The Lyrics of Lithium are very interesting to analyse as every line has contradictory emotions of sadness and depression contradicting those of happiness. These opposing emotions are perfect for our video as we show a man who is clearly trapped and struggling in a mental asylum portraying he is trapped in his mind and emotions, while also showing the man running through tunnels free of his thoughts and releasing his emotions. The strong messages throughout the song through the lyrics make us relatable to our target audience who may have experienced similar issues and as an organic rock band this will help attract a loyal fan base to our music. At the same time the chorus allows for a rock band to release their emotions and just go crazy which is common in rock bands especially at gigs or concerts, which is something rock fans want to see and experience.
An Example of this is the lyrics in the first verse:
'I'm so happy cause today
I found my friends
They're in my head
I'm so ugly
That's okay cause so are you
We broke our mirrors'
These lyrics highlight his contrasting and confused emotions claiming he has found friends but they are in his head portraying his loneliness and mental battle he is facing. Also saying he is ugly but so are you which shows his depression and self-doubt but getting joy that other people are ugly as well and that he isn't alone in his thoughts. As an organic up and coming band we want to appeal to the target audience by being relatable an highlighting that we have and go through ordinary problems that our fan base may have gone through. By expressing these mental issues through these lyrics we will build our fan base a lot quicker and have more loyal fans.
Verse two follows a similar trend to that of the first verse.
'I,m so lonely
That's okay, I shave my head
And I'm not sad
And just maybe
I'm to blame for all I've heard
'm not sure'
Again this is very contrasting he highlights his loneliness again but states that is ok maybe he has come to terms with it or he has something else that is keeping him going. For example maybe religion as there are lots of religious connotations throughout the song and that could be his comfort or his friend. The line 'I'm not sure' questioning if he himself is to blame clearly demonstrates his self doubt and confusion why he is the way he is and who is at fault.
The Chorus is very simple but effective:
'Yeah, Yeah
Yeah, Yeah
Yeah, Yeah
Yeah, Yeah
Yeah, Yeah
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah'
Reading in to this chorus it could that theses lines are a release from his depression and confusion and he is just letting himself go during this part of the song. This is why during the chorus we wont see much of the man in the stray jacket but of the man running around London releasing his emotions and him in the band doing a similar thing. however, the chorus is simple and effective and common in the rock genre where the chorus is just a pure release of energy and at this point at a gig or in a video you will likely see a rock band just letting go and going mental.
The bridge in the song could be the most telling part of the whole song:
'I like it i'm not gonna crack
I miss you, i'm not gonna crack
I love you, I'm not gonna crack
I killed you, i'm not gonna crack
I like it i'm not gonna crack
I miss you, i'm not gonna crack
I love you, I'm not gonna crack
I killed you, i'm not gonna crack'
This suggests a mental breakdown and that his struggle has reached a climax. He has to repeat 'I'm not gonna crack every line' he has to remind himself constantly as he feels as if he has no other option. Lastly, the end of the song is very important message to the audience that whatever struggles you have and that we have them as well to be strong and not to crack as it will get better. By expressing these emotions and that we have the same issues the fanbase and target audience will relate to us and see us as ordinary but as we make music they like they will be more likely to be big fans as not only do they enjoy the music but appreciate the message and relate to the themes of the band.
