Welcome!
I'm Clifford Stumme, and I use literary analysis and research to explain the deeper meanings of pop songs. Feel free to leave a comment or to email me at clifford@popsongprofessor.com with questions or ideas!
I'm Clifford Stumme, and I use literary analysis and research to explain the deeper meanings of pop songs. Feel free to leave a comment or to email me at clifford@popsongprofessor.com with questions or ideas!
Nico And The Niners’ music video is insane; there is so much meaningful stuff. We get to see DEMA. And it looks like the bishops are in it, we also see the banditos, and Josh. There is a story to tell here, and I am excited to go over this in depth with you, guys.
After five long years of silence from the Jonas Brothers since their breakup, fans are ecstatic at the reunion of the band and the release of “Sucker” this week. The aspect of the song that has become most popular isn’t the lyrics, but the music video where each brother’s wife/fiance is shown sharing lavish and wild moments with the brothers. Fans have highlighted the adorability of the three couples working together in the music video. Nick Jonas tweeted: “We really had the best time shooting this video in England with our family. Hope you guys love it. Feels good to be back”. The emphasis on it being a family event has made the lyrics even more meaningful to fans as they cheer on the romances of the brothers. But is the song as sweet and innocent as it sounds, or is there something hiding beneath the surface?
Jumpsuit’s music video is insane; there is so much meaningful stuff. It looks like a bishop or Blurryface is in it, there is a cameo by Josh and Jenna in there, the allusions to movies. There is a story to tell here, and I am excited to go over this in depth with you, guys.
Billie Eilish put out a new music video and a song called ‘bury a friend’; and even though she has put out some creepy stuff in the past, this video might be taking the cake, which is appropriate since apparently this song is written from the perspective of the monster underneath her bed.
When “High Hopes” released today, Brendon Urie tweeted, “I spent too long not setting my expectations high enough, worried about how it felt to fail. I hit a point when I realized I had to aim high and fail, fail, fail in order to keep growing. This one is for all of you who helped me go for it all. I thank you.” Urie didn’t say indicate that his words had specifically to do with “High Hopes,” but this was the emotion he chose to share with his fans upon the song’s release, and that emotion certainly fits with the meaning of his lyrics.
Rather than being counter-cultural, “Weak” does exactly what LMFAO did: Instead of promoting freedom from the habits and emptiness we fight with in “Party Rock Anthem,” AJR seems to celebrate our inability to ever actually defeat those habits.
While not all songs are autobiographical—in fact, one should never directly assume that they are—it is both a songwriter’s privilege and responsibility to allow him or her experience to influence the writing process in some way. In “Say Amen,” Brendon Urie uses much of the knowledge of the religious tradition that he grew up in to influence his lyrics. While this does not necessarily mean that Brendon Urie is the narrator of the song, it does make the notion of a narrator who is disenchanted with his religious upbringing to be far more powerful and affective.
Today we're talking to Melissa Bel, a longtime artist from Canada who met her partner in Las Vegas and moved to Great Britain. She's been all over the world, and she's been singing and writing songs the whole time, and for this episode of the show, we get deep into who she is as an artist.
People hate country music, but why? And how can we tap into these particular hates to put together the greatest (see: worst) country song of all time? Guest Garrett Vandenberg is going to explain how he did it for a video for the BlimeyCow YouTube channel. This episode is fun and incisive as we explore country music and how it fails.
I don't usually insert my opinion into my lyrics explaining blog posts, but I'll admit that "Dress" is one of the most interesting songs Taylor Swift has released to date. But it's not because the lyrics are deep or interesting or anything. It's the subject material. Never before has she gotten this sexy and this edgy, and if people are talking about anything controversial on Reputation, it's usually this song. But is this song really that sexual? Is it really that odd to hear from Taylor Swift? Yes, and, yes, but let's get into it anyway.
To be completely honest, you're not going to find out what celebrity this song is about by reading my blog. I could care less whether this song is about Joe Alwyn or Tom Hiddleston or Calvin Harris or whoever. The other blogs out there that write about that stuff do a fine job (when they're not shamelessly click-baiting people and wasting your valuable time). But what I do have for you is a near-literary breakdown of the lyrics themselves. I like finding out what Taylor means and what story she's telling, and "Dancing with Our Hands Tied" gives a great opportunity to learn a little bit more about her.
It's no surprise to fans that Taylor's latest album Reputation centers around a romantic relationship. Most of Taylor's public persona has been established by her numerous boyfriends and subsequent breakups, and in Reputation she uses that persona to her advantage, creating an almost satirical embrace and critique of the media's portrayal of her.
While the holiday that most people focus on during the new year is New Year's Eve, Swift entitles the final song on her album "New Year's Day" in order to highlight the fact that she doesn't want to just stick around for the party but for the aftermath as well: the clean up, the solitude, and even the bittersweetness of moments gone but memories made.
While maybe not the most notable song on Reputation, I think "Getaway Car" is one of the better written ones. It tells a clear story and uses some excellent imagery and metaphors that really make that story come to life for listeners. The music, while certainly still pop, is more stripped down than previous tracks and offers a laid back, thoughtful wistfulness as Taylor recalls past experiences.
Musically and lyrically "So It Goes..." (heretofore referred to as "So It Goes") reminds me of "I Don't Wanna live Forever." It's sexually focused, and it's very slick and intentional, verging on dark pop. The song is focused on some new boyfriend (the Internet would have us believe Joe Alwyn) who Swift finds attractive and who she apparently feels deeply connected with. The song itself though may prove to have further surprises.
"Delicate" maintains some of the new pop sounds that Taylor's been using throughout the Reputation album, but the lyrics truly seem more like old Taylor or even "Wildest Dreams"--a little sexual, a little edgy, but overall innocent and sweet, wanting something real from a new relationship. Of course, the relationship in "Wildest Dreams" was dying or dead, and the relationship in "Delicate" seems to be just beginning.
While "Don't Blame Me" continues shaping a Taylor Swift persona that few of us were familiar with before "Look What You Made Me Do," the music is certainly more toned back than what we heard in that song or in "...Ready For It?" The song's certainly still intense--especially those choruses--but interestingly this time it's the verses that are more stripped back--the antithesis to the hyped verses and chiller choruses of other songs that appear early in the album.
"I Did Something Bad" follows the same formula that we heard from "Look What You Made Me Do" or "...Ready For It?" Taylor Swift has turned over a new leaf, and is now a tougher, stronger, harder, version of herself. She's not going to roll over for anyone or wait for someone to come save her. She's ready to take control of her own life even if it means destroying her enemies.
Taylor Swift released Reputation on November 10th, and "End Game" is the first song new song that many of us heard when we started listening. This second track, which comes right after "...Ready For It?" is one of the most noteworthy tracks on the album because not only does it feature Ed Sheeran and Future, but it also heavily features the title of the album--Reputation--which suggests that this song is tightly tied to the meaning of the album overall.
