Not Your Average Love Song

"Private Fears in Public Places" by Front Porch Step

So cold is the wind, it blows your hair

So warm is your touch upon my skin
How tired am I of being scared
But how awake am I now that I know you're here

'Cause I'd rather fight with you than laugh with another
I'd rather freeze in your arms than be warm under covers
And I'd let you hit me before I ever let you hit the floor

And I'd rather choke than to breathe in your absence
I'd rather feel your wrath than feel another's passion
And I'd rather die on the day that I give you a kiss
Than spend the rest of my life knowing I never did

So just hold me and tell me that I'm everything you need
Tell me that, that lonely little heart of yours that I've been dying for ain't out of reach

So if you're looking for some proof that there's a heart inside of me
Then lace your fingers between mine and you will see it start to leak
And I know you're not a crutch but I can hold you when I stand
'Cause I am living for your touch but I would die to be your man

Let me look into your eyes like I am searching for your soul
Wrap my arms around your waist like it is dying from the cold
Run my fingers through your hair like they are water from the drain
Press my lips against your back like they could take away its pain

And to give you everything, there is nothing I won't do
Dump my heart into a blender just to pour it out to you
And I know you're feeling tired. Just let me hold you for a bit
Dive my face between your thighs until I cannot feel my lips

Well, I know that you think I'm kind of odd
But if your love was a mountain, I swear that I'd climb to the top
I would tell you, "You're lovely and everything I'll ever need,
And I would give you my all if you'd just come and stand next to me."

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gL__LkD0m8yVrUqP2G6FD0DHb2czkkjArn7SVJcrtaY/edit?usp=sharing   (annotated lyrics)

Activity 2.9: Consider a Song as an Argument

This song is obviously a love song but it is not your average love song. One of the biggest things that stood out for me with this song is that the actual title of the song is not mentioned in the lyrics at all. It actually has nothing to do with the lyrics, but it has everything to do with the message. The main person who is speaking is speaking in first person, and he is expressing his love to this girl for the very first time. It is called "Private Fears in Public Places" because his private fears of love are always there when he is with this girl. He has not expressed them up until this point. I think the artist is trying to transmit that you should just go for something when it comes to love if you like/love the person enough. One of the first lines states, "How tired am I of being scared/But how awake am I now that I know you're here." Even though he is really scared and he is tired of being scared, he feels alive when he is with this girl. She is worth the fight. Another line(s) that helps support this message is "Well, I know that you think I'm kind of odd/But if your love was a mountain, I swear that I'd climb to the top/I would tell you, 'You're lovely and everything I'll ever need/And I would give you my all if you'd just come and stand next to me.'" He would do anything for this girl even though he knows she thinks he is odd or weird. He is willing to make that risk and tell her how he truly feels despite all of the fears and doubts. The musical style of the song I would say is alternative rock/blues. He mainly uses acoustic guitar not only in this song but in most of his other songs. The song starts out slow at an even pace then suddenly when the intensity of the lyrics build up, his voice becomes more passionate as well as the rhythm of the song. It truly shows how at first he is sort of shy to tell this girl his feelings then suddenly he gained the courage to tell her everything. I really do enjoy this song and especially the lyrics. The title and the lyrics are what drew me in to the song and what draws me to most songs so it was really interesting to see the structure of this song. As i mentioned, this song has no chorus and the title is not expressed in the lyrics at all. I think this is a good way for the listener to actually pay attention to what the lyrics are. Most people just know what the chorus is to a song and they don't actually listen to what the artist is trying to convey.