Tuesday, October 20, 2009



Billy Currington: People are Crazy


William Matthew (Billy) Currington, is a new star to hit the country countdowns. Once signing with Mercury Nashville Records in 2003, Currington has released three studio albums. These albums were his 2003's Billy Currington, 2005's Doin' Somethin' Right, and 2008's Little Bit of Everything. From these three albums Currington has had three Billboard Hot Country Songs, "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right", "Good Directions" and "People Are Crazy". From Currington’s ready success, listeners can tell country music is going to have a new countdown topper. Billy Currington’s new hit, “People are Crazy”, contains a number of poetic devices and has a cohesive narrative throughout the entire song.


The song”People are Crazy,” has a cohesive narrative because Billy Currington is telling a story, within his song. An example of this song being a cohesive narrative is in the first lines of the song, “This old man and me, were at the bar and we/Were having us some beers and swapping I don’t cares.” This example shows that within the first two lines of the song, the listener should know this song is going to be telling a story about the narrator and the old man he met at the bar. Another example of cohesive narrative is, “We talked about Gods grace and all the heck we raised/Then I heard the ol' man say; / God is great, beer is bad and People Are Crazy.” This is another example because the narrator is telling the listener about what he and the old man talked about, and the advice the old man gave him. To conclude, “Then one sunny day, I saw the old mans face/ Front page Obituary, he was a millionaree/ he left his fortune to some guy he barely knew, his kids were mad as heck/ But me, Im doing well,” this excerpt is telling the ending of the story. The old man has died, he was a millionaire. Instead of leaving his money to his family, he left it to the narrator and that he spent a night with in a bar talking about life. This adds some humor to the song as well as irony. This is because the listener never expected the old man to be a millionaire and leave the narrator all his money.

Billy Currington’s, “People are Crazy,” was a number on hit from the time in was on the radio. This was not because Billy Currington is a popular artist, it’s because the song tells the story we all love to hear. The average man, making small talk with a wise old man at a bar realizes the theory of life. “God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.” We all wish life was as simple was this song makes it out to be. Also, I think the message that, everyone you meet and alter your life, is eluded in this song. The narrator never guessed that this conversation with an old man at the bar would make him a millionaire.


People are Crazy:


This old man and me, were at the bar and we

Were having us some beers and swaping I dont cares

Talking politics, blonde and red-head chicks

Old dogs and new tricks and habits we aint kicked


We talked about Gods grace and all the heck we raised

Then I heard the ol' man say;

God is great, beer is bad and People Are Crazy


He said "I fought two wars,

Been married and divorced

"What brings you to Ohio?

He said "Darned if I know"

We talked an hour or two about every girl we knew

What all we put them through

Like two old boys will do


We pondered life an death

He lit a cigarette

He said "These darn things will kill me yet;

But God is great, beer is bad and people are crazy"


Last call its 2am, I said goodbye to him I never talk to him again

Then one sunny day, I saw the old mans face

Front page Obituary, he was a millionareehe left his fortune to some guy he barely knew, his kids were mad as heck

But me, Im doing well And I drop by today, to just say thanks and pray, I left a six-pack right there on his grave and i said; God is great,beer is bad, and people are crazy.


God is great, beer is bad, and people are crazy.


God is great, beer is bad, and people are crazy.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Culture in popular music

Jay Z
Jason DeRulo Lady Gaga


Billboard Top 100
#6. Paparazzi: Lady Gaga

The song Paparazzi is about someone being a paparazzi. It also leads you to think that Lady Gaga is being a paparazzi to the person she loves, like being obsessed with them. Within the song I saw many examples of irony like, "I'm your biggest fan, Ill follow you until you love me/ Papa, paparazzi". I thought this was ironic because celebrities are known for hating the paparazzi, but she is being a paparazzi to her "love". I think that this is number six of the Billboard Top 100 because people like the beat of the song, not so much what she is saying. This shows that our country is somewhat obsessed with our celebrities. Everything is based upon what the celebrities are photographed doing.

#4. Whatcha Say: Jason DeRulo

The song Whatcha Say is about someone cheating on their boyfriend/girlfriend and they regret it. This song showed little poetic devices, but I thought, in the verse, "Mmmm whatcha say/ Mmm that you only meant well?/Well of course you did", is humor because that is one person who's been cheating on response to the cheaters excuses. This song is number four on the Billboard Top 100 because, like Paparazzi, people like the beat of the song. Both, Paparazzi and Whatcha Say have very little poetic devices. This shows that music has become more of a image than actually creating good music.

#10. Empire State Of Mind: Jay-Z + Alicia Keys
The song Empire State of Mind is about someone moving out of the "hood" and moving to New York. The poetic device found is hyperbole, "In New York!!!!/Concrete jungle where dreams are made of/There's nothing you can’t do/Now you're in New York!!!/These streets will make you feel brand new". This is an example of a hyperbole because they are making New York sound like the place for all opportunities, and in some cases, it is not. I think this song is number ten on the Billboard Top 100 because Jay Z is one of the most well-known rappers. People are drawn to his music. Also, i think that most people in the US believe that New York is the land of opportunities.