The word ‘incubus’
is defined as “a male demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping
women.” The origin of the word dates all the way back to 2400 BC in
Mesopotamia. It is also the name of an American rock band. When asked why they
chose the name, lead singer Brandon Boyd responded, “we were 15 and the name
had ‘sex’ in it.”
The band has come
a long way since those adolescent days. Incubus has reached multi-platinum
sales and released several successful singles. They first became mainstream in 2001
with their hit single “Drive,”
which some may be fairly familiar with.
Their influences include Red Hot
Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine, among others. Their musical genre
has always been hard to pinpoint. It has been described as “alternative rock,”
“alternative metal,” “art rock,” “heavy metal,” “electro,” “funk,” “funk
metal,” “jazz,” “hip hop,” “pop,” “rap metal,” “techno,” “thrash metal,” “post
grunge,” and “trip hop.” Throughout the course of the band’s success, all eight
of their albums have songs that have at least one of these genres. I would say
that they are very experimental as well, but one common thread rings true for
almost all of their songs: they are about love. This concept is what drew me to
the band in the first place, back in 2002. I was very drawn to their poetic
prose that was produced in a non-conventional way.
I wanted to look
more in depth at a song called “Oil and Water” from one of Incubus’ more recent
albums, titled “Light Grenades,” released in 2006. This song has always had
very personal meaning to me and I felt I needed to explore its’ contexts.
I first looked at
the album title itself. I thought of it as an oxymoron. Grenades are explosive
and heavy, physically and metaphorically. They cause heavy damage. After a bit
more research, I found that lead singer Boyd indicated in an interview that the
title came from his concept of wanting “change” and the “redefining of
weaponry,” the ‘going against the grain’ mentality that is the band. I believe
his intention with the album title was to blast grenades of light in order to
make change. Of course, this is all interpretive. What do you think?
“Oil and Water”
was released as the third single off “Light Grenades.” It was not as successful
as the other two previously released singles from the album, “Anna Molly,” and
“Dig.” However, it reached number eight on the Billboard Alternative Rock chart and number 28 on the Mainstream Rock
chart.
Here are the
lyrics from AZ lyrics (online):
"Oil And Water"
You and I are like oil and water
And we've been trying, trying trying
Ohhhh, to mix it up.
We've been dancing on a volcano
And we've been crying, crying, crying
Over blackened souls.
Babe, this wouldn't be the first time,
it will not be the last time.
There is no parasol that would shelter this weather.
I been smiling with anchors on my shoulders
But I've been dying, dying, dying
Ohh, Ohh, Oh to let them go.
Babe, this wouldn't be the first time,
it will not be the last time.
There is no parasol that would shelter this weather.
Babe, this wouldn't be the first time,
it will not be the last time.
We were trying to believe that everything would get better.
We've been lying to each other
Hey! Babe! Let's just call it what it is!
Oil and Water!
Oil and Water!
Oil and Water!
There are a lot of creative devices
in this song. Please click this link
for specific names and rhetorical devices. I want to further explain these
devices in-depth. Upon hearing the song title, it brings to mind two substances
that do not mix, literally. The first line in the song compares ‘you and I’ to
oil and water, somewhat of a strange metaphor considering that when you listen
to it, it does sound like a love song. The song continues on and is relatively
straightforward. The language is such that most people would be able to
understand it. The difference is how it is interpreted. Like many songs, there
is an abundance of repetition (‘epezeuxis’ in technical terms). The words
‘trying’ and ‘crying’ are emphasized, as they are most likely emphasized as a
big part in the relationship being articulated in the song. The phrase ‘dancing
on a volcano,’ also intrigued me. It is a metaphor with unusual grammar and
syntax, technically called ‘catachresis.’ Dancing is typically a fun way to let
lose. It can be sensual, serious, light-hearted, or a mix of all three. When it
is put in the context of ‘on a volcano,’
the imagery I picture is a couple that is carefully and purposefully
stepping around erupting fire. This is up for interpretation in various ways.
‘Crying over blackened souls’ also interested me. It is a perfect example of
syllepsis, linking a phrase with a word that has different meanings. If a
person has a black soul, it is typically referring to someone who is evil, or
has no heart. It could also be referring to blackened soles, as in the soles of your feet are burned to a blackened crisp
from dancing on the volcano.
The use of ‘babe’ in the song is
what makes the song sound endearing and purposeful. It is directed towards a
lover. When ‘it wouldn’t be the first time, it will not be the last time’ is
heard, it sounds like they are still holding on to an unstable relationship.
Another line in the song that interests me is ‘there is no parasol that would
shelter this weather.’ A parasol is usually a very pretty, delicately made
umbrella that provides shade from the sun. A parasol is not a protective
instrument and contradictory to the bad weather that is implied in the song.
The next line is ‘I’ve been smiling with anchors on my shoulders… dying to let
them go.’ These conflicting ideas are the root of the song, the singer being
held down by an anchor (possibly against his will?) to the ‘ship’ that could
signify a relationship. This is one example of how I interpreted the song. Some
may agree with it, while others may interpret it completely differently.
I chose this song
specifically because a previous boyfriend of mine showed me this song when we
were together. He put it on CD and gave it to me. When I heard it, I listened
to it repeatedly and thought that he wanted to break up. I knew that oil and
water do not mix (no matter how hard you try it) because of their physical
properties. I thought he implied this when he gave me the CD with the song on
it. I was uneasy when he called me the next night. He asked me what I thought
of the songs. He said, “Maddie, we’re like oil and water! We go together.” I
told him water and oil don’t mix, literally, but he interpreted the song in a
different way than I did. It is common knowledge to most that oil and water do
not mix. He did not know that and because of the contexts, saw it as sticking
together, regardless of the fact that we didn’t go together. He identified more
with the line ‘Let’s just call it what it is!’ I think he wanted to accept our
differences but keep seeing each other. If gone unanalyzed, the song has a
face-value that is one-dimensional: a love song. However, when looked at more
critically, the possibility of different interpretations are countless. This
idea is the crux of creative styles.
Exigency plays a big part when
interpreting rhetorical devices and creative styles. Exigence refers to what is required in a particular situation. This
may seem vague, but it is a concept that is hard to define. Exigency differs
for each person in each situation because of our particular, distinct
backgrounds that motivate actions taken in a given situation. For example, my
now ex-boyfriend’s exigency came from the history of our relationship which is
different to him than it was to me. He had never cooked before either, so he
did not know oil and water don’t mix. I cooked a bit and knew that oil and water
could not mix. We both acted on exigency, but it was different for both of us
because of our backgrounds and interpretations of our relationship situation.
This creative
piece utilized rhetorical devices that spoke to my ex and me in completely
different ways. Regardless of how we both interpreted the song, the writer,
Brandon Boyd, might have had different intentions. I think that the song is
creatively written so that it can be interpreted in different ways and apply to
a broad audience, which is what the band may have been trying to do, since it
was released as a single.
The purpose of
this critique is to get readers to think about what the song means to them, and
also how other creative styles could be interpreted to other people in other
places. The implications can be drastic, as I described with my ex and I, which
eventually led to our breakup (for the best), but more importantly it shows how
creative styles can affect our lives, in ways we never would have thought
about.
Sources:
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