Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of original work that you have stolen from another person and call it your own creativity, or take the credit.

                There is no better example of blatant plagiarism than in the case of Under Pressure and Ice Ice Baby. Vanilla Ice clearly stole Queen’s base line for the beat. There is not much else to say upon the subject besides the fact that both songs were extremely popular, and most likely Vanilla Ice’s was because of the creativity of Queen. There just doesn’t seem like Vanilla Ice even attempted to tweak the beat what so ever.

                The song “Tequila” by The Champs had been referenced in Sublime’s “What Happened?” The song “Tequila” evokes a very specific feel in its listeners, and the theme of “What Happened?” is complimented by using the saxophone notes in their guitar.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Leroy Jamal-Enrique Stewart is one fed up american. He’s sick of the police misrepresenting his constitutional rights, and the rights of the people. He decides to take the law into his own hands, and tries to raise awareness of some sort to help change this unnecessary abuse of power that has come to plague the post nine elleven world.

Now who are we fooling? Leroy would be the very first to spot a terrorist, and subconsciously shank said terrorizer in the juggular for his country. Never should this be mistaken. But when Leroy begins to cause a stir in New York City, things go south pretty quickly although no laws were clearly broken.

Leroy Jamal loves music, loves to make a fool of himself, and loves controversy. These three traits of his provide the perfect medium in which he can show the world of the wrong doing of our so called constitutional protectors. He want to get a crowd quickly, and decided to go a similar route as that “naked cowboy” did in NYC years ago. He grabbed his guitar, wearing a spedo for the quick publicity and jammed away.

People tweeted about this hilarious dude singing songs in protest of the curruption that infests our country like aids pumping through the blood of a careless prostitute. After all the united States has carelessly offered its services to very sinister situations through out the years, and has nothing to show for it economicly. So with that said the metaphore stands.

Leroy is very pleased with his interpretation of the government, and decides to get some posters made and give them out freely to his followers. It has now been days that he has been doing his thing out in central park, and all the occupants show no signs of leaving, that is until the fuzz decides to evict them like “the cockroaches they are, infesting out scenic parks, to pump propaganda into the masses.” (as stated by Mayor Dick Swass.)

The police claimed that he himself was involved in conspiracy to invoke terrorist actions and provoked citezens to turn against their government. All he was doing was expressing his right to protest, right to assemble, freedome of speech and freedome of the press to suit his agenda. That agenda being a peaceful display of the currupt powers that be. The greatest, unintentional display of such came with out him doing a thing. The police came in with brutal force, “pushing little children, with their fully automatics.” Leroy says, along with most every other protester, “they like to push the weak around.”

Song: Deer Dance by System of a Down.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Pink Floyd’s brilliant breakdown of the capitalist system is portrayed through a masterful allusion to animals. In specific, Sheep focuses on the lower class majority of the system.  All of us average citizens fall into this category. Described innocently as “Harmlessly passing your time in the grassland away” we get a sense of ignorant bliss found within these “sheep.” It is important to note, that dogs in the album represent the cutthroat under achieving “pigs.” They are aware of the powers in control, and act in hopes of becoming that powerful entity. Pigs are the extremely wealthy and powerful men. They have control of the masses through their great economic understanding and strength.

                The Sheep are “only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air” referring to their lack of comprehension of their true standing in the “food chain,” or in human perspective societal power. Many lines allude to the idea of the masses being able to control their own course once they can realize what it is that controls them. “What do you get for pretending the danger’s not real/ Meek and obedient you follow the leader” Still oblivious, it takes tragedy for the sheep to realize their position in the grand scheme of things.

                Although it is a lengthy quote, the following lines are key in showing the revelation with in the masses. “The lord is my shepherd, I shall not want/ he makes me down to lie/ through pastures green he leadeth me the silent waters by/ with bright knives he released me soul/ he maketh me to hang on hooks in high places/ he coverteth me to lamb cutlets/ for lo, he hath great power and great power and great hunger/ When cometh the day we lowly ones/ through quiet reflection and great dedication/ master the art of karate/ lo, we shall rise up/ and then we’ll make the bugger’s eyes water.”

                The ignorant blissful lifestyle of the sheep has led them to be abused and exploited for all their worth. By identifying the common distress, the majority “bleating and babbling… fell on his neck with a scream/ wave upon wave of demented avengers/ march cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream”  And so, in the end it is up to the many, not the few, to ultimately decide the fate.

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/pinkfloyd/sheep.html

Monday, November 7, 2011

Snow

Uplifting and harmonic, “Snow” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers displays many examples of well-crafted metaphors, vague allusion, and specific rhythmic tone to pressure listeners to overcome adversity.

The Chili Peppers are known for their highly metaphoric lyrics, and “Snow” certainly is no exception. “Come to decide that the things that I tried/ were in my life just to get high on”, now these lines are not that complicated, but are clutch in the understanding of the song’s deeper meaning. The speaker is suggesting that the important things in his life had been “just to get high on.” When taking into consideration the name of the song, and other lyrics “where it’s so white as snow” allude to cocaine in my opinion.


Now that the underlying problem is presented, we can dig into the more profound expression of overcoming adversity. By saying “Step from the road to the sea to the sky” shows the progression of more symbolic improvement. There is a sort of enchantment surrounding the sea, and sky when compared to a road. It shows an attitude to strive for better, and to improve; take things to the next level.

“When will I know that I really can’t go/ to the well once more time to decide on/ when it’s killing me, when will I really see/ all that I need to look inside?” These lines are representative of the speakers self doubt and struggle with what they believed was responsible for their happiness. It is quite cliché to say, but happiness can be found when one looks within themselves, and these lines most definitely side with said statement.