Monday, 24 October 2016

Thoughts of Revolution


Since my teenage years, one of my favourite Canadian artists is David Usher.  It one of my past articles, I talked about his album Wake Up and Say Goodbye and its connection to my teenage years.  This entry I want to talk about an article by Usher’s song “Love Will Save the Day” from his 2005 CD If God Had Curves. There are so many reasons why I like this song, from its lyrical imagery, to the music video that was produced for it.
                “Love Will Save the Day” lyrics creates an image of someone avoiding some form of accountability.  The first stanza of the song states:
The pornography made me do it so those drugs that got us high was the thoughts of revolution they've been poisoning my mind so I’m walking down to the water you keep coming up for air all those people, they don't give a damn they just stood around and stare[1]
Here the narrator argues that it was their use of porn and drugs that made them do some unknown act.  The narrator continues to discuss how they went down to water and saw someone they knew struggling while everyone else nearby apathetically watch.  It is a description reminiscent of life; people are not willing to own up to what they have done while others are only too willing to watch their fellow man struggle and do nothing to help.
                The third stanza continues this imagery by switching to the topic of religion and atheism with
Come on sell me more of your religion 'cause it's sure to make a change Last night god was on the tv screen taking dollars for their pain Come on talk about that evolution it's been poisoning my mind I’ve been looking for a saviour
Yeah I’ve been waiting for a sign[2]
In dealing with the topic, Usher’s narrator seems to take both religion and evolution negatively.  Religion is seen as only a front to make money from others pain while evolution is seen as poison as the narrator is waiting for some sign from a greater power.  These two parts contradict each other as the narrator is unwilling to accept religion but is still wanting to hold out for a saving entity.  It can also be seen as an image for humanism as the narrator is taking a position that both supports and condemns both sides.
                The music video created for the song ties everything together.  In the video, Usher and random people that from the streets of Toronto, Ontario, singing parts of the song.  This plays into the song’s message of love being the ultimate hero of the world by showing people from different walks of life and showing that it will be humanity’s love that will win the day.



Bibliography:
"David Usher ::: Love Will Save the Day ::: Benjamin Nussbaum ::: Picrow." David Usher ::: Love Will Save the Day ::: Benjamin Nussbaum ::: Picrow. Accessed October 13, 2016. http://picrow.com/showcase/spot/Editor/Benjamin-Nussbaum/love-will-save-the-day.

Usher, David. "David Usher - Love Will Save The Day Lyrics | SongMeanings." Accessed October 23, 2016. http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858537747/.

"If God Had Curves." Wikipedia. Accessed October 13, 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_God_Had_Curves.



[1] David Usher, "David Usher - Love Will Save The Day Lyrics | SongMeanings,", accessed October 23, 2016, http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858537747/, stanza 1.
[2] Ibid., stanza 3.

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