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Monday, January 31, 2011

I Set My Friends on Fire by Things that Rhyme with Orange Due 2-18-11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaQ_Csbrt8M



http://www.metrolyrics.com/things-that-rhyme-with-orange-lyrics-i-set-my-friends-on-fire.html

20 comments:

katie said...

This song is about fitting in. The speaker is very desperate for not only attention from his friends, but also people who are not his friends. The speaker begins the song with "I only want you to think I'm fantastic", which shows the speaker's desperation which is further seen in, "so am I 'in' or am I 'out'?", which further shows how the speaker is trying to fit into the society he or she is faced with, whether it be school, work, or home. The tone is very desperate and contemplative. Through imagery, the speaker expresses his desperation for fitting in with the crowd such as, "I'm not a picture perfect portrait, but I'm working on it". The imagery is seen when the speaker tries to determine what a picture perfect portrait is (also alliteration), which shows how different societies have different expectations. Through other imagery such as, "blame it on the corporate skyscrapers in the sky", the speaker glorifies the beauty of the city, while at the same time hinting to the audience that his issue with being perfect has something to do with his or her job. The theme is showing that society has different expectations on its citizens and it is impossible for everyone to "fit in".
-katie harris

Unknown said...

The song "I Set My Friends on Fire" by Things that Rhyme with Orange is about trying to fit in with a certain group of people. Also, it is about someone that may not be happy with their appearance because in the song it says "Are you preparing to draw me? No wait, please don't! I am scared, Of what I'll see...I'm not a perfect picture portrait,But I am working on it!" These people are probably not really close friends with the speaker, because if they were friends,the speaker would not want to try and change himself in order to fit in with that group of people. Throughout this whole song, imagery plays a big role in order to convey the tone of the poem. The tone is wishful because the speaker just wants to know if he is "in" with his new group of friends, and if he is not he is willing to change for them. In the very first stanza the speaker writes, "What is that paint brush for? Are you preparing to draw me? No wait, please don't! I am scared, Of what I'll see...I'm not a perfect picture portrait,But I am working on it! I've been thinking about being cool." This relates to the tone because the speaker is telling his so called friends that he will basically will do what ever they want, and even change his appearance just so he will be considered "cool". In the song it also says, "Blame it on the corporate skyscrapers in the clouds" which could mean that blame whatever his problems are on the skyscrapers. Another source of imagery to back up the tone of wishfulness is seen when the speaker says, "If you need to use the restroom just ask politely.
I like the way I do it, better then the way your not. Lifting up the toilet seat was the way I was taught." This line right here could mean that the speaker could have realized that maybe he does not want to change his ways for this certain person or maybe group of people, becuase it also says, "Yeah, sure thanks for the invitation! Don't want to be included in your conversation...
It's to late!" This line right here just means that the speaker does not want to be try to be apart of that group anymore. I feel as everyone has had that experience before and now it is happening to the speaker becuase he realized perhaps that they are all fake and just want to change you.

Gino said...

This song gives the perfect example of a lemming. Someone that will do anything to fit in. The speaker just wishes to be "in" and be considered cool. There is no independence. He would do anything to fit in, for example light himself on fire. It's the exact opposite of an independent thinker and he is on a path of self destruction.

Colleen said...

The song "I Set My Friends on Fire" by Things that Rhyme with Orange concerns the speaker wanting to fit in and be accepted. He is willing to to anything to get people to like him, "I'll participate in what you believe". This shows the desperate tone because he is willing to not do what he wants but do whatever the in crowed wants him to do. The desperate tone also shows when it says "Are you preparing to draw me?
No wait, please don't! I am scared". This quote also shows a self conscience tone. The speaker does not like who he really is and just wants to be someone people like even if he has to change who he is. Their is a tone shift that occurs and the speaker starts to think he does not want to change and everyone else is fake. "But if wasn't for you, We wouldn't have all these multiple crowds" this quote shows the speaker is changing his mind on wanting to be accepted by people. Later he says "I like the way I do it" this show he is becoming accepting of himself. He realizes that fitting in is not worth it if you have to change your ways.

Rebecca said...

In the song "I Set My Friends on Fire", the speaker is talking about wanting to fit in. The tone shifts from a desperate and despondent tone to a more hopeful tone with the use of diction and vivid imagery. The speaker wants to be "perfect" and "cool" in order to be able to "participate" in a conversation with a group of people and feel "included". The sarcastic words "wait", "suppose", "guess" exemplify how much effort he has dedicated on fitting in. When he asks with anxiety and fear "What is the paint brush for?", he shows that he is afraid of being unfairly labeled and stereotyped, which is supported with the diction "marker", "sign", and "defined". The image of "corporate skyscrapers" shows that the speaker realizes that the distant, but influential aspects of society has made him act this way. In the final stanza the speaker says "But if wasn't for you, We wouldn't have all these multiple crowds," meaning that if it wasn't for these stereotypes, instead of small, divided groups of people, everyone would be eachother's friend.

lindsaykeith said...

I think that this song is about trying to fit in. I think that part of the piece has a sarcastic tone. The diction and syntax show how the speaker doesn't feel like he fits in even though he wants to. When he says, "Yeah, sure thanks for the invitation!" he is being sarcastic by thanking who the song is directed at, and uses an exclamation point to emphasize his sarcasm. This is at the end of the song which shows he is sarcastic because at the beginning of the poem he says "I want to be included in your conversation," and clearly that did not happen.

Brian P. said...

This song reminds me a number of old after school special tv shows form the 90's. The song seems to be about doing whatever it takes to fit in, even if it means losing your realself. The tone is almost sarcastic, but I don't think the singer is really joking about this situation. this is something I think he or someone he cares about went through a situation like this. The diction heavier and used to make you think about this situation/dissuade you from falling into it your self.

Alex Pearson said...

If you weren't aware by now, this song is about fitting in. The singer is desperate to be "cool" and "in". Their use of repetitive questioning shows how much they yearn to be accepted because they do not know how to do it themselves. They rely on others to help them envision this. The singer then realizes that everyone is just like him since they are trying to fit in just as much.

seannacav said...

I thought this song was more satirical. Its very mocking and questioning but in the way that its not a real question, its just pointing out how silly it is to try to fit it. "its a marker, its a sign" is mocking how blatant it is when someone's trying to hard. The diction has a sarcastic and funny tone. They use words like "iconoclastic" "perpetuate" "elaborate" and "aesthetic." They're using bigger words to seem smarter but they don't fit, like when someone uses a thesaurus and doesn't know the connotation of the words. The diction and word choice also shows a maturity. Towards the end of the song, the change from wanting to desperately wanting to fit in to coming to the realization that being cool is overrated and you just look dumb when you try.

Xander said...

This guy's a screaming weasel. Besides the opinion I have, the song uses diction and syntax to convey his message. The diction examples following are "I'll participate in what you believe, If you give me the attention" meaning the person is hungry to fit in at whatever the cost because he is so used to being turned away. Another example of diction is "I'm not a perfect picture portrait,
But I am working on it!
I've been thinking about being cool" again showing how the singer wants to be 'cool' and socially accepted. A final example of diction is "Blame it on the corporate skyscrapers in the clouds,
But if wasn't for you,
We wouldn't have all these multiple crowds.
How am I suppose to choose, which one I belong to?" telling of clicks and corporate television showing only the pretty people and advertising the models and forcing down the throats of others their "right" ways. "An emblem for all your aesthetic kin" the final example made by the speaker. Diction throughout the song is very angry. The repetition of exclamation points and the high powered vocals of the speaker are used to convey this speakers agony. Finally the use of broken up phrases ann the repitional use of commas further give evidence to the tone of disgust and the theme of an unpopular boy bweing put down by the clicks of "The Man"

Anonymous said...

This song is about changing yourself to be accepted by the ones you want to be able to associate yourself with.
"I'll participate in what you believe,
If you give me the attention!
Yeah, yeah that's the only compensation
I want to be included in your conversation." This person wishes for nothing more than to be accepted at any cost. He is struggling to find out who he actually is. He is going so far just to mimic other to be accepted by him he is losing track of who he really is and becoming enraged when he still is not accepted. He has good intentions of wanting to just fit in but he is going to wrong way about it. Fitting in is not about just being like everyone else ,it is all about acceptance and compromise for one another differences. The speaker uses imagery to paint a vivid picture of how he emotions are making him feel."So am I "in" or am I "out"
What is there to think about?
What is that paint brush for?
Are you preparing to draw me?" He screams this part of the song to emphasis the inner turmoil he is going through because of the changes he is forcing himself to go through. The over all tones are most abandonment and anger. Diction and syntax are seen when he uses words like clouds and crowds. which could be representing the sound "ouch"
as he feels the pain of rejection.

Unknown said...

Honestly this one is just not working for me but here goes nothing. This song is about a person who wants to be like everyone else, but they don't know what to do. They are very insecure as shown in "No wait, please don't! I am scared, Of what I'll see". There is a person who is telling them to do things differently than everyone else, "I like the way I do it, better then the way your not. Lifting up the toilet seat was the way I was taught." Part of them wants to start over ("creating a fresh /New elaboration yourself")and part of them wants to fit in ("Don't want to be included in your conversation"). This person is very conflicted because they don't want to be alone and shunned by society.

Kayla G said...

Reading this song I think that the speakers message is very clear. She wants so badly to be accepted. She is very desperate for attention and is not very patient. "so am i in or am i out" she asks early in the song. Openly she admits that she is far from perfect but is trying to better herself. She is still very insecure about herself because she asks "are you preparing to draw me" then tells the person not to with an exclamation point. I think that the message of the song is to learn how to be secure in your own skin and accept that everyone is a work and progress.
- Kayla Giunta

SuddenlyCorey said...

The song "I Set My Friends on Fire" by Things that Rhyme with Orange concerns fitting in and acceptance, in a young adult context. The speaker goes between confusion about his standing in the social universe and blaming his confusion on "you", which we can assume is the popular crowd. He uses questions through out to reinforce these ideas. These accompanied with the use of words like "alone", really give you a sense of his despair.

Jake said...

The speaker in the poem is trying to achieve a sense of belonging. Trying to garner the approval of others, the speaker "only want[s] you to think I'm fantastic." There is the possibility that the speaker is on the outside of the social circle and is desperately trying to assimilate into that circle of friends. On the outside looking in, the speaker "wants to be included in your conversation." Like pledging to a fraternity or sorority, the "pledge" wants to know if he is "in" or ..."out." Although the speaker is not perfect for the group as of yet, they are trying to remold himself or herself to fit the standards of the group. Deep down the speaker only wants to be loved by somebody, to feel worthy and welcome. The speaker is different but is willing to change in order to be accepted by society as a whole. BOOM.

Unknown said...

I think this guy just wants to fit in. He would do anything to have his friends like him. "What is the paint brush for?", he shows that he is afraid of being unfairly labeled and stereotyped. Other diction like marker, signed, defined show that he is unfairly stereotyped.Openly she says that she is far from perfect but is trying to better herself. I think a lot of teen go through this.

DavidLamJr. said...

This song concerns the typical high school outcast or new kid in town who cannot find a way ti integrate with the society in the school. The song starts with many lines about gaining favor and the last line of the stanza says "I want to be included in your conversation". This line shows how the speaker is not included and how he longs for companionship. Further emphasizing this high school atmosphere are the lines "I'm not a perfect picture portrait, But I am working on it! I've been thinking about being cool, I must have to admit!" Now we see that the speaker is thinking about changing himself in order to fit in. Later on the song talks about how the speaker has overthrown the popular person and taken all of his/her friends. This shows that there was a happy ending for the speaker yet not one for the other person. So this song is talking about how there is no way for two people to win at the same time

alex said...

The first thing that i noticed about the song was the word choice. A majority of the word have harsh letters such as "C" "t" "d" "ct". This along with the message of the song gives it sort of an angry or pissed off tone.Also they use negative words such as "blame" "crutch" and "pointless".

ALEX IANNITELLI

Vickie Ha said...

The song describes a transformation within a person. At the beginning, the speaker is striving for attention and just wants to be "included in your conversation". The speaker is striving for this person's attention and wants to be a "perfect picture portrait" in this person's eyes. He or she is changing his or herself, is "working on it" in order to please this person. This is all portrayed by the straight forward diction that yearns for acceptance.

However there is a shift in the song because the speaker realizes that a person has more substance than just their "aesthetic kin". The tone becomes more confident because of the defiant diction such as "one opinion would be a pointless appreciation". The speaker finally realizes that this one person really is not that significant and gains self worth.

Unknown said...

Besides the weird orange thing in the video the "I Set My Friends on Fire" by Things the Rhyme with Orange is about what everyone else said and is someone trying to fit in. But then I believe the song shifts and the speaker realizes he does not want to be part of the group or with the person he wanted to be with in the beginning. The tone shifts from sadness to mocking halfway to the song. In the beginning he says "I'm not a perfect picture portrait,but I am working on it!I've been thinking about being cool,I must have to admit!". He wants to fit in but then he sees what it can do to people and does not want to change. This is shown when he says "Yeah, sure thanks for the invitation!Don't want to be included in your conversation...It's to late!". He does not want to change himself and be fake to fit in with people.