Album's Themes
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Album's Themes
As a lover of music I have wide repertoire to choose from and to enjoy. However one of the most intriguing albums that I have come across in my few years of interacting with music is the third and last self- titled studio album of the American band Sublime. This album was released in 1996 and featured the original trio of the band namely Bradley Nowell, Eric Wilson, and Bud Gaugh. Of all their work, this album received the greatest commercial success despite the fact that it was not promoted through tours as the band was defunct courtesy of the lead singer Nowell’s death. Nowell died two months before the release of the album which was done posthumously since the band had finished recording most the songs.
Other features that make this album an intriguing piece is its diversity in that it captures different musical styles and their elements such as punk rock, ska, dancehall, reggae, dub music and hip hop; the tempos that are used in the music also range very wildly. However the feature that attracted me to the album and that makes me think that it worthy of a closer look are the themes which are carried in the albums and the lyrics which sound very cryptic at times In general the lyrical subjects of the songs cover subjects such as relationships, addictions, prostitution and riots. Given the state of mind of Nowell during the recording of these songs which is indicated to have been continuously high and dangerous followed by his subsequent death from overdose following the completion of the recording, a closer look is deemed critical.
Although the album had numerous tracks both originals and covers, there were three singles which bolstered its performance and received a lot of air play, these were What I Got", "Wrong Way" and "Santeria". This paper will write an argumentative essay on this album focusing on these hit singles from the album as it tries to argue what the band’s argument, the strategies they used to make their argument and its contribution in the current culture.
Argument Analysis of album
An argument has been defined to mean statements which are given with the intention of establishing a definite proposition on an issue. Therefore when making a certain argument, speakers make certain assertions and go ahead and try to provide support for them through subsequent sentences (Cline, 2018).
The album Sublime is quite diverse in its approach and therefore it makes various arguments to their listeners. One of the major argument arising in the album include enjoying life with what one has got instead of worrying and reminiscing over what they lack. These arguments are specifically made in the single ‘What I Got’ where the lyrics point to the things which are wrong in the life of the singer more specifically being broke but then changes the tune to appreciation of what they’ve got and that they should enjoy. The song emphasizes enjoying life in the present irrespective of the circumstances at hand by accounting the things they have got such as a Dalmatian dog, being able to be high, and having a talent to play the guitar like a riot. However, the song also point to darker themes such as the problem of drug addiction and getting high which is like foreshowing of the singer’s personal challenges and ultimate end.
Another argument that the album makes is how people tend to make wrong choices in life and end up in the wrong way. The argument which was specifically made in the album single ‘Wrong Way’ is illustrated by the narration of the story of a 12 year old girl who was forced into the prostitution industry by her family and it became the only way she knew even though it was the wrong way. Therefore down the line in her life even when the narrator of the song tries to save her she ran away back to the same life because it had been ingrained in her and she did not know any other way. Further even though the narrator of the song had the best intention in mind in trying to save her, he ended abusing her too even though he knew it’s the wrong way.
Another of the major arguments that the band makes in this album has to do with the struggles of drug addiction which specifically the lead singer Nowell struggled with and which made it impossible for him to be a good parent to his young son Jake. Drug addiction also caused him to spend his fortune unwisely that he had nothing to show for his toils. This is an argument that has been made in more than one song and which seem to be foreshadowing what was to come. The argument was majorly and specifically made in the album’s single Santeria. Although the song does not explicitly talk about the challenge that singer battles with as a result of their heroin addiction which ultimately caused him his life, they use a lot metaphor to address the topic and share the pain. In line with the argument, the song’s lyrics allow Nowell to give an explanation to son about the problem he has which has caused him to spend his fortune. Even though he knows the damage it is causing, it is a struggle to him since deep down inside there is a part of him which craves for the drugs. He also asserts that even in his struggle with the addiction, he is fighting to make sure that the love for his son becomes the driving force for his life and not his addiction. He regrets the divide that his addiction has caused between them and promises to fight till the love for his son replaces the desire to engage in the use of narcotics.
Rhetorical Analysis of the album
A rhetorical analysis involves looking at various elements that make up the rhetorical situation within which the specific communication was generated and later given in order to provide an argument that touches on the communication itself (Miami University, n.d). Although there are various factors which can be looked at ranging from the context of the communication, its audience, purpose, medium and so forth. This paper will look at the strategies which were employed to make it a rhetoric success.
In order to make their argument, the sublime used various strategies. According to Pieplow (2011), there are various strategies which can be used while making an argument ranging from personal experience, cause and effect, illustration, comparison and contrast, arguing from reality and so forth. This section will analyze and illustrate some of the strategies used in the album.
The album first used the personal experience argument strategy where they gave narrations and stories of their own experiences in first person. This can be seen from the single ‘Wrong Way’ which brings in the argument of how people tend to make wrong choices in life and end up in the wrong way. The personal experience argument strategy is used in this song because the narrator of the lyrics gives an account of their encounter with the twelve year old Annie who had been forced into prostitution and the things which ensued in their encounter. In the chorus he claims that;
I gave her all that I had to give
She still wouldn't take it, whoa no
Her two brown eyes are leaking like salty tears
It still ruins her makeup and never want to give
The narrator uses these personal experience to show how despite the help that had been extended to Anna she still choose the wrong way in life
Another argument strategy that is used in the album is the cause and effect. Through this strategy, the band sought to show how one action leads to another. This has been especially used in the single Santeria where the singer shows how their action to use narcotics negatively affected their ability to be a good father. Through the song, the band shows the impact of addiction which is the cause of the negative things that were going on in their relationships and finances. Some of the song sentences which show cause effect include;
I had a million dollars but I'd, I'd spend it all
If I could find that Heina and that Sancho that she's found
I'd pop a cap in Sancho and I'd slap her down
Although the lyrics of this particular song take a very metaphorical approach, they indeed show the impact and the challenges that the use narcotics has on an individual, their relationship and even finances wreaking havoc in them all. This strategy is normally used so that the intended audience can either make an inductive or deductive conclusion (Pieplow, 2011). In this case, by showing the cause (addiction) and effect (broken down life) the band aims to let the audience deduce the challenges that come with narcotic use.
The band also uses a lot of illustration in this album which is also an argument strategy. This form of strategy seeks to convince the audience that the argument that the band is making is true. For example in the song ‘What I Got’, the band uses illustrations to show their audience that they can indeed enjoy life with what they have got even when they do not have all things together. Some of the illustrations used include;
Why I don't cry when my dog runs away
I don't get angry at the bills I have to pay
I don't get angry when my Mom smokes pot
Hits the bottle and goes right to the rock
Through this illustration, the band sought to show how thing go wrong but in all this they call them to;
Lovin', is what I got
Sublime also uses the argument strategy combination of arguing from hopes and fears and arguing from results. These strategies are used in their metaphorical song Santeria where the singer expresses his fears borne of addiction and his hope of beating the habit and being the person his son needs him to be. In terms of arguing from results, the song also shows how things will be in the future when the singer is able to beat the addition problem and have his son as the center of his affection. Fear and hope intermingle throughout the song and the bringing out a very emotional artist who is struggling with the all so dangerous habit of narcotics use. The singer expresses his fear by asserting
Well, I swear that I, I really want to know
I really, what I really want to stay, I can't define
That love make it go, my soul will have to
On the other hand, the singer also expresses their hopes and future by asserting that;
My soul will have to wait 'til I get back and find
Heina of my own
Daddy's gonna love one and all
I feel the break, feel the break
Feel the break and I got to live it out, oh yeah
The arguments therefore build the argument of addiction challenges by showing the fear, that come with it and the hope for the future as a result of making the necessary changes.
Conclusion
This album although produced over two decades ago still resonates with the current culture and society and makes a huge contribution. The arguments which are carried by the album such as enjoying life with what one has got is very relevant since people still face the same economic and social challenges. On the other hand, the argument of people making wrong choices and ending up in all the wrong places is all the more important since the breakdown of society has been marked with all absurd behaviors and lifestyle. Lastly the challenges related to drug addiction are still as real today as they were then as numerous people keep losing their lives through drug overdoses and having their whole lives compromised by addictive substances.