Lieux et formes de pouvoir, "Don't shoot, Michael Brown"

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Chorus :

Oh think twice, it’s another day for

You and me in paradise

Oh think twice, it’s just another day for you

You and me in paradise

In the chorus, Phil Collins wants to urge the audience to think about the effect their actions have on others. If they’re enjoying their comfort and stability, there are always others who aren’t. By “Thinking twice” he means that it is our responsibility as humans to care for each others.

Verse 2 :

She calls out to the man on the street

He can see she’s been crying

She’s got blisters on the soles of her feet

She can’t walk but she’s trying

The man is still ignoring her even if she’s crying, she just wants him to help her, she’s suffering, you can tell by the line “ She’s got blisters on the soles of her feet”

“Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do?

Oh lord, there must be something you can say”

This line is a literal prayer to God to try and help the needy or give people the ability to open their eyes, he means “why isn’t anyone helping them? why are people so selfish?”

Phil Collins wants people to react, if they have the chance to be safe, they can help others, it doesn’t matter whether you are rich or not, you just have to be less selfish, sometimes a little action can help a lot and that’s what this song is about.

As a personal document I have chosen to talk about Solange Knowles and her song “Cranes in the Sky” She is a famous singer and she made one of the most appreciated album of 2016 named “A Seat at The Table”.

Verse 1 :

I tried to drink it away

I tried to put one in the air

I tried to dance it away

I tried to change it with my hair

I ran my credit card bill up

Thought a new dress would make it better

I tried to work it away

But that just made me even sadder

I tried to drink it away

I tried to put one in the air

I tried to dance it away

I tried to change it with my hair

Verse 2 :

I ran my credit card bill up

Thought a new dress would make it better

I tried to work it away

But that just made me even sadder

Verse 3 :

I tried to keep myself busy

I ran around in circles

Think I made myself dizzy

I slept it away, I sexed it away

I read it away

Here Solange is trying to find ways to deal with the pain she is experiencing as an African-American woman about the way they are treated in America. Police shootings of unarmed black people and systematic racism in the justice system have caused social troubles for many African-Americans.

In those verses, Solange explains how she tried to drown her angst with consumerism and material things. But losing herself in those things, like alcohol, worsened her mental condition

In the video, we see Solange alone and with fellow black women in gorgeous spaces.

The background’s scenic beauty is a vital component of the song’s committed message.

The project took place in New Orleans, through the deserts of Texas, and down to the mountains of New Mexico.

The visuals for this video are inspiring because it’s full of colour and beauty, like the whole album she made, “A Seat At The Table”. She said that she wanted to “express an almost stately look for black men and women” because she feels like historically they “haven’t been put in the most regal or majestic context.”

Chorus :

Well it’s like cranes in the sky

Sometimes I don’t wanna feel those metal clouds

Yeah, it’s like cranes in the sky

Sometimes I don’t wanna feel those metal clouds

“Cranes in the Sky” describes Solange’s attempts at avoiding painful feelings, such as those resulting from the discrimination and rejection experienced as a black woman in America. The feelings of rejection Solange is experiencing are omnipresent and inescapable, looming over her life like metal cranes.

This chorus describes what Solange has been saying throughout the song which is : you can’t just try and avoid what’s over your head in hopes that it will just go away. She means by this that African Americans can’t dance away the pain, buy happiness with material things, change their hair every week, but they have to work even harder in order to succeed and be happy because she feels like it’s time to deal with the pain.

The song and visual are a plea for the black community to move away from relying on material things for internal happiness, as instead they shift working to free themselves from anger and sadness. It’s a beautiful ode to blackness.

Conclusion :

To conclude we can say that music is one of the best ways to promote something, to spread messages, you can talk about different subjects like The Game, Phil Collins and Solange did, to make sure people will hear you and understand you because music is a universal language. Moreover it’s important to educate people about what’s really going on in the world and celebrities have this chance, they have the power to be heard by millions so they have to take advantages

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