Thoughts on how to approach the page:
1) Read the lyrics the way they were originally laid out in the song
2) Read top to bottom, column by column.
The second way enables you to read it like it's a narrative, a more proper way to envision this assignment.
How to Save a Life by The Fray
Step one you say we need to talkHe walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friendSomewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Let him know that you know bestCause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friendSomewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
As he begins to raise his voiceYou lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friendSomewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friendSomewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friendSomewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friendSomewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
Narrative
The first time I heard this song it just stuck with me. I never really paid much attention to the lyrics besides the obvious 'How to Save a Life' line. Of course, it made itself permanent in
my memory with my grandmother's passing shortly thereafter, in which I unconciously chose
different sentences of the song and pasted them together to put my own mental twist on it.
Of course, now that you actually look at the words and try to make sense, it obviously has a
different connotation. I first believed that maybe the song was first about a couple breaking
up (ending their relationship), however with help of their video, it's easy to see how the song
describes the general environment whenever there's a clash between two people arguing over
something that's potentially life-altering. That's a mouth-ful, but basically what I mean is that this
song can be applied to a father trying to talk to his daughter, or a girlfriend discussing a bad habit
with her boyfriend, or a married couple trying to discuss their issues without one walking out.
Atmosphere
The song has an obvious mellow tone, yet upbeat at times. You can see how the song not only can refer to an unsuccessful attempt at a conversation mentioned above, but also can signify a
successful version with its upbeat melody on the chorus. It's just really hard to describe a song's
atmosphere when it can be used in television shows for both happy moments, moments of epiphany,
and sad moments.
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