Earth to Eve - Katelyn Burns
Earth to Eve - Eve Weisberger
The two songs I am analyzing by Earth to Eve are “NO KINGS”
and “Have You Heard the News Today?”
Here are the lyrics and a video of Eve singing “NO KINGS.”
Here are the lyrics and a
video of Eve singing “Have You Heard the News Today?”
"Have You Heard the News Today?" by Earth to Eve is similar to "NO KINGS" but focuses more on the government and ICE agency empowered by the current Trump administration along with how their supporters are the cause of this administration. The opening line starts with "Have you heard the news today?" ("Have You Heard the News Today?"). With social media it is common to wake up to news on social media along with finding out what is happening as it is happening which is why Eve asks if the listener has heard of the new events. The political climate has been fast paced with the Trump administration and has left many people feeling as if there are several major events every day. This opening refers to that but also how people ask their friends and family that exact question. As the song progresses Earth to Eve starts hinting at new immigration policies and the treatment of non-US citizens. She highlights racism as how the policies are being enforced and justified, "They're starving, sick and sleep deprived But they don't look like you or I Guess empathy don't cross state lines In the great US of A" ("Have You Heard the News Today?"). The treatment of immigrants by ICE and the justification of President Trump's supporters is highly debated and looked down upon in this political climate as they go against the 5th and 10th amendment, as stated by Eve "Oh Hate thy neighbor! Turn 'em in! And burn amendments five and ten" ("Have You Heard the News Today?"). Earth to Eve also points out how some policy supporters remain ignorant to the pain their support and thus the administrations actions cause on those whose lives are effected, "You gave the man your eyes So you could sleep at night But you still hear their cries You can't outrun this shame" ("Have You Heard the News Today?"). She insinuates that those who support this treatment of immigrates and the violence depicted by ICE will be shown as on the wrong side of history, "History won't be kind To those who turned the other way" ("Have You Heard the News Today?"). President Trump's immigration policy is widely debated and has left a negative effect on America's current political climate by causing discord and argument by questioning what rights a person of any status deserves or has.
Prompt 1: What words, phrases, use of language, images particularly struck you? Why?
When I first listened to "NO KINGS" by Earth to Eve the lyrics, "No king, no God Just flesh and blood Down here there's laws That no man's above" stood out to me ("NO KINGS"). In this song Eve is referencing the current political climate in the United States of America, specifically President Donald Trump. In these lyrics she is stating that he is physically human like everyone else (ex. "just flesh and blood") but is seen as a godly figure by his supporters ("NO KINGS"). Eve follows up with how every average person has laws and rules they must follow, legally and morally. She insinuates that President Trump is not held to the same standards as the average American citizen and later states, "Not one of us" with "us" being the average American resident ("NO KINGS"). These words resonated with me strongly since people with power and/or money tend to be held to lesser standards than those who do not have power and/or money. When looking closer at these lyrics their transitions are smooth and worth analyzing. "No King, no God" into "Just flesh and blood" targets how at the end of the day President Trump is human and not otherworldly ("NO KINGS"). "Just flesh and blood" into "Down here there's laws" enforces her idea that President Trump is seen as above the average person, otherworldly, above "us" ("NO KINGS"). Her language "Down here" is another enforcement to how he is seen higher than the average American ("NO KINGS").
Prompt 3: Create a visual representation, realistic or abstract regarding the theme, the feelings the songs evoke, the imagery, etc. Then, write a brief paragraph explaining how the image represents the songs to you.
This image is a representation of both "NO KINGS" and "Have You Heard the News Today?" In "NO KINGS" Earth to Eve repeats the idea of a person having a symbolic role to others whether it be a king, God, or prophet. This is what the crown symbolizes. The crown is symbolic of a persons' power over other people but also of the lyrics "But heavy is the crown that sits Atop His empty head" in "Have You Heard the News Today?". The broken heart within it references her repeated use of the word "heartless" in "NO KINGS" and the thought bubble calls to "Thoughts and prayers for the innocent That's the best that you're gonna get" ("NO KINGS"). The thought bubble also applies to the lyrics, "And I can feel your silence" and "Will you still be silent?" in "Have You Heard the News Today?". A word repeated often in "Have You Heard the News Today?" is "crying", as represented by the rain. The dry ground with little alive nature is a call to "This land was yours and mine Until they Bled it dry" ("Have You Heard the News Today?"). There is an overall negative mood to this image. These are how both songs make me feel when thinking about current political events.
Works Cited:
Earth to Eve. "NO KINGS." YouTube. Earth To Eve, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZx5gWj5g7Q&list=RDQZx5gWj5g7Q&start_radio=1
Earth to Eve. "Have You Heard the News Today?" YouTube. Earth To Eve, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF5TZEte-p8&list=RDwF5TZEte-p8&start_radio=1
Group reply: Neil Fernandes, Katelyn Burns, Addison Anthes.
ReplyDeleteThe message between "NO KINGS" and "Have You Heard the News Today?" is that they both criticize the state of the U.S. "NO KINGS" is connected to the America's political climate by basically talking about the No Kings protest that occurred in June 14, 2025. In "Have You Heard the News Today?" "The flags got no more blue or white/They sold the stars, we all wear stripes," Earth to Eve tells us that America is no longer what the flag stands for today. "Eleven million off of Medicaid/Temperatures rise like interest rates," tells us that the government is falling apart and no longer cares for its people.
The connection between the songs "NO KINGS" and "Have Your Heard The News Today?" to the current political climate is quite a strong connection due to how recent many of these events are. There is references to Trump, Ice, the political implications of immigration and the No Kings idea which as ideas are still quite relevant to the current political landscape. The Author of the blog is correct that the current climate is extremely fast paced and the movements of the current administration seem to rub a lot of people the wrong way due to the enduring tension of the modern political climate.
ReplyDeleteIn "NO KINGS," the main message is that no one, even a president, should be above the law. This connects to our current politics because people still argue today about whether leaders should have this much power over the general public. In "Have You Heard the News Today?," the focus moves to how immigration policies can divide the country and lack empathy. Both songs show that America is currently struggling with how to treat people fairly and how to hold those in power accountable.
ReplyDeleteHi Katelyn! I think you chose an amazing artist to win a Nobel Prize. He song "No Kings" draws clear support to the No Kings protest in 2025. I think the first two lines of the song are strong and thought provoking. She states, "He ain't your prophet, Only preaches for profits". I believe this draw to the idea that many successful people's main priority is an accumulation of wealth and will lie and deceit in order to line their pockets. This song is very direct in its intent and views and that is refreshing. The second song used more subtle illusions. When she says "Built Auschwitz in the Everglades, And sold merch at the front gate" she is alluding to Alligator Alcatraz in Florida. When she says "But they don't look like you or I, Guess empathy don't cross state lines" she is referencing the harsh racism, especially towards immigrants coming from the south, that still lives in the United States. She also states, "The flags got no more blue or white, They sold the stars, We all wear stripes". I believe she's trying to say we are all prisoners to the system that is currently in place. She is also drawing back to the fact that politicians main goal is to fill their pockets thus why "they sold the stars". This is later supported when she says, "He'll only
ReplyDeletePledge allegiance, To self interest, To help the rich get rich, At your expense".
In the song "NO KINGS", Earth to Eve talks about how everyone is human and no one should have more power over another. The lyric that stood out to me the most "Spinnin' his lies like a bop-It! Twist it then pull it and everyone's bought it" ("NO KINGS"). This is both a play on words while also having a deeper meaning. This meaning being that all Trump has to do is lie and people who follow him will listen and believe then without a second thought. The song "Have you Heared the News Today", is a really straight foward song immedietly addressing the issue at hand. One lyric saying "Empathy becomes partisan when rights get framed as politics And born-again republicans start ditchin’ what their scripture says" ("Have You Heared The New Today"). This is directly addressing how Republicans are ditching what they live by completely. Earth to Eve uses both these songs to bring awarness to the corruption and hipocracy inside our government.
ReplyDeleteThe messages in "No Kings" and "Have You Heard The News Today?" is how people blindly follow a leader and aren't educated on the harm they caused onto their country. In America's current political climate, it focuses more on helping the rich rather than the citizens who are in need. People voted for Trump as he claimed during his campaign he was committed to bring many changes to benefits those who are suffering through their own problems. In No kings it reads, "He ain't your prophet, only preaches for profit". It a direct line that reveals Trumps true plan for running for president. He promised to provide good things to all Americans but put all his focus into laws which would make . People continuing to support him is unwilling to research for themselves of the long term effects he has brought to the country. It's slowly making its way to a dictatorship where everyone has to listen to the one in power and it can be stopped once everyone decides to face the truth about him.
ReplyDelete