1. What do you think is the meaning of the song? Explain briefly.

(10 points)

Youth is the illusion of meeting someone who makes you feel like half a human. It is all about
joy, naivety, and getting lost. It's about losing something and running fast, making mistakes, love
so much, and how it's all right even though it's not." As Troy notes, this is an album about the
many facets of youth. Words that he mentioned in the clarification above as "naive" "lost" are
words that are commonly associated with youth. The first para with lines like "What if What if
we run away What if What if we left today What if We said goodbye to safe and sound" so
poignantly reveals the above-mentioned characteristics synonymous with youth. The need to run
away, without any preparation or understanding of the implications of such an act. To give up
protection and security, one has already seen, in search of something else, the impulsiveness and
naivety that a person has in his youth. The chorus leads us to the second significant theme of the
song 'Love and Sacrifice.' With the words "My youth, my youth is yours" Troy makes his lover
(as well as the listener) mindful of the sacrificial essence of marriage by claiming that my
(Troy's) youth is yours (his lover's). I find this line a treacherous and monumental reminder of the
simple fact that when we love someone, not only do we give ourselves to the other person, yet we
also give them our time, among other things, which is ours alone. The explanation of why the
term Youth is imperative is that so much has been written and said about youth throughout
history, which is perceived to be the greatest time of one's life. Taking the words of the American
literary genius F. "Youth is an illusion, a sort of chemical madness," Scott Fitzgerald said the fact
that the singer can give this to his lover, knowing full well that this time goes by, is where the
magic of this song lies.

2. Do you think that popular music can be a tool to raise an awareness to the different issues in the
world? If yes, in what ways? If no, why do you say so? (20 points)

Yes, because popular music has long been an effective way to communicate to the masses, and
lyrics have played a massive role in delivering this communication. Listening to lyrics is a
personal experience, and like with many personal experiences, people develop preferences. I have
seen two main preferences over time: Many people love dissecting the meaning for themselves
and speculating on the artist’s intention. This is perhaps why some people do not like to hear the
artist’s explanation; the speculation is fun, and the mystery lives on. Or perhaps they do not care
much about the intention of the song, and they would rather experience the song without
distractions. Others love knowing the intricacies and process of each artist. It makes them feel
like they have insight and a deeper ability to feel the song itself, connecting their own world to
the world of the artist. All these preferences are just that - preferences. None is better or worse
than the other, and each could connect to the listener, which I think is the point. Popular music
can also stimulate the mind. There are many things in music, to which one can listen and bring
attention. One can be mindful of the melodies or themes, the harmony, the driving or relaxed
rhythms, the color of the sounds, the activity of a piece, how the sounds are produced, or how
they all relate to one another, all while, possibly figuring out how the composer conceived the
piece. Focused and attentive listening is an incredible experience that allows one to be lost in a
foreign sound world.