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Frank is discussing with his sensei various curiosities he has towards his mind. Frank

asks his sensei Is my brain made to hold my mind? This great gray matter. Gray matter is

known as a major component of the central nervous system within the brain. To Frank, gray

matter seemed to serve to only hold his mind, however his sensei thought otherwise.

His sensei responded What is your woman? Is she just a container for the child? In that

instance, Franks sensei challenged him to look beyond what something is meant to do and what

something is capable of. Frank thought to himself That soft pink matter. Cotton candy. Majin

Buu. Close my eyes and fall into you. In that moment, Frank thought of his lover and began to

question whether logic and matter surpassed pleasure and love. He understands that his lovers

body is biologically designed to hold a child and his brain serves to control his body and think

for him. However he sees that love, pleasure, and individuality of mind is out of control of

physiological matter.

Frank continued to question whether this is reality or all an illusion. He ask his sensei

What if the sky and the stars are for show and the aliens are watching live from the purple

matter? He wondered if they were all real or fictions of some other reality and his sensei went

quiet then they fought over this thought. His sensei grew tired of Franks constant questions and

grew tired of Franks questioning reality itself. Once they both grew tired, they stopped fighting

and realized nothing really mattered in the world, at least not physically.

Frank then went to his lover after leaving his sensei. He saw her body and thought of her

cotton candy, Maajin Buu anatomy and continued to think that nothing mattered. He

dimmed the lights and fell into his lovers arms and thought to himself pleasure over matter.

Frank tells his lover how hes missed her. Hed been going through withdrawals without

constant communication with her but he kept his distance so shed be with someone better with a
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regular job. He tried to drive away as far as he could, wipe his memories away and stop time to

keep from going back to his lover. Frank thinks about his lovers body and how he appreciates

her curves and if he can get her back, hed hold her hand and they wouldnt need anyone else.

Hed think of places for them to run away together. Yet throughout all this turmoil going on

inside his head based on the constant battle he has with himself over this lover, he considers her

a bad girl. He finds himself wishing shed go to hell but constantly knocks on wood.

Frank continues to lay in bed with his lover and contemplates leaving or staying, but he

ultimately choosing pleasure over matter.

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Margie Fargas

Johnson

Writing 2

5/22/17

Translation of Song to Story

I translated the song Pink Matter by Frank Ocean into a story that gives more

information and a more literal idea to his various metaphors throughout the song. The story

presents a conversation between Frank and his sensei as they discuss various curiosities he has

about anatomy and life. He later goes on to reveal that he has been withdrawing himself from his

lover and he is mainly conflictedtied between ideas of pleasure and matter. The translation adds

information into the story and expands on various terms and ideas people would not understand

if they first heard the source material. I decided to translate the song into a story in order to put

the source material in an order that will put its metaphors in a more literal light. The song targets

a younger demographic, as Frank Ocean is a newer and more mainstream artist and he makes

references to pop media culture. The translation essentially explained and expanded on the

metaphors thrown used throughout the song and give the source material a new perspective

through a new way of delivering the message. While translating the song, I considered creating a

story out of the elements of the song given such as the characters and conflict Frank Ocean faces

within the song. These are elements I thought would be essential to a story as there is enough

information to create a conflict, climax, and resolution.

Within the translation, I integrated portions of the song that were questions from Frank

Ocean and used the actions and metaphors to form a story around the dialogue within the song. I

kept most elements of the song within the translation;, however I transformed and expanded on
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the actions and metaphors within the song. The various references to different color matter label

different parts of anatomy that Frank Ocean thinks about, and it is later realized he is referring to

questions about reality, pleasure, and love. Within the translation I added the portion about a

lover as the song implies it is speaking directly to the lover; however it is unclear. I incorporated

her into the story in order to connect various verses and elements together. The audience for the

song is primarily Franks lover, and a younger demographic would relate to the message and

emotions the song puts forth. Through translating the piece, I attempted to broaden the target

audience and create a more literal interpretation of the song for older readers to understand and

relate to.

Portions of the song such as Maajin Buu and gray matter target specific

demographics as these rely on knowledge in order to understand the metaphor. Maajin Buu

refers to a pink character in Dragonball Z, which is a show more popular in the 1990s and more

likely to be understood by audiences in their twenties or younger. Scott McCloud discusses in

Writing with Pictures how there are various components in storytelling that contribute to the

overall composition of the message. He compares it to comic book stories as certain actions and

plots are left incomplete and confusing if key elements are left out of the story. I kept this idea in

mind while translating the song into a story and kept certain words and elements in the

translation. This isThe term Maajin Buu is used to contribute to the visual stimulation of the

various pink matter Frank refers to within the song. The pink matter is a play on gray matter,

which refers to a portion of the brain that controls the nervous system, and this term often goes

unknown as it is not a term used ofteninformation often goes unknown. This makes it evident

that the song is targeted towards a younger demographic such as young students or intellectuals

within their late teens going into their twenties. The play on gray matter goes into the use of
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pink matter and purple matter to refer to a womans anatomy and space, respectively. Pink

matter refers to the anatomy of a womans body as it is the color of the tissue and is used to

reference a womans womb. These are use of different colored matter is an important elements to

maintain within the translation of the song as they are vital pieces of the overall message Frank

Ocean attempts to convey through his song and what I attempt to translate into a story. The

translation from the song into a story is meant to give different audiences more clarification as to

what the song references and what Frank Ocean means in his metaphors. These areThe various

colored matter references are elements I kept and attempted to transform into a different way of

perception.

The difficulties I had with this assignment wereas to properly translate the songs

message into a story and add elements that made sense to the overall construct of Franks story.

It is evident that songs are a new genre as they attempt to provide portions of a larger message

and it depends on the listener to properly put the pieces together. Sandra Giles Reflective

Writing and the Revision Process discusses the use of reflection in writing. Reflection is

important to storytelling as it helps one understand who they are telling this story to and why.

Stories often give the reader a chronological entailment of a journey or challenge of a character

within the series of events and it was difficult to pull elements of the song and portray them in a

chronological sequence. In order to properly tell the song into a story, I personified the sensei

and made it seem as though Frank was having a conversation with Sensei. In the song it is

unclear who Frank is talking to and who Sensei is. To create a story out of the song, I attempted

to create a character out of Sensei when it is still unclear if Sensei is a figment of Franks

imagination or an actual mentor. I also attempted to create a character out of the lover Frank

speaks to. He speaks to her directly, and in the translation, I attempted to include her in the story
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and create a conflict and resolution involving her character. I reflected on the components of the

song that I translated into a story in order to understand the relationships I am attempting to

create with my audience and the relationships between the elements of the story themselves.

The overall experience I had with this project allowed me to further understand variations

in genre. Pink Matter is an excellent song, however it is often misinterpreted and the

metaphors often go unnoticed. Since I am a fan of Frank Ocean and this particular song, I found

it interesting to find a way to translate it and give it a story. The story itself brings more detail

and information to something as short as a song. Being able to translate Pink Matter forced me

think about my writing techniques and the techniques of others when they put their imagination

into their work.

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Pink Matter, Frank Ocean

And the peaches and the mangos

You could sell for me

What do you think my brain is made for

Is it just a container for the mind

This great grey matter

Sensei replied what is your woman

Is she just a container for the child

That soft pink matter

Cotton candy Majin Buu

Close my eyes and fall into you

My god she's giving me pleasure

What if the sky and the stars are for show

And the aliens are watching live

From the purple matter

Sensei went quiet then violent

And we sparred until we both grew tired

Nothing mattered

Cotton candy maajin bu

Dim the lights and fall into you

My god giving me pleasure

Pleasure pleasure pleasure

Pleasure over matter

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Since you been gone

I been having withdrawals

You were such a habit to call

I ain't myself at all had to tell myself naw

She's better with some fella with a regular job

I didn't wanna get her involved

By dinner Mr. Benjamin was sittin' in awe

Hopped into my car drove far

Far's too close and I remember

My memories no sharp

Butter knife what a life anyway

I'm building y'all a clock stop

What am I Hemingway

She had the kind of body

That would probably intimidate

Any of 'em that were un-southern

Not me cousin

If models are made for modeling

Thick girls are made for cuddlin'

Switch worlds and we can huddle then

Who needs another friend

I need to hold your hand

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You'd need no other man

We'd flee to other lands

Grey matter

Blue used to be my favorite color

Now I ain't got no choice

Blue matter

You're good at being bad

You're bad at being good

For heaven's sakes go to hell

Knock knock on wood

You're good at being bad

You're bad at being good

For heaven's sakes go to hell

Knock knock knock knock on wood

Well frankly when that ocean so muhfuckin' good

Make her swab the muhfuckin' wood

Make her walk the muhfuckin' plank

Make her rob a muhfuckin' bank

With no mask on and a rusty revolver

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Frank Ocean is a singer who often stays isolated from the fame he created for himself. He

creates songs that often reflect on curiosities and questions he has with regards to life and

philosophy. He recently had ended a relationship she had with a girl for years as his fame was

beginning to get in the way of their time together and issues arose from various angles. Frank

usually speaks with his sensei on these issues when they relax in his home. Every Sunday and the

same girl he had broken up with continued to linger through his thoughts. Frank asks his sensei

Is my brain made to hold my mind? This great gray matter. Gray matter is known as a major

component of the central nervous system within the brain. To Frank, gray matter seemed to serve

to only hold his mind, however his sensei thought otherwise. Frank was curious as to what his

mind was made for. What does grey matter mean and does it hold his conscious or does it

serve a higher purpose in his knowledge?

His sensei responded What is your woman? Is she just a container for the child? In that

instance, Franks sensei challenged him to look beyond what something is meant to do and what

something is capable of. Frank thought to himself That soft pink matter. Cotton candy. Majin

Buu. Close my eyes and fall into you. In that moment, Frank thought of his lover and began to

question whether logic and matter surpassed pleasure and love. He understands that his lovers

body is biologically designed to hold a child, and his brain serves to control his body and think

for him. However he sees that love, pleasure, and individuality of mind is out of control of

physiological matter.

Frank continued to question whether this is reality or all an illusion. He asks his sensei

What if the sky and the stars are for show and the aliens are watching live from the purple

matter? He wondered if they were all real or fictions of some other reality and his sensei went

quiet then they fought over this thought. His sensei grew tired of Franks constant questions and
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grew tired of Franks questioning reality itself. Once they both grew tired, they stopped fighting

and realized nothing really mattered in the world, at least not physically.

Frank then went to his lover after leaving his sensei. He saw her body and thought of her

cotton candy, Maajin Buu anatomy and continued to think that nothing mattered. He

dimmed the lights and fell into his lovers arms and thought to himself pleasure over matter.

Frank tells his lover how hes missed her. Hed been going through withdrawals without

constant communication with her but he kept his distance so shed be with someone better with a

regular job. He tried to drive away as far as he could, wipe his memories away and stop time to

keep from going back to his lover. Frank thinks about his lovers body and how he appreciates

her curves and if he can get her back, hed hold her hand and they wouldnt need anyone else.

Hed think of places for them to run away together. Yet throughout all this turmoil going on

inside his head based on the constant battle he has with himself over this lover, he considers her

a bad girl. He finds himself wishing shed go to hell but he does not mean this. These are not his

true intentions, these wishes are driven by his

Frank continues to lay in bed with his lover and contemplates leaving or staying, but he

ultimately choosing pleasure over matter. Frank stays with the girl he once left for fame and he

no idea if they will stay together or fall apart, but in that moment he wanted to stay with her and

he wanted to be happy with her. This solved some questions that lingered his mind for a while

and he thought, what is the point of money and fame if you are not happy? and even though

things are uncertain with his lover, he stayed.

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