English 101
Music Video Critique
REVISED VERSION
Music has always been a form of expression. The artist is able to convey their feelings through song, getting their listener engaged and sensing the same emotion. In today’s world, there are less and less songs that people can connect with. Songs try to be more catchy and promote good times that people should be feeling, instead of the sensations that they actually feel. One such man that has yet to succumb to this is Five for Fighting’s John Ondrasik. He has written several songs about love, life, and human imperfections. One of his most famous songs that brought him into the spotlight was his single “Superman (It’s Not Easy)”. This song is one of the greatest songs of the decade because it describes a person’s longing to be vulnerable, which is portrayed through the music video. One of the aspects of this song that make it so powerful is the lyrics. Ondrasik is singing about how it is not easy to be him, but he does this through the metaphor of Superman. Superman is always seen as a moral and just character that can do anything, no matter how difficult it is. Every movie or television show about Superman always talks about fulfilling his destiny. Ondrasik talks about how he shouldn’t be seen as just a hero, but as a normal man. He uses phrases such as “I’m more than a bird...I’m more than a plane”, “only a man in a silly red sheet”, and other similar phrases to initially get the connection between himself and Superman. He then talks about wanting to “find the better part of me” and “digging for kryptonite”. This means that he is looking inward at himself and reflecting on his strengths and weaknesses. He is trying to find out who he truly is as a person and not just what others see him as. This is the core reason why this song is so great. All audiences can relate to this at some point in their lives. That is what truly makes a song last. In addition to the lyrics, John Ondrasik further stresses his