Post your slice to schoology by the start of class Friday.
But, not all catchy, makes-you-serenade-yourself-(loudly)-in-the-car music is as wholesomely uplifting as the joie de vivre chorus or beat might make us think. Case in point, yet again, is Fun. Last spring after hearing, owning, and belting out the timeless chorus of "We Are Young," which itself recalled the one-of-a-kind permanence of The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony," I composed a slice critical of the casual mention of domestic violence and excessive and/or underage consumption (See March 8, 2012 slice here).
Now, the youth-anthem-du-jour is Fun.'s "Some Nights," which again is admittedly catchy... and, surprise, it was most definitely written and performed to be just that - memorable, however subconsciously. Do they really want us to hear and think through all their lyrics? Because, unlike the "Hang-in-there!" message of "Carry On," "Some Nights" has a chorus awash with moral confusion and fog: "I'm still not sure what I stand for / What do I stand for? What do I stand for? What do I stand for? / Most night I don't know...." Once again, a seemingly hopeful, beautiful Fun. song is compromised by a critical error: an underestimation of the identity and values of the people they profess to know so well.
You and I do know what we believe in at the core of our beings.
Beyond lyrical analysis, we could analyze the visual representation of the "Some Nights" video, which chooses to use imagery of the, arguably "more hipster," American Civil War in place of the hugely relevant internal and external conflicts experienced by many modern military personnel. Reflecting on and depicting the modern crises would better communicate the song's theme and bring needed light to the issues facing people home and abroad.