I figured out that something which really interests me is music, but in particular the meanings behind songs. So, I've decided to start out this blog by talking about some of my favourite songs and share my opinion on them with you. I may end up writing about other random issues/topics some time in the future, but for now I'll stick with this.
Ok, so I'll kick off by discussing an all time favourite piece of mine; Sunburn, by Muse. The band's lead singer/guitarist is Matthew Bellamy, its bassist Chris Wolstenhome, and Dominic Howard plays drums.In case you aren't familiar with this band's music, Muse's style can basically be catagorized as 'alternative rock'. However this is a very lose title to give; really the music covers several genres including electronic, hard rock, experimental rock, and classical music.With this in mind, I'd say Muse can most defnitley be described as ambitious!
Sunburn features an ambiguous female character; although much of the song seems to revolve around her, she remains unnamed. Bellamy simply sings,' secretly she sneers'. The chorus reads, 'She burns like the sun/ And I can't look away'. The use of the first person suggests that a close relationship exists between the narrator and female character, but the lack of a name may imply resent at this. The fact the individual 'burns' inicates that she has caused the narrator a great deal of pain both physically and mentally. Despite this the narrator 'can't look away'. The female's personality and/or beauty clearly outweighs her flawed nature and makes the relationship worthwhile. The chorus continues, 'And she'll burn our horizons/Make no mistakes'. A negative tone is reastablished; the narrator is implying that the female will in some way destroy future goals. I think that using the word 'our' is a clear reference to the band itself, so perhaps this woman was in some way (romantically?) involved with a band member.
A prominent theme running through the song is that of guilt. This is initially highlighted in the first verse, 'A guilty conscience grows'. It's not immediately obvious who's concience this is, but the references in previous lines to 'millions' and 'corporate show' suggests that money is in some way the cause for guilt. There are a number of other references to guilt: 'No one ever dared/ To break these endless lies', 'And I'll run forever
I can't face the shame'. But who's guilty, the woman or the narrator? If you browse the internet, you're bound to find numerous interpretations of this song's meaning. I'm aware I'm kind of blabbing here, so I'll try and come to some sort of conclusion. Basically, my view is that the song depicts an immoral female who's interests lie well and truly in money. This may be completely wrong, but I see the character as a leech to the band's growing wealth and fame, qualities which she longs. I think that the narrator themself feels guilty for perhaps leading on or taking advantage of the female's situation, but can't bear to be without her.
Sunburn is an extremely complex, yet beautiful song. There are no words to give justice to the incredible combination of piano and electric guitar (the contrasting sounds reflecting the conflict within the song). Matt's vast vocal range within the piece further adds to its perfection. To sum up a ridiculously long point, I believe Sunburn is easilly one of Muse's 'best' songs and deserves a much wider scope of recognition.
Be sure to give the music video for 'Sunburn' a watch on Youtube
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