Under the Bridge Song Analysis
15 April 2010
Essay 2: Poetry
“Under The Bridge”
Under the bridge is a song by Red Hot Chili Peppers, written by vocalist Anthony Kiedis. Keidis reference to “bridge”Kiedis use of imagery in the lyrics to this song communicate a dark time in his life but also as a listener we can relate with a difficult time in our own life. The symbolism used by Kiedis in reference to his feeling of solitude and long battle with drug addiction. Rhyme and rhythm are two of the main features in this song. The rhythm affects the whole mood, tone and meaning of the song. The melancholy can be felt in the first stanza, “Lonely as I am together we cry.” Kiedis has chosen different methods to give the song specific sounds that affect the pace and structure of the rhythm. The speed of the song begins quite slow not too intense but slowly the tempo picks up as he describes, “I don’t ever wanna feel like I did that day.” The feelings of loss bring him to depression and remind him of his struggles with drug abuse. The reference in the third stanza “take me to the place I love take me all that way” can suggests that Kiedis is taken back to the feeling of being high on drugs. Metaphorically he is attempting to overcome drug addiction but can’t help loving the feeling he gets when he is high. "The loneliness that I was feeling triggered memories of my time with Ione and how I'd had this beautiful angel of a girl who was willing to give me all of her love, and instead of embracing that, I was downtown with gangsters shooting speedballs under a bridge.” (Kiedis 204) Kiedis memory of such a time stimulated his response of loneliness as he is doing so in song to his listeners. Drawing back from the people he was once so close with gave him an overwhelming feeling of loneliness and solitude, as he described, “Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner sometimes I feel like my only friend like my only friend is the city I live in the city of Angels” (Peppers) The descriptions of
Essay 2: Poetry
“Under The Bridge”
Under the bridge is a song by Red Hot Chili Peppers, written by vocalist Anthony Kiedis. Keidis reference to “bridge”Kiedis use of imagery in the lyrics to this song communicate a dark time in his life but also as a listener we can relate with a difficult time in our own life. The symbolism used by Kiedis in reference to his feeling of solitude and long battle with drug addiction. Rhyme and rhythm are two of the main features in this song. The rhythm affects the whole mood, tone and meaning of the song. The melancholy can be felt in the first stanza, “Lonely as I am together we cry.” Kiedis has chosen different methods to give the song specific sounds that affect the pace and structure of the rhythm. The speed of the song begins quite slow not too intense but slowly the tempo picks up as he describes, “I don’t ever wanna feel like I did that day.” The feelings of loss bring him to depression and remind him of his struggles with drug abuse. The reference in the third stanza “take me to the place I love take me all that way” can suggests that Kiedis is taken back to the feeling of being high on drugs. Metaphorically he is attempting to overcome drug addiction but can’t help loving the feeling he gets when he is high. "The loneliness that I was feeling triggered memories of my time with Ione and how I'd had this beautiful angel of a girl who was willing to give me all of her love, and instead of embracing that, I was downtown with gangsters shooting speedballs under a bridge.” (Kiedis 204) Kiedis memory of such a time stimulated his response of loneliness as he is doing so in song to his listeners. Drawing back from the people he was once so close with gave him an overwhelming feeling of loneliness and solitude, as he described, “Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner sometimes I feel like my only friend like my only friend is the city I live in the city of Angels” (Peppers) The descriptions of
Cited: Beiderwell, Bruce and Jeffrey M. Wheeler. "The Literary Experience." Beiderwell, Bruce and Jeffrey M. Wheeler. The Literary Experience. Boston: Thomson Higher Education, 2008. 217-229. Kiedis, Anthony. Scar Tissue. New York: Hyperion, 2004. Peppers, Red Hot Chili. "Under The Bridge." Blood Sugar Sex Magik. cond. Anthony Keidis. By Anthony Keidis. Los Angeles, 1992. Purdue, Owl. Owl Purdue. 21 April 2010. 07 April 2010 .