Gorillaz - Wyatt Crisp
Gorillaz
Song and lyrics
Question:
How do "Empire Ants" and "November Has Come" use different moods and styles to talk about similar ideas of uncertainty and the future?
“Empire Ants” and “November Has Come” sound very different, but they both deal with uncertainty and how people react to the world around them. “Empire Ants” feels dreamy and emotional. The song begins softly and then slowly builds into something larger and more intense. That change in sound makes it feel like the song is moving from hope into something more overwhelming. The lyrics compare people to ants, which makes humans seem small compared to the size of the world. That idea connects to environmental issues and how powerless people can feel when facing something as big as climate change. The line “Oh joy’s arise, the sun has come again to hold you” stands out because it sounds hopeful, even though the song overall feels lonely and fragile (Gorillaz, “Empire Ants”). It is almost like the song is saying there is still hope even when the future feels uncertain.
“November Has Come” is darker and more direct. Instead of sounding peaceful, it feels tense and cold. The title itself suggests the arrival of something negative, and the lyrics create a feeling that things are changing for the worse. Featuring MF DOOM makes the song even more serious because his verses are calm but also unsettling. The song reflects the mood of the early 2000s, especially after the September 11 attacks, when people felt uncertain about politics and the future (Jones and Smith 2456). Even though “Empire Ants” is more emotional and “November Has Come” is darker, both songs are really about people trying to deal with fear, uncertainty, and a changing world.
Prompt 1: What words, phrases, use of language, images particularly struck you? Why? This a basically a brief passage analysis.
The imagery in both songs stands out because it creates a mood without always being very direct. In “Empire Ants,” the image of ants makes people seem tiny compared to the world around them. It makes the listener think about how fragile human life can be. In “November Has Come,” the image of November suggests cold weather, darkness, and endings. November is usually connected with winter coming, so the title itself creates a feeling of dread before the song even starts. Both songs use simple images, but those images become symbols for much bigger ideas like fear, change, and uncertainty.
Prompt #2: Consider your research so far, and write a brief paragraph explaining what cultural, political, historical, or personal circumstances you believe shape the songs, and explain how it helps you understand the songs better.
The cultural and historical background of these songs makes them easier to understand. “November Has Come” reflects the tension people felt after 9/11 and during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Music during that time often focused on fear and instability because people were unsure about the future (Jones and Smith 2460). “Empire Ants” connects more to environmental concerns and climate change. By the time Plastic Beach came out, pollution and consumerism were becoming bigger public issues (Ribac and Harkins 3). Knowing that background makes the songs feel more meaningful because they are not just random lyrics, they are connected to real problems happening in society.
Work Cited:
Gorillaz. “Empire Ants.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-empire-ants-lyrics
Gorillaz. “November Has Come.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-november-has-come-lyrics
Jones, David Martin, and M. L. R. Smith. “Blowin’ in the Wind? The Musical Response to the War on Terror.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, https://research-ebsco-com.ezgcc.vccs.edu/c/qgbged/search/details/izj3in3o5b?db=a9h&limiters=None&q=Blowin%E2%80%99%20in%20the%20Wind%3F%20The%20Musical%20Response%20to%20the%20War%20on%20Terror&searchMode=enhanced
Ribac, François, and Paul Harkins. “Popular Music and the Anthropocene.” Popular Music, https://www-cambridge-org.ezgcc.vccs.edu/core/journals/popular-music/article/popular-music-and-the-anthropocene/04BB920A2BB8F9271BE9A9E20A16728D
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ReplyDeleteHi Wyatt! I don't think I have ever listened to Gorillaz before, it was interesting to listen to something new! To answer your question, I think both "Empire Ants" and "November Has Come" go further into the unknowns of the future. "Empire Ants" has a more calm and peaceful tone, this helps to make the idea of uncertainty a little less harsh and scary. In this song he says, "Oh joy's arise/the sun has come again to hold you" ("Empire Ants"). This made me think of the chance to have a fresh start. As the song goes on the music becomes more upbeat. I took this as it is giving more hope for the future as the music gets more upbeat! On the other hand, "November Has Come" has a more dark and serious tone. The lyric, "November has come/when it's gone away" ("November Has Come"), I feel shows how quickly time can pass. It is also different in tone because "November Has Come" has a heavier beat and is more like a rap. This can make the tone feel more stressful or tense. Overall, I think that your blog was nice and it was cool to listen to a new artist!
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Gorillaz. “Empire Ants.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-empire-ants-lyrics
Gorillaz. “November Has Come.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-november-has-come-lyrics
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Wyatt! I’ve listened to Gorillaz before and I love their songs, so I think it’s amazing that you chose them. After listening to “Empire Ants” and “November Has Come” more closely, I can see what you mean about both songs dealing with uncertainty. In “Empire Ants”, the song starts off soft before building into something louder, which can show how anxiety slowly builds and suddenly becomes overwhelming. While in the song “November Has Come”, MF DOOM's steady delivery creates a colder and more inevitable feeling, as if the uncertainty is unavoidable. The lyric “Well, you know November has come / When it’s gone away” uses November as a metaphor for endings, since it is one of the final months of the year. I think both songs go beyond their times and express a more timeless human anxiety about not being in control of the future. The ants imagery can also be seen in a broader philosophical way, suggesting humans are small and searching for meaning in a huge, indifferent world. While one song feels emotional and reflective, the other feels cold and direct, but both show how people struggle to understand and respond to a constantly changing world. However in the end, both “Empire Ants” and “November Has Come” show that uncertainty about the future is a universal part of the human experience. While their moods are different, each song reveals how people cope with that uncertainty in different ways, whether through hope or acceptance of darker realities.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Gorillaz. “Empire Ants.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-empire-ants-lyrics
Gorillaz. “November Has Come.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-november-has-come-lyrics
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe question that this blog precents is How do "Empire Ants" and "November Has Come" use different moods and styles to talk about similar ideas of uncertainty and the future? A quote from the blogger post that I liked discussed the themes of the "Empire Ants" was "The lyrics compare people to ants, which makes humans seem small compared to the size of the world." ("Empire Ants) (Wyatt Crisp). Which I liked this assessment of the song. It can feel like one person is significant because of how big the world is and how small we are. "The line “Oh joy’s arise, the sun has come again to hold you” stands out because it sounds hopeful, even though the song overall feels lonely and fragile (Gorillaz, “Empire Ants”). It is almost like the song is saying there is still hope even when the future feels uncertain." (Wyatt Crisp). I like Wyatts thoughts but I feel like it is even more complex than that. A quote from the song that I liked was "Soon like a wave that pass will fall And closing in on you they're going on Little memories Your little feet, working the machine " ("Empire Ants"). This quote made it feel like we are just worker ants, "working the machine" as the song says. The song compares humans to ants and I can't help but see the similarities. We just mindlessly follow our queen "Soon, like a wave Empires will fall And closin' in on you" ("Empire Ants"). When it all crashes down it is the people in an empire that will be the collateral. Just numbers that were said to be a means to an end, after all who cares about a couple of ants.
ReplyDeleteA quote in the blogger hat I liked about the second song "November Has Come" "Instead of sounding peaceful, it feels tense and cold. The title itself suggests the arrival of something negative, and the lyrics create a feeling that things are changing for the worse." (Wyatt Crisp). This tied in with the themes of "Empire Ants" that things are getting worse. A quote from the song "November Has Come" that I think adds to this is "Something has started today Where did it go? What you want it to be? Well, you know November has come When it's gone away" ("November Has Come"). This adds to the dread of the future, but knowing that there is a need to enact change but already feeling like it's to late. I believe that the use of November is a nod to voting since that's when we vote.
They both use different moods and styles to talk about similar ideas of uncertainty and the future with tone, and rhythm, but also lyrics. they both show uncertainty for the future with talking about how we are all just ants playing our part in the machine. As well as talking about how we feel like we have lost before we even started especially with voting which feels very real especially since the special election was yesterday. Sometimes with politics it feels like we have lost before we even got the chance to start doing something to change the trajectory that the world is going in.
Hi Wyatt, while “Empire Ants” touches on environmental issues, I would argue that it refers to modern civilization and society more than the Earth. Lines like, “The polyphonic prayer is here, it’s all around you” and “The fallin’ of the whole empire is here to hold you Rolling out and haunted ‘til it sleeps,” (Empire Ants). These both hint at how normal people play into working for a system where everyone becomes one with another. They are just another worker ant in “the machine” (Empire Ants). A mood of anxiety grows throughout the song with a techy sharp instrumental background and harsher lyrics. At the beginning it feels hopeful and calm. There is a smoother, more lyrical style that then transitions to uncertainty for the future. In “November Has Come” the mood and style is darker than “Empire Ants”. Adding onto your response, the use of the month of November in the title leads to a feeling of winter. Winter is typically associated with cold, dark, loneliness, and maybe even death for some people and time periods. This ties into the futuristic theme because we do not ever know what will happen in the future, which makes a feeling of uncertainty. In addition, lyrics like, “Something has started today Where did it go? What you want it to be?” reflects the human nature of questioning the unknown. Both of these songs have darker meanings and connections but ultimately reflect a present feeling of uncertainty for what the future may hold.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Gorillaz. “Empire Ants.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-empire-ants-lyrics
Gorillaz. “November Has Come.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-november-has-come-lyrics
Hi Wyatt! I have listened to a few Gorillaz songs because my sister really likes their music. To answer your question on "How do 'Empire Ants' and 'November Has Come' use different moods and styles to talk about similar ideas of uncertainty and the future?", I would say that they both use unique ways to grab the listener's attention. In the song "Empire Ants", the lyric "Soon like a wave that will pass and fall" gives a really good description of how time is passing. Similarly, in "November Has Come", the lyrics "Well you know November has come/When it's gone away
ReplyDelete" give a very similar vibe in terms of time slipping past someone's grasp. Like you said, the first song has more of a softer tone, and the second one has more of a cold tone. Even though they have different ways of grasping attention, they lead towards the same impending doom. I love some of Gorillaz's more popular songs like "Feel Good Inc." and "Rhinestone Eyes". I think Gorillaz has a great way of captivating listeners with their unique style and their characters. My favorite "band member" is 2D.
Hi Wyatt! Both “Empire Ants” and “November Has Come” show uncertainty about the future, but they do it in really different ways through mood and style. “Empire Ants” feels softer and more emotional, especially as it builds up, which makes the uncertainty feel more personal and almost hopeful. When the song says “the sun has come again to hold you,” it suggests that even if things feel overwhelming, there is still some comfort or possibility (Gorillaz, “Empire Ants”). On the other hand, “November Has Come” feels colder and more serious right away. The mood is more tense, and MF DOOM’s verse adds to that because it sounds controlled but also kind of detached. Instead of hope, the song leans more into accepting that things are unstable. Lines like “something’s starting today” make it feel like change is coming whether people are ready or not (Gorillaz, “November Has Come”). Even though the sounds are very different, both songs are really about people reacting to a world that feels unpredictable. One leans more toward quiet hope, while the other feels more like warning or realism.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Gorillaz. “Empire Ants.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-empire-ants-lyrics
Gorillaz. “November Has Come.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-november-has-come-lyrics
Hi Wyatt! I have heard a few Gorillaz songs but this was my first time hearing "Empire Ants" and "November Has Come". I think both songs aim to deliver a message about time passing in life. I think that is kind of the universal theme across a lot of their songs. For "Empire Ants", the song has a relaxed, laid back vibe which plays into the message of letting go and letting life happen. The lyrics lean towards the acceptance of uncertainty with the future. For example, "And if the whole world is crashing down (On you) / Fall through space out of mind with me" ("Empire Ants"). This line basically means even if things go wrong in life, just continue on because the future is not something you can control. This is something I think that can also be seen in "November Has Come" in the lines, "Well, you know November has come / When it's gone away." It touches on the topic of time continuing to move forward and it is something we just have to adapt to, despite what will come of the future.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Gorillaz. “Empire Ants.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-empire-ants-lyrics
Gorillaz. “November Has Come.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-november-has-come-lyrics
Hi Wyatt! I really enjoyed the songs you picked. Something that I appreciate when artists do is match the title of the song to the vibe the songs give off. I believe that is something that Gorillaz does very well. The first song, "Empire Ants” I have split into two sections in my brain. The first is the very melodic, flowy, airy part of the song. The second is the more technological, more mechanical sounding part. The first part helps to show ideas of the future of what it can be. The first line in the song states, “Oh joy's arise, The sun has come again to hold you” (Gorillaz). I believe that this line is incredibly significant. In the world that the artist is painting, the sun is a representation of a new and exciting day, a peaceful figure that comforts people. Whereas in reality, for many, the sun is the sign that they have to get up and go to work, and stands as just another figure that represents repetitive days. The second part of the song, the more mechanical portion, helps to represent the present day. The song says, “Little memories, Your little feet, working the machine” (Gorillaz). This shows the idle work process people are forced to participate in in order to survive. This line also helps to tie into the title perfectly, comparing the people in society to ant in a colony.
ReplyDeleteThe second song gives off a very different vibe from the first. It's far more moody and gloomy. The song talks about the decay of society over time and inevitably of time which perfectly applies to the title of the song as well, “November Has Come”. Time is a fact of life, same as the seasons changing and the months passing. The song states, “Draw for the poor, Free coffee at the banks” (Gorillaz). This line shows contrasting images. It helps to highlight the clear financial differences within society.
Works Cited:
Gorillaz. “Empire Ants.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-empire-ants-lyrics
Gorillaz. “November Has Come.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-november-has-come-lyrics
In “November has come” the tone of the song is extremely dreary. The lyrics match this sad tone that is held by the author. Both the style and message of the song hold a strong depressing tone. This is used to help show the uneasiness of the world after the events that occurred on 9/11. Many people were scared and did not know what was going to happen. This song helped humanity by giving a comforting presence and reassurance that the world will move forward. It helped to assure people that the world will keep moving on. In “Empire Ants” while the lyrics are more of a depressing tone, the melody is more upbeat. This offers a more contradicting song, this allows to be the listeners to be more engaged and fire them a better grasp on the song. This song benefits mankind because it brings awareness about climate change and allows for more knowledge about the subject.
ReplyDeleteHey Wyatt! I have never listened to Gorillaz before but, I enjoyed listening to each song you provided. After listening to "Empire Ants" and "November Has Come" I definitely noticed the different mood and styles used to express uncertainty and the future.
ReplyDeleteFor example, in "Empire Ants," the mood changes from soft, hopeful and emotional to intense and serious. An example of the mood being hopeful can be found in the lyrics, "Oh joys arise, the sun has come again to hold you (Gorillaz, “Empire Ants”)." Then we can see how the mood changes in the lyrics, "And if the world is crashing down (on you)/ Fall through space out of mind with me (Gorillaz, “Empire Ants”)." This change shows how the future can feel both peaceful and scary at the same time.
On the other hand, "November Has Come" seems to have a darker mood compared to "Empire Ants." Instead of changing moods throughout the song, the mood stays the same with a more serious and dark tone. For example, the lyrics state, "Slow it down some, no split clown bum/ Your old hit sound, it's a new hit now," showing the seriousness in the song and how straight forward and blunt it sounds ("November Has Come").
Although each song had a different mood, they both had a common theme of uncertainty and not knowing what the future may hold.
Works Cited
Gorillaz. “Empire Ants.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-empire-ants-lyrics
Gorillaz. “November Has Come.” Genius, https://genius.com/Gorillaz-november-has-come-lyrics