Tone Of Ahmed By Kareem
The song Ahmed - by UK-born, Iraqi descended political rapper, Kareem Dennis, or Lowkey by stage name - is a song exposing the tragic ongoing refugee crisis due to conflict in Syria, and the surrounding nations. The main aim of the writer is to spread awareness of the issue, and in doing this evokes strong emotions from the audience. The emotions that the writer hopes to bring about are sadness and anger, to which is directed towards the corrupt governments of the western world.
The song begins with a 5-line spoken intro. The softly spoken intro sets the tone of the song. It emphasises the solemnity of the story that is being told, which although fictional, bares much resemblance to the incredibly tragic story of a young Syrian refugee, Alan
Kurdi; who ended up laid lifeless upon the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, in Turkey, after trying to get to Europe to escape the terrors of the wars in his home country. The unnecessary death of this young child was representative of all refugees in the Syrian Refugee Crisis, and symbolises the desperation that they faced and continue to face to this day. In this intro the writer compares the delicacy of the young boy’s life to that of “the wing of a butterfly” and “as fragile as a spider’s web”. He then goes on to say that “when he dies, we all do”. This is not to state that we, as individuals, died in the literal sense; but to state that together, as humanity, we had lost just that; humanity, as well as becoming dead from within, morally and emotionally, while we sit back and spectate this tragedy, and others alike.
The song then proceeds into the first verse where the writer continues Ahmed’s story, using his name for the first time. When this name is used it is embodying all Syrian refugees and makes it easier for the audience to comprehend. In the first line the writer asks, “did Ahmed not deserve a life?”. The use of this rhetorical question is backed up in the following lines when it is stated that Ahmed “never hurt a fly” and “never knew the politicians he was murdered by”. The writer asks for an explanation as to why the innocent boy was killed, going on to answer himself, stating that he was simply murdered by politicians. In this he is not stating that he literally murdered by politicians themselves, but through the decisions made by them. Ahmed, being a young spirit, “wished that he could be a bird and fly”. He wished that he could get away from the conflict and be free from the stress and struggle to escape and survive. The writer even goes on to compare his birth, as a child born into hate and conflict, to a “curse” that Ahmed wished he could be free from.
The song begins with a 5-line spoken intro. The softly spoken intro sets the tone of the song. It emphasises the solemnity of the story that is being told, which although fictional, bares much resemblance to the incredibly tragic story of a young Syrian refugee, Alan
Kurdi; who ended up laid lifeless upon the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, in Turkey, after trying to get to Europe to escape the terrors of the wars in his home country. The unnecessary death of this young child was representative of all refugees in the Syrian Refugee Crisis, and symbolises the desperation that they faced and continue to face to this day. In this intro the writer compares the delicacy of the young boy’s life to that of “the wing of a butterfly” and “as fragile as a spider’s web”. He then goes on to say that “when he dies, we all do”. This is not to state that we, as individuals, died in the literal sense; but to state that together, as humanity, we had lost just that; humanity, as well as becoming dead from within, morally and emotionally, while we sit back and spectate this tragedy, and others alike.
The song then proceeds into the first verse where the writer continues Ahmed’s story, using his name for the first time. When this name is used it is embodying all Syrian refugees and makes it easier for the audience to comprehend. In the first line the writer asks, “did Ahmed not deserve a life?”. The use of this rhetorical question is backed up in the following lines when it is stated that Ahmed “never hurt a fly” and “never knew the politicians he was murdered by”. The writer asks for an explanation as to why the innocent boy was killed, going on to answer himself, stating that he was simply murdered by politicians. In this he is not stating that he literally murdered by politicians themselves, but through the decisions made by them. Ahmed, being a young spirit, “wished that he could be a bird and fly”. He wished that he could get away from the conflict and be free from the stress and struggle to escape and survive. The writer even goes on to compare his birth, as a child born into hate and conflict, to a “curse” that Ahmed wished he could be free from.