Zachary Gill
Music 187
Fall 2018
Fri 11 am
Prof. VonBerg
Introduction
Nearly 15 million Americans are affected by major depressive disorder, which is roughly 7% of our population. It is an American social issue often overlooked by the majority of people, but sometimes artists find it important to discuss depression through music. Artist Florence + the Machine details her battle with depression in her song “Breaking Down” from her album Ceremonials (2011). Sisters Tegan & Sara also discuss how depression affected them as they struggled with coming to terms with their sexual identity in their song “Dark Come Soon” from their album The Con (2007). Depression is all around us, affecting our peers and our loved ones without our knowledge, but only through awareness will we improve upon this mental illness and know how to better support those struggling with this disease.
Issue Discussion
Depression affects people from all walks of life, regardless of their ethnicity, economic status, sexual identity, etc. In America there is still a stigma surrounding mental health and those who are affected by it. Someone who suffers from depression may be deemed weak, or fragile. It wasn’t until the 21st century when people decided to be more open to the idea of mental illness and possibly seeking treatment. People today are more likely to see a therapist, or even discuss with their doctor symptoms of depression they might be having.
Depression comes in many different forms including major depressive disorder, seasonal depression and postpartum depression. A major depressive disorder is characterized by “at least two weeks of a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities”. Other symptoms include daily sleep issues, changes in appetite and weight, decreased energy, difficulty concentrating, and recurring thoughts of suicide. Any combination of these symptoms would prompt a doctor to encourage treatment.
Seasonal depression is exactly what it would appear to be. Depression that comes and goes as the seasons change. It is commonly diagnosed in winter for those who live in colder climates (Morin). Roughly 5% of the United States population experience seasonal depression in a given year. It is also most common among 20 to 30 year olds, and women. (Koskie)
Postpartum depression occurs after a woman gives birth. Common symptoms include stress, sadness, loneliness, and exhaustion (Morin). Postpartum depression will affect roughly 1 in 7 women. Half of these women had never experienced an episode of depression prior to giving birth either.
Treatment is key. Without treatment, depression will linger. According to Verywellmind.com, “only about half of Americans who are diagnosed with depression in a given year get treatment”. Only 6% of these people with depression are treated with medication only. This statistic proves depression can not be fixed simply by taking a pill everyday. In addition, about 37% of adults with depression receive no treatment at all. If depression is not treated one’s life may become a bleak reality. People who struggle with depression often chose suicide instead of coping with these harsh realities of life. This is important to note since suicide rates are growing and it is currently the 10th leading cause of death here in the United States.
Comparison of Songs
“Breaking Down” and “Dark Come Soon” contain two vastly different experiences with depression, which can be identified by analyzing the lyrics and hidden meanings in both songs.
Florence’s “Breaking Down” describes depression as though it was a friend. Comparatively, Tegan and Sara’s “Dark Come Soon” undergoes a depressed state after feeling as though they let down and lost their friends. Florence describes depression as a “friend” in her lyric “Holding my hand in the pale gloom, Can you see it coming now?”. On the contrary, Tegan and Sara’s lyric “Everyone I love I need you now”, strongly suggests they long for companionship. One might assume Florence has dealt with depression her whole life as evidenced in “All alone even when I was a child, I’ve always known there was something to be frightened of”. She isn’t explicitly stating that she was depressed in her childhood, however it may represent the onset of her depression. These feelings of childhood unrest are also evident in “Dark Come Soon”. Lines like “So I conned, I lied. I lied to me too.” showcase Tegan and Sara’s struggle with coming to terms with their sexual identity. A member of the LGBTQ community might know they are different early in their childhood, but still reject those feelings. Tegan and Sara did push those feelings aside, evidenced by the preceding lyric excerpt. When they say they lied to themselves, they really are saying they didn’t want to believe it.
The title itself of each song alludes to depression in one form or another. “Breaking Down” suggests a mental breakdown, or perhaps a traumatic experience. Regardless of the true meaning, it does carry an emotional temperament. “Dark Come Soon” suggests an eerie future or proposes something bad might happen. After understanding the song, one knows the title is referring to what the artists perceive will happen after coming out of the closet. Tegan and Sara even reference their title in both the beginning and ending lines of their song with the same quote “Dark you can’t come soon enough for me”. On the other hand, Florence doesn’t mention breaking down until the second chorus with “I think I’m breaking down again”.
In Florence’s song, “Breaking Down”, lines “All alone on the edge of sleep, My old familiar friend, Comes and lies down next to me” alludes to repeated depression, but still in a somewhat friendly manner. As mentioned prior, Florence has likely had depression for some time and this lyric references its return. She then furthers “Smiling in the streetlight even with my eyes shut tight, I still see it coming now”. The fact that Florence has her eyes shut suggests she does not want to believe that her “friend” has returned, but despite pretending it hasn’t “I still see it coming now”. Her depression remains a familiar face even when she doesn’t want to see it. Tegan and Sara take on a more bleak juxtaposition towards their depression. This is exemplified in lines “Saved, from one more day of misery” and “Everything I love, Get back for me now”. Their tone does not replicate the tone of Florence’s “ Breaking Down”. Florence decided to take an unsettling matter and make it into something beautiful. Tegan & Sara took depression and wrote about it more realistically without as many metaphors.
Music/Lyric Connection
As mentioned prior, “Breaking Down” has a more positive tone to it then “Dark Come Soon”. By the time the listener reaches the lyrics “Ah-ah, ah-ah I think I’m breaking down again” you see a dramatic change in tempo. The tempo is fast, but quickly drops back down again in the line “All alone even when I was a child”. When the tempo is fast the listener is going to feel happy and alive. When the tempo slows down, it is as if the listener comes back down to reality where the outlook is not so great. The dynamics of the song change dramatically between this lyric transition. In the prior lyric, beginning with “Ah-ah” the song is loud and very loud at that. The song quickly drops in volume when Florence reaches the lyrics “All alone”. In “Dark Come Soon” a similar change may be noted. The dynamics of the song don’t have quite as dramatic of a change, but do so following the lines “another day passed for me”. Beginning with “Everything I love” the listener hears dynamics that exude a more positive light. The tempo changes in speed and does so even more intensely by the time the listener reaches the line “So I conned, I lied”. As a viewer, you are feeling Tegan and Sara’s emotions about lying. The change in speed almost demonstrates the artist not having any regrets about lying. It is as if they are standing against a bully, in this case depression, and have to become an aggressive person to defeat it.
It is important to also note the relationship between lyrics and music in the conclusion of both songs. As mentioned “Dark Come Soon” both begins and ends with the title in the lyrics, however the ending has a different emotional presence to it. The tempo slows down incredibly for the last lyric. This dramatic ending when Tegan & Sara sing “Dark you can’t come soon enough for me” in a slow tempo resonates peacefully with the listener. During most of the song you can hear the girls frustrations with depression, but in the final line they seem to be at peace. Florence’s song “ Breaking Down” takes a different path. It introduces and closes the listener to a very similar percussion that takes the viewer to a similar place. One would assume this is because Florence still has depression and knows it will not fade away anytime soon. The tempo begins the same and ends the same.
Conclusion
Music is beautiful in that it can create and illicit emotions we sometimes do not realize we had in us. Depression, is similar, in the sense that it can quietly affect those around us without our knowledge. Both can be sly and rather troublesome. In “Breaking Down” and Dark Come Soon”, although both discuss experiences with depression, a listener may leave with a sense of hope. It is okay to be sad, feel lonely, or have thoughts of suicide. To know that others have suffered, especially artists of importance, brings awareness to the issues at hand. It lets the listener know that it is not out of norm and may only be temporarily. It is important to always have hope.
Bibliography
Koskie, B. (n.d.). Depression: Facts, Statistics, and You. Retrieved from
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/facts-statistics-infographic#1
Morin, A., & L. (n.d.). How Many People Are Actually Affected by Depression Every Year?
Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/depression-statistics-everyone-should-know-4159056
Discography
Florence + The Machine , Ceremonials, Island (2011)
Tegan & Sara, The Con, Sire Records (2007)