We Don't Care, We're Driving Cadillacs in Our Dreams

Source: http://www.directlyrics.com/lorde-royals-lyrics.html

I've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I'm not proud of my address
In the torn up town, no post code envy

But every song's like:
Gold teeth
Grey Goose
Tripping in the bathroom
Bloodstains
Ball gowns
Trashing the hotel room

We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams

But everybody's like:
Crystal
Maybach
Diamonds on your timepiece
Jet planes
Islands
Tigers on a gold leash

We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair

And we'll never be royals (royals)
It don't run in our blood
That kind of lux just ain't for us, we crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me queen bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule
Let me live that fantasy

My friends and I we've cracked the code
We count our dollars on the train to the party
And everyone who knows us knows
That we're fine with this, we didn't come from money

But every song's like:
Gold teeth
Grey Goose
Tripping in the bathroom
Bloodstains
Ball gowns
Trashing the hotel room

We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams

But everybody's like:
Crystal
Maybach
Diamonds on your timepiece
Jet planes
Islands
Tigers on a gold leash

We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair

ooh ooh oh ooh

We're better than we've every dreamed
And I'm in love with being queen

ooh ooh oh ooh
Life is great without a care
We aren't caught up in your love affair

Works Cited

Yelich-O'Connor, Ella. "Royals." Rec. 27 Sept. 2013. Royals. Lorde. 2013. CD.

“Royals”

What attracts people to a piece of music?

What makes a song so memorable?

How important are the words?

How important is the musicality?

How many ideas can be generated in a single song?

How can a song be directed at a specific group of people?

What are some recent successful trends in songwriting?

I have never really thought about what attracts me to a song, but having written the above questions, I guess I would have to say all of these factors, at one time or another, and in different combinations. Sometimes it is the driving drumming that wins me over such as Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and other times it is the voice of the singer. Not often is it the words which catch my attention, but the song “Royals” by Lourde is different. The first time I heard it, I appreciated the musicality of the piece, but when it was over, I thought to myself “what did she say” and had to buy the song in order to listen more closely. It is because of this that I thought to “deconstruct” the song “Royals” by Lourde. I think that the ideas and the way that the writer (Lourde) presents them are memorable to me along with the musicality of the piece.

The song “Royals” contrasts how different people handle fame. Some go crazy, trashing hotel rooms, buying expensive baubles and drinking expensive wines while others continue to live in a down to earth kind of way. Lourde claims that even though she recognizes her fame and enjoys this position, she still claims to be a regular person as she has always been. In the end she establishes that she is better off than celebrities who most people highly admire. Through the use of literary devices, she not only livens up her song, but when she combines her ideas with musically repetitive rhythms, she has a hit song. She is very young to have such insightful knowledge of both how to write songs and how to get her point across. People can more easily relate to Lourde since she has a working class background.

Premise: Keeping life simple is more enjoyable that altering one’s lifestyle just because success has happened.

Paragraph 1: Use of figurative language and literary devices for emotional effect.

Paragraph 2: Describe each way of life and compare them.

Paragraph 3: Admit to enjoying the results of success, but demonstrate how they will not make her the same as them.

Conclusion: Restate how the use of several literary devices sharpens the idea of contrasting a simple response to celebrity to an ostentatious one. Wrap up with reminder of how her youth and artistic writing ability contribute to a hit song. Restate how she showed that the simple life is better than an outrageous one.

Generating support:

Metaphors

“cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies” (3) - refers to how she changed as she grew up and “wedding rings in the movies” signifies that she watched movies to get ideas as to what life was like

“driving Cadillacs in our dreams,” (5), and “cracked the code” (18) - to say that they are safe in just desiring these things: they don’t need them.

“we aren't caught up in your love affair” (10) metaphorically refers to how the public loves silly things while she (and her friends) do not need them

onomatopoeia and personification

“buzz” (“We crave a different kind of buzz”) (14) to connect to her use of personification in “Queen Bee” (15).

Irony

In an article by Mark Bodnick, he suggests that there is “great irony of the lyrics is that "we'll never be royals" but she keeps talking about becoming Queen and talks about "ruling." (Bodnick, 2013). It is more a way of suggesting that those who admire the celebrity need an icon that is more down to earth.

metaphors for ostentatious reactions to success

“Grey Goose,” (5) a luxury vodka made in Cognac, France carries a good deal of status, included in a song by Jay Z and Kanye West, “Primetime.” (Primetime, 2011).

“gold teeth” (5) as a way to demonstrate wealth.

“trashin’ hotel rooms” (5) in reference to this common occurrence by “Royals”.

I. Introduction (Thesis)

Lourde uses the words in her song, “Royals” to appeal to the common person in three different ways. First, she sums up the crassness of the false life of celebrities. Second she lists why common people will never be like the “Royals” and third, she offers them their own “Royalty” from their ranks to make them happy.

Lourde uses theme, metaphor, and repetition to bring home her ideas to convince the common person that the life of the “Royals” is not desirable.

II. Body

a. The life of the celebrities may seem glamorous, but it leads to situations which are crass and undesirable. (Paragraph 1)

b. The common people are brought up to be happy within their own world while seeking some fame and fortune, the results of which will not be satisfactory if they imitate the life of celebrities of today. (Paragraphs 2, 3)

c. There is nothing wrong with wanting some celebrity and to have a celebrity to look up to; Lourde is volunteering for that job. (Paragraph 4)

d. Analysis of the song looks at the simplistic thinking of the writer (Paragraph 5)

III. Conclusion (Paragraph 6)

e. The attraction to the life of the “Royals” is false. Common people will never be like the “Royals” but they can have their own royalty in the presence of one of their own as “Queen Bee.” Through repetition, content and metaphors, Lourdes, the writer and singer of a song illustrates that the life of celebrities is not one to be desired, but seeking a good life within the one that they are brought up in is entirely satisfactory to the common man.

Annotated Bibliography of Research

Bodnick, Marc. “What Does the Song ‘Royals’ by Lorde Mean?” (2013). Web. 21 February 2015.

This article focuses on the overall feelings interpreted from the song that famous people are too concerned with things that do not matter. Mr. Bodnick emphasizes the idea that Lorde is both jealous and insecure about her position in life so she attacks the more fortunate. There are also contradictions exposed such as ruling and being queen. I will use the fact that Lourde wanting to be queen is not actually a contradiction but more a way of suggesting that those who admire the celebrity need an icon that is more down to earth.

Dixon, Greg. “Gen Z: Child of our Times.” The New Zealand Herald. May 2014. Web. 21 February 2015.

In the New Zealand Herald Mr. Dixon explains the definition of Generation Z. It seems they are a gloomy generation of children who are used to getting instant gratification and that they have little patience. There is also a looming uncertainty of what this generation will become. In “Royals” it is implicated that Lourde is singing to Generation Z. She may be a kind of connecting device for the generation with no patience providing them with some reasons as to why they can be worthy without needing instant gratification. I intend to refer to them with regard to the masses of people who were raised similarly to Lourde.

HAMANN, JACK. "For The Ear." Writer (Madavor Media) 128.7 (2015): 12. MasterFILE Main Edition. Web. 10 Nov. 2015

An essay is presented on the use of pleasing words in literary writing. Topics discussed include the American poet Shel Silverstein's book "Where the Sidewalk Ends," the song "A Boy Named Sue" performed by American singer Johnny Cash and using longer sentences with short rhythmic declarations. This could provide some comparisons or additional information for me in the essay on “Royals” especially in the way the writer used rhythm.

Roth, J. D. “What Are the Differences Between the Rich and the Poor?” (2011). Web. 21

February 2015.

Mr. Roth paints an interesting picture about the mindset and habits of the rich. The rich seems to have more options because they have money so those who do not are out of luck. There is an emphasis on acquiring knowledge and at the same time knowing how to use it properly to perhaps become rich. There is information which might be useful and provide a good comparison between what people think they want and what they actually need.

Works Cited

Bodnick, Marc. “What Does the Song ‘Royals’ by Lorde Mean?” (2013). Web. 21 February 2015.

“Primetime” (2011). Written by Maureen Elizabeth Reid, Lawrence Joseph Smith, Russell W. Simmons, Ernest Dion Wilson, Kanye Omari West, Shawn Carter. From “Watch the Throne.”

Yelich-O'Connor, Ella. "Royals." Rec. 27 Sept. 2013. Royals. Lorde. 2013. CD.