Such songs as This Love by Maroon 5 present a basis for discourses of love and gender. The song is sung by a man left by a woman who “said goodbye too many times before” (“Maroon 5,” 00:00:46-00:00:51). For him, being in love means having no choice but to get hurt, and he assumes that doing what his partner wants and being the one to “fix broken things” is normal (“Maroon 5,” 00:02:02-00:02:42). The gender norms are represented with the man trying his best and the woman being hard to satisfy (“Maroon 5,” 00:01:12-00:01:20). The song does not seem to identify specific social practices or reflect cultures, but it suggests that love is “just a game” (“Maroon 5,” 00:01:22-00:01:25). I can derive the meaning that the song is of a heartbroken man, although I am surprised that he does not consider himself at fault for continuing such an unhealthy relationship.
Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton also offers a discourse on love and gender. The singer understands being in love as being “stoned” and views women as alcohol, comparing a particular woman to Tennessee whiskey, strawberry wine, and brandy (“Chris Stapleton,” 00:00:57-00:01:33). He reflects a culture that practices spending “nights out in a barroom,” and desirable love is assumed to be the one that can get a man “high” (“Chris Stapleton,” 00:00:22-00:02:13). Moreover, the social construction of identity is obscured as, although a woman can rescue a man “from reaching for the bottom,” women are perceived as nothing more than drinks (“Chris Stapleton,” 00:00:22-00:01:32). To me, the song means that women have the power to save men and lead them towards a better life, but the way it is represented surprises me.
One can discourse love and gender by analyzing The Book of Love by Magnetic Fields. The song constitutes a rather common understanding of love being irrational (“Magnetic Fields”). Despite its book being “long and boring,” love is desirable because it is “full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes” (“Magnetic Fields,” 00:01:40-00:01:54). The song does not reflect gendered norms and cultures or obscure identity, but it does represent a social practice of marriage (“Magnetic Fields”). The singer implies the importance of being with one person and expects them to give “wedding rings,” thus asking for a commitment to marry (“Magnetic Fields,” 00:02:00-00:02:18). The meaning I derived from the song is that love is complex, but it can be delightful with the right person.
Works Cited
“Chris Stapleton – Tennessee Whiskey (Official Audio).” YouTube, 2015, Web.
“Magnetic Fields – The Book of Love.” YouTube, 2009, Web.
“Maroon 5 – This Love (Closed Captioned).” YouTube, 2009, Web.