SA #2 "Drop" by Blue October

Dropping from healthy to self-destructive point of view in “Drop” Blue October articulates the desperation formed by fear of having no “way to ease your pain” through subtle hyperbole stretching towards sanity, contrasting drug references, and characterizing and dual symbolism. To find a way to “ease your pain” people will look in all directions, from drugs and self destructive behaviors to therapy and good natured friends. One common misconception is even though it does not fully cure you, simply seeing a “shrink” can make one instantly feel better. Blue October uses hyperbole to mock the idea of a “shrink” fixing everything in saying “tell another shrink the same d*mn thing/ (Listen for the way to ease your pain)”. Also, to demean the help of a good natured friend “Stay cool, everything is going to be OK”, hyperbole is utilized in saying “everything”, because at no point can everything in the world be fine. Through using hyperbole Blue October shows escaping pain is not as simple as some think, making self-destructive behaviors more prominent.

            It is common knowledge that drugs are dangerous, but when they become one’s only outlet the mind twisted what is true. While the speaker is sober they say “it’s just a trip not a way to ease your pain”; thinking healthily they are able to see however appealing that route is to escape pain, it is “not a way” to fix it. Upon becoming high and grasping the superficial fix to pain, trips are compared to “A carnival ride, you’ll trip again”, showing the excitement of the “trip” and how it will pull you in “again”. As the point of view switches from healthy to self-destructive, contrasting both sides of drugs for relief, it shows the weakness people have when it comes to being desperate for relief.

In “Drop” drugs stand as an example for the extents people are willing to go to “ease your pain”. Especially as they are vastly damaging, drugs are not something you can just “decide” to be free of. One’s past will follow them, as “there’s a sweaty man with a bloody sink” “And still the sweaty man is behind the tree”. The “sweaty man” serves as a symbol for the speakers past and addiction, characterizing the speaker. The word “drop” as in the title and throughout the lyrics has a dual meaning depending on the point of view the speaker is in. “Drop” is a symbol for stopping drug use  in “I’m so high, so high so high” “Till you decide to drop again” when the speaker is speaking from a harmful point of view. In “Stay cool, everything is going to be OK” “Until you decide the drop again” when the speaker is in a rational state of mind (point of view) “drop” symbolizes falling back into drugs. While the hyperbole’s cliché misconceptions, contrasting drug references of opposite states of mind, and symbolism creating characterization of the speaker’s decision all apply mainly to drug uses, drug use its’ self is a symbol for the desperate things people to do when they fear being trapped with intense pain, in the song “Drop” by Blue October.


"Drop" by Blue October
I touch the tongue to see
A devil's face in front of me
You blow your nose and cry
The clown demands a sad good-bye
A sad good-bye.

Black below the tree
White horses dead in front of me
A scar below the cheek
There's a sweaty man in a bloody sink.
[Chorus]
It's just a trip not a way to ease your pain
Self help...Tell another shrink the same thing
Stay cool, everything is going to be okay
{ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/blue-october-lyrics/drop-lyrics.html }

Until you decide to drop again
Until you decide to drop again

A blue jean girl to be
Sweaty man is behind the trees

The flip side of sanity is the game
Fourteen million miles away from sane
A dark man in the restroom window pane
Whose words just pour out human pain.
[Repeat Chorus]

Now I'm so high, so high.

Paradox SA

One consistent question is how much is too much. The amount that one has (financially, environmentally, socially, etc.) is relative, always being compared to someone else. Wanting just one single thing when anything in the world is possible doesn’t seem like much to ask. But, when that one single thing that you want completely yours is another person is becomes a much more complex wish. Switching between theoretical and first person language in “I Just Want You” Ozzy Osbourne uses ironic understatement, sly imagery, and uncommon paradox to discreetly demean people’s limitlessly selfish infatuations.             

            In some situations wanting to be a part of someone’s life and them a part of yours isn’t too much to ask. Once it advances past that point, into wanting someone completely as yours, even with purely good intentions it becomes a huge request. Osbourne says “I don’t ask much” before leading into the chorus of repeating “I just want you”. Understatement is used through saying “I don’t ask much” and “I just” to show how very selfish people are. Also, the understatement is increased by juxtaposing the simple first person chorus against the verses, which talk of anything being possible.

            In each verse Osbourne talks of anything being possible to make “just wanting” one person seem less significant. Slight imagery is used to help contradict “indisputable truths” like “there are no identical twins” and “no invisible seams”, making it more powerful to juxtapose against other imagery and diction. Imagery in “buy myself some plastic water” opposed to saying simply get some water adds to expressing people’s extravagant actions.    

            Paradox is a contradicting statement that when analyzed becomes one true statement. Throughout “I Just Want You” paradox is used, as well as the entire song being a parody. Through saying “there are no indisputable truths” Osbourne argues that no matter what something says it not necessarily superficially true, just as it’s not asking for much to “just want you” is superficially untrue. Also, the entire song forms a paradox by saying wanting one person all to oneself isn’t a lot to ask, which is untrue. But, once the song is analyzed and found to demean peoples infatuation the contradiction is proven true.