Billy Joel, an American musician, first decided to pursue a full-time musical career, after seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. At the age of 16, Joel began recording with the Echoes in 1965. He later went solo, and after a few album releases, he released The Nylon Curtain which went to #7 on the charts due to the heavy airplay of singles, “Allentown” and “Pressure.” Nylon Curtain also consists of the song “Goodnight Saigon” which is about United States Marines training on Parris Island. In “Goodnight Saigon”, Billy Joel uses first person narrative, in order to express the brotherly bond between the soldiers that inevitably “would all go down together.”
Billy Joel uses many a poetry devices to convey his first person narrative story. Joel says, “And we held on to each other/ Like brother to brother” telling the audience that no matter what, the soldiers had each others back like true brothers would. He also states, “We met as soul mates on Parris Island” as if the solders were meant to be together. Throughout the song, Joel makes the group of soldiers one by stating “we” repeatedly. Joel uses objectification when he says, “They left their childhood on every acre” when he talks about Charlie and Baker and the fact they “Were so gung ho to lay down [their] lives.” Joel makes their childhood a concrete thing by stating that they left it on every acre, when in actuality, they left behind their entire past, to give themselves to the war and each other, likes brothers would.

Shorty Story

Cold Case Love lyrics

On my roof
Dark and I'm burning a rose
I don't need proof
I'm torn apart and numb
What you did to me was a crime
Cold Case Love
And I let you reach me one more time
But that's enough

Your love was breaking the law
But I needed a witness
So pick me up when it's over
It don't make any difference
Will it ever be solved
Or am I taking the fall
Truth was there all along
Tell me how did we miss it

We opened up a cold case love
And it got the best of us
And now prints, pictures & white outlines
Are all that's left at the scene of a crime
Of a cold case love

Should've investigated
But love blinded eyes
Couldn't see (no)
And then I tried to cage it
But your love ain't the kind you can keep
Release me now cause I did my time
Of this cold case love
My heart's no longer cold & confined
I've had enough

Your love was breaking the law
But I needed a witness
So pick me up when it's over
It don't make any difference
Will it ever be solved
Or am I taking the fall
Truth was there all along
Tell me how did we miss it

We opened up a cold case love
And it got the best of us
And now prints, pictures & white outlines
Are all that's left at the scene of a crime
Of a cold case love

We lost our way
Took this too far
Now I'll never find the pieces of my heart
We've lost enough
Looking for a truth
That was here all along

Cold case love
And it got the best of us
and now prints, pictures & white outlines
Are all that's left at the scene of a crime
Of a cold case love

We opened up a cold case love
And it got the best of us
and now prints, pictures & white outlines
Are all that's left at the scene of a crime
Of a cold case love

After months of lies and deception, she finally had enough. She quietly opened the drawers to her old bedroom set, and began to pack her clothes, being careful not to make too much noise. Her bag got to the point where it could barely be zippered. She resorted to the big garbage bags he kept in his closet.

"Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" by Lauryn Hill

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off of you

You'd be like heaven to touch

I wanna hold you so much

At long last love has arrived

And I thank God I'm alive

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off of you

Pardon the way that I stare

There's nothing else to compare

The sight of you leaves me weak

There are no words left to speak

So if you feel like I feel

Please let me know that it's real

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off of you

I love you baby and if it's quite all right

I need you baby to warm the lonely nights

I love you baby, trust in me when I say

Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray

Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay

And let me love you baby, let me love you

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off of you

You'd be like heaven to touch

I wanna hold you so much

At long last love has arrived

And I thank God I'm alive

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off of you

"Irreplaceable" song analysis

Rhythm and Blues, better known as R&B, came out of the jazz, blues and gospel music that was played by African Americans in the 1930s and 40s. In the 1980s, a newer style of R&B was developed, becoming known as contemporary R&B. Throughout the years there have been many a talented R&B artist. 1980s artists include Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson while in the 90s, Mariah Carey, Aaliyah, Boyz II Men were the most popular. Still today, Beyonce Knowles was one of the many popular R&B artists to come about in the 2000s. She was a part of the R&B group, Destiny's Child who began their life in the music industry in their pre-teen years, under the name “Girls' Tyme”. They were signed to Columbia Records and then changed their name to what is known as “Destiny's Child”, and soon released their best-selling second album, The Writing's on the Wall. During the hiatus of Destiny's Child, Beyonce released her debut solo album Dangerously in Love in 2003 which became one of the most successful albums of that year. After “Destiny's Child” went their separate ways, Beyonce released her second solo album, B'Day in 2006 which included the hits “Irreplaceable” and “Beautiful Liar”. Beyonce admits, some of her songs are autobiographical and were taken from personal experiences, as well as her friends. In “Irreplaceable”, the aftermath of a relationship gone bad is put in perspective by Beyoncé's use of a first and second person point of view and offers insight through her own experiences.

Beyonce's use of first and second person point of view gives listeners a chance to feel as though this song came from their own life experiences with troubled relationships. Beyonce uses “you” to let the song talk about anyone that is at the end of this type of relationship, “Everything you own in the box to the left” (stanza 1. line 2). She addresses the person as if her entire song was a conversation between her and a boyfriend at the time, making the song narrative. Beyonce sings, “Standing in the front yard, telling me/ How I'm such a fool, talking 'bout/ How I'll never ever find a man like you/ You got me twisted,” (stanza 3) to create a conversation and express different point of views (her own and her significant other's). Beyonce's heartbreak turns to power and independence when she says, “So since I'm not your everything/ How about I'll be nothing, Nothing at all to you/ Baby I won't shed a tear for you/ I won't lose a wink of sleep/ 'Cause the truth of the matter is/ Replacing you is so easy” (stanza 10). Beyonce lets her “boyfriend” know that she will not continue to sit around and be second on his priority list, and takes away the choice of her being in his life at all. She reinds him that he is not irreplaceable whatsoever. Obviously through this breakup, Beyonce has learned a sense of self-reliance and independence, thus giving her listener a positive outlook via her usage of first and second point of views.

Irreplaceable by Beyonce Knowles

To the left, to the left
To the left, to the left
To the left, to the left

Everything you own in the box to the left
In the closet that's my stuff, yes
If I bought it please don't touch

And keep talking that mess, that's fine
But could you walk and talk at the same time?
And it's my mine name that is on that tag
So remove your bags let me call you a cab

Standing in the front yard telling me
How I'm such a fool, talking about
How I'll never ever find a man like you
You got me twisted

You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I could have another you in a minute
Matter fact he'll be here in a minute, baby

You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I can have another you by tomorrow
So don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable

So go ahead and get gone
And call up that chick and see if she's home
Oops, I bet ya thought that I didn't know
What did you think I was putting you out for?

Because you was untrue
Rolling her around in the car that I bought you
Baby you dropped them keys
Hurry up before your taxi leaves

Standing in the front yard telling me
How I am such a fool, talking about
How I'll never ever find a man like you
You got me twisted

You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I can have another you in a minute
[| From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/beyonce-lyrics/irreplaceable-lyrics.html |]
Matter fact he'll be here in a minute, baby

You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I'll have another you by tomorrow
So don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable

So since I?m not your everything
How about I'll be nothing, nothing at all to you
Baby I won't shed a tear for you, I won't lose a wink of sleep
'Cause the truth of the matter is replacing you is so easy

To the left, to the left
To the left, to the left
To the left, to the left
Everything you own in the box to the left
To the left, to the left
Don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable

You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I can have another you in a minute
Matter fact he'll be here in a minute, baby

You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I can have another you by tomorrow
So don't you ever for a second get to thinking, baby

You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I can have another you in a minute
Matter fact he'll be here in a minute

You could pack all your things, we're finished
(You must not know 'bout me)
'Cause you made your bed, now lay in it
(You must not know 'bout me)
I can have another you by tomorrow
Don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable