song about defying the laws of physics themselves. And the thing that Elphaba is offering Glinda here, the thing that is so defining for their relationship that it is literally the shorthand for it, is complete and total freedom.
Together, the two are unlimited.
The second chorus is sung together. Glinda gives Elphaba the strength of spirit to continue and is quite literally the reason she can fly in the first place.
But Glinda doesn't want that. She wants to feel in control of herself more than autonomy, and that's why the relationship falls apart. The two are doomed lovers, and it's not because one of them lies or cheats or any of that soap opera nonsense, but because they want different things out of life.
"Well, are you coming?"
"I hope you're happy
Now that you're choosing this"
"You, too
I hope it brings you bliss"
All in all, I think this breakup goes remarkably well. The two realise that their lives are taking each of them in a direction that the other cannot follow, and so they offer their goodbyes peacefully and get ready for the finale of this act.
Glinda even gives Elphaba a cloak to protect her from the elements as a final goodbye gift. Which, if you are keeping track, means that both the hat and the cloak, the Wicked Witch's most iconic visual elements besides her skin, were gifts from a very close friend.
I don't need to explain why the final chorus of this song is so good, do I? The music is phenomenal, the vocal performance is unrivaled, and it outright says half of the points I have been trying to make in this post.
I do think that the sheer skill on display here is important for the theming as well. Yes, the high note symbolises the flight and escape, yes it's synonymous with rising above petty grievances, and yes the rising is literally a reverse Deus Ex Machina. But it's also just the actress who plays Elphaba showing off and having a blast. There are no limits on her vocal performance, she doesn't have to rein in anything, and she can instead belt out a number as loud and powerfully as she wants because nobody is stopping her.
"As someone told me lately,
Everyone deserves a chance to fly"
This is a reference to something that the Wizard said to Elphaba, but when he said it, he was completely talking out of his arse. The Wizard, and a significant portion of Oz as a whole, parade around saying nebulously benevolent things, but they don't actually mean it. The Wizard has created a nation based around surveillance and oppression, there is no way that he believes in everyone getting a fair go.
The important thing to understand is that the Wizard's worldview is wrong. Everyone does deserve fairness. So his lie to appease Elphaba was in fact true. Elphaba's role in this is making that lie into a reality, by giving the people someone who will say things honestly and try to actually make the world a better place.
Finally, however, as the lights prepare to shut off and Elphaba rises into the distance. Glinda stands beneath her, looking up. She is now just another face in the crowd, but her sentiment stands in stark contrast to the rest of Oz.
Simultaneously, Glinda says goodbye, and wishes Elphaba good luck on the road ahead.
"I hope you're happy."
Final Thoughts
It needs to be understood that part of why Defying Gravity stands beside historical giants like Don't Cry For Me Argentina is the fact that it is fantastical.
Wicked is a musical about the relentlessness of hope. It is set in a world where anything is possible, and it brings that to life. Through the application of some truly impressive stagecraft, the actress who plays Elphaba genuinely flies for all to see.
This is a story that takes the impossible and makes it possible, and this is the song which cemented that theme in the minds of anyone who watched it. This song fully deserves its place as my second favourite in this musical.
That's right, my favourite is yet to come, and I'm enjoying watching y'all guess at what it is in the replies.
Next week, I will be looking at Thank Goodness and how it sets up the plot of the second act. So, stick around if that interests you.
I've come to the conclusion that Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Set it Off) is actually really fucking musically interesting, regardless of the sheer cringe that overcomes people when they hear the opening chords and enter a state of horrified flashback.
(Really I think the 'cringe' associated with nightcore and those kinds of animatics are just more teenage-girl-hating nonsense, because as far as phases go, it's a pretty good one; it's almost, for some people, the first kind of musical subculture they know because it's the first time they're able to deviate from the set songs of their childhood and family to listen to their own music. Looking back to your nightcore phase with nothing but disgust and cringe only hurts you in the long run because if you're constantly scared you'll be cringe one day, you'll never be able to express yourself in a way that feels emotionally authentic and you'll never grow as much as a result.
This is Tumblr, though, so I'm preaching to the converted here, and it's a conversation for another post.)
But holy shit, that song is SO MUCH BETTER, musically, than it has any right to be. The use of two emotionally/musically contrasting bridges coming in quick succession before that final chorus? Inspired. You start listening to the first bridge, and you're like 'yeah, ok, we're at that part of the song now', and it's that Slightly Annoying Contrasting Section that lampshades the limited emotional range of the rest of the song, and we're going to be smooth and flowing here because it's about the potential for forgivene- hOly hEll WHAT THE FRICK IS THAT. Because suddenly, out of nowhere, there's a SECOND BRIDGE. And it's VERY DIFFERENT.
And your sense of tonal stability is ripped away by the lack of continuous chords as you grapple with not having constant support from the backing, and the vocalist is yelling about wanting to kill someone, and the whiplash is real, because it's a complete 180 from earlier and it came out of nowhere. You expected it to transition smoothly back into the chorus like every other song that does the same thing. By the time the 'burn in hell' bit comes, you're grasping for anything with a tonal/emotional centre to tell you what to expect.
And then the chorus hits again, but better.
You've found that tonal/emotional centre that you were looking for, but it feels so different than before. The texture of the chords is different, and you're sort of wrapped up in them, and you suddenly fully realise how emotionally cathartic the chords themselves are, with the constant building tension and release. The lyrics now have new meaning; the 'so tell me' is contextualised, now, by all the anger and hurt of the vocalist, and it means so much more. It almost seems more like they're begging for an answer, even if it still retains traces of that mocking, taunting tone from the other choruses. It really feels like that point in an argument when someone has just thrown their (metaphorical) cards down on the table and is looking the other person in the eye and daring them to tell them how they should feel, how they should react. It's so perfect for what the song is, and it's well supported by the musicality of the piece and the emphasis of the lyrics ('so tell me how you're sleeping easy, how you're only thinking of yourself').
But all of that was enabled by the composer's use of structure; the complete emotional recontextualisation of that chorus takes the piece to a completely new emotional plane, which is simultaneously more vulnerable and more cutting.
I love how Into The Woods uses the word ”Nice”. Throughout the whole musical, we can see that it sees the word as something that may seem sweet, but deep down only makes it seem “good” to cover up how morally wrong it actually is.
I think one of the biggest telling to the word ”nice” is this line in Little Red’s ”I Know Things Now”:
”Nice is different than good”
She basically had a whole number on why you should always do right even if something else seems nice, hence the lyric.
Just some songs after this number, we can see the usage of this word coming up again in Cinderella’s ”A Very Nice Prince”. This is foreshadowing to her future husband cheatinh on her in act 2. Even the actor of Cinderella’s prince also plays the wolf, another character being described as ”nice.”
“Last Midnight” however, has a powerful lyric which completely describes the whole musical.
”You’re so nice. You’re not good, you’re not bad, you’re just nice. I’m not good, I’m not nice I’m just right.”
She is telling them that saving Jack might seem like the good thing to do, when in reality, the good thing to do (except for killing the giant that they to in the end) is to sacrifice Jack to safe everyone else.
The whole musical’s entire moral is basically how no one is truly good, we’re all just ”nice”. Even the fairytale characters who seemed to get their happy end and the consequenses being basically non-enxistent to them.
We try our best to do what seems good for our situation but end up not seeing the bigger picture and picking the wrong choice, because it is the ”nicest”.
Sooo I was recently introduced to NIN and I've been going a little insane about it? Esp wrt Closer? Like 1. Despite its notoriety, that is NOT what the song's about 2. How relentless and throbbing and unease-inducing the sound is and how it LAYERS and BUILDS 3. Sure Trent being tied up is hot but also is kind of genius? Like he's screaming sexual aggression but he's literally restrained and alone, and the farce of it all, the desperation, is so clearly on display
YOU, YOU GET IT. “Closer” is about self-loathing, escapism, and sex as self-harm. The dissonance and pounding heartbeat rhythm are on purpose: it’s a song about inescapable internal dissonance, a deep feeling of emptiness and wrongness that the Narrator tries to fill and fill and fill and fill.
And also, you’ve gotta remember that TDS is a concept album; the songs tell a story together. “Closer” is track 5; the Narrator says, “You get me closer to God.” But just two songs prior in “Heresy,” he says “God is dead and no one cares.” So the subtext of “Closer” that you have to listen to the album to catch is, “You get me closer to death and no one will care when I’m gone.” It’s foreshadowing the Narrator’s eventual suicide.
And you’re absolutely right: Trent himself, the stand-in for the Narrator (so much so that it really fucked up his mental health—finally rejected in “Only”), is in sexual bondage, but he’s not being Good™️ for a Dom or Domme: he’s thrashing, writhing, gasping, screaming in anguish and anger, as you noted, alone—trapped in chains of his own design, a prison of his own making, because he is the prison.
It’s just…fucking masterful. There’s a reason TDS is known as his magnum opus (though I would argue that he has another in The Fragile). It deserves so much more than to be regarded as a “hurr hurr club song about fuckin’.”
For some truly magnificent musical analysis, I can’t recommend ixi music enough: https://youtu.be/AQNXAbnU9FU
I was so happy to see you grace my tl again - if only for a few posts. I miss your given metas and would LOVE to hear your take on syh's Straight and Parade and any predictions you might have for Umi e!
Thanks for the ask! It has been a while! I was going to do a proper analysis of the songs once I've seen the mix movie but I thought I might share some initial observations for Straight!
EASTER EGGS in SYH's STRAIGHT
youtube
Mafuyu's key in C minor, the relative minor key. The song is in Eb major, the relative major key. It's also what I call the sunshine key (Uenoyama's key) ☀️ which is the same key as all the songs on the Given mini-album release.
Chorus 0:22 has the same chord progression as the first part of Fuyunohanashi, which can indicate that Hiiragi and Shizu are also trying their best to heal from Yuki. Seriously, try singing the chorus of Fuyunohanashi on top of Straight's first chorus, they literally layer perfectly on top of each other!!!
CHORDS ARE SO INTERESTING HERE
Chord progression diverges from Fuyunohanashi in the second part of the chorus 0:41 to go from VI -> VII -> I, which is the same tiers di picardie chordal progression as Kizuato's (Given OP) ending as well as Yorugaakeru!!! This chord progression finishes in major to show that the boys are healing from Yuki and trauma.
Lyrics in that chord progression are super meaningful here
Kizuato "Whatever you left behind has now become my life".
Also Yoorugaakeru lyrics are "Look this Dawn is about to break that's why it'll be ok"
Straight: "I will keep singing until it reaches you"
Doesn't that sound like Hiiragi/Yuki/Uenoyama talking directly to Mafuyu???!! 🥹😭❤️🙏
Guitar Solo by Uenoyama has a delicious easter egg
1:01 same as the lyrics "Time and Time again" in Given's mini album track stagekara kiminisasagu. Meaning that time and time again he'll be here for Mafuyu ❤️😭
I am almost 100% certain that every other part of that solo is a reference to lyrics in Given songs because all the other bits are so I'll have to have another proper listen.
That's it! Hope this made sense coming from a music nerd's ramblings!
____