Grace Is Gone Song Analysis

InArt #2
Paper #2
Song Choices:
“Dreaming With a Broken Heart” by John Mayer “’I Feel Like Dying” by Lil’ Wayne
“Grace is Gone” by the Dave Matthews Band
“Story of a girl” by Matchbook Romance
The four songs that I chose for this paper are all composed by new artists that have arrived on the music scene well after the blues era ended. Obviously these songs are not a direct result of the blues era. However, I think that each of them embodies the core qualities of blues music. I believe a huge part of the blue’s genre involves the central themes of loss, depression, and loneliness. Although the actual era in which blues music was popular is now over, the core themes and ideas of blue music can still be found all over today’s music scene. Although that style of music is not popular, especially amongst today’s youth, the fact that the messages that were delivered in those songs are still incredibly popular speaks wonders for what the blues artists created.
The first song I chose, “Grace is Gone” by the Dave Matthews Band, tells the story of a person who had fallen in love and was left by the other person and is now extremely bitter. The vivid lyrics of this song paint a picture of loss, loneliness and sorrow, and help to portray a strong central theme of hopelessness and
depression. The line, “Excuse me please, one more drink can you make it strong because I don’t need to think. She broke my heart my grace is gone,” is a great example of the use of the vivid language that can be found in the blues. The writer uses the fact that he is drowning his sorrows in alcohol, mixed with the depression caused by the women leaving him. It is very dark and oppressive. All of these strong emotions and vivid imagery is certainly homage to the blues era.
My next song is called “Dreaming With a Broken Heart” by John Mayer. Here the writer is experiencing a strong loneliness in his life after a difficult break up. The lyrics in this song, though not as vivid as those in some of the other songs I chose to write about are still moving. However the main theme of the song is that it is very difficult to get up and started with a “Broken Heart.” The lyrics “…Well you can’t because she is gone, gone, gone, gone, gone.” I think these lyrics shows that this man is almost in denial to the fact that what meant so much to him in his life is now gone. He almost wakes up the next day and thought he dreamt what is now his worst nightmare. Although the actual music in this song is not typical to original blues melodies, the lyrics directly tie into the general them of the blue’s genre.
The third song I chose is called “I Feel Like Dying” By Lil’ Wayne.
Although this may not be the purest or most direct example of the blues in modern music I feel it definitely embodies the qualities. This song is definitely blunt and extreme; it definitely gets the message across. He feels trapped within himself and his loneliness. His only friends were the drugs and thus he spirals into a direct depression. This loneliness, again, is a common theme through these songs and blues music in general. The darkness and depression that Wayne embodies in this song is almost difficult to listen to but is a much more extreme message of what the original blue’s artists were
portraying.
The last song that I chose is called “The Story of a Girl” by Matchbook Romance. This song is a great example of how blues music may embody deep dark and depressing thoughts, but many times it does show a sliver of hope. The writer talks about this dark depressing girl that always seems so sad but “Absolutely loves her, when she smiles.” The fact that the song addresses the bright side of the theme is definitely what blues music is all about. It definitely focuses on the heavy topics but its overriding goal shows the beauty in a dark situation.
In conclusion, the ground work that blues music laid is still seen today in all facets of music, even including rap. Blues is a universal language, and it is because of that that it can still be found in today’s popular music. Although it was difficult at times to really find and feel the connection between modern music and the blues era it certainly does exist if you dig past the surface. All of the songs that I chose share a common theme of depression and darkness, which are a core part of blues music. These topics are ones that every person can relate to on some level. That is one reason that blues was so impactful. It is because of this strength, blues music continues to impact the music coming out of our headphones from our iPods.