Song analysis method

Plan:

Introduction: name of song, artist, band, date of release of the song, major themes
Development: sum up the story of the song, analyse some verses that cought your attention, give
examples of poetic devices used, describe the music and the emotions it provokes, identify the message
Conclusion: say if you agree with the message of the song, say whether you like the song or not
and explain why
TIPS: Three aspects to consider when dealing with a song: the music, the lyrics and the message conveyed.
1) Music: melody / tune (electric acoustic, catchy boring, loud soft, fast slow), vocals, instruments,
beat, harmonies, rhythm (regular irregular), low pitch high pitch, riff, verse, chorus, bridge, break, chords

2) Lyrics: use of figurative language / poetic devices, coloquial / informal / formal language, themes
(friendship, hope, love, loss, growing up, family, overcoming challenges, politics, social issues etc), provoke
emotions and moods (angry, violent, menacing, delightful, tender, romantic, happy, excited, anxious,
sentimental, nostalgic, sad), tell a story, account events...
3) message: the message conveyed (criticism praise, political, historical, social issue, love song...)
SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY, U2
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was released in the 1983 album "War" and was
rated by critics among the best political protest songs.
The entire song is a criticism of the Bloody Sunday incident in
Derry, a city in Northern Ireland, where civil rights protesters were
shot and killed by British troops.
The song begins with Larry Mullen Jr. beating his drums in a
martial rhythm that conveys visions of soldiers, tanks and guns.
Having grabbed hold of the listener's attention, the Edge and Adam
Clayton join in with lead and bass guitars respectively. The pounding
beat and the heavy riff transport the listener to the scene of the killings,
appealing to pathos / emotions. And then Bono, the lead singer joins
in, standing firmly behind the passion harnessed in each verse.
The lyrics are made up of alliteration, imagery, a creative
rhyme scheme and a lot of symbolism.
The line "broken bottles under children's feet" is a great example of both alliteration and imagery used together.
In an even more slightly morbid imaging, the next line "bodies strewn across the dead end street" gives the
listener a grim picture of the violence that took place in Northern Ireland during that period.
Figurative language is found in the line "the trench is dug within our hearts", probably a symbol of the
heartbreak being experienced because of the war.
In contrast to the violent nature of the verses, the emergence of major chords creates a feeling of hope during
Bono's "How long, how long must we sing this song?" chorus. The Edge's backing vocals / melodic harmonies
strengthen this feeling, showing that this song is more of a peace anthem than an anti-war song.
Sunday Bloody Sunday is one of U2's signature songs, covered by a dozen artists and named the 272nd
greatest song by the "Rolling Stone" magazine on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".