Introduction
Numerous songs and poems are dedicated to the elusive feeling of love and romantic relationships, their breakdown, and the accompanying heartbreak. Myriad lyrics and verses penned by different authors echo similar sentiments, relying on comparable imagery and symbolism. Camila Cabello’s song Consequences and Thomas Hardy’s poem Neutral Tones address the deterioration of a romantic relationship and the associated feelings experienced by narrators and their partners.
Discussion
Consequences and Neutral Tones are dedicated to the topic of a relationship breakdown. Cabello’s song presents the wide range of emotions a person experiences during a relationship. The first refrain describes the positive feelings the singer experienced at the beginning of the relationship that transformed into much darker ones in the last refrain. From loving their partner being “young, and wild, and free,” those feelings turn to “dumb, dark, and cheap.” Meanwhile, Hardy’s poem presents a static view of one’s feelings at the end of the relationship. If Cabello’s song portrays the narrator’s feelings, in Hardy’s poetry, the narrator focuses on their partner’s description. Hardy alludes to weather, seasons, and nature to explain the lack of warmth and love between him and his partner. Notably, colors and temperature are utilized in both works, with Cabello’s song suggesting that the beginning of the relationship is described as sunshine, while its demise is compared to cold rain. In comparison, Hardy utilizes the gray and ashy colors and stark winter sunlight to paint the end of a relationship.
In summary, Camila Cabello’s Consequences and Thomas Hardy’s Neutral Tones share certain similarities but, at the same time, differ from each other in critical elements. Both works focus on the portrayal of the end of a romantic relationship, with Consequences focusing on the emotions of the narrator, while Neutral Tones revolves around those of the second party and the narrator’s observations. In addition, the song and the poem refer to weather elements and sun and sunshine, in particular, to depict the complex array of emotions.
One of my favorite songs, the lyrics of which I think are captivating, is Starset’s Ricochet. Released on the band’s 2017 album entitled Vessels, the song is dedicated to the breakdown of a relationship and its aftermath. The lyrics are very emotional and offer a depiction of a relationship that I find to be quite honest and not overly glamorized and idealized. The song depicts the joy and heartbreak that come with showing another person your true self and trusting them to accept your flaws and positive qualities.
The Ricochet lyrics follow a pattern of many songs written about heartbreak. It alludes to the beginning of the relationship from the very first line and describes the couple’s journey to the eventual break-up and the narrator’s life following it. It should be noted that Ricochet is set in space, with a romantic union depicted as a voyage through the stars. In the first verse, the initial romantic stage of the relationship is described as carefree and serene, despite the looming danger of the space. Meanwhile, the second verse portrays the devastation and anguish of the break-up and the inability to move on from the relationship. Throughout the song, the initial attraction and yearning for a person is contrasted with the ensuing desire to forget them. In addition, the lyrics include the line “I built the wall,” which allows the narrator to assume responsibility for the breakdown of their relationship. Overall, the narrator finds himself alone, noting that despite the wonderful worlds ahead of him, he is unlikely to find someone who can accept his best and worst qualities.
Conclusion
In summary, Ricochet efficiently utilizes metaphors to compare the relationship between traveling through the infinity of space and the growing dissatisfaction and lack of understanding as a physical wall being built. I love the lyrics because they are very charged and portray raw, uninhibited emotion. They appeal to me on a personal level and present a beautifully described recollection of a relationship set on the backdrop of space.