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Nick McArthur

Professor Kretzer

English 1201

10-October-2021

Rhetorical Essay

Songs have many meanings. Some can be happy, while others sad. This is something that

has been going on for decades on end. People have different taste in music. Some songs are

directed towards fairytale endings, whereas others may be targeted towards individuals that are

going through heartbreak. Whether it be happy or sad, one thing is clear. Most songs have

meaning behind them.

The song “Can’t Help Falling In Love” is a very infamous song that most people would

recognize. This is a song that is not only catchy, but many people can relate to it. The original

song was made by Elvis Presley, however the song as many different covers. These covers carry

over the same lyricism, however when you look closely at the music videos, you quickly realize

that there is different meaning behind them. Twenty One Pilots is one of those bands that

covered the song and created a different message behind the music. Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help

Falling In Love” is a rendition that is intended for hopeless romantics, whereas Twenty One

Pilot’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love” is a love letter to their fans and followers throughout the

years. The original is an attempt to prove that love is not hopeless, while the latter is evidence

that people can achieve big dreams.

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When looking towards the rhetoric of Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, we notice that

Elvis had more than meets the eye behind his music video. The music video starts off with Elvis

passing a music box to an older woman in a chair, while singing to her and, more importantly,

singing for the younger woman standing on the other side of the chair. This music video was

made for the movie “Blue Hawaiian”, as it was sung in the film. When breaking down the scene,

we notice that the music box that is being played is symbolism for his love and affection. Elvis is

singing directly towards the older lady, although we know that he is truly in love with the

younger woman on the other side of the chair. This scene screams “hopeless romantic” as we are

looking through the glass of “love in the making”. This scene is what indicates that “Can’t Help

Falling In Love” was intended for hopeless romantics.

When analyzing more of the rhetoric behind Elvis’ original song, we notice that there is a

great amount of Pathos being used in the song. He is pulling at the heart strings of the older

woman in the chair, while also emotionally affecting the younger woman. This definitely causes

the audience to feel emotional towards the love that is metaphorically in the air. The Pathos is the

only one of the three devices present, as no factual information or people are there to support the

fact that Elvis is directing this song towards hopeless romantics.

When Elvis sings, “But I can’t help falling in love with you”, we can analyze this line to

be targeted towards those who fall in love and cannot stop thinking about that relationship. Most

people who always have their mind on love are people who are hopeless romantics, therefore

supporting the purpose of the song. Not only does this line allow us to better understand that

Elvis is hopelessly in love during “Blue Hawaiian”, but it also demonstrates to the audience that

people can truly fall in love and have a joyous ending. The young woman who is seen smiling

and enjoying the moment solidifies this thought process.

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The audience for Elvis’ song is directed towards hopeless romantics It is apparent that the

intention of this song was to be shared amongst those who find power in love, meaning hopeless

romantics. When looking at who would consistently be listening to the song nowadays, it would

be older individuals as this song is fairly outdated. Although a timeless classic, it has an old

school melody to it. This song is also direct towards individuals who are looking for love or are

happily in a relationship as the song is definitely intended for people who are romantics.

Twenty One Pilot’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love” is all about the fans. When analyzing

their music video that is paired with the song, we notice Tyler Joseph—lead singer of the duo—

is singing by himself with a ukulele, while belching out the familiar lyrics. He then transitions

into public, where he appears singing to different individuals. After that scene, Tyler is found

within a bigger group of people. He is finally found on a concert stage, where all of his fans join

in on the singing. From this, we notice that Tyler is not only singing a cover of the song, but

practically singing the song directly to his fans who have been with him the whole time. The

journey that he has gone through over time to grow a fanbase is paralleled to this single music

video, where we watch a man go from playing by himself, to a small group of people, then

finally a large crowd of true followers. The fans that stuck by his side when things did not seem

possible are the individuals present in the music video. The joining in of the fans is what allows

us to see Twenty One Pilots’ appreciation for them.

After watching the love pouring out from the fans in the music video, we notice that there

is a great amount of Pathos in it. Not only was Twenty One Pilots expressing emotions that the

audience could feel, but the power of all of the fans singing with Tyler allows us to understand

his true intentions behind the music video. This gives me the impression that the music video is
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practically showing the audience that dreams really do and can come true, as fans of them would

understand how much love and passion Tyler and Josh put into their music.

The very final scene from the music video is Tyler and Josh in the car. Josh claps at the

end of the song, which is representing the amount of time and effort that the duo had put into

their dream together. They are both enjoying the moment after success, soaking it in and

reminiscing the crazy road that they had been on to reach the very moment that they were

experiencing. This is how it is transparent that the Twenty One Pilots’ cover allows people to

gain hope and confidence in big dreams.

The audience that Twenty One Pilots were targeting their cover of “Can’t Help Falling In

Love” towards would be their fanbase, specifically teenagers through young adults. This is the

typical age range for people who listen to their music. From a broader scale, this music video

could be seen as targeting anyone who has big dreams and is in hopes of pursuing them. It is

viewed as a motivational message for anyone who is trying to accomplish what may seem as the

impossible. It is also a music video that caters to fans of the original “Can’t Help Falling In

Love”, as the song still pertains the exact same lyrics. Seeing the fans in the music video go wild

indicates that Twenty One Pilots intended for this song to be a love letter towards them.

As you can tell, songs can have many meanings and messages to them. It is all up to the

intention of the artist and the rhetoric that is utilized within the music video. While the lyrics

may stay the same, they hold different meanings behind them. Twenty One Pilots may be a

newer band, whereas Elvis Presley is an old face, however they can both produce a song that has

different meanings behind it.

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Works Cited

“Elvis Presley - Can’t Help Falling In Love 1961 (High Quality).” YouTube, Oct. 2017,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXhKWWCCdk8.

“Twenty One Pilots - Can’t Help Falling In Love (Elvis Cover).” YouTube, 21 Aug. 2012,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ThQkrXHdh4.