For my first post, I am analyzing the lyrics of the first song (Live While We’re Young) in One Direction’s second album (Take Me Home). Now that I have really interpreted the lyrics, I realize that it can have two interpretations; one involves a hidden message that an eleven-year-old fan might not understand, and the other is more age appropriate.
For lack of a better phrase, the “explicit” message of the song is basically stating that a boy/boys intend(s) to sneak a girl out, have some fun, and take her home (for implied, sexual reasons). The lyrics, “I know we only met but let’s pretend it’s love” gives me an idea that the boy(s) are interested in “using” a girl for pleasure instead of taking the time to get to know her and learn who she really is. We learned in class that stereotypes can cause damaging effects on one’s identity, and the idea that the “ideal” man “gets as many women as they can” is praised, unfortunately, by today’s society. Women are often used as a pleasure pawn instead of a person, but sometimes women are the instigators, not always the men. As I was reading the book, I thought the term “hegemonic masculinity” supports this idea that men have expectations that are considered “the norm” at a young age. Boys learn from the media that sexually objectifying women is a common practice, which can certainly blur their focus on what is really important in relationships. The next line, “Tonight let’s get some, and live while we’re young,” reiterates that some, but not all, young men tend to want to “get some” by getting in a girl’s pants just for fun, but in reality, this causes serious problems for both genders. The Sex Role Perspective reinforces that an important part of stereotypical masculinity includes “getting laid” but often ignores the fact that as a female, that idea is not as well accepted. That’s just how it is, and nobody seems to really question it.
On the other hand, the song could be totally morally acceptable and it could just be about a bunch of teenagers wanting to get away from their parents and live a normal teenage life by, according to the lyrics, “doing what we do, just pretending that we’re cool,” and having “the music up, the windows down.” Either way, the song has a catchy beat and my twenty-year-old self still dances to it whenever it comes on!
Shared by: Elyse Hornung
Image Credit: J-14