Rhetorical Analysis

By Adrian Colter

Introduction
A rhetorical analysis describes how an
musician puts out their message by looking
at ethos, logos, and pathos. Each artist is
different in some way so the way they speak
their message will differ from one another.
Music is a way that artists can express their
experiences or ideas and portray them
however they feel. Even though the musical
style can be different artists can still express
similar feelings with different musical styles.

Nirvana
Nirvana was an American grunge band from
Aberdeen, Washington. The band formed in 1987
and their first studio album Bleach was released
in 1989. They became more popular when their
song Smells Like Teen Spirit 1991 was played
on mainstream radio. Kurt Cobain, Nirvanas
lyricist and guitarist was worried that people
were missing the point behind the the bands
values. Nirvana came to an end when Kurt
Cobain died April 5, 1994. Despite their short run
they created a huge impact on music and society.

Panic! At the Disco

Panic is a pop/rock band formed in 2004 in Las
Vegas. The band had four original members
and released their first studio album A Fever
You Cant Sweat Out in 2005. Their single I
Write Sins Not Tragedies which gave them
the most success was off that album. As years
went on and the bands style changed
members left the band due to creative
differences. Now since 2015 the only member
left is Brendon Urie who still creates music
under the original Panic! At the Disco name.

Drain You- Nirvana

This song is about a toxic relationship
where one person is dependent on
the other for his happiness while the
other is independent. Her
independence makes him feel
abandon and only makes him more
needy in the process.

Ethos
The credibility comes from personal experience.
Kurt fell in love with a girl who was too independent
and ignored how he felt like he was disregarded by
her. With growing fear that he was loosing her he
becomes selfish and jealous, I dont care what you
think unless it is about me . The issue was
described from his feelings and point of view of the
situation so it isnt that fair for the independent
point of view because we dont know their side of
the story. A bridge was built to an audience who
ever felt like they were being disregarded or feeling
needy towards anyone or anything just like he was.

Pathos
Kurt appeals to the emotions to anyone who has
ever felt that they needed someone in their life.
In this song he describes the relationship as if he
could not survive without her or her attention or
else hed go insane. He bases his argument on
what he wants out of the relationship which is
her time and attention, but he doesnt add to the
argument how she feels or what she wants from
their relationship. The instrumentation is
repetitive over the entire song and demonstrates
his constant need for her attention.

Logos
The evidence lies in Kurts own experiences
in a selfish relationship where his needs and
desires werent being valued rather than a
relationship that takes both sides feelings
into consideration. His claim was clear, he
wanted attention from her that she couldnt
fulfill which only caused him to feel more
needy and dependent. The song was
organized and structured in a typical way
which made it easy to understand and follow.

I Write Sins Not Tragedies- Panic! At

the Disco
This song is also about a toxic relationship.
It takes place at a wedding and it is known
to everyone but the groom that the bride
is cheating. Before the ceremony begins
he finds her in the act, even though it was
a horrible experience he looks on the
bright side and realizes that it was for the
best.

Ethos
Panics guitarist and lyricist Ryan Ross after
breaking up with his girlfriend he came up with
this story to convince himself that the situation
could have been worse (songfacts.com). Even
though cheating is a terrible thing the song is
focusing more on the grooms side, What a
shame the poor grooms bride is a whore. Even
though she did such an act maybe there is a
back story not told like how she could have loved
both men. Panic builds a bridge to an audience
who has felt the pain of being cheated on.

Pathos
This song appeals to emotions if you have ever have
had a bad relationship or been cheated on and know
how it feels to have your feelings disregarded by the
person you care about. The band bases their values on
being faithful and truthful, and a dislike for those who
dont respect those same values. The vocalization and
instrumentation add to the songs meaning. It is sung
in a sarcastic tone almost happy since he knows now
that he isnt going to waste his time in a messy
marriage with her. Well Ill look at it this way I mean,
technically, our marriage is saved. The music sounds
fun and upbeat also adding to the meaning that he is
better without her.

Logos
The band uses evidence from real life
personal experience with an
optimistic attitude. The claim is that
even though having your feelings
hurt by the person you care about
sucks you have to look on the
brighter side and realized that youre
better off without them and your life
can only move forward. The song has
typical structure and organization

Compare & Contrast

Both artists used past experiences in there
songs making them the authority on the
subject of their songs. For pathos they both
relate to sadness they felt in the past. Panic!
At the Disco looks at it in a more optimistic
way looking how he was better off or the
situation could have been worse. While
Nirvana was more solemn and pessimistic
about their situation. Both bands use similar
typical structure and again use personal
experiences for their evidence.

Conclusion
Even though these bands are from different eras
and have different music styles they still have
similar problems. They way they portrayed their
feelings were different though, which is expected
since they are different music types. Panic
explained their issue in a more positive light, but
Nirvana being known as a more solemn band
portrayed a more pessimistic side. Even though
they portrayed their similar experiences in a
different light they still used their music to
express how they feel

Works Cited
"Drain You by Nirvana Songfacts." Drain You by Nirvana
Songfacts. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.
"I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! at the Disco Songfacts." I
Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! at the Disco Songfacts.
N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.
"Lyrics for "Drain You" by Nirvana." Lyrics for "Drain You" by
Nirvana. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.
"Lyrics for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by Panic! at the Disco."
Lyrics for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by Panic! at the Disco.
N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.
"Nirvana Biography." Rolling Stone. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr.
2016.
"Panic! at the Disco." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d.
Web. 12 Apr. 2016.