SA #2 "Prophets" by Counterparts

Some people spend years searching for who they truly are. Weather they’re living as someone that they’re not, or they simply don’t know where they belong, it’s not easy to become yourself and establish a true identity. It may be difficult to stand out, but it’s something that we’re all capable of. The Canada based hardcore band, Counterparts, often uses songs as messages; portraying individuality and comfort with who you are as a person. Creating an uplifting message in “Prophets”, Counterparts utilizes forceful points of view, invincible mood, and all-powerful hyperbole in order to illuminate that everyone can “be what you want to be” and even though “others may tell you how to live” you must “chase your dreams”.

The point of view effectively shifts from first to second point of view, but in an assertive way. The start of the song is in second person point of view, “Others may tell you how to live/but I can assure you that your life is in your own hands”. Paired with lines like, “Anyone can follow blindly/but it’s up to you to rise above the masses” the speaker is telling listeners directly and forcefully that in the end, a person’s life is up to them and them only. The speaker may be dominant and almost punchy, but he shifts from second to first with “You cannot lead us from our path”. Instead of an almost overwhelming message being thrown violently on the listener, the shift reveals that the speaker is on the reader’s side by using the word “us”. Furthermore, a sense of togetherness is reestablished a couple lines later, “And all the force in the world cannot make us falter”. Here, the speaker’s assertive voice is shown true as someone that simply wants listeners to know that they have strength no matter what. Finally, the use of the word “us” is dropped and replaced by “I”, “I know exactly who I am”. The speaker finally shows that he is proud of who he is and that he wants listeners to feel the same way.

The mood conveyed by Counterparts is one of indestructibility, which correlates nicely with the confident point of view. The mood is overall very confident, proud, and invincible with previously mentioned lines like “It’s up to you to rise above the masses”. The word “rise” is used to show the speakers growing hope. Meanwhile, “the masses” are representative of everyone who blends in and are accepted in society. The speaker is encouraging being different, standing out, and individuality.  Later on, he states, “We are all prophets in the making/and our legacies are beginning to unfold”. Words like Legacies and prophets give a feeling of strength to listeners who may be questioning their purpose. Also, the lines repeated for emphasis at the end are “I know exactly who I am/and I know exactly what I will become”. Confidence is key in the speaker’s mood here, as he knows “exactly” who he is and knows “exactly” what his future holds. The mood of the speaker is extremely uplifting to listeners to say the least.

The exaggerations used in “Prophets” fit well with the message the song displays. They have a larger than life aspect to them, “But I can assure you your life is in your own hands/and you can mold it into any shape you want” is representative of making choices and choosing paths that are right for you. The speaker uses hyperbole to point out the persons control of their life, and ultimately they’re happiness.  The lines, “We are weighed down by our own ambitions/and all the force in the world cannot make us falter” are amplified in order to show the speakers strength. His confidence and pride are showcased throughout the entire song, but the exaggerations add to the effectiveness of the song.

We all have an identity waiting out there for us. Each and every one of us is unique in our own ways, but only some are confidant with who they truly are. Society is strict with radical people and being “normal” is something people want in their lives. Counterparts argue against “the masses” in their song “Prophets”. They send a positive message of individuality and self-confidence through the eyes of someone who is proud of who they are, and they encourage us to “chase our dreams”.

Song selection for SA2 "Prophets" by Counterparts

Prophets by Counterparts

Others may tell you how to live
But I can assure that your life is in your own hands. 
And you can mold it into any shape you want. 
Though you must have faith while you're searching for the answers 
That we're all longing for. 
And we are left to salvage for our aspirations. 
Be what you want to be, 
And leave the rest behind you. 
Anyone can follow blindly, 
But it's up to you to rise above the masses, 
And chase your dreams, 
Because they will soon become reality. 
You cannot lead us from our path, 
As we are weighed down by our ambitions. 
And all the force in the world cannot make us falter. 
We are all prophets in the making, 
And our legacies are beginning to unfold. 
I will not go to my grave yearning for what "could have" been." 
I know exactly who I am, 
And i know exactly what I will become

Song Analyses #1

Song Analyses 1

            Dark music usually portrays dark messages in its songs. Whether it’s death, failure, or heartbreak, hardcore music is home to depressing lyrics. However, some bands send positive messages beneath the depths of the seemingly solemn surface. Fittingly, the band Dress the Part does just this in there song “The Surface”. Shifting from negative to positive, in “Surfacing” Dress the Part uses oceanic symbolism and intense hyperbole in order to convey to message that “together we can find the way” and “overcome the ocean”.

            The message Dress the part aims for is one of hope and conquering. The message is aided greatly by oceanic symbolism. The song takes form as a journey from, “the depths beneath a violent sea” to the last line of the song, “to break through the waves”. These depths are symbolic of a negative dark place that the narrator wants to escape, where as “to taste the light is all I desire” symbolizes their need for light and comfort. Oceanic scenes of “setting sail” are brought up later as the narrator seems to get closer to their goal. The final lines of the song sum up the oceanic symbolism, “from the deepest sea and the darkest days/we will return to golden rays/overcome the ocean/to break through the waves”. The ocean is used to represent the subjects’ journey from dark to light, which is translated as from depression to happiness.

Hyperbole is a prominent device used throughout the song. With intense imagery,  “To taste the light is all I desire/for my frozen insides to burn with fire”, Dress the Part creates an epic scene of struggle. The narrator expresses how they want “to burn away my weakness” and “burn away my past”.  The narrator doesn’t literately want to “burn” away these things as much as they want to leave them behind. In the beginning of the song lines such as “the world is cold, I reach for the sun/thousands of miles above me”, are exaggerated to express the impossibility of overcoming something so great. The narrators struggle is greatly illuminated by the exaggerations.

As humans, we will all face a dark situation, one that is seemingly impossible to defeat. Dress the Part argues that anyone can indeed conquer this situation by using the vast ocean as the obstacle in the way of the narrator. Nothing is greater than the ocean and along with intense hyperbole to create a dramatic mission for success, Dress the Part aims to lift sprits as they say “together we can find the way”.