http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY
The meaning of any word or phrase can be changed just by the certain emotion, or lack of emotion that is put into it. The genre in which one decides to convey their message can greatly alter the rhetorical effect that it has on the reader. For me, music is a great reminder of my past and often just one song can trigger many memories whether it is of driving around blasting music with my girl friends or of a sad time where I used music to cope with a tragedy. If the message a song delivers stays the same but the style of music changes it often alters the effect the words have on the listener.
As we have just seen in the recent Presidential election, young voters can have a great effect on the outcome of an election. One way to get the attention of young people is through music. Will.i.am created a song that did just that by taking one of Barack Obama’s speeches and turning it into a very powerful and motivating song that reaches out to the younger population about Barack Obama. Will.iam was inspired to write this song after hearing Obama’s speech and took parts of Obama’s words and mixed it with his own.
Like Obama, Will.i.am wants to stress the idea of ‘yes we can’. As the song proceeds it mentions many great feats in American history and follows them up with ‘yes we can’. As he brings up things such as slavery, women voting, and landing on the moon it is inspiring to think about these achievements associated with the phrase ‘yes we can’ because he strategically places this same phrase after he mentions his goals for the near future. As we compare the yes we can additude to successes in the past it makes the listener believe ‘yes we can’ about the ideas Obama has in place for our country.
Another motivating point about this song is the voices heard in the background chanting things such as ‘we want change’ and ‘yes we can’. As I listen to this song it always makes me remember that so many people agree with the things he has to say and it provides a sense of hope for the future. The tone and emotion heard with Obama’s words in the background also inspires the audience and helps convey they importance of certain elements in the song.
If someone were to read this speech on paper, or even if they were to hear the speech in person it would still not have the same effect that the song does. This song focuses on the most important pieces of information Obama would like to convey to the public and compiles them into a creative song appealing mainly to the young voters. When I first heard this song it inspired me and created a positive sense of hope for the future of our country. What is most influential about the words presented is the fact that they are in the form of a song. Different genre’s appeal to different groups of people but this style of music is one that definitely hits home with the younger population.
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The power of this piece lies in the wonderful intermixing of music with from the artist Will.i.am with the rhetoric of President-elect Obama’s famous “Yes We Can” speech. By intermixing the two Will.i.am is able to take the most memorable parts of Obama’s speech and use them to make the song memorable as well. This song shows the power of music and how effective it can be in conveying a message. By repeating the phrase “yes we can” to throughout the song it not only makes those listening it to it sing along with the song but it also lifts the spirits of those listening as well. The message of “yes we can” conveyed throughout the song is one that is empowering, one that is applicable to so many instances that involve overcoming adversity.
Through the utilization of the musical genre the message Barack Obama is conveying in conjunction with Will.i.am’s music becomes readily accessible to millions more than if this were not the case. It should be noted that this song came out during the beginning of Obama’s meteoric rise to the presidency, back when he was in a closely contested primary race against Hillary Clinton. During this meteoric rise Will.i.am was inspired by the words of Barack Obama and decided to craft a musical piece that focused on the phrase “yes we can.” What makes the song such a great fit with Obama’s speech is that there are many commonalities between how the song was constructed and speech that the fusion of the two pieces really works well. In the speech Obama states that “We are one people, we are one nation and together we will begin the next great chapter in the American story.” This unifying language meshes beautifully with Will.i.am’s music for with each passing line a new artist joins the fold and adds his talents to the piece. The musical piece ends on a crescendo demonstrated by the building of applause from Obama’s speech matched with an array of voice layering that includes Obama, Will.i.am and John Legend to name a few. This collaborative closing to the song strengthens the message of unity that is being conveyed as it provides a first-hand account of the type of work that a united group of diverse people can accomplish.
The most compelling part of Will.i.am’s adaptation of Obama’s speech is his masterful use of the phrase “yes we can.” In the beginning of the song “yes we can” is used as the harmony of the song. It is off of the phrase “yes we can” that the rest of the lyrics follow. The repetitive use of “yes we can” in the song proves to be an effective way of conveying Obama’s key message. Towards the end of the song “yes we can” is used in the same way that a percussion instrument would. The same “yes we can” statement made by Obama is repeated over and over and is literally beat into the head of the audience.
Music can be a very powerful tool. While I have not seen or heard the song that you are talking about, I did see president elect Obama's speech and can imagine how one could splice clips of it with a song backtrack. The thing about music that I think is so powerful is not the music itself but the emotions it can inspire in people, the memories that it can cause one to recall, and the way that it gets at the very essence of what it is to be human. Other animals on this planet can listen to music, but humans are alone in the way we can process what we hear.
Repeating a phrase is a common tactic used in many songs (and speeches political and otherwise for that matter). It is especially useful to do this in a song with a repetitive base line. I think this is effective to do because it reinforces the main message of the song or speech, underlying the main point that you would like the audience to take away from it. Sometimes 'beating it into the heads' of your audience can be the best strategy to passing on your message.
As we have discussed in class, the four ends of discourse are to enlighten the understanding, please the imagination, move the passion, and influence the will. A critical step in meeting these ends is correctly utilizing genre and forming your message into something that is appealing to the audience. The synthesis of speech and song seen in Will.i.am’s rendition of Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” speech shows how utilizing form and genre makes a particular message more powerful.
As Emily mentioned, music has a strong connection with human emotion and Will.i.am uses this to his advantage. The obvious goal of the song is to move people to support and vote for senator Obama; choosing music creates a genre that can “move the passion.” It is much more effective when the objective is persuasion, to create something that is appealing to the listener. Not many will be moved by a dull speech devoid of anything that is interesting or unique. Creativity, enthusiasm, and other such things found in music can be just as compelling as the substance the speech is based on. Because humans are often driven by their emotions, it makes sense to use a song that instills and reassures positive thoughts to support a politician in a position such as president-elect Obama.
Along with genre, the form in which a message is presented is absolutely necessary in the steps toward the four ends of discourse. This song is put together with pieces of Obama’s speech, music, celebrities, chants, harmonies, all packaged and fit together to create the most powerful message it could have, and any little change effects the end result. Instead of shooting it in black and white, the producers could have used color. However, in my opinion, changing to color would take away from the serious undertone, stealing focus from the primary concern. Also, making the music video with many different celebrities catches a viewer’s attention more easily than using regular, unknown people in the background. I am not saying objectively that forming a message with celebrities or cinematography will make a your position more attractive to the audience, but rather a choice and reflection of your ethos.
This song and video is a great example of an effective use of genre and appealing form. Will.i.am’s creation transformed a politician’s persuasion into a powerful message that truly hits home and gathers excitement and positive support.
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