A song that I hold dear to myself is “The Call” by Regina Spektor. It about how the world you live in, the place that you once found comfort in, is changing all around you and how there is something that is pulling you away and out of the comforts of that world into somewhere different and frightening; a war. It represents the moments in our lives where we are called to leave the safety of our “homes” and go off to the “war” because we have to, not necessarily because we want to. But the song is naturally sad, but it leaves a hope that everything is going to be alright even though in the moment it is not.
This song is one that every person can relate to because there has been a time in everyone’s life where they had to leave something they love behind as they move forward with their lives. And Regina knows exactly how to hit everyone in her audience and apply pathos. The words that she uses are general and vague enough that they apply to everyone but yet the way that the words are portrayed give a sense that she is “speaking” exactly what you need to hear to soothe the pain. She acknowledges that there is pain a great loss and pain in the moments when “the call” carries you away off to “war,” but she also shows to the audience that the pain will pass and that even though you may be leaving a lot behind it does not mean that you can’t carry the memories with you. Regina knows the pain that the audience is experiencing, and does not deny the audience from the need to mourn out the pain. She allows for mourning, but then she knows how to comfort and to soothe the intensity of the pain.
Regina is able to apply pathos in a deep and inviting manner. She is able to reach deep with the person, and pull out emotions and pains that people may never knew existed otherwise. She pulls out all the pain of leaving and the pain of a changing life. But then she ribbons all the pain with a deep hope, a shaft to hold onto while you are being attacked by the storms of life. She reassures her audience that that there is “no need to say goodbye” because “you’ll come back/when its over.” You will survive the war.
The whole of the song is an extended metaphor. There is a call and there is a war. The call is your life continuing on its natural route. You cannot stop time and from your life continuing ever onward. The call the pull you feel when it is time to open the next door of your life and you must inevitably open that door, leaving behind a lot of people that you love. The war is the life that is ahead of you. Life is hard but you can get through it and survive and eventually return to those that you left behind.
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I thought that this was a powerful message. It's indeed sad that we have to face so much change in our lives, but the course of our lives is inevitable. We'd do best to adjust to and embrace our changes.
ReplyDeleteRegina's voice leaves a haunting feeling after listening to her sing. The feeling she evokes cause your to really think and this song has such a powerful message.
ReplyDeleteIt does have such a wonderful message, and I'm happy to know that I'm not the only one that thinks that stuff about this song when I listen to it. I love how direct you were in your analysis, especially the line, "There is a call and there is a war." Perfect.
ReplyDeleteAmanda: I agree with what you said about Regina's voice. Something about it birngs of sense of dreaming and it really takes you away from reality for a moment.
ReplyDeleteBraden: I dont like beating around the bush. I like to be direct and/or blunt when I think about something.
i agree with what amanda is saying. her voice gives this kind of soothing authoritative voice. and her beat and instrumentals have a optimistic feel.
ReplyDeleteI love this song too! The lyrics have been so applicable at certain times of my life. I like how the song addresses the "war" that we all face in our lives, but ends hopefully by saying that we will all come back when its over. Fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what you guys think, but I feel that this song definitely makes the ending to "Prince Caspian" sooo much better. Literally, you get to the ending of the movie and are thinking "oh... that's nice." But then this song comes on and then you're thinking "awesome!" It definitely has a powerful effect.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, (I'm a huge Prince Caspian/Narnia movies fan), I watched the entire commentary of Prince Caspian one day, and if I remember right, Regina Spektor wrote this song specifically for this movie. Apparently the director of Prince Caspian and Spektor are friends, and he sent the script to her while he was working on the ending. She read the script and wrote the song in one night, sending it off to him the next day.
However, my memory is sketchy, so don't take my word for law.
I agree with you Lydia. I heard this song from that movie and feel in love with it ever since. It is amazing how she wrote it in one night, and i wouldnt be surprised is she actually did. It just fits the movie so nicely; I dont think that there could have been a better ending song for this mcoie at all.
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