I would like to take this opportunity to create a mini tribute to my cat, Champ, who I lost on January 27th.
Champ and I spent a fulfilling 15 years together. I was seventeen, and he was six weeks when our journey started; we experienced significant milestones together, and I am struggling to comprehend how life will be without him. Our days consisted of binge-watching crime shows, staring at the birds through the window, and sunbathing on the balcony - and he always consoled me when I would 'sloppy-cry' over life's unfair moments. I'll never stop missing him.
When I feel the weight of the world's emotions on my shoulders, and all I want to do is hideaway, I listen to this song. There is a type of healing that goes with letting your feelings escape while listening to music; and When A Heart Breaks has always been one of my go-to sad songs. The combination of a sad song, a good cry, and a glass of wine is therapeutic - try it!
“There Are Two Means Of Refuge From The Miseries Of Life: Music And Cats.”
When A Heart Breaks is about the heartbreak and desperation when someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Fortunately, this isn't something I have had to experience, myself or with a loved one, but I would only imagine the agony that news brings and all the unanswered questions.
The first verse introduces the scenario:
"I woke up this morning And I heard the news I know the pain of a heartbreak I don't have answers And neither do you I know the pain of a heartbreak"
Ben mentions Jesus in his Chorus. He has expressed his faith as a Christian and says it influences his music, but he has made it clear that he is not a Christian artist. He can maintain his freedom when writing songs and not feeling pressured to write a certain way. I appreciate his subtle way of implying that most people take Jesus for granted or that they don't ask for his forgiveness or prayers until they are in this type of situation.
Reference to Jesus:
"This isn't easy This isn't clear And you don't need Jesus Til you're here Then confusion and the doubts you had Up and walk away They walk away When a heart breaks"
As the song progresses, the story behind the song comes to light; this is the connection I make with Champ's death. One day he was seemingly healthy, and the next day the veterinarian had something different to say, and sleep seemed to be the only thing that calmed my anxious mind.
The story continues:
"I heard the doctor But what did he say I knew I was fine about this time yesterday I don't need answers I just need some peace I just need someone who could help me get some sleep Who could help me get some sleep"
By now, we have a better understanding of how meaningful the words to a song can be, and the impact they have on us. There is a song we can relate to any emotion we feel and event we go through.
Melody
The melody of a song is often the most memorable element of a song. Even when you're zoned out, and lyrics are going through one ear and out the other, the melody sticks with you. Or when you hear a song for the first time, it's generally the melody that draws you in. I think a lot of that has to do with the organization and patterns that our brains desire, and that a melody often provides, as Mrs. Kljiach mentioned in our lecture - almost an unconscious act.
The piano does a nice job of accompanying Ben in this first verse, and beyond. As the song continues, an acoustic guitar and light percussion can be heard; I can hear the percussions more than the guitar. Nonetheless, the three instruments together blend nicely, adding their important element to the song. The melody in this song can easily be described as conjunct, as it is smooth, and easy to follow along; I enjoy the simplicity.
This may be a no-brainer, but I find it helpful to watch a live performance of a song to get a better understanding of the development of the instrumentation - it does not always align perfectly with a recorded version but can be helpful.
Rhythm
The count of this song is in a 4/4, also known as, common time. The tempo is moderately slow and the BPM ranges from 69-72.
Another element in this song is the duration of silence that we "hear" during the chorus. There are noticeable pauses that Ben takes, adding a deeper emphasis on the lyrics and the meaning of the song.
As stated above, the tempo of this song does not vary much. When I listen, though, I feel like the energy behind the song increases the tempo. Also, in some of his live performances, the overall rhythm is increased to amp up his show.
Song Structure
The song structure of When A Heart Breaks is quite simple and has eight parts.
Intro: G C Em G Em G C Em C Em DVerse 1: "Woke up this morning"Chorus 1: "This isn't easy" Verse 2:"I heard the doctor" Chorus 2:"This isn't easy" Bridge:"When a heeeeeeeeeart breaks" Chorus 3: "This isn't easy" Outro:
C G Em D
I love the length of the outro as I feel it gives the listener more time to digest the strong emotions of the song, like a moment to decompress.
Timbre
The melody in this song can easily be described as conjunct, as it is smooth, and easy to follow along, and I think it's the range that allows that. The range in this song remains pretty constant. There are a few words that are sung where a higher pitch is heard; "eeeeeeeeeasy" or "heeeeeeeart breaks," but overall When A Heart Breaks is accomodating. Ben has a tenor voice, and the quality of his voice meshes nicely with the timbre of the instruments.
The dynamics of this song remain relatively the same, too. Although there is a slight peak towards the end of the song, it is not very drastic.
Q: “When a Heart Breaks” is one of your more popular songs on iTunes. Where were you physically and emotionally when you wrote that song?
A: "I just woke up with that idea. So I walked to the piano in the living room, started playing and it just kind of happened. Sometimes, when you write, it feels like a process and, like, I don’t want to say like work, but it feels like work. That song just kind of came out pretty intuitively and pretty quickly. I just remember feeling, like, a deep peace, when I had written it. It was just like, “I hope that affects people, and I hope it comforts people.” So that’s kind of where I was at. I mean, I was not in like a heartbroken place or anything. It just kind of came to me."
Hi Leigh, wonderful song choice. I feel you when you discuss you and your cat. I had to make the hard decision last year to put my cat of 12 years down. He had been there for me through everything and I heavily relied on him. He was Orange and his name was George. His one year was just four days ago actually. :) I agree with you when you state that those gaps of silence better the song! A song you might enjoy that I rather enjoy is, Ocean (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong UNITED. Anyways, great song choice and beautiful layout of your music analysis. Thank you!
Hey Leigh, you created a beautiful blog post this week. You did really well at putting your heart into this piece of work. I can tell that this song truly does mean a lot to you, solely based off of how passionately written your blog post was. When discussing the lyrics, you made several personal connections to the parts that resonated most with you, which made the post very sentimental and engaging to read. You also did well at noticing the smaller details of the song and the rhythm. You noticed the slight hesitations that the vocalist had in his breathe which helped to create an emphasis on the lyrics, which is something that not many people typically notice. A song that you might enjoy that has a similar rhythm and melody as this one, is The City by Sam Fischer, here is the link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4_lzaMdLo8
Hey Everyone! My name is Jocylynn Smith, but I go by my middle name, Leigh. I was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska and I couldn't imagine calling anywhere else home - I love this place. I graduated from Lathrop High School in 2007 and decided to give this college thing another go, so here I am. Once upon a time, I applied to the Radiologic Technology program here in town and I was not accepted, and I am actually thankful for that now. I will be graduating with my AA this spring and then continuing for my Bachelor's in Social Work (BSW), and boy I am excited, and nervous! The social work field is truly where my heart is. I worked with special needs kids for 5 years; talk about a heartbreaking and rewarding experience at the same time! Nonetheless, I learned so much from those kids and I am grateful to have had that opportunity. I now work in a recovery support program for Alaska Native and American Indian individuals in recovery from Opioid Use Disorder. It...
The Role of the Performer _____________________________________________________________________________ -Whitney Houston- August 9, 1963 - February 11, 2012 * * * * * * * * * My parents are from Mississippi, and I have always cherished stories about their upbringing. My dad would mostly talk about his dirtbike days, playing guitar, and of course, the never-ending story of how he met my mom. One memory, however, was always most exciting! He grew up in the same neighborhood, and on the same street, as Faith Hill! He would talk about how she was adopted and that her two brothers, Steve and Wesley, were his close friends. So when the song, "Mississippi Girl," by Faith Hill came out in 2005, I just instantly felt drawn to it - I would blast it every time it came on. It wasn't unti...
" Shallow" Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper ---------------------------------------------------- I have always been a huge fan of Bradley Cooper as an actor, for his abilities and looks (insert heart-eyed emoji here), so naturally, I was drawn to this song. It is nice to see someone push the limits outside of their comfort zone and do it so well. Lady Gaga, on the other hand, was never a favorite of mine; I didn't mind her music, but her antics were a little much. Nonetheless, I appreciate her self-expression. It wasn't until I watched, "A Star As Born," the movie for which this song was written, that my appreciation for Lady Gaga started to develop. Like Bradley Cooper, she branched out and played a starring role in her first movie, and that is certainly something to be admired. Also, I love that this song is only recorded live; it gives the song such a raw and authentic feel th...
Hi Leigh, wonderful song choice. I feel you when you discuss you and your cat. I had to make the hard decision last year to put my cat of 12 years down. He had been there for me through everything and I heavily relied on him. He was Orange and his name was George. His one year was just four days ago actually. :) I agree with you when you state that those gaps of silence better the song! A song you might enjoy that I rather enjoy is, Ocean (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong UNITED. Anyways, great song choice and beautiful layout of your music analysis. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHey Leigh, you created a beautiful blog post this week. You did really well at putting your heart into this piece of work. I can tell that this song truly does mean a lot to you, solely based off of how passionately written your blog post was. When discussing the lyrics, you made several personal connections to the parts that resonated most with you, which made the post very sentimental and engaging to read. You also did well at noticing the smaller details of the song and the rhythm. You noticed the slight hesitations that the vocalist had in his breathe which helped to create an emphasis on the lyrics, which is something that not many people typically notice. A song that you might enjoy that has a similar rhythm and melody as this one, is The City by Sam Fischer, here is the link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4_lzaMdLo8
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