A Mind With

Leave Me Alone is a song that is written by an artist that goes by the

stage name NF. In this song he writes about how he struggles with OCD
and how it affects his life

"Diagnosed with OCD, what does that mean?

In this song NF applies all the aspects of SOAPSTone to Well, gather 'round,
reach his audience. He uses his experiences as the That means I obsessively obsess on things I think
SPEAKER, to his AUDIENCE that he knows deals with about,
similar experiences. He makes use of TONE to amplifiy That means I might take a normal thought and
the PURPOSE and the SUBJECT of this song which think it's so profound..."
persuade his audience to see the world the way NF

see's it. And feel better despite the pain they are in. (NF, Leave Me Alone, 2019)

Speaker
A lot of music by NF is talking about his personal
problems and what he deals with on a regular basis.
He is very honest and open. He makes himself
vulnerable through his music. Because making music
is an escape for him. He expresses himself through
his music which in turn reaches out to those who
can't put their feelings into words like NF can.

Subject
NF has OCD. But it's more than just needing things in a
straight line. The mental game that OCD causes is
more horrifying than just placing things orderly. There
is a constant inner monologue judging everything a
person does. This can lead to other mental illnesses. In
"Leave Me Alone" NF expresses this desire to be free
from this inner voice.
 NF has a very strong and committed fanbase. Even through

Audience
years of NF not putting out music. NF's fanbase does not
dwindle nearly as much as other artists would. This is a
testament to how NF opens himself up to his fans like he
does in "Leave Me Alone." When he opens himself up to his
fans, it creates a special connection. Especially since a lot of
NF's fanbase feels similarly to him in one way or another.
Enough to relate and make that connection.

We're so overlooked that they're looking

over our numbers, Nathan (leave me
alone)
We don't do enough interviews or go out in
public lately
We don't post enough on our socials
To keep the buzz from fading (leave me
alone)
Let it fade, yeah, let it fade
Once it's decimated, then you drop a song
out of nowhere
And all the fans embrace it
-(NF, Leave Me Alone, 2019)

In this music and the video that accompanies it.

NF is trying to portray the mental turmoil that he is
Purpose

in due to his OCD. The reason he writes about it is

for his own therapeutic needs but also for a
similar affect for his fans. To further accentuate his
purpose, he uses other elements of SOAPSTone.
Namely Tone.

The Tone of this song is vital to getting his purpose a crossed to

his audience. NF uses a vocal tone that is generally aggressive.
For instance, the first words of the song are "LEAVE ME ALONE"
Tone

which occurs after a small buildup for increased affect. The

affect being to sound loud and aggressive. This would
immediately give the listener details of whats going on.
Generally, when someone says "leave me alone" in that tone
means they are really fed up with something. And this case it is
the voice in NF's head.
 "I'm just teaching 'em
something they couldn't
learn in they colleges
This is for the kids feeling like NF expresses a lot in his music that he makes his
they live at the bottom and music for himself and his fans as "therapy." Which
every day of they lives looks music can be for some people. He makes his music
like it's darker than not just for himself but for his fans that are
Halloween struggling with the same things he is. And in "Leave
Yeah, you ain't alone out Me Alone," NF is adressing the voice in his head that
there, look around you—we is causing a lot of doubt, stress, etc.
got a lot of fans in here"
-(NF, Outro, 2017)

All the elements of SOAPSTone work together to make

the audience feel what they feel. Without a singular one
of the elements, the impact of the video on the
audience is diminished and they probably wouldn't be
able to feel the "musical therapy" that NF wants his fans
to feel. In this way he inadvertently helps himself and
others by making his music like "Leave me Alone"

In the song Leave Me Alone OCD has left NF with severe

impairment. He wants the voice in his head to "leave him
alone," Which for other people who feel that same way
relate and feel an emotional connection to the music.
And even if his audience doesn't feel exactly how he
feels. His usage of SOAPSTone paints the picture for
them so they can at least understand.
 Works Cited

“AZLyrics - Request for Access.” AZLyrics.com,

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nf/outro.html.

“How Does Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Affect the Brain?”

StoneRidge: Center for Brains, 26 Oct. 2020,
https://pronghornpsych.com/how-ocd-affects-the-brain/.

“NF 'the Search' Breakdown: Out of His Cage & Moving Past
...” RapZilla, https://rapzilla.com/2019-06-nf-the-search-
breakdown/.

Songfacts. “Leave Me Alone by NF - Songfacts.” Song

Meanings at Songfacts,
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/nf/leave-me-alone.

Stumme, Clifford. “What Does ‘Leave Me Alone’ by NF Mean?”

The Pop Song Professor, The Pop Song Professor, 26 July
2019,
https://www.popsongprofessor.com/blog/2019/7/26/what-
does-leave-me-alone-by-nf-mean.

NF, Leave Me Alone, Capital Christian Music Group, 2019

NF, Outro, Capitol Christian Music Group, 2017