The Cover of "The Tracks of my Tears"

The Miracles, later to be called Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, was a widely successful Motown R&B group in the 1960's. During their time in the music industry, the Detroit four-man one-woman group charted over 50 hit songs that made them a sensation. In 1965, The Miracles released their song "The Tracks of my Tears". The song reached to number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold over a million records within two years and is thought to be one of the best recordings performed by The Miracles and helped to make them Motown royalty.

"The Tracks of my Tears" was covered several times by many different kinds of artists. The list includes Johnny Rivers, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Gavin DeGraw, and even American Idol's Adam Lambert. It was Linda Ronstadt, however, who was able to record the song in a way that made it her own. Linda Ronstadt, sometimes known as "The First Lady of Rock", was the highest paid women in rock because of her talent as a singer/songwriter and a record producer. Although much of her career was dealing more with rock and roll, she was more of a country singer in the beginning. Growing up in Tucson, Arizona, Ronstadt and her family were surrounded by the heritage and music from America's Southwest and it can reflect in her music. Her cover version of "The Tracks of my Tears" is an excellent example of this.

The original version of the song recorded by The Miracles has a slightly more classic R&B sound to it that gave a sad tone, but is still pleasant to listen to. The song has several metaphors throughout it. When he sings, "Outside I'm masquerading/Inside my hope is fading," he means that he has put on a "mask", as in acting happy, even though he is unhappy. There is also objectification in the line when he says that hope is fading even though hope is only an idea. Another metaphor is found in the lines, "I'm just a clown since you put me down/My smile is my make up/I wear since my break-up with you." Here, when he says his smile is make up, he means that he uses his smile to cover up how depressed he is about losing his girl. Like a clown, he covers up all other emotions and only appears to be happy. He also uses the cliche, "Deep inside I'm blue," to describe how upset he is feeling. The Miracles also used imagery when saying, "Since you left me if you see me with another girl/Looking like I'm having fun/Although she may be cute, she's just a substitute," which sets up a scene where his beloved ex would find him out on a date with another good-looking girl. Symbolic imagery is found in the lines, "If you look closer it's easy to trace/The tracks of my tears." He says that he has cried so many times, that the tears have worn a path on his face. Symbolic of his despair, it is used as another way to tell his love his feelings. The harmonies of the members of The Miracle along with the instrumentals are clear signs that this song was executed with the highest degree of excellence.

Linda Ronstadt came out with her version of the song in 1975. Besides for changing all the words like she to he when the singer of the song refers to the "other person", Ronstadt only changed the original lyrics by adding a second chorus to the end of the song. Although she kept mostly close to the original notes, she slowed the tempo slightly to change the over all tone. Also, she changed her instruments from the drums and horns that were most dominant in The Miracles' song to mostly a guitar, steel guitar and drums. She achieved a more country sound with these changes. Ronstadt also had a more emotional and expressive voice compared to the strict vocals that The Miracles had. She really conveyed the disparity of the song more efficiently. This is one of the examples of her country rock genre that she is credited for being the first female to really perform.

Both versions of "The Tracks of my Tears" are admirable. With the sounds do different for each, it is hard to compare the works together. The Miracles' impressive vocals and more classic instrumentals gave the song life in a different way than Linda Ronstadt. Her more stirring and emotional cover of the song left the listener with a completely different feeling than the almost up-tempo song by The Miracles. While many songs that are covers may have a varying amount of success, both songs have commendable assets that were greatly enjoyed by the public.

Plagiarism in Song

Although there have been many claims of plagiarism in the music industry throughout the years, some are substantial while others are not as clear cut. What is believed to be a plagiarized song is The Chiffons’ “He’s so Fine”. The Chiffons successfully sued George Harrison for plagiarism when he released his 1970 song “My Sweet Lord”. When listening to these two songs, and even played at the same time, it has a clear resemblance, if not the same sound, most of the time.

What I believe to be a coincidental relationship is Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend” and the Rubinoo’s “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend”. They both have the similar lines, “Hey (hey), you (you) I want to be your…” but that is it. I do not see any other connection between the songs and the overall message seems so different along with the tempo and music other than that one line.

Legend and Myth in Music

Robert Johnson Sells his Soul to the Devil
Robert Johnson has been considered by many the father of blues. It was not until years after his untimely death at age 27 on August 16, 1938, however, that he gained most of his fame. His mysterious life and passing have only added to a mystery that has followed his legacy for so many years. It is said that, “…Robert made a deal with the Devil; in exchange for his soul he wanted to play the guitar better than anyone” (Downs). It is part of old southern mythology that if you go to a crossroads on a night with no moon, the devil will appear to make a pact with you. For Johnson, the story goes that he went to a crossroad on such a night where the Devil came to tune his guitar, played a few songs on it, then returned it which was a pact that for indescribable musical talent, he would sell his soul to the devil. Some say that his early death along with some of his different attributes. “Some fans thought that he had the "evil eye". Actually, he suffered from a small cataract. Also, it has been reported that Johnson turned from the audience while playing, and would leave suddenly from a performance, sometimes even during breaks in his set. While today such actions are not considered odd, in those days they were. Many people took it to mean that he was a man with something to hide” (The WB Television Network). There is no possible way to know much more then the legends that surround his name because his entire life is one of the greatest mysteries of music history.

Ozzy Osbourne's taste for doves and bats
For years, Ozzy Osbourne has been known for his unusual ways as well as his substance abuse. While this reputation fits his lifestyle and career as lead singer-bassist of the theatrical band Kiss, several times Ozzy has surprised everyone with his actions. Two of these well known stunts are the stories of Ozzy biting of the heads of a bat and a dove, both of which have been confirmed as true. In 2004, James Sullivan writes for Rolling Stone that during one of Kiss’s performances on their “Night of the Living Dead” tour, a member of the audience threw a live bat up on the stage, but the creature became stunned by the lights and lay motionless. “Osbourne, thinking it was a rubber toy, bit into its neck. He was rushed to the hospital and tested for rabies” (Sullivan). Although Osbourne claims to not know the bat was real let alone alive, Kyle Munson writes about the time Osbourne bit the head off of a dove that he knew was alive and in his pocket. Munson writes that, “He bit the head off a live dove in 1981 in Los Angeles, during a meeting with horrified record-company executives.” Osbourne later states that he was intoxicated at the time, but that did not stop people from telling these stories that would continue to reappear in his career from then on.

The mythology surrounding the Abbey Road cover
The myth’s and suspicions about the Abby Road cover of the Beatle’s album goes along with the continued rumor that Paul McCartney had actually died and was replaced by a look alike. Many people believed that Paul died in a car accident while the Beatles were at the height of their career. Not wanting to give up their success, the band mates found a Paul look-alike to replace him so no one would know. Massimo Polidoro, author, psychiatrist, and investigator of paranormal actives, writes about the rumored “clues” the band left that pointed to McCartney’s death. On the cover, the four Beatles are walking across a cross walk which fans thought symbolized a funeral procession. Polidoro writes about each member’s supposed symbolic meaning in his article “A Myth that Rocks: The Premature Death of Paul McCartney” in 2005:“…John Lennon, dressed in white, represented the Church (and white is the traditional color of mourning in many Eastern cultures); Ringo, dressed in black, represented the undertaker. Paul was out of step with the other three Beatles, with his eyes closed and barefoot: in a number of societies, it appears that corpses are buried without their shoes; furthermore, Paul held a cigarette in his right hand, when everybody knew that the real McCartney was left-handed! George Harrison, last in line, was dressed in work clothes and, to many, represented the gravedigger.”Polidoro also talks about other hidden “clues” such as the license plate that reads “LMW 28IF” which was supposed to mean that if McCartney was still alive, he would be 28 years old. Similar “clues” were found in songs and other album covers. The number of these far fetched “clues” started to actually convince people that he was dead. It wasn’t until Paul made a statement that he was still alive that this legend ended.

Bob Dylan goes electric
By 1965, Bob Dylan had emerged as a popular folk singer. He’s original sound was playing an acoustic guitar and occasionally other “folk-sounding” instruments. On July 25, 1965, Dylan was playing at the Newport Folk festival. He decided to switch his acoustic for and electric guitar and to be backed by a small, just “thrown-together”, electric band. “Previously known as a folk artist, this was Dylan rejecting his acoustic roots and opting for the amped up thrills of rock” (BBC). The BBC also goes on to say that, “The first song Dylan and band played was met with a confused response from the audience. By the time they'd finished a scrappy version of his recent single ‘Like A Rolling Stone’, the grumblings of the audience had turned into booing.” It would appear that the audience was completely taken back by his change and was offended that he did this. Later reports say that the crowd was divided between booing at the electric guitar and booing at the noise because it was so badly performed.

Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight”
Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight” is a widely popular song that most people are familiar with. Many may also know the stories that go along with it. Although Collins wrote the song metaphorically about his failed marriage, many took the song literally about watching someone drown. Although there are many variations to the story there are two basic ones: Collins himself/another man watched a friend drown without trying to help him when he was younger or it is about how his wife was raped. Both stories gained momentum and people started to say that Collins, “…hired a private detective to find the man, sent him a free ticket to his concert, and premiered the song that night with the spotlight on the man the whole time” (Songfacts). Collins became frustrated with absurd stories and continues to hear the whispers every time he comes to America.

The mythology presented in the Sgt. Pepper cover
The Beatle’s Sgt. Pepper was another album cover that was used in several different Beatle’s theories and legends. It has a picture of the four band mates in full band attire but they are surrounded by a peculiar crowd. Most of the space on the cover is filled with cut outs of mostly famous people. I am able to recognize a few of these cut outs, including Edgar Allan Poe. Poe was a poet and short story writer whose favorite subjects were the macabre and supernatural. He had an unfortunate life filled with death and despair that lead him to write this stories as well as become and alcoholic and, “Throughout his life those illnesses had interfered with his success as an editor, and had given him a reputation for intemperateness that he scarcely deserved” (Wilson). Another familiar face is that of Bob Dylan. “Bob Dylan's influence on popular music is incalculable. As a songwriter, he pioneered several different schools of pop songwriting, from confessional singer/songwriter to winding, hallucinatory, stream-of-consciousness narratives. As a vocalist, he broke down the notion that a singer must have a conventionally good voice in order to perform, thereby redefining the vocalist's role in popular music. As a musician, he sparked several genres of pop music, including electrified folk-rock and country-rock” (All Media Guide). Marilyn Monroe was also a recognizable feature on the cover. During her life, she was widely successful in modeling and acting and, “She still remains popular today as an icon of sex appeal and beauty” (A&E Television Networks).
Some faces that are not so familiar to me are those of Stuart Sutcliffe, Carl Jung, and Richard Lindner. Stuart Sutcliffe appears off to the side of the crowd on the cover away from the band, but he was actually a former member of the Beatles. Sutcliffe was, “…was a painter and the original electric bass guitarist of The Beatles for fifteen months (May 1960–August 1961). Sutcliffe earned praise for his paintings, which mostly explored a style related to abstract expressionism. Sutcliffe is one of the group of people sometimes referred to as ‘the fifth Beatle’” (Wikipedia). Carl Jung’s work, Kendra Cherry writes, “left a notable impact on psychology. His concepts of introversion and extroversion have contributed to personality psychology and also influenced psychotherapy.” Although some of his work is not held to high standards by all, is impact on psychology is definite. Richard Lindner was a famous German artist who did most of his work in America. “His work has been described by art critics as "mechanistic cubism." Infused with personal imagination, his style has overtones of the "Cabaret-Berlin" culture of the 30's…” (Barewalls Interactive Art Inc.). The Beatle’s Sgt. Pepper’s certainly has a wide rang of people to grace its cover.

Tone in Song

When listening to the songs “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston and “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd, one might notice at first how similar the songs are. They have the same subject matter and even similar symbols. If one were to listen to the tone of the songs, however, they could be considered opposites of each other. The tones of the song are able to create the correct message the writers wanted.

The lyrics of both the songs may seem very similar. Both are about the bands being offered record contracts. The two songs even contain the same symbol, a cigar, which is meant to represent success and celebration. Both have the potential for success. The tones that the songs give are what make them extreme differences. Boston’s song gives off a tone of excitement and happiness even though they go through hard times to be able to play their music. Lines such as, “No, we didn’t have much money/we barely made enough to survive/But we got up on stage and got ready to play/People came alive” show how performing their music was worth their troubles. Their clear use of exclamation points like, “You’re gonna be a sensation!” are clear examples of their happy tone. Pink Floyd is able o convey a completely different tone in “Have a Cigar”. Floyd tries to highlight a more cynical side of the music industry. They portray a man trying to sign them that overcompensates with kindness for the little knowledge he has of the band. An example of this is when the man says to them, “The band is just fantastic/that is really what I think/ Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?” Floyd goes on to sing about how, “Everyone else is just green,” and how the manager is pressuring them to move forward for his own selfish reasons. Both of the songs are about beginning in the elite world of music, but they both have clear and different tones.Listening to these two songs really show the importance of understanding tone. Without their tones, many would not understand the bands intentions. Floyd’s more cynical idea of being signed might be confused by some to be the same as Boston’s idea of it being exciting. Although both songs share the same subject matter, the tones of each song set them apart.

Literature Quiz

4) The band Radiohead did not intend to start a revolution, but there is no way to deny that what they did has the definite potential to completely change the music industry. To release their album In Rainbows, the band decided to put the entire album up for sale online. The trick, however, was that the consumer could pay whatever they wanted for the album. For the first time, the band owned the master recording and didn’t have a tricky record deal that “strips you of all your digital rights, so that when you sell something on iTunes you get absolutely zero.” This little experiment worked for Radiohead because it had an eager fan following that appreciated the music that they made. People paid an average of $6 an album and the band grossed nearly $3 million. This really shows how corrupt the music industry is. Radiohead was able to break away from the trend where the record label gets more money than the band itself. Although this worked for Radiohead and there is possibility that it can work for other bands, “it’s hard to imagine the model paying off for Miley Cyrus- aka chart-topping teenybopper Hannah Montana.” With this in mind, what Radiohead did with In Rainbows can change the way we sell and buy music.


3) Many people know of the iconic “blind musicians” who have what can only be described as an enhanced sense of hearing and inclination to music. There is a large amount of blind musicians that have indescribable talents, including artists such as Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles. Oliver Sacks, writer of An Auditory World: Music and Blindness, says that this theory is very much substantiated. Adam Ockelford, a music teacher for the blind, has done several studies that show that blind and partially sighted children took much more of an interest in music than fully sighted children. Although, he noticed that only the blind children showed extraordinary musical abilities. Ockelford, as well as a separate study, found the 40-60 percent of blind children had absolute pitch, compared to the 10 percent among sighted musicians.

There is also evidence that the brain of a blind person who is blind adapts itself to focus on other senses such as hearing. Sacks says that, “a third or more of the human cortex is concerned with vision, and if visual input is suddenly lost…remapping may occur in the cerebral cortex”. Here Sacks is saying that when a person can no longer see, the part of the brain dedicated to sight is able to reorganize itself to concern different senses. The cerebral cortex, “…far from remaining functionless, is reallocated to other sensory inputs, especially hearing and touch.” This, Sacks claims, is hard evidence that the blind have the possibility to have better musical abilities then the sighted.

Reflection of Popular Culture in Music

Music is an important part of life. Even people who don’t have a love for music cannot deny that it plays a role in their lives. For centuries, music has been intertwined with the development of people and their cultures. In America, our modern music has changed from past decades. When looking at a list of the most popular songs of right now, one might notice a few reoccurring aspects of this music. All of the songs show some kind of reflection of our modern American culture.
Many of these popular songs deal with the same subjects: love, partying, sex, and success. Songs such as “Imma Be” by the Black Eyed Peas glorify a life with money, parties, and sexual conquests. This song has very few poetic devices. The most sophisticated use of a poetic device is simple alliteration such as, “I'm a be world wide international”. Other top rated songs like “Tik Tok” by Ke$hia and “Down” by Jay Saun follow the same pattern. Although all of these songs lack a deeper meaning, they do have an upbeat tempo that is pleasing to listen to. This is why they are top hits.
Another very common theme in popular music is love and heartbreak. “Breakeven” by The Script depicts a love and loss story that is relatable to all ages. It tells of an unfair breakup that left the guy miserable while the girl found happiness. Along with having a more sophisticated topic than the common party songs, it has better examples of poetic devices. “Breakeven” has several metaphors that help develop the emotions of the song such as, “I'm falling to pieces,” and, “'Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven.”
Amidst the more typical themes of today’s top rated songs, there are songs that have different messages. An example of this is Kris Allen’s single “Live Like We’re Dying”. This song asks the listener that if their life ended now, would they be happy with what it was? Using several metaphors, Allen goes on to sing that, “We're hiding behind skin that's too tough,” and that we need to live to our full potential. Its happy sound along with its inspirational message show a more hopeful and life-fulfilling feeling many people share.
After listening to our many top hits, it is evident how diverse and dynamic our culture is. People value things in a wide range, from a materialistic stand points, to love and happiness, and even to living life to the fullest. Although a good amount of popular songs are about fame, success, and parties, this is because the music is targeted towards the younger part of the population. The young people of America are not looking for a deeper meaning in music; they are looking for something to make them happy and to have a good time. Songs like “Breakeven” and “Live Like We’re Dying”, however, show that we do still have serious values like finding love and happiness in our lives.

"The Spirit of Radio"

The band Rush was formed in Canada in 1968. It wasn't until May of 1972, however, that the band had a stable line up. Although their first self-titled album Rush, was clearly influenced by Led Zeppelin, the band has devolved into what one would call modern rock. Their songs encompass many different topics; the themes range from science fiction to political concerns. Impressive instrumentals always accompany the lyrics, no matter the subject. The song "The Spirit of Radio" tells how a person feels about the radio, music, and the music industry.

Rush uses several different poetic devices to convey their message as well as capture the attention of the listeners. One device that is used a lot in the song is alliteration. Rush's use of this device is mainly to draw the listener's attention to particular lines. These lines are important to the person in the song's point of view and their opinion. The line, "And the magic music makes your morning mood," is important because it is describing how the person feels when listening to the radio. Another example of alliteration is, "All this machinery making modern music/Can still be open hearted". These lines are also an example of both a metaphor and personification. When they sing about the machinery that is making music, it is a metaphor for how insensitive the music industry has become. Rush personifies the music industry when they sing, "Can still be open hearted". It is giving the industry the human quality of being open heart to explain that it does not have to be all about the money as it has become, but it can remember the passion that goes into making music.

When looking more closely at the song, one might notice it has a shift from the person's happiness with the radio to their disapproval of it. In the second verse, the paradox, "Undemanding contact in your happy solitude," describes a content feeling the person has when driving in the car by yourself, but having the "contact", or company, of the radio. Also, the metaphor, "There is magic in your finger tips," describes an exciting feeling, like you have the power to chose the music. When the person begins to express his unhappiness with the industry, Rush uses hyperboles to describe music contracts when singing, "But glittering prizes and endless compromises/Shatter the illusion of integrity." Here, they exaggerate the "prizes", or money, that they receive by compromising and how artists lose the true reason why they create music, out of love for it. Another alliteration, "Concert hall/And echoes with the sounds of salesmen/Of salesmen/Of salesmen," is also symbolic of how the modern music industry is all about selling music, not necessarily because that's their passion.

Rush's "The Spirit of Radio" describes a feeling that many artists have. This song is about how truly wonderful music is, but also how bad the music industry has really become. In the song, the person who is talking is torn between these two things as well. Although not directly affected by these problems, he still understands them and is troubled by them. It is ironic how this song became very popular because of it being played on the radio. No matter the song's popularity, Rush still created a great poetic work when writing this song.