Handlebars- by Flobots
One of the most powerful things a human being possesses is voice and the power to use that voice to do great or terrible things. The song “Handlebars” by Flobots emphasizes what people can do: pretty much anything. But the song also references to what voice can do.
The lyrics, “I can lead a nation with a microphone” emphasizes how the simple act of holding a microphone and making a speech can exert power with those words. They even go on to reference Adolf Hitler, one of the most powerful rhetorician’s in history: “and I can end the nation in a holocaust, in a holocaust, in a holocaust”, with what sounds like the cheer heard in Nazi rallies in the background.
How is it that one man can lead an entire nation to kill millions of innocents in the most inhumane ways simply because of religious affiliations and different beliefs? Is it simply because they were all evil people? No, that’s not it.
Hitler spoke with what he believed was the truth; he spoke with his heart. We may see it as a deranged way to feel, but the power of speaking to what you think is true and reaching out to millions using simple words and short, powerful sentences can touch people and make them feel like “Yeah, he has a point there!”. Not only did his speeches evoke these emotions in people, but his propaganda did as well. It constantly reminded people of his thoughts, his views, this heartfelt matter of his, and eventually it sunk in to the people of that nation’s thoughts too, which ended in the world’s most well known Holocaust.
I love this! First, you directly tied this in to a song, and music is an amazing way to express yourself. Second, you are completely right; Hitler spoke with his opinions and beliefs, though many obviously disagreed. Yes, Hitler did not go about fixing this so-called "problem" the right way, but his display of rhetoric throughout history will always be remembered. Thank you for posting this!
ReplyDeleteThis is so great! I really like how you connected the song to the words of Hitler. Plus the fact that you don't just stop and say Hitler was a terrible person, but that you address the fact that he believed in what he said and how you connected that to the power of words. The image at the end really helps illustrate your point too. Great, great job!
ReplyDeleteBecause the blog decided to hide your words, I was really confused for a second. But this is an awesome song to pair with this post. Your post is strong and I can tell that you really support what you're writing about. You're absolutely correct about Hitler and it's a shame that some people can't admit that he was a great rhetorical speaker, even if he didn't use that for good. I don't even understand German, but if you listen to him he's very captivating. Great post =]
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing post. I love how you linked the song with what you believe it makes a big difference if you believe in what you are writing. You are completely right, Hitler was one of the great rhetorical speakers but even though he used it in the wrong way his audiance was captivated by it. It truly does matter how you use the microphone that you are giving in life, even if it is for the wrong doing it makes a difference. Thank you for posting this I enjoyed watching and listening to the video as well as reading your blog that you seem to be passionate about.
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