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Tone Analysis

In their song, Paint it Black, The Rolling Stones make purpose of paradoxical similes, color-specific imagery, and inconspicuous symbolism to convey a dark tone, portraying the simple articles of life, now to be “painted black”.

Of the two similes present in the song, the line, “Like a newborn baby it just happens everyday” draws the listener into a thought provoking, paradoxical proposition: That “darkness”, not much mentioned amongst us, is a necessary and innumerous component of our lives, more natural than first apprehended. The comparison is undeniably clever. A newborn child; the universal symbol for natural life and new hope, now being valued and gratified on the same level of acceptance as things that comply with “darkness”. In its admirable use, the simile promotes abstract thought and apprehension to the readers, leading them to understand that not all naturally occurring things are good.

Being that the color black is most usually associated with darkness, the repetitive color specific imagery used in the song is both necessary and appropriate. The speaker in the song proposes that if the world were to be cast into darkness, similar to the one that [he] is, it would be easier to function in life. (“Maybe then I’ll fade away and not have to face the facts/ Its not easy facing up when your whole world is black.”). Contrasting the overwhelming use of black, is the near daunting image of a red door, red being connected with passion and love, only to be painted black. (“I see my red door I must have it painted black”). These two color specific devices successfully aid the tonal aspect of the song.

Although it is arguably an element of imagery, the article(s) of a red door and the speaker’s heart, assumed to be red in color as well, hold the possibility of a deeper symbol. (“I look inside myself and see my heart is black/ I see my red door and must have it painted black.”). Arguably, it could be proposed that the red door mentioned, yearning to be opened, is a metaphorical embodiment of the speaker’s heart itself.

Boston/Pink Floyd Binary Thesis

Although both groups channel nostalgia through tales and memoir, Boston adapts a jovial approach to the nostalgia, while Pink Floyd undermines the oppressing music business they have experienced.

All of my love- Led Zeppelin

                 

                  Addressing the conflicting passions of a romantic, Led Zeppelin’s speaker in, All of My Love utilizes elemental imagery and allusion, fictionalized characterizations, and soft, extended metaphors to ensure that only the strong willed and hopeful will be guided through love, with the ease of “A feather in the wind.”

                  Complementing the natural component that is love, Zeppelin alludes to the four elements within the feelings and conflicts of the speaker’s mind: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Being that these elements are arguably the natural basis of the structured world, love, while often romanticized in more formal modifiers, is now left to be interpreted in its most open and vulnerable form. First proposing, “Should I fall out of love, my fire in the light/To chase a feather in the wind”, The speaker confirms their interpretation as love to be illuminated with passion, but anchored by innocent and supposed freedom. These elemental modifiers are used for other instances in the song such as “Ours is the fire, all the warmth we can find/He is a feather in the wind.” Solidifying the dependence on these elements in order to both assess and express the love felt.

                  The characterization in Zeppelin’s song remains ambiguous throughout. While addressing figures such as “he”, “you(r)”, and “I”, the speaker characterizes not so much who they are, but what. For example, in the twice mentioning of “he”(“his is the force that lies within/he is a feather in the wind”) It becomes apparent that this character is very relevant to the speakers emotions expressed in the song, and proposes, if interpreted as so, a possible contrast. The speaker also characterizes an ambiguous noun, represented by “our”, “mine”, and “yours”. “Yours is the cloth, mine is the hand that sews time” and “ours is the fire, all the warmth we can find” are left to interpretations.

                  Throughout All Of My Love, there is prominent usage of metaphors. The introductory line of the song beckons, “Should I fall out of love, my fire in the light”, directly defining the speakers love as metaphorical fire. In addressing his lover’s will and love, “Yours is the cloth”, and “mine is the hand that sews time”, he gives definitive, metaphorical meaning to each individual’s attribution to love. This aids the necessary deeper meaning that emotion can often withhold.

Through elemental imagery, nonfictional characterization, and soft, extended metaphors, led Zeppelin’s All of my Love expresses the many emotions fueled by love, and the ways in which one can interpret them. Passion and will are expressed through the song as they are in the people who listen.