Play on words: Three musical masterpieces.

I’ve always felt that my experience of listening to music has been weird – it feels like I
can’t enjoy music without fully grasping the lyrical narrative and message behind it;
what compels an artist to surrender themselves in the form of a song in such a raw
way? Was it just serendipitous idle pen-tapping that turned into a beat, or was it an
introspective dive into the fabric of the society we live in? The artistry required to weave
a quadruple entendre within an extended metaphor, all while maintaining a perfect
ABBA rhyme scheme, borders on literary genius! Where do we draw the line between
lyrics and poetry?

This article will explore three songs which I think deserve to be heard.

‘Truth’ by Doechii

Doechii is an emerging but formidable voice in pop and hip-

hop, known for incredible lyricism, versatility and an
unfiltered Tampa attitude. Doechii took the world by storm
with her TikTok anthems ‘What It Is (Block Boy)’ and ‘Yucky
Blucky Fruitcake’- however in my opinion, this has left her
more impressive works to be overlooked.

‘Truth’, a track from her first EP ‘Bra-less’ released in 2021, explores themes of self-
empowerment, acting as a tapestry of resilience while putting an onus on authenticity
in her plight for self-love and rejection of materialism as a strong, unapologetically loud
and black woman, in an industry which often seeks to marginalise and silence voices
like hers.

Lyric:
“ Righteous livin', the sun promise a life prolific
I am the exhibit of wombs gifted, these n****s tempted
I am underwritten and y'all scriptin' the stories twisted
It's misprinted”

The opening verse of Doechii’s ‘Truth’ invokes stark imagery exploring the listener's
predisposed ideas of ‘Righteous livin’’, employing the natural symbolism of ‘the sun’ to
conjure the idealised rewarding experience of ‘prolific’ fame and abundance, however,
this is ultimately undercut by her dichotomous reality of being ‘underwritten’ and
‘twisted’ in other people’s stories. Doechii permeates ‘Truth’ with ideas of remaining
strong and confident despite being misconstrued by others in the industry, she believes
herself to be ‘the exhibit of wombs gifted’ a metaphor for being a publicly displayed
manifestation of talents inherited and accrued by strong women before her, she would
not be able to live unapologetically without these women, and she acknowledges this.
Furthermore, Doechii employs a heavy and sure cadence throughout this verse,
signifying the solidity of her opinions, and her self-assuredness, while I find her use of
colloquialism through ‘y’all’ to be significant, not old brandishing her Tampa, Floridian
roots but also highlighting her authenticity through linguistic choices, bridging the gap
between herself and her target audience, being mainly young people of colour.

‘Is It a Crime’ By Sade

Sade Adu, the Nigerian-British lead singer of the band Sade, is
known for her soulful and emotional take on the blend of jazz,
soul and R&B exhibited in her discography. She made waves in
the early 1980s music scene with hits such as ‘Smooth
Operator’, a part of her debut album ‘Diamond Life’ which was
quadruple platinum in 1987. Speaking for itself, her works serve
as a venerable yet hauntingly beautiful display of unrestrained
emotion.

‘Is It a Crime’, the second single from Sade’s esteemed album ‘Promise’, captures an
unravelling of emotion and contemplation- an introspective dramatic monologue
questioning the metaphorical legality of her forbidden love. Guided by Sade’s alluring
vocal display, listeners are drawn through the heavy emotional toll of her mourning for
an all-encompassing love. The track embodies unfiltered and primal emotion and
impassioned delivery, as Sade narrates the personal turmoil of her love.

Lyrics:
“My love is wider than Victoria Lake/ Taller than the Empire State
It dives, it jumps
I can't give you more than that, surely, you want me back
Is it a crime?
Is it a crime / That I still want you? / And I want you to want me too, mmm-mmm”

At this point in the track, Sade masterfully builds to a crescendo through a gradual
increase in loudness and intensity, encompassing the emotional turmoil of her
narrative as accentuated by the dramatic percussion and piano. This crescendo
ultimately leads to a point of reflection, through her anticlimactic repetition of the
titular line ‘Is it a crime?’, acting as a refrain, this underscores her confusion and
powerlessness within the throes of her forbidden love. This rhetorical question is
repeated throughout the song to emphasise her internal conflict and self-judgement for
her enduring feelings, she describes self-sabotaging behaviour as she knows that the
object of her love is forbidden, yet still wants it nonetheless. Addressing the object of
this love, Sade highlights her deep commitment and devotion through the decisive
declaration ‘I can’t give you more than that’, as well as employing simile and
personification, elucidative of the depth of her love, it is ‘taller than the Empire state/ It
dives, it jumps’. The use of these literary devices enhances the sheer scale of her love
as it is indescribable by other means, engaging with her listeners by acting as a heartfelt
plea, suggesting that her emotional pain is physically hurting her, Sade presents this
love as undoubtedly abundant.
 ‘Diamonds fom Sierra Leone – Remix’ By Kanye West ft.
Jay- Z

Kanye West and Jay-Z reign as kings in the hip-hop hall of

fame –conquering the fashion, venture capitalism and art
industries alike, their influences extend far beyond the
confines of music. As trailblazers in their field, their
indelible discographies host some of the biggest rap and
hip-hop songs of all time – emblematic of their versatility
and innovative careers.

Kanye’s revival of the soulful sound in hip-hop, through his heavy use of sampling and
onus on beat production, as well as Jay-Z’s old-school rap experience married with
lyrical prowess, makes this the perfect pair to do Shirley Bassey proud on ‘Diamonds
from Sierra Leone – Remix’ which heavily samples Bassey’s ‘Diamonds are Forever’
(1987). The track is a standout from Kanye’s second studio album ‘Late Registration’
which went triple platinum in 2006, and acts as social commentary, scrutinising the
sourcing and societal value of diamonds, all while weaving this into the greater theme
of materialism and morality.

Lyrics:
‘I thought my Jesus piece was so harmless
‘Til I seen a picture of a shorty arm-less
And here’s the conflict
It’s in a black person soul to rock that gold’ – Kanye West

‘How could you falter when you’re the rock of Gibraltar?

I had to get off the boat so I could walk on water…
… I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man’ – Jay-Z

Ironically, on Kanye’s ‘Last Call’ a track from his debut album, he jokes that he ‘really
wanted more like of the simple type Jay-Z, (He) ain't want like, the more introspective,
complicated’ Jay-Z, however, this collaboration brandishes some of the most
introspective and importantly complicated hip-hop lyricism of all time, criticising the
‘hustle’ culture and materialism of society, while shedding light on the harsh
consequences of these actions, specifically on the people of Sierra Leone in this song-
contrasting the opulent and consistent nature of diamonds with their turbulent roots.
Sierra Leone hosts a unique foundation of freed slaves from England who colonised the
island in 1787, with the Diamond industry making up 63% of their exports. Kanye brings
the harsh working conditions and lack of safety measures in Sierra Leone’s diamond
mines to light, when he describes ‘a picture of a shorty arm-less’ he is reminded of the
juxtaposing reality and consequences of his idle-minded materialism which he
previously thought to be ‘so harmless’. The ‘picture’ in question is a reference to the
song’s first line ‘Good morning, this ain’t Vietnam’, not only acting as a witty play on
words with the 1987 film by the same name, a comedy detailing the war, but also
bringing further significance to the aforementioned ‘picture’ referring to the iconic
‘Napalm Girl’ photo, likening the situation of miners in Sierra Leone to victims of war, as
well as highlighting the dark comedy in the fact that these miners are dying while
working for as little as $0.65 for 8 hours of work, while the diamonds they mine are
being sold for thousands.
Jay-Z then goes on to coin himself ‘the rock of Gibraltar’, which is a monolithic
promontory (a large rock) which is often symbolic of resilience and enduring – this self-
referential metaphor acts as an emblem for his long-standing reign as king of his craft.
Likening his legacy’s to the lifespan of a diamond, he contrasts the temporary nature of
a person with the permanence of their reputation. Going on to say he ‘had to get off the
boat so (he) could walk on water’, he makes a biblical reference emphasising the
importance of taking a risk to reap the rewards which would otherwise seem
miraculous- he urges listeners to act similarly to him in order to escape the vicious
cycle- rather than participating in ‘hustle culture’ to make money to buy things to
conspicuously display, such as diamonds, he makes money which stretches vastly
past this inconsequential materialism, to be passed down generationally.

By taking a deeper dive into the messages and lyrical depths of songs, we can ascertain
the true meaning and significance of the music we listen to on a day-to-day basis.
Rather than idly consuming this media and subconsciously taking in messages, I think
it’s time to take control of what listen to and explore it in a different way, to enrich our
understanding of this music, but also make a conscious effort to listen more intently-
embracing the power of music as a force for knowledge and inspiration!