Saosin- You're Not Alone: A Musical Analysis
Saosin is an American rock band that was formed in Orange County, California in 2003.
"Saosin means 'careful' in Chinese. The word comes from a 15th-century proverb about fathers admonishing their sons who are being married off for money to not get emotionally involved with their wives, as they could die at any time. The original lead singer explained the meaning behind this as being a reference to the fact that nothing is eternal, and that it is a mistake to become overly attached to anyone or anything because that thing will eventually be lost." - Wikipedia
The song "You're Not Alone" is not like the band's typical song choice as it is more melodic and emotional. It was written by Beau J Burchell, Cove Randall Reber (lead singer at the time it was written), and Chris David Sorenson.
Lyrics
The song's lyrics start by talking about a man who is wandering through a park searching for the "ones he used to love" and "says he's got nothing left to live for." This is a dark start that hints towards depression and loneliness. However, the chorus of the song is somewhat redemptive in that it has a more positive message:
You're not alone
There is more to this, I know
You can make it out
You will live to tell
The lyrics may not make perfect sense but I can remember driving and listening to this song and the constant repetition of the words "you're not alone" always resonated with me which is why I am still a fan of this song. It is a song about hope.
Harmony
The song has several instances in the chorus where background singers harmonize with the lead singer creating a nice round tone. The song also has spikes in pitch in the early part of the chorus where the singer's voice jumps to a high note. The song is performed in the key of F and appears to be minor.
Musical Style
This song falls into the rock/emo genre and is played with guitar, bass guitar, drums, and keyboard. The acoustic version has been played with piano and violin but that is not the version being covered. This is a modern arrangement of instruments in that there are no brass or wind instruments. The song is a typical instrumental arrangement of rock music.
Rhythm
It is played in 4/4 time and has an interesting drum part that puts emphasis on the third beat when typically in rock music we see an emphasis on the second and fourth beat. The piano actually adds to the rhythm by playing in a monotonic repetitive fashion in a few areas of the song.
The song can be listened to here.
In closing, this song is definitely one that music be appreciated for the lyrics and the emotion conveyed. It is not performed by an amazing vocalist and the band's musical abilities are average. It is still a song that elicits hope and is one to be appreciated
References:
“Saosin.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 May 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saosin.
“Chord: You're Not Alone - Saosin - Tab, Song Lyric, Sheet, Guitar, Ukulele.” Songs, Chords, Lyrics | Chords.vip, www.chords.vip/en/song/you-re-not-alone/gJLchamo.html.
I am still learning the background of music and like the fact how you incorporated them into this song. I love that this song expresses emotion their people were afraid to talk about so they put it into song.
ReplyDeleteKelly, I really appreciated your analysis of the lyrics. Listening to the song on my own, I can totally see how this song is a song of hope. I also really appreciated how you began with a translation of the band's name. It brought together and added more meaning to the lyrical analysis. Personally, I found the dynamics of this song to be perhaps the most interesting part of it. While there weren't any major crescendos or decrescendos, different instruments would swell or fall at different times, and it added more texture and variety to the music, which made it overall more interesting to listen to.
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