Genius | Song Lyrics & Knowledge

Motion as a mini-skirt… Unseen Flirtations – The Literary Dress Code

6,839

Artist

10 years

Sir Andrew Motion – poet laureate from 1999 – 2009

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Tennyson as trousers Unseen Flirtations – The Literary Dress Code

6,839

Artist

10 years

(Alfred Lord)

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Shakespeare Unseen Flirtations – The Literary Dress Code

6,839

Artist

10 years

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

brown, leather satchel Unseen Flirtations – The Literary Dress Code

6,839

Artist

10 years

The uniform of the pretentious scholar:

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Stares, glares, side glances and full blown
Looks to the face
(The attention is great) Unseen Flirtations – The Literary Dress Code

6,839

Artist

10 years

You might get stared at reading certain books in public. I’ve had weird looks before just because I might not fit the stereotype look of a voracious reader, ie: black. Sigh.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Yeah, ‘cause I put new clothes, on a par with new books –
It’s a new code
Dress code- Unseen Flirtations – The Literary Dress Code

6,839

Artist

10 years

I like to think one can dress themselves in knowledge in the same way that you might deck yourself out in new clothes. And for me, one is as fly as the other.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

A four foot box, a foot for every year. Seamus Heaney – Mid-Term Break

Genius Annotation 3 Contributors ?

What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

A starkly direct ‘punchline’ to the poem, deservedly on its own line. Four feet denotes a child’s coffin, indirectly telling us that the dead child was four years of age.

The absence of adjectives and bland use of ‘box’ for coffin sustains the ironically detached tone, adding to the poignancy.

There is a rhythmic balance in the last line, with the repetition of ‘foot’ and two related clauses, a device known as chiasmus. The rhythm is ironic; it should suggest equilibrium, but instead describes a terrible tragedy.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Isabel

8 years

Upvote +0 Downvote

mmm

Marked this as missing something ?

8 years

mmm

Upvote +0 Downvote

9 years

This particular line also is the only line that rhymes with another: “The bumper knocked him clear”. Perhaps an emphasis that the author wishes perfection for the final goodbye for the child, as it is the last word that will leave the reader thinking. Generally, the last words are those that are remembered.

Upvote +6 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

Good afternoon, thank you for inviting me to be here at Morrison’s today. George Osborne – Benefits Speech at Morrison's - April 2nd 2013

Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

An instant political manoeuvre: Morrison’s is a very working class supermarket chain that is typically frequented by the ‘ordinary’ people Osborne is courting in this speech.

Chances are he shops at Waitrose. Actually, chances are, he has a shopper who shops at Waitrose for him…

Also, the extent to which he was ‘invited’ is up for debate.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Prince of Cambridge The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – Royal Baby Name

Genius Annotation 4 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

William and Kate’s official titles are “Duke and Duchess of Cambridge”, thus Georgie Porgie is the town’s new Prince.

They don’t actually live in Cambridge.

Their official address is St James' Palace, London.

ACCEPTED COMMENT: This kid has been born working. By which I mean, very simply, that he’s born with a title and a position. His identity is rigid and predefined. It’s no accident that ‘Prince of Cambridge’ comes last in his list of titles, because, essentially, that’s what he is.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

[Verse 2] Lupe Fiasco – Gold Watch

Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

This verse is key to the whole song.

‘Gold Watch’ is a discourse on individuality and status symbols, riffing on the concept of a gold watch (a staple hiphoip status symbol). Verse 1 saw Luper introduce the question as to what defines ‘cool’ or acceptable in a particular culture, and the hook falls upon a list of heavily cliched status symbols; gold watch, gold chain, diamonds, ‘bad bitch’ (if you take the girl as just another commodity…)

Now, Lupe hits us with his OWN inventory of ‘cool’ and it is far, far away from accepted hiphop rules of ‘coolness’. But that’s the whole point. Lupe is asserting his individuality, and aggressively so. He KNOWS you can’t be ‘punk from projects’ (verse 1) but is happy to rap about candles, sandals, notebooks, pens, sweets, video games, obscure jazz drummers, lesser-known graffiti artists, high-end luggage, political magazines, miniature ninjas and obscure Japanese designers.

Worth noting that the inventory of items in this verse is the inventory of a highly cultured connoisseur. Lupe has refined, specific tastes. He has sampled a great deal of world culture and is dripping with cultural capital as a result. In fact, the level of detail in this verse is remarkable – he differentiates his tastes to an almost ludicrous extent, specifying a preferred flavour of ‘Now and Later’ and specific Streetfighter II characters that he enjoys fighting with. Also, where most people might have left it at ‘I like Japanese designers’, Lu states not only which designers, but specific locations where you can find specific samples from certain ranges. Dover Street is nowhere near Japan, or Chicago. It’s in London.

See, if ‘cool’ is knowing your stuff, and knowing who you are, then this song is a hugely confident/ arrogant exclamation of how cool Lupe thinks he is, whether hiphop likes it or not.

Deep.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

This verse is key to the whole song.

'Gold Watch' is a discourse on individuality and status symbols, riffing on the concept of a gold watch (a staple hiphoip status symbol). Verse 1 saw Luper introduce the question as to what defines 'cool' or acceptable in a particular culture, and the hook falls upon a list of heavily cliched status symbols; gold watch, gold chain, diamonds, 'bad bitch' (if you take the girl as just another commodity...)

Now, Lupe hits us with his OWN inventory of 'cool' and it is far, far away from accepted hiphop rules of 'coolness'. But that's the whole point. Lupe is asserting his individuality, and aggressively so. He KNOWS you can't be 'punk from projects' (verse 1) but is happy to rap about candles, sandals, notebooks, pens, sweets, video games, obscure jazz drummers, lesser-known graffiti artists, high-end luggage, political magazines, miniature ninjas and obscure Japanese designers.

Worth noting that the inventory of items in this verse is the inventory of a highly cultured connoisseur. Lupe has refined, specific tastes. He has sampled a great deal of world culture and is dripping with cultural capital as a result. In fact, the level of detail in this verse is remarkable - he differentiates his tastes to an almost ludicrous extent, specifying a preferred flavour of 'Now and Later' and specific Streetfighter II characters that he enjoys fighting with. Also, where most people might have left it at 'I like Japanese designers', Lu states not only which designers, but specific locations where you can find specific samples from certain ranges. Dover Street is nowhere near Japan, or Chicago. It's in London.

See, if 'cool' is knowing your stuff, and knowing who you are, then this song is a hugely confident/ arrogant exclamation of how cool Lupe thinks he is, whether hiphop likes it or not.

Deep.

report abuse

« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 20 21 Next »

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

Integrate the suggestion into the annotation, keeping the contributor guidelines in mind.