This portfolio post will be analyzing the lyrics of the One Direction song, “Taken”. This song is from the boyband’s debut album, Up All Night. This song is about a guy singing to a girl about how much she has hurt him. He describes how heartless, insensitive, and inconsiderate she is of his feelings. This song rejects the stereotypical feminine characteristics we see in society. Women are usually seen to be sensitive, emotional, kind, and affectionate. However, this song emphasizes the opposite of this common stereotype. The first set of lyrics I find to be important are:
I slept on your doorstep
Begging for one chance
These lyrics refer to how the boy used to beg for this woman to love him. He was vulnerable and emotional in order to show him how much he cared. This is usually seen as a feminine characteristic, so this part of the song is rejecting the idea of what characteristics a man should usually have. In this song, the man is seen as more sensitive and loving. Another set of lyrics that are important to analyzing this song are actually in the chorus:
You only love to see me breaking
You only want me ’cause I’m taken
You don’t really want my heart
No, you just like to know you can
Still be the one who gets it breaking
You only want me when I’m taken
You’re messing with my head
Girl that’s what you do best
These lyrics use words that show how unkind and insensitive the girl is in this case. She is portrayed as not caring and a heartbreaker. Typical feminine characteristics would say that a woman should be loyal, affectionate, and compassionate. However, this song truly shows the opposite of this viewpoint. The boy explains that he doesn’t want another “heartless misery”, which is uncommon when describing a woman within media. Overall we can see how this song rejects stereotypical feminine and masculine traits.
Shared by: Abigail Gonnering
Image Credit: British Vogue