Artist: Garbage
Song: Only Happy when it rains Lyrics
Overview:
This analysis explores female-fronted punk/alternative rock bands and how their top song expresses emotions. I will be using The Sex-Role Perspective to examine what it means to be a woman according to women in a male-dominated genre. To best explore the Sex-Role Perspective, my analysis will consist of highlighting emotions that fall under stereotypically female and counter-stereotypical emotions pulled from Hyde (1995, p. 134).
Stereotypical emotions conveyed:
“I’m only happy when it’s complicated”
- The stereotype that women like to start fights in relationships / like drama
“Pour your misery down on me”
- Sympathetic/ sensitive to others needs
Contersterotypical emotions conveyed:
“I only smile in the dark / My only comfort is the night gone black”
- Suppression of emotions
Conclusion:
This song focuses on the whole genre of 90s grunge/punk/alternative theme of self-deprecation. It takes on the circle thinking of analyzing your own lyrics and falling into the loop of hating yourself and being obsessive with every single lyric that’s put into a song. This self-hatred is something that is not typically feminine and therefore strays from the bounds of a stereotypical feminine song structure.
Shared by: Zoe Green
Image Credit: https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ent-garbage-20th-anniversary-review-riviera-theatre-1019-story.html