Hollywood? Racist?

In what ways does the cycle of new African-based films, produced by Hollywood, challenge and/or reproduce dominant images and discourses of race?

In recent years there has been an explosion of Hollywood movies based on stories set in African countries. Hollywood has a long history of producing films set in Africa. The majority of these, such as Casablanca (1942), Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995) and Sahara (2005), merely include the African country they are based in, as a backdrop for the (usually white) American protagonist(s). These films were innately racist and rarely concentrated on black or native characters. However, what is said to be different about this new cycle of movies is that they are not only set in African countries but also depict stories about African (usually black) people. Examples of these films – and those which I will be analysing in this essay – are Hotel Rwanda (2004, dir. Terry George), Blood Diamond (2006, dir. Edward Zwick) and Catch A Fire (2006, dir. Phillip Noyce). This new mini-trend of films have become very popular, with both critics and audiences, (Blood Diamond was recently nominated for five Academy Awards and Hotel Rwanda was nominated for three) and, as a result, profitable. The African subject matter that is being highlighted by these films opens up discussion about why these narratives are suddenly popular to global audiences and how Africa and Africans are being represented. These issues all revolve around the theories of racial representation. Cinema has an inherent effect on our culture and therefore, can be said to influence our ideas of race. As Jill Nelmes says, ‘Popular cinema could be seen as playing a part in ‘naturalising’ particular ways of seeing and understanding the world…” The worlds depicted by these films are a portrayal of racial relations and can be said to reinforce and/or challenge already established discourses of race. Through this essay I shall examine whether or not these films have improved upon past representations of race, examining whether theories of colonialism still effect filmic images of racial difference today. I will also emphasise how these films still convey aspects of racism, despite intending to have the opposite affect. I will also examine the individual roles of the production, the film text and the audience and how they act independently and together in order to reinforce hegemonic ideas of race.

These three films are purported to not be racist and are said to convey well-rounded and ethical stories of African people. However, suggestions of racism are obvious in all three. It is important to note that the three war stricken worlds created by these films – the Rwandan genocide in Hotel Rwanda, the civil war of Sierra Leone in Blood Diamond and the apartheid and terrorism of South Africa in Catch A Fire – are just that, creations. “It may look like something familiar, but in actuality it is a different universe from the world of the real.” These films convey what is thought to be those particular worlds at those particular times. Therefore, one must analyse what hegemonic structures shape these thoughts. All Hollywood films are written and produced by Western filmmakers, to be viewed, fundamentally, by Western audiences. As a result, these films are made to meet the needs of the First World, not the Third World. As Edward Said notes about the centrality of the West:

“The thing to be noticed about this kind of contemporary discourse, which assumes the primacy and even the complete centrality of the West, is how totalizing is its form, how all- enveloping its attitudes and gestures, how much it shuts out even as it includes, compresses, and consolidates.”

Therefore, as far as reconstructing established hegemonic structures of race these films are as much the same as all other films made about Africa that use the setting merely as a backdrop. Even though these films do not convey overt racism, racism itself is an intricate social structure where individuals do not have to blatantly articulate racist slurs or connotations in order to be racist. The subtle racist undertones of these three films (which I shall highlight in detail later) just act to reinforce already established meanings of race, and doubly, act to compliment Western culture. This being a characteristic of racism itself, “Racism invokes a double movement of aggression and narcissism; the insult to the accused is doubled by a compliment to the accuser.”. Discourses of race in cinema, are established by three components: production, film text and audiences. Separately, these three units have individual influences on racial discourse. Together, they shape the entire cultural meanings depicted by the film as a whole. I call this the film triangle, and shall now examine all three components of the films, and how aspects of each convey discourses of race that support the already established structures evident in our society since colonial times.

As stated in the introduction, past films representing Africa were inherently racist. From nineteenth century travel writers to modern day directors, Africa has long been a place discovered and explored by Western minds, from a Western viewpoint, to fulfil Western needs. Early representations of Africa supported the colonial effort of European powers. As Robert O’Sullivan observes, “If black Africans could be represented as uncivilised and savage in the nineteenth century; then slavery and exploitation by their white rulers could be justified.” Therefore, early depictions found in books, such as Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness served to justify European colonisers’ right to conquer African lands and rendered the people as tribal, barbaric and ill-bred. Early Hollywood films, and even those like Sahara released only two years ago, repeat these same misrepresentations of Africa and its people. Films tend to emphasise the physical landscape of Africa and its exotic animals, over the people. As stated by Robert Stam and Louise Spence; “Hollywood films, in any case, show disproportionate interest in the animal, as opposed to the human life of Africa.” If human characters are central to the plot of a Hollywood film based in Africa it is usually a white male character who is of First World origin, such is the case with Matthew Maconaghey and co. in Sahara. This is racist in itself, as it conveys the idea that only white (usually) American men have the power and strength to come into the extreme environment of Africa and effect change. This results in subtly suggesting that the African people are not able to help themselves and therefore need the intervention of the West (an idea conveyed not so subtly in military films like Black Hawk Down). This underlying idea stems, also, from colonialism. The movies Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond and Catch a Fire appear to delve much deeper into Africa than ever before. The films do not merely depict Africa as a natural backdrop and the narratives centralise on black African protagonists. However, despite the differences one must examine if they are indeed different from these past representations. To analyse this one must first look at the context within which each film was made and the production processes of each.

Despite the fact that films set in Africa have been popular with global audiences for many years, the films of this particular mini-trend were claiming to be different. Therefore, the first to be released out of the three, Hotel Rwanda, found it difficult to raise the money needed to produce the film. Director Terry George has been quoted as saying, “…none of them [major Hollywood studios] were backing us because it’s a three strike movie. It’s got African American and African actors. That’s the principal cast. The white cast are B roles. It’s about Africa. And it’s about genocide. So those three strikes mean you’re out in Hollywood.” It is plain to see that Hollywood studios were not eager to invest in movies that might step away from the established stereotypical African films that were already proven to be successful. George managed to raise his own finances independently, and when the movie was completed, he landed a distribution deal with the Hollywood studios of MGM and United Artists. Even then George described the studios as “brave”. As a result of this distribution deal in the U.S., Hotel Rwanda was the first film of its kind to enjoy critical and commercial success worldwide. To an extent Hotel Rwanda opened the floodgates for narratives about African conflicts, as it proved that films dealing with this subject matter could be profitable. Both Blood Diamond and Catch A Fire, appeared to have no trouble with raising finances and were funded by Warner Bros. and Focus Features, (amongst others), respectively. Despite the easy access of financing for these films, in what ways do they affect the locales of where they are filming. All three films, filmed on several locations in Africa, (mostly all of them were in South Africa) however, little of the resources of these locations were used. “In such projects, […] mostly Western cast, crew and equipment are shipped in and out of location, and the benefits to the local industry are usually negligible.” All three films tell detailed stories of African individuals, yet the majority of the leading actors and actresses in all three are Hollywood stars and the production teams were shipped from America. How does this benefit the continent which the directors say they are trying to help? Also, these narratives seemingly portray the adversities faced by the African characters in the films, but that does not mean that their representations are not racist. After all as bell hooks says, Hollywood is “…the place where white supremacist capitalist patriarchy can keep reinventing itself, no matter how many times the West is decentred.“ All the directors of these films are white and from Westernised countries. Therefore, who is to say that these particular men can escape the stereotypes of Africa that they have been exposed to in the past and make films that are free of racism. Their films depict a type of new racism. Despite the fact that the films appear to act as positive portrayals of Africa, they haven’t fully moved on from past representations. This is clear even in production, as these white directors rule over their black cast, giving them direction on how to act black. Therefore, the production process mimics already established discourses of race. These film’s are still films depicting the First World’s voyeuristic gaze of Africa. They are particular images of Africa as seen through the eyes of the white production teams. The production process is an integral part of the films which, along with the film text and audience, shape cultural meanings of race.

The production of a film is interlinked with the actual film text. The film text can be said to reflect its own production practices. As shown above, the production process can not escape the culture within which the film is made and, as a result, the film text, too, echoes the wider social constructs surrounding its development. Despite these films’ apparent non-racist attitudes to its subject matter, aspects of the films themselves still adhere to past stereotypical representations of Africa. Nowhere is this more present than in the opening sequences of each film. Hotel Rwanda opens with a black screen. An African voice is heard, and is later acknowledged as a radio broadcaster from RTML radio, who played an integral part in the real-life Rwandan genocide. This voice denounces the Tutsis as “cockroaches” and warns people to “watch their neighbours“. The shot then cuts to the title sequence showing the words “Hotel Rwanda” in bold, on a backdrop of what is depicted as the Rwandan landscape. This shot includes rolling mountains, and in the forefront are dilapidated slums. Not only does this opening sequence rehash old filmic methods of depicting Africa using its exotic, and in this case rundown, scenery, but more modern, insidious undertones are evoked through the opening voiceover. The radio broadcaster acts as a symbol of the Hutu tribe who, in the film, carry out the slaughter of the, seemingly, victimised Tutsis. In the film, there is a clear definition between good and evil. The good are the Tutsis, who Paul, the protagonist aims to save, and the evil characters are the Hutus, who are shown as gun-toting, barbaric murderers. The truth of the Rwandan genocide is far more complicated than this generic Hollywood version of events. By equating the voiceover with the colour black of the black screen, a racist undertone can be found. In the film black is equated with evil. It is also interesting to note that the Tutsis were thought to be lighter-skinned, therefore they were less black than their enemy, the Hutus.

The opening sequence of Catch A Fire has similar opening scenes. This film also opens with stereotypical landscape shots and even includes exotic birds and animals. The family wedding in the opening scene takes place in a desert area, in the middle of a small collection of rundown shacks. The black characters dance, jump and sing in a tribal way. Despite including what seems to be traditional African wedding practices, by placing the wedding in this stereotypical setting, it renders the depiction of the wedding as racist. These people are well dressed and drive cars. Why is the wedding taking place in a desert, with no apparent signs of life? Other examples of this film that reaffirm past representations of Africa on screen include the following; Whilst Patrick is imprisoned, exotic bird calls and animal noises can be heard pervading his cell. Despite all the African characters speaking eligible English, (another connotation of racism, as the characters in all films speak the English language, ignoring their own native tongue) they are often, patronisingly subtitled. Music plays an integral part in this film. Tribal music is heard at the start of the film and the black South Africans often break into song, singing traditional freedom songs. However, the lyrics of these freedom songs are filled with violence, “We’ll meet in the bushes with our AK-47s and bazookas.” This evokes the idea that the black South Africans are violent, to the point of terrorism. When, we know, in this post-apartheid world that the white patriarchal system that was in place in South Africa at the time the film depicts, was undemocratic and later abolished due to its violent control over the majority of the population. By highlighting the violence of the ANC through these particular songs, the film evokes an almost romanticised version of apartheid.

The most clearly racist of the three films, Blood Diamond, also opens with a opening sequence that belittles and racially stereotypes its black characters. The film opens with a map of the world. The rest of the world fades slowly to leave the continent of Africa on its own. This map is in black. Again, Africa is depicted as the “dark continent”. Despite the continent’s numerous geographical and cultural divides, all societies are included in this blackness. This highlights another stereotype used by Western cultures, who believe that all parts of Africa are exactly the same. The darkness effervesces when Solomon, lights a gas lamp. Solomon’s home is depicted as a shack, made of vines, with no floor. His family sleep on the ground and their appears to be no signs of modern technology. The scenes that follow include shots of the landscape, yet again, and exotic animals such as pelicans. The exotic landscape is of such importance in this film, that it becomes part of the plot when, after a car chase, the three main characters of Danny, Solomon and Maddie are forced to trek through the jungle. These jungle scenes would not have been out of place in a Tarzan movie. This film is almost an exact replica of past films about Africa, if it wasn’t for the inclusion of the character of Solomon Vandy, played by Djimon Hounsou. The opening sequences of all three films relate back to these past representations that depict Africa as a land of extreme nature and exotic wildlife. Neither the nature or the wildlife directly affect the stories told by the films so, the filmmakers’ decision to include these shots can only stem from a stereotypical and racist viewpoint.

As stated previously, these films convey a type of new racism, in that they all try and subvert racist discourse, by overtly discussing racism in each film. In Blood Diamond the Commander of the RUF rebels speaks of the history of racism present in his country when he says; “The Freetown government and their white masters have raped your land to feed their greed. We have freed you! No more slave and master here. We are all brothers!” However, this valid point is paralleled by scenes of the Commander ruling over his own slaves, and this, along with previous scenes conveying the violence of this character, results in a subversion of what he says. We cannot believe what he says as he is the evil character in the film. Solomon himself, also speaks of a popular discourse of race, “I know good people who say there is something wrong with us, inside our black skin that we’re better off when the white man ruled.” A discourse which has its roots in colonial philosophy. Catch A Fire depicts an intriguing view of the terrorist. In the post 9/11 world, terrorism is feared and loathed, however, it can be argued that the protagonist in this film is a terrorist. What is interesting is that because the film is shown from Patrick’s viewpoint, the audience sympathise with his character and therefore, wills him to succeed in his task of bombing the oil refinery. This sympathy arises due to the fact that Western audiences are now aware of the horrors that were taking place under the apartheid regime in South Africa. We [the audience] do not see Patrick as a terrorist but as a man who was trying to make things right. This major aspect of the film, appears to be trying to subvert the racism inherent, not only in apartheid South Africa, but all racial discourse, as we align ourselves with an example of one man who is being discriminated against by that social structure. However, Patrick can be said to be a flawed character, (especially compared to Nic Vos the anti-terrorist officer who arrests him) so it can be said the principles for which Patrick stands up for are also flawed. Hotel Rwanda, perhaps, has the most overt aspect of subverting racism. Nick note’s character Colonel Olivier admits to Paul that there will be no help for him and the people he is trying to save:

“You’re dirt! We think you’re dirt Paul! The West, all the Superpowers, everything you believe in, Paul; they think you’re dirt, they think you’re dung. You’re worthless! […] You’re the smartest man here. You got ’em all eating out of you hands. You could own this freakin’ hotel, except for one thing: You’re black! You’re not even a nigger, you’re an African.”

These lines are delivered with an apologetic and defeatist attitude, conveying that the Colonel is sorry for the racism of the Western world that has allowed for these people to be abandoned during a period of time that could see them all killed. One may think that by overtly discussing the very structures that define racial discourses, that these films subvert them, but I believe the opposite to be true. In the case of Solomon in Blood Diamond, as will be shown in the next section, his character epitomises all racist stereotypes of black Africans. Therefore, his speech about colonial times lacks coherence and conviction. He acts as a spokesperson for racism itself, not the opposite:

This declaration is indicative of our cultural failure to understand that merely putting black characters in a film does not assure that the work acts, whether covertly or overtly, to undermine racism. Those black characters can be constructed cinematically so that they become mouthpieces for racist assumptions and beliefs.

In the case of Hotel Rwanda Colonel Olivier’s speech has a similar affect. Just because he acknowledges racism as a reason for the abandonment of the Milles Collines Hotel in the film, it does not act to subvert its foundations. The hotel is still abandoned and the black natives are left to fend for themselves. This conveys the idea that despite acknowledging racist discourses, nothing will change. There is an element of “this is the way things are here” and, as a result, an acceptance of the status quo.

The main black protagonists in each of these films encompass several characteristics of racial stereotyping. The main stereotypes include the interlinking of the African and the body, the linking of the African “other” with animal characteristics, and colonial mimicry. Paul, in Hotel Rwanda epitomises the colonial method of mimicry. In colonial times, colonial rulers would enhance their control by influencing the natives to take on the ruling elite’s social, political, religious and language nuances.“ During colonial times, and even after, a complex kind of intercultural performance occurred when “natives” took, or were awarded the privilege of acquiring, the language, dress, habits, religion, and social values of the colonial rulers.” In effect they ruled by coercion. Paul’s belief system is stemmed in Western values, he dresses in impeccable suits and believes he is “one of them.” He dismisses the politics of his own country and heritage. When asked to join his Hutu tribe, Paul refuses saying that “Time is money”, his only concern is the hotel and its paying White, upper class customers. However, this colonial mimicry backfires for Paul, as when the violence of the genocide puts his, and his family’s lives in danger, he is abandoned by his Western employers and friends. “I am a fool. They told me I was one of them.” This evokes the idea, that no matter how Westernised an African can become, he is still first and foremost an African, “By means of snubs, slights, discrimination, and outright violence, the rulers reminded the subjects that no level of mastering the “parent culture” could wash out the racial stain.” Just like, Paul, Patrick Chamusso depicts some elements of mimicry. At the beginning of Catch A Fire he tells of how he chose the name Patrick for himself over his tribal African name. Patrick also attends engineering school at night, and is poignantly, the only black man in attendance. When Patrick becomes a member of the ANC, he is fully aware that despite his mimicry the white ruling classes of his country will never allow him to be equal with them. In contrast, Solomon Vandy epitomises everything that is supposedly different between an African man and a man from the First World. For much of the film Solomon’s torso is on display. This conveys the nineteenth century stereotype of the naked African. Africans were believed to be tribal, barbaric and as a result, wore little or no clothing. The barbarity of this racist stereotype is also epitomised when Solomon, in his rare acts of defiance, screams and howls like an animal. When attacking the man who has indoctrinated his son into becoming a child soldier, Solomon howls, rips off his clothing and beats him with a shovel. This characterisation rehashes the colonial image of the African as something that was both fascinating and feared by the colonisers. Solomon is a dispossessed man in this film, he is ripped from his home and taken out of context. Therefore the only context or category we can place him in, is that of race. As Stuart Hall observes, “The moment the signifier ‘black’ is torn from its historical, cultural, and political embedding and lodged in a biologically constituted racial category, we valorize, by inversion, the very ground of the racism we are trying to deconstruct” Solomon, through his beast-like acts of violence, (rare as they are), his half-nudity and his categorisation as a person regarding only his race, equates him to the standard black African that has been depicted by the West since the colonial era. The stereotypes conveyed by all three films through their black protagonists show that these films reproduce dominant discourses of race.

The inclusion of white male counterparts, in each film, further epitomises the hegemonic discourses of race. Recognisable Hollywood stars have huge parts in each film. Leonardo Di Caprio, receives first billing in Blood Diamond over Djimon Hounsou, who is in fact at the centre of the story. Di Caprio’s character of Danny Archer is a corrupt white African, and epitomises everything that is wrong with the white man’s presence in Africa. However, the film awards more screen time and more development to Archer’s character. He is at the centre of the plot, not Solomon. By the end of the film one feels sympathy for Archer’s character and regards him as a hero who sacrificed himself so that Solomon could be reunited with his family. One forgets, that from the offset he was using Solomon to get the diamond that Solomon had hidden. “I am using him and you are using me and that is the way it works”. Similar, although lesser, effects are achieved by casting Nick Nolte and Tim Robbins in Catch A Fire and Hotel Rwanda respectively. Casting white male actors in these films who are more recognisable than their black counterparts, is a decision taken by the filmmakers that supports the hierarchy of white man over black man, “The racist idea that a film, to be economically viable, must use a “universal” (i.e. white) star, reveals the intrication of economics and racism…” once again, showing how these typical Hollywood films endorse the hegemonic racist structures of Western culture.

The third and final until of the film triangle is the role of the audience. Audiences translate what they see and hear on screen to their own defined cultural meanings. This inevitably involves analysing discourses of race. As stated before, Hollywodd films are aimed at Western audiences. Therefore, these films must contain elements that are easily identifiable to First World audiences, if they are to make a profit. “Here the dominant audience, whose ideological assumptions must be respected if a film is to be successful, or even made at all, exerts a kind of indirect hegemony.” As a result, it can be said that hegemonic discourses of race cannot be escaped in Hollywood films as they are the dominant discourses that are present in that culture. The individual spectator can be said to shape their own views of the stereotypes present in films. The highly stereotypical character of Solomon in Blood Diamond, for example, can be easily recognisable by audiences and then rejected. Despite Blood Diamonds apparent success in the box office and with critics, many audience members have commented on its inherent racist undertones. This shows, that Western audiences are ready to move on from stereotypical depictions of minority groups. However, by rejecting stereotypes, the audience has not diminished the power of those racial discourses. By merely recognising the stereotypes existence demonstrates its role in our society, “…knowledge of the inaccuracy of the stereotype […] does not forestall the political effect of the stereotype; indeed, the stereotype is effective on a colonial zed subject precisely through its distortion.” All colonial zed subjects will remain colonial zed in this post-colonialist era, if these stereotypes are re-used and reinstated in representations of race. Although these films appear to convey a well-rounded depiction of African narratives, there remain certain messages aimed at the audience that cannot be willingly subverted. Messages like Paul’s mimicry of the West, convey the idea that the West is better than the Third World. It is these subliminal, perhaps, unintentional discourses that shape audiences cultural politics, “While audiences are clearly not passive and are able to pick and choose. It is simultaneously true that there are certain “received” messages that are rarely mediated by the will of the audience.”

The film triangle, as discussed above, includes the three vertices of film production, film text and the role of the audience. These combine to shape the filmic reality and, also the cultural resonance it has for the global audience that watch the films. In films about Africa, all elements of the film triangle work together to conform to past representations, that have not moved on from the West’s obsession with the “Other”. “In this age of mixing and hybridity, popular culture, particularly the world of movies, constitutes a new frontier providing a sense of movement, of pulling away from the familiar and journeying into and beyond the world of the other” In Hollywood movies, the “Other” could simply be different worlds or galaxies, but when films such as these, highlight discourses of race, racial othering is an inherent and racist consequence. The sudden popularity and success of films based in Africa, has not been at this level before. One must consider that this is yet another world that offers filmmakers fresh narratives from different viewpoints. However, Africa needs to be explored without white filmmakers exploiting the Western mainstream curiosity of the “Other”, and instead highlight Africa for what it is for it‘s own people, not ours. “…blackness has fulfilled a specific function as the pre-eminent signifier of otherness, in defining the norm by what it is not, and thereby as a means of binding together disparate [white] ethnicities into a dominant American identity.” All these films work to reaffirm the very racist discourses they set out to subvert. Unintentionally, and inescapably, this new cycle of films have reproduced dominant images and discourses of race.

Rebel Without A Cause, Ray’s clever use of mise en scene!!

During the Hollywood era, studios had more control over the artistic direction of a film than any other period in America’s filmmaking history. As a result, mise en scène played an important role for the director as for some, it was the only way they could convey there authorship, “The concept of mise en scène was developed by those theorists interested in issues of authorship, or the role of the participants, and particularly by directors in constructing the meaning of film.” Mise en scène can be seen as a collective term for those aspects of filming that help to construct the meanings of the narrative, outside of the dialogue, “Mise en scène fills out the meaning of otherwise neutral spaces in the interests of the audience’s wider dramatic involvement” Devices such as the sets and props, camera movements, costume and make-up, acting and a film’s lighting can be styled by the director and interpreted by the audience to evoke several layers of narrative meaning. Rebel Without a Cause filmed in 1955 is cleverly shot by Ray and is an example of a family melodrama where it’s meaning is heightened by aspects of mise en scène. In this film, mise en scène is as crucial to meaning as narrative form.

The first filmic device that I shall highlight is that of setting and props. Sets and props that are chosen for film are chosen for a reason. However, it is not just the set and the props themselves that play an intrinsic role to interpreting meaning, it is also important to note how they are filmed. Therefore, I will also discuss camera shots and movements. The importance of props are conveyed immediately in this film. The opening shot focuses on a drunk Jim Stark, (played by James Dean) as he crawls along an open street. He comes upon a small toy monkey lying in the street and proceeds to play with it. This action is child-like and echoes what James Dean’s character represents, that of misguided youth and lost innocence. Dean then lays the monkey down and wraps it in newspaper, placing a smaller teddy bear beside it, as if he is putting it to sleep. Again, several layers of meaning are evoked here. As the film continues, we are made aware of Jim’s problems stemming from his parents and their altered power relations. Putting the monkey to sleep is motherly, and the anguish on Deans face parallels the anguish he feels towards his own parents. Straight away one can see the effect of props on narrative meaning here. Even though James Dean does not explain his actions through dialogue, we, as observers interpret his silent actions with these particular props ourselves.

Sets too, are important in this film. A lot of the sets used by Ray have many barriers, such as staircases and doors in them. Doors themselves become an inherent prop in the film, due to their role as dividing the generational gap that is felt by all of the characters. In the police station at the beginning of the film, Jim’s father draws attention to this fact and says to Jim “Do you always have to slam the door in my face?”. Later, in the scene, Jim stands behind a door and looks through a peephole at his squabbling parents and grandmother. Therefore, one can say it is not only the audience and director who translate aspects of mise en scène, but in this film, the characters are also aware of the settings affect, “…characters are as aware as the audience of the thematic significance of spatial arenas, and of the crucial importance of transitional places such as doors and staircases.”

As stated above, it is not just the sets and the props acting individually as crucial elements to meaning, but also how they are shot. One scene in the film, not only highlights the affect of mise en scène in conveying meaning, but particularly emphasizes the story-telling ability of camera movement. “The camera’s shifting gaze lets us examine different perspectives within the frame, allowing us not only to explore space, but also to understand its meanings through identifications of and with characters.” When Jim returns to the house from the bluff, the confrontation with his parents is set in the front hallway of their house. The confrontation begins with a swirling shot of Jim’s mother, as viewed by him as he lies upside down on the couch. One can see here that a word of dialogue has not been spoken by the actors and yet a sense of unease is already being conveyed through camera movement. As the heated discussion with his parents continues, the actors position themselves on the stairs. Jim stands on the stairs in between his parents. The resulting camera shots convey layers of meaning about the power relations in the Stark household. Jim’s father is positioned at the bottom of the staircase, in between Jim and the door. This position in the frame equates his position in the hierarchy of the household, where he is torn between his wife and the expectations of his son, therefore fuelling his son’s rebellion. Jim’s mother is positioned above the men, showing that she believes she has the power in the household. However, Jim’s confrontational stance in between his parents is set up by the camera to challenge this. The camera then tilts. This not only places Jim at the same height as his parents, (and therefore of equal importance) but also conveys a feeling of unease, confusion and tension. “…it [the shot] can also be tilted to one side. Such a shot is read as an indication of instability, either that of the characters or of the situation that the shot is recording.” It is evident in this pivotal scene that mise en scène is inherent in expressing meaning, along with narrative form.

Another substantial facet of mise en scène that has a most dramatic affect on translating narrative meaning is that of acting. One can argue that acting has an innate association with narrative form alone, and that it “…sought to fulfil the requirements of the plot with a minimum of psychological embellishment…” However, James Dean epitomises a school of acting that brought attention to different layers of meaning than just the words he had to speak. James Dean was a Method actor. From that first scene, as he crawls along the ground, to his anguished face and writhing hands as he screams “You’re tearing me apart!”, it is clear to see that his concentration on physicality or body movement and the psychological profile of his character belongs to the teachings of Method acting. You are aware of this different style of acting from the beginning of the film. Dean doesn’t have to speak a word and yet, as a participant, you are all too aware of the energy he is using to portray Jim Stark, “Method acting is in one sense highly visible: we are often intensely aware of the effort involved in the creation of a Method performance.” Just as this film portrays a group of post-war teenagers struggling with issues of self-analysis, Method acting also became more popular in this post-war period, a coincidence not lost on Dean, “…its [Method acting] ascendancy in the post war decade had much to do with appropriateness of its performance style to both the dramas and the cultural concerns of the time.” At this time society had entered into a limbo, people were not sure what to do with themselves, just like the teenagers in the film. Therefore, just by using the Method style of acting, Dean brings numerous meanings to the forefront that surpass that of the narrative form.

Lighting, too, has a role to play in this film. In most of the scenes in this film, (as with most Hollywood films) the sources of light can be seen within the frame, “Lighting effects usually appear to be ‘motivated’, in that they come from sources such as table lamps that are in shot.” However, light is not merely used to show the audience what is going on, but can also highlight (or hide) specific characteristics, areas, and also, as a result, meanings outside of the narrative form. Jim and Judy’s love story is an example of a plot which is heightened by lighting techniques. Individually, Dean is almost always lit from below, creating shadows on his face and above him, emphasising the confusion that he feels. In contrast, Natalie Wood is lit from above, in order to capture her beauty and teary eyes as she struggles with the relationship with her father. Therefore, if one looks at lighting they are opposites, until they are both lit by candles in the mansion. As they are lying down, just before they kiss, Wood’s face is half covered by Dean’s face and the resulting affect is that of them completing one full face, implying they are now united. Other examples of lighting in the film, can be found in the scene at the bluff. Before the cars race, Judy wishes both Buzz and Jim good luck. As she kisses Buzz, the shot switches to Jim’s reaction, he is sitting in almost complete darkness inside his car. One can see that he is jealous and that the darkness echoes the turmoil in his mind. Then Judy stands in front of them to start the race. This scene is set at night, so Ray cleverly sources the lighting to the cars of the gathering teens, who line up at the sides of the bluff, creating a make-shift runway. As Judy stands in the centre waiting to give the signal to the love rivals, she is fully lit by the headlamps of the cars. This highlights not only Judy as the referee, but also as the prize that will be ‘won’ by the winner, or in this case survivor. Therefore, again one can derive meaning from lighting outside of the words spoken or the actions portrayed. The way that some scenes are lit, alone, can be translated into the story of the film.

Finally, costume and make-up too, plays a small role but is still as crucial to meaning as narrative form. Take for example, the friendship between Jim and Plato (Sam Mineo). When Jim first meets Plato in the police station he offers him his jacket. Plato does not accept the offer, but the next morning in school he wears a skinny black tie and jacket, mimicking the same outfit Jim had on the night before. This shows Plato’s immediate obsession with Jim, his admiration and his allegiance with Jim as a friend. Plato wants to be just like Jim, and when he is offered Jim’s (now famous) red jacket at the end of the film, he accepts. It cloaks him in the rebellion portrayed by Dean and makes him feel more comfortable when faced with going outside to the police. He now has a piece of the person he adores. One can see the connection here between the relationship of Jim and Plato and costume. Plato’s seemingly immediate fixation on Jim is paralleled by his duplicating the outfits worn by the object of his affections.

Ray was able to stamp this film with his own artistic authority through his clever use of filmic devices such as sets, props, camera movement, lighting and costume, together with Dean’s Method acting. “The quality of a director’s work could be read through his/her style, his/her control over the mise en scène.” The story, or narrative form, acts as a basis upon which other levels of meaning are established, “The story is the part of the movie that holds its component parts together, sequences them, and provides an explanation or justification for that sequencing.” If it was not for mise en scène and the affect that it has upon the audience viewing this film, then this film would just have been a typical ‘family melodrama’, instead it is now an eternal classic, which is easily recognisable, either by the face of the tragic James Dean, the line “You’re tearing me apart!” or that famous red jacket.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Primary sources

Maltby, Richard, ed., Hollywood Cinema (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2003).

Nelmes, Jill, ed., An Introduction to Film Studies (London and New York: Routledge, 2003).

Secondary sources

Benedetti, Jean, Stanislavski: An Introduction (London: Methuen Drama, 1989.)

The L Word

In what ways do television shows like The L Word convey and/or contradict society’s perceptions of lesbians and of the lesbian community as a whole? The L Word is a television show made by lesbians, (writers, producers and actresses) about lesbians. Through this essay I will discuss this show’s representation of lesbians and the lesbian community. Analysing the show through feminism, patriarchal and hegemonic outlooks, which we, as a society are influenced by when considering our preconceptions about the lesbian community as a whole. The media today sees a rise in popularity of, what is known as, “Gay TV”. Shows such as Will & Grace, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy and Queer As Folk explore homosexuality in an open forum. However, in all of these shows the gay characters are mostly all male. Why are lesbian characters/shows not as popular or numerous? In the history of the media, any sign of physical affection between two women, especially in America, has been met with controversy and usually a fall out. The first on-screen lesbian kiss, shown in drama L.A. Law in 1991 resulted in, C.J. the character of the bisexual lawyer, being written out of the show. The arrival of TLW , with its ensemble cast of lesbian characters is groundbreaking television, crashing through barriers not yet attempted by television networks. But why up to this point has lesbianism been somewhat of a taboo subject for the media? And is this growing popularity for this TV show and more of its kind a sign of a more open minded and tolerate society? All of these questions and more I will attempt to answer.

It is important, before I discuss the development, production and airing of TLW to discuss past representations of lesbians in the media, concentrating mainly on American television (as this show was first aired in America). In many cases in the past, and continuing today, lesbian characters are first portrayed as straight, or at least their sexuality is not unveiled until we are introduced to the character “as a person”. A typical example of this would be that of comedian and sitcom star Ellen Degeneres, the star of the sitcom Ellen. For the first several seasons of this sitcom Ellen, the character, was a heterosexual. Audiences were introduced to this funny, intelligent, witty character. That was until Ellen, the actress, came out as a lesbian. Then, too, the character also “came out”. As in most television shows with a lesbian character, she is first “…depicted as likeable, attractive, good at her job…” and then, later, as a lesbian. As a result, it gives the impression that the character must be accepted before conveying her sexual orientation. Television shows feel the need to produce standard token lesbian characters in conformance to what they believe will not shock or upset their audience. “Television packages oppositional values and repackages them within dominant terms.” These “dominant terms” stem from the ideals of hegemony. Hegemony is a basis on which fundamental aspects of our society are determined by the ruling class of that society. In the case of the Television, this ruling class is made up of straight, white male network executives who make all decisions concerning televisual content. In my opinion, lesbians, (unless portrayed in an affable, and therefore unthreatening, light) are restricted from our screens due to the patriarchal influences brought about by these executives. “He [man] confirms his image of us [women] – of what we have to be in order to be acceptable by him”. Patriarchy sees gay women as an affront to the very core of its beliefs, due, not only, to the fact that a lesbian is independent, but, more importantly, due to the fact that a lesbian does not need a man at all. Therefore, “to theorize about female-female desire…is precisely to envision the taking apart of this supposedly intractable patriarchal scholarship.” This is also why gay male characters are not seen as big as a threat to patriarchy as lesbians are. However, the characters in TLW are most certainly different from these past representations. All characters are conveyed as gay from the start, its examination of these women’s sexuality is the main theme of the show, which can be seen even in the slogan used to advertise the show, “Same sex. Different city.” Yet again there are still some obvious patriarchal influences. All of the main characters are affluent, white, attractive females. Especially in the case of Bette, a successful art curator, who is hard working, intelligent and in a happy seven year relationship with her partner. “…female characters, for example, are constructed as ‘strong women’ with the help of those two televisual signs of feminism, ‘power dressing and assertiveness training.’” The irony is that the media have not started to portray strong female characters on our screens due to a need for society to see such characters or to represent this minority, it is, like all other businesses, mainly to do with profit. Women are the largest consumers of television serials and dramas, advertisers know this and target women as a group due to their buying power. “…the collation of feminism with consumerism means the feminist audiences “count” for programmes in a way that few other minority groups do.” Although it is important to note that lesbianism is different from feminism. Lesbianism is a small aspect of feminism which is somewhat sidelined in favour of feminism as a whole. Feminists resent being assumed to be gay and as a result lesbians are often overlooked by the very people one would expect to support them. Radical lesbians believe that lesbianism should be the forefront of feminism as “…lesbianism was an example of feminism in action and preached that the only true feminists were those who renounced relations with the opposite sex entirely.” However, this is not the case.

Queer theory, which came to the forefront in the 1990’s, examined premises dealing with homosexuality in both females and males. It acts as a vehicle for the politics of homosociality. But yet again, lesbians are again marginalized, “To equate lesbian existence with homosexuality because each is stigmatised is to erase female reality once again.” Lesbianism is therefore independent of both feminism and queer theory. This is obvious to see through the development of the show. The executive producer of the show, Ilene Chaiken approached the television network Showtime to pitch the idea for this show. At first the network resisted. It wasn’t until the very same network aired the American version of British television show Queer As Folk, that the concept for TLW was even considered as a possible show. If it wasn’t for the success of the predeccessing show about male homosexuality then it is very possible TLW would not have been made. This represents the hierarchy in queer theory between lesbians and gay males. (Again, it is important to note that the success of Queer As Folk was very profitable for the network and airing a “lesbian version” would no doubt attract yet even more attention). However, queer theory does outline many of the issues surrounding lesbianism and the quest for equal rights in the eyes of the law, public, employment etc. The storylines portrayed in TLW act as a vehicle for highlighting gay rights. An example of this would be in the character of Dana. A ‘closeted’ professional tennis player, Dana must hide her sexuality in order to succeed in her career. She is advised not to publicise her sexuality as advertisers will not endorse her and therefore her career will be effectively ended. (It is interesting to note here that after legendary women’s tennis player, Billie Jean King ‘outed’ herself as a lesbian she lost all of her advertising endorsements.) This mirrors real life issues dealing with equality in the workplace for lesbians and gay men. Other storylines deal with such issues as gay couple parenting and gay marriage. In this effect, TLW acts as a positive force in the process of accentuating gay rights and therefore, educating the audience as to what the lesbian community have to endure politically. As a result, it shapes our assumptions of the lesbian community as a whole. But, due to the sexual content of the show the majority of the audience of the show is made up of lesbian women and straight women. Therefore, the opinions voiced in the show are not accessible to a wider audience than one would hope.The producers of the show believe there is an “open and receptive dialogue with the straight, white male executives” but an important criticism is that of the sexual content of the show. There are numerous scenes in each of the one-hour long episodes of the show. Most viewers admit to watching the show for its sexual content. This contradicts the beliefs of the producers of the show who aimed to create a show depicting the trials and tribulations of their lesbian characters, concentrating on relationships, life issues and careers of the “dynamic, intellectual, inspiring group of women.” However, by showing innumerable scenes of detailed sexual situations are they not conforming to the pressures of what is expected of a show about attractive lesbians? The answer lies in whether or not the scenes are erotic or pornographic. “The erotic has often been misnamed by men and used against women.” Whereas, some straight males will find the scenes to be purely pornographic and view them for their own titillation, some lesbian women would disagree and be of the opinion that the erotic scenes are vital in order to fully examine lesbianism. “…we have often turned away from the exploration and consideration of the erotic as a source of power and information, confusing it with its opposite, the pornographic.” In the past, television shows which had gay women characters would not show the physical relationship between two women, even though it is a fundamental aspect of a lesbian relationship. Love scenes between two women rarely went past an affectionate hug. Therefore, is the depiction of these intimate scenes merely to publicise an important part of lesbian relationships, which has long been hidden by the media? There is no doubt that the sex scenes are almost always between two characters who are emotionally involved and since, “…pornography is a direct denial of the power of the erotic, for it represents the suppression of true feeling.” it can be said that the scenes in question are an important and fundamental part of the plot of the show.

Surprisingly, many lesbian viewers of the show believe that it is not diversified enough. Some of the opinion that depicting each of the shows main characters as attractive, feminine lesbians is patronising and fails to include other lesbian identities such as the ‘dyke’. A dyke is “Not only a lesbian but also a ‘masculine woman’, the dyke, in this definition, blurs the borderline between masculinity and femininity.” By not showing this aspect, TLW fails to highlight a very substantial characteristic of the lesbian community. Therefore, it cannot be a true representation. The people involved in the making of TLW admit that they “certainly can’t represent all lesbians at every end of the spectrum”, but Ilene Chaiken also says that “there are a lot of subcultures within the lesbian community and I think we’ll portray them as they come into our stories.” One should also note that by showing the ‘lipstick lesbian’ as the main character type makes the show more accessible to straight women, who will be able to compare themselves to these more familiar characters in every other way except for the characters sexual orientation. As a result, this will aid in widening the audience and therefore, educating more people about the lesbian community.

In my opinion, TLW is a show that is a making a step in the right direction towards highlighting a minority group that is marginalized in numerous ways. It is trying to educate people in the ways of the lesbian community by depicting, likeable, strong female characters that can act as role models for any women, gay or straight. Any information supplied on the gay community that can help obliterate the ignorance that fuels homophobia and therefore, help create a more tolerable society can only be described as a good thing. I believe the show does emphasise important issues for gay rights, which, like any other human rights deserved to be acknowledged and granted to all people, despite their sexual orientation. I also am of the opinion that the sexual content is essential in order to fully explore the dynamic of a lesbian relationship, as this is where the difference from heterosexuality is based. I do not think that it is a pornographic show in any way. Its representations of lesbians are somewhat lacklustre, but I believe in time, as the show grows and becomes more popular it will begin to include more diverse lesbian characters which help quash old stereotypes of lesbians and the lesbian community as a whole. As to it’s effect on society, it is hard to say if the show is influential enough to cause any worldwide difference towards the attitudes towards gay women. However, this is the first show solely about lesbians and their lifestyles. It is a huge success worldwide and therefore, more and more shows will continue to be made that will further accentuate the plight of the lesbian community. This will aid in educating more and more people, eventually leading to a social change. Through this essay I have set out the difficulties met by the production staff of this show when setting out to create this very important and influential television show, but also how they overcame them. I have highlighted how the show conforms to patriarchal and hegemonic views of lesbianism and also how it has tried to convey a true representation of the lesbian community by resisting these same ideologies.

Bibliography

Phelan, Shane Playing With Fire: Queer Politics, Queer Theories, Routledge, 1997.

Heller, Dana Cross Purposes: Lesbians, Feminists, and the Limits of Alliance, Indiana University Press, 1997.

Abelove, Henry Etal The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader, Routeledge, 1993.

Lecture notes on Hegemony

Quotes taken from cast, producer and directors interviews on The L Word DVDs.

Robert Frost

A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness. It finds the thought and the thought finds the words.

And were an epitaph to be my story I’d have a short one ready for my own. I would have written of me on my stone: I had a lover’s quarrel with the world.

Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.

Home is the place where, when you have to go there, They have to take you in.

Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.

Virginia Woolf

For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.

But when the self speaks to the self, who is speaking? – the entombed soul, the spirit driven in, in, in to the central catacomb; the self that took the veil and left the world – a coward perhaps, yet somehow beautiful, as it flits with its lantern restlessly up and down the dark corridors.

I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don’t have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.

If one could be friendly with women, what a pleasure – the relationship so secret and private compared with relations with men. Why not write about it truthfully?

If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.

Sleep, that deplorable curtailment of the joy of life.

Some people go to priests; others to poetry; I to my friends.

Someone has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more.

The telephone, which interrupts the most serious conversations and cuts short the most weighty observations, has a romance of its own.

The truth is, I often like women. I like their unconventionality. I like their completeness. I like their anonymity.

Things have dropped from me. I have outlived certain desires; I have lost friends, some by death… others through sheer inability to cross the street.

Why are women… so much more interesting to men than men are to women?

Maximo Park – Paul Smith is an amazing Lyricist!!!! Recommend this band to any music lover!!

“Girls Who Play Guitars”

You’ve been, with me
A year, to the day
365 days
Watching me decay

We used to talk about girls who play guitars
We used to talk about plans in tiny bars

In the gaps, inbetween words
Are the things that really intrigue me
It’s the gasps, and the sighs
That say more about what’s inside you

We used to climb up on a high horse everytime
We used to talk about boys with missing spines

It’s her life and her life is worth living (it’s her life)
It never struck her to pause for one minute (it’s her life)

The path, of excess, just led, to boredom
You’ve lived, your life, with your mouth, wide open

It’s her life and her life is worth living (it’s her life)
It never struck her just to pause for one minute (it’s her life)

When you lie on my bed and you label me your friend (?)
Don’t you know how much that hurts?
You could pretend and I wouldn’t know
I could be who you wanted in the dark

She goes and she gets drunk
She gets off
She goes and she gives up
She goes and she gets drunk
She gets off
She goes and she gives up

It’s her life and her life is worth living (it’s her life)
It never struck her just to pause for one minute (it’s her life)

And her life is worth living

We used to talk about girls who play guitars
We used to talk about girls who play guitars
We used to talk about girls who play guitars
 

“Our Velocity”

I’m not a man, I’m a machine
Chisel me down until I am clean
I buy books, I never read
And then (I’ll) tell you some more about me

Beneath the concrete there’s a sound
A muffled cry below the ground
There is a poison in the air
A mix of chemicals and fear

Mama, i’ve just hunches
I’m not sure what they mean
You’re asking for commitment
When I’m somewhere in between

Never, never try to guage temperature
When you tend to travel at such speed
It’s our velocity

Is it cold where you are this time of year?
You didn’t leave a scar

A stream of numbers hit a screen
And you’re expected to know what they mean
throughout the conflict I was serene
I can’t outrun the sadness I’ve seen

Are you willing to resist
For people you’ve never met
The devil’s wheel revolves
But it needs to be reset

Never, never try to guage temperature
When you tend to travel at such speed
It’s our velocity

Please tell me
Is it cold where you are this time of year?
You didn’t leave a scar

I’ve got no one to call
In the middle of the night anymore

I’m just alone
With these thoughts

I’ve got no one to call
In the middle of the night anymore

I’m just alone
With my thoughts

I watched a film to change my feelings
Strong enough to bear a burden
If everyone became this sensitive
I wouldn’t have to be so sensitive

If everyone became so sensitive
I wouldn’t have to be so sensitive

Love is a lie, which means I’ve been lied to,
Love is a lie, which means I’ve been lied to,
Love is a lie, which means I’ve been lied to,
etc.

I’ve got no one to call
In the middle of the night anymore
I’m just alone
With these thoughts

I’ve got no one to call
In the middle of the night anymore
I’m just alone
With my thoughts

Never, never try to guage temperature
When you tend to travel at such speed
It’s our velocity

“Books From Boxes”

Night falls and towns become circuit boards
We can beat the sun as long as we keep moving
From the air, stadium lights stand out like flares
And all I know is that you’re sat here right next to me

We rarely see warning signs in the air we breathe
Right now I feel each and every fragment

This paper trail leads right back to you
You say you need me to step outside
You spent the evening unpacking books from boxes
You passed me up so as not to break a promise
Scattered polaroids and sprinkled words around your collar in the long run
Said you knew that this would happen

Well this is something new but it turns out it was borrowed too
Why does every let down have to be so thin?
Rain explodes at the moment that the cab door closed
I feel the weight upon your kiss ambiguous

You have to leave, I appreciate that
But I hate when conversation slips out of our grasp

You spent the evening unpacking books from boxes
You passed me up so as not to break a promise
Scattered polaroids and sprinkled words around your collar in the long run
Said you knew that this would happen

Two bodies in motion
This is a matter of fact
It wasn’t built to last

Two bodies in motion
This is a matter of fact
It wasn’t built to last

You spent the evening unpacking books from boxes
You passed me up so as not to break a promise
Scattered polaroids and sprinkled words around your collar in the long run
Said you knew that this would happen

The pounding rain continued it’s bleak fall
And we decided just to write after all, after all

The pounding rain continued it’s bleak fall
And we decided just to write after all

 “Karaoke Plays”

You write a list of things to do
To occupy your time that you could use
But in my mind it’s never final
And when you sleep I try not to wake you as I leave

Oh, I waited up for you
But you didn’t come back home
Oh, I waited up for you
Couldn’t you come back home?

If someone gets run down
Karaoke plays somewhere in the background
But there is no explanation
What makes a grown man cry
Karaoke plays
If someone gets run down

We never did want the dawn to break
Decided from the sheets in which we laid
You know I changed my ways forever
The North Sea crashes through your dreams as I leave

Oh, I waited up for you
But you didn’t come back home
Oh, I waited up for you
Couldn’t you come back home?

If someone gets run down
Karaoke plays somewhere in the background
But there is no explanation
What makes a grown man cry
Karaoke plays
If someone gets run down

I came home, there were radio waves
I heard voices through the radio waves
I came home, you were nowhere to be found
The lights were on and the radio played
I came home, there were radio waves
A children’s cry out through the radio waves
Every night we’ve got so much to say
I wanna hear all the things you did today

If someone gets run down
Karaoke plays somewhere in the background
But there is no explanation
What makes a grown man cry
Karaoke plays
If someone gets run down

“Your Urge”

You don’t have to deny your urge,
It doesn’t make you bad.
On our admission the make weight’s lifted,
Stop dwelling on the past.

I think about the three of us,
I wonder how we tesselate,
It would have been much wiser,
To allow these feelings to rebate.

Empty words so free of connotations,
All dreams come to an end.
Codify your utterance, communicate your needs,
Prepare your vocabulary.

My nervousness prevails me,
My thoughts are becoming fugitive,
And when I’m in your arms,
I wonder how much I can give.

The weekend is a Godsend,
The night time is a lifeline,
Another useless fumble,
Another drunken stumble,
The pinkness round your iris,
Reveals that you’ve been crying,
But I don’t know what my crime is,
I cause upset without trying.

People are judged on their mistakes,
And how much money that they make.
No-one wants to lose their youth,
In a trench like this.

Visiting the same places,
Kissing all the same faces,
Building up support,
Looking for rapport.

I empty out my pockets at the end of the Night,
Another scrawled first name,
Another sense of shame.

I need to get to bed,
Before I fail myself again,
We got to close that night,
And I reached out for your hand.

The night time is a lifeline,
The weekend is a God send,
Another useless fumble,
Another drunken stumble,
Oh but the pinkness near your iris,
Reveals that you’ve been crying,
But I don’t know what my crime is,
Behind my crumbling veneer.

My strength is sapping,
My heart strings are snapping,
Ooooooooo.

My strength is sapping,
My heart strings are snapping,
Ooooooooo.
Ooooooooo

“By The Monument”

You said you’d like to see me again
And then, it all unravelled
I heard that you were seeing someone
Not such an insignificant other

It seems my moves were far too swift
In life, some things are worth the effort
I touched the place where your hair had been
I pulled on the shirt that you left round mine

Defacing pictures of famous people on the train
Standing by the monument just waiting for the rain

In my wallet with your photobooth smile
And I, wearing my waterproof jacket
Posterity has hold of us now
Am I just waiting for the next chapter

We’ll sleep tonight in seperate towns
At dusk, we see our disparate futures
I tore a sock to bind up your golden hair
We found a hotel bar to sustain our last night in vain

Defacing pictures of famous people on the train
Standing by the monument just waiting for the rain

No more late night calls
Where tear drops fall
No more late night calls
Where tear drops fall
Tear drops fall

Standing by the monument just waiting for the rain
I’m just passing my time with you on my mind
I’m just wasting my precious time

I’m just wasting my time with you on my mind

“A Fortnight’s Time”

In a fortnight’s time
You will be mine
I’ll bide my time

Your a paradime
Of woman kind
You could be mine

I distrust myself
But I’ve got to try
I catch your eye

Would you like to go on a date with me?
And I know, it’s old fashioned to say so
Five times five equals twenty five
Don’t you know your times tables by now?
Don’t you know?

On the last train home
You want a phone
Instead you rub your eyes
The reflection is grim
In the windowpane
It’s the human stain

Do you have a drink
To erase the day
There’s another way

So
Would you like to go on a date with me?
And I know, it’s old fashioned to say so
Five times five equals twenty five
Don’t you know your times tables by now?
Don’t you know?

When it comes to girls I’m mostly hypothetical
If I list their names it’s purely alphabetical
When it comes to girls I’m truely theoretical
If I test a nerve it’s merely dialetical

And so
Would you like to go on a date with me?
And I know, it’s old fashioned to say so
Five times five equals twenty five
You should know your times tables by now
Don’t you know?
I said don’t you know?

In a fortnight’s time
You will be mine
You will be mine

“Parisian Skies”

Parisian skies,
Shadows beneath your eyes,
All we have is now,
And the arc of your brow

You came to leave these shores,
You had an inkling in your pores.
We came to bid farewell,
The tears began to swell.

Ooooo, Oooooooo

Ohhhhh
I don’t think she knew,
And I can’t forget her

The dark with holes,
Our lives unfold,
We always slept so well,
Our bodies seemed to gel.

The mind persists,
We have thoughts to exist,
It was a test I failed,
Her passion never tailed.

Ooooo, Oooooooooo

Ohhhhh
I don’t think she knew,
How much I loved her.
Ohhhhh,
I don’t think she knew.

Is this the thrill of the chase,
How can I keep up the pace.

Parisian skies,
Shadows beneath your eyes,
We always slept so well,
The present cast a spell.

You said we never talked,
But there’s a lightness that it brought.
Refracting all my sins,
We never (acted thin)

Oooooo, Ooooooooo

Ohhhhh
I don’t think she knew,
How much I loved her
Ohhhhh
I don’t think she knew,

Your loss is mine too.

Did you ever feel the thrill of the chase,
The breath on your neck,
And the locked embrace

Did you ever feel the thrill of the chase,
The hairs on your neck,
And a lost embrace

All of the tiny events in your back,
It reminds me of the way that porcelain cracks

“Apply Some Pressure”

You know that I would love to see you next year
I hope that I am still alive next year
You magnify the way I think about myself
before you came I rarely thought about myself

Behind your veil I found a body underneath
inside your head were things I never thought about
you know that I would love to see you next year
I hope that I am still alive next year

What’s my view?
well how am I supposed to know
write a review
well how objective can I be
X2

you know that I would love to see you in that dress
I hope that I will live to see you undressed
the every day is part of what consumes me
the hate I feel is part of what fuels me

I testify to having guilty feelings
I must confess I’d like to be caught stealing
you know that I would love to see you in that dress
I hope that I will live to see you undressed

What’s my view?
Well how am I supposed to know?
Write a review
Well how objective can I be?
X2

I like to wait to see how things turn out
If you apply some pressure
X2

What happens when you lose everything
you just start again
you start all over again
X2

I like to wait to see how things turn out
If you apply some pressure
X2

What happens when you lose everything
you just start again
you start all over again
X3

What happens when you lose some pressure
apply some pressure you lose some pressure
apply some pressure you lose some pressure
apply some pressure you lose some pressure
X2

You know that I would love to see you next year
I hope that I am still alive next year
You know that I would love to see you in that dress
I hope that I will live to see you undressed

“Postcard of a Painting”

I’m losing more than I’ll ever have,
I’m losing more than I’ll ever give,
I’m losing more than I’ll ever have,
I’m losing more than I’ll ever give to you

Picture me with you but you couldn’t do it,
Everything I said was true but I couldn’t prove it

Your eyes are big when they’re so close,
Why can’t we say goodbye in public,
Your eyes are big when they’re so close,
Why can’t we say goodbye in public

Picture me with you but you couldn’t do it,
Everything I said was true but I couldn’t prove it,
And I’ll admit there was a web but it wasn’t me who spun it,
Now I’ve made my bed but you wouldn’t lie down in it

I wrote my feelings down in a rush,
I didn’t even check the spelling,
And closed the postcard of a painting
You are just another thing that I have yet to fathom,
Oooh you are just another thing I’ve yet to fathom

And I’m losing more than I’ll ever have,
I’m losing more than I’ll ever give to you

Picture me with you but you couldn’t do it,
Everything I said was true but I couldn’t prove it,
And I’ll admit there was a web but it wasn’t me who spun it,
Now I’ve made my bed but you wouldn’t lie down in it

“Going Missing”

I sleep with my hands across my chest,
And I dream of you with someone else,
I feed my body with things that I don’t need,
Until I sink to the bottom,
Don’t act like it came as a surprise,
Don’t believe me even look into these eyes

This cant go on so I should just,
Regret it, regret it, regret it,
And even though I left you I’ll,
Forget it, forget it, forget it

I’m going missing for a while,
I’ve got nothing left to lose,
Oooh I’ll listen to anything

I still remember how you moved,
And I can taste your scent on my lips,
Well how it started I will never know,
But now I’ve reached my limit

This cant go on so I should just,
Regret it, regret it, regret it,
And even though I left you I’ll,
Forget it, forget it, forget it

I’m going missing for a while,
I’ve got nothing left to lose,
Oooh I’ll listen to anything,
I’m going missing for a while,
I’ve got nothing left to lose,
Oooh I’ll listen to anything

Do you ever want to wear your body out,
Until there’s nothing left to take,
The one began to push away,
As midnight come to soon again

I’m going missing for a while,
I’ve got nothing left to lose,
Oooh I’ll listen to anything,
I’ve got nothing in defence,
I’ve got nothing left to lose,
Oooh I’ll listen to anything

I sleep with my hands across my chest,
And I dream of you with someone else
 

“I Want You To Stay”

I rewrite my life beneath the moonlight,
Please hold me now till my breath runs out,
There are many things that I am not,
But there’s one thing that I cant deny

A double bluff you fed me lines,
The shortest cut you’re searching for,
A mesh of tones surround your eyes,
I wish I knew how it came to this

I always said you could rely on me,
Now it seems that I was wrong,
I want you to stay,
I want you to stay with me

Cos nothing works round here,
Where cranes collect the sky,
I long for the neon signs of night,
Cos nothing works round here,
You know the way I feel,
Can you remember what we had?

Why do you think I over take?
I speak to you and you say no,
A camera runs just to collect,
I wish I knew how it came to this

The lies we tell are bound on film,
And you start to push your lips to mine,
Outside my room you closed your eyes,
And in the end it came to this

I always said you could rely on me,
Now it seems that I was wrong,
I want you to stay,
I want you to stay with me

Cos nothing works round here,
Where cranes collect the sky,
I think of your face at night,
Cos nothing works round here

You know the way I feel
Can you remember what we had?
As time gets more compressed,
You’re always my reminder,
A lifetime disappears,
Can you remember what we had?
As time gets more compressed,
You’re always my reminder,
You’re always my reminder

You know the way I feel,
You know the way I feel

“Limassol”

Thinking clearly never came,
As easy as it did for you,
Driving this route out of town,
I wish you were still around,
And in the dead of night I always,
wondered whether you were true,
Someone better than myself,
An offer you just cant turn down,
A morning fight,
And a wasted night,
You crept back to your room

Run along back to your new man

Limassol, hold on I couldn’t trap you,
We’re gonna head for new horizons,
Limassol

When its all good keep things close at hand

I could never bear to hear you,
Struggling against the tide,
Promises I couldn’t keep,
I couldn’t admit I was in too deep
Saw the lights on in your window,
Even though they’d said you’d gone,
The darker nights have come again,
Quicker than the year before
A morning fight,
A wasted night,
You slipped back to your room

You better run away back to your new man

Limassol, hold on I could never catch you,
We’re gonna head for new horizons,
Limassol

When its all good keep things close at hand,
When its all good you’ve gotta keep things close at hand

“The Coast Is Always Changing”

I’ve met so many people who look the same,
Most were forgotten but you still remain,
Most of the time I don’t care,
But London’s so far away when you’re there,
And so it saddens me to say,
I’m only happy when I move away

I am young and I am lost,
Every sentence has its cost,
I am young and I am lost,
You react to my riposte

We look out upon the sea

We look out upon the sea,
The coast is always changing,
I’ll bring my camera out to sea,
The coast is always changing

Age makes no difference till you open your mouth,
Use your time just to work things out,
I know that you can’t understand,
When I tell you that this wasn’t planned,
And so it saddens me to say,
I’m only happy when I move away

I am young and I am lost,
Every sentence has its cost,
I am young and I am lost,
You react to my riposte

We look out upon the sea

We look out upon the sea,
The coast is always changing,
We’ll take the train out to the sea,
My heart is always changing

It won’t be long before you’ve gone,
I can’t imagine leaving X4

We look out upon the sea

We look out upon the sea,
The coast is always changing,
I’ll bring my camera out to sea,
My heart is always changing,
We’ll take the train out to the sea,
My pulse was always racing,
As we look out upon the sea,
The coast is always changing

And though it saddens me to say,
I’m still waiting for that day

“The Night I Lost My Head”

One in a million,
Two is a crowd,
Three is company,
Fours not allowed

I spent all night trying,
To remember your address,
Drawing lines around your body,
Making marks on the mucky floor

Five little fingers,
Six digit fix,
My lucky seven,
There are eight steps to my hips

I spent all night trying,
To remember your address,
Drawing lines around your body,
Making marks on the mucky floor

Why did we have to meet,
On the night I lost my head?
X2

One in a million,
Two is a crowd,
Three is company,
Fours not allowed

I spent all night trying,
To remember your address,
Drawing lines around your body,
Making marks on the mucky floor

Why did we have to meet,
On the night I lost my head?
X2

You found me indiscreet,
On the night I lost my head,
You found me in the street,
On the night I lost my head

“Once, A glimpse” (I LOVE THIS SONG)

Put away hard to find,
I don’t remember why I started speaking,
A fast track operation,
Slow exertion over-ridden,
Unseen tough to catch,
I cant remember why I started drinking,
One track mind each and everytime,
Speed exertion country living,
Engage the men in trust,
I cant remember why I started hurting,
Another street light going down,
The night reveals itself to you,
Slipping under sliding down,
All I need is a certain trigger,
The path you take will never make you happy,
All I need is a certain spur

Once a glimpse was all I needed,
I don’t remember why I had to give you back,
I just remember I kept all of your souvenirs,
Discarded traces of a love I never had,

Enforced and then enabled,
I don’t remember why I started breathing,
Tied up turn him loose,
Slow desertion kept me hidden,
That’s that no escaping,
I cant remember why I started thinking,
Wrapped up cuttin back,
Their inertia left you driven

Once a glimpse was all I needed,
I don’t remember why I had to give you back,
I just remember I kept all of your souvenirs,
Discarded traces of a love I never had
X2

I wish that I could say that I don’t need you anymore,
I heard every word you said and that is all
X2

Once a glimpse was all I needed,
I dont remember why I had to give you back,
I just remember I kept all of your souvenirs,
Discarded traces of a love I never had

I don’t think your gonna get that early night,
I don’t think your gonna get that early night,
I don’t think your gonna get that early night,
I don’t think your gonna get it

Just a glimpse was all I needed,
I don’t remember why I had to give you back,
I just remember I kept all of your souvenirs,
Discarded traces of a love I never had

“Now I’m All Over The Shop”

If you’re gonna talk about the things I need,
Then you’re gonna have to find out what they are,
You remind me of a time when I was boring,
I recall a time when you could slip your noose

I wash my hands of you,
my feet wont hit the ground,
I often ask of myself,
When am I gonna learn,
I know you’ll be content,
In the right line of employment

I never held you, you never hold me,
Its happening all over again,
I try and tempt you, you say I’m deluded,
When will this foolishness cease

Everytime I see you I start choking,
I prefer to keep my eyes wide open,
Ballerina poses get you nowhere,
Patience is a virtue when you’re near me

I wash my hands of you,
my feet wont hit the ground,
I often ask of myself,
When am I gonna learn,
I know you’ll be content,
In the right line of employment

I never held you, you never hold me,
Its happening all over again,
I try and tempt you, you say I’m deluded,
When will this foolishness cease

I know that you’ll be content,
In the right line of employment,
I know you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine (in the right line)
You’ll be fine, you’ll be fine (in the right line)
I know you’ll be fine,
Now that you’re not mine

I never held you, you never hold me,
Its happening all over again,
I try to tempt you, You say im deluded,
When will this foolishness cease,
I attempted to snare you with old fashioned manners,
But patience was never my thing,
I said you were special, you know that I meant it,
Now im all over the shop

If you carry on like that you’ll never make it,
If you cary on like me you’ll never make it,
You’ll never make it

“Acrobat”

You’ve got to catch an early plane,
And its no surprise I’m standing still,
Another minute more is all I need,
I’ll never have enough,
This room gets so cold in the winter,
What will it take to heat this house?
I just want to feel comfortable,
When there’s only the two of us in my bed,
My foot nearly brushes your leg,
I cant draw it away,
I cant push it forward,
It lies stranded,
It belongs to someone else,
We knew each other once,
This cant be what you want,
But you didn’t have to demolish me,

I don’t remember losing sight of your needs
I don’t remember losing sight of your needs

I am not an acrobat,
I cannot perform these tricks for you,
Losing all my balance,
Falling from a wire made for you

The sky is often used as a metaphor,
I suppose its because its so big and expansive,
When a long stranded cloud sits just above the horizon,
Leaving a strip of clear blue beneath it,
It becomes the panorama,
And you turn your head 360 degrees,
And the same line follows you round,
If the land is sufficiently flat,
Really nothing can be compared to it

I dont remember losing sight of your needs
I dont remember losing sight of your needs
Your needs

I am not an acrobat,
I cannot perform these tricks for you,
Losing all my balance,
Falling from a wire made for you

I am not an acrobat,
I cant perform these tricks for you,
Losing all my balance,
Falling from a wire made for you
“Kiss You Better”

I know the night has reached that stage again,
Were I never wanna see my home,
I know that you’ll provide the brains,
But who’ll provide the brawn,
And if it comes down to me and you,
You know id kiss you better,
I kept the message you sent me

There with me,
If you’re scared,
My beliefs make me bound

I think its time we compiled a list,
Of places where we shouldn’t go,
Now is not the time to lose your voice,
Everyone should have a choice,
And if you should ever fall,
You know id kiss you better,
I kept the letters that you sent me

Close your eyes,
If you’re scared,
My beliefs will make you drown

You, are you so scared that your just gonna let it happen
You, are you so scared that your just gonna let it happen
You, are you so scared that your just gonna let it happen
You, are you so scared that your just gonna let it happen

Gavin DeGraw

“I Don’t Want To Be”

I don’t need to be anything other
Than a prison guard’s son
I don’t need to be anything other
Than a specialist’s son
I don’t have to be anyone other
Than the birth of two souls in one
Part of where I’m going, is knowing where I’m coming from

[Chorus:]
I don’t want to be
Anything other than what I’ve been trying to be lately
All I have to do
Is think of me and I have peace of mind
I’m tired of looking ’round rooms
Wondering what I’ve got to do
Or who I’m supposed to be
I don’t want to be anything other than me

I’m surrounded by liars everywhere I turn
I’m surrounded by imposters everywhere I turn
I’m surrounded by identity crisis everywhere I turn
Am I the only one who noticed?
I can’t be the only one who’s learned!

[Chorus]

Can I have everyone’s attention please?
If you’re not like this and that, you’re gonna have to leave
I came from the mountain
The crust of creation
My whole situation-made from clay to stone
And now I’m telling everybody

[Chorus]

I don’t want to be [x4]

Robbie Williams

“Better Man”

Send someone to love me
I need to rest in arms
Keep me safe from harm
In pouring rain

Give me endless summer
Lord I fear the cold
Feel I’m getting old
Before my time

As my soul heals the shame
I will grow through this pain
Lord I’m doing all I can
To be a better man

Go easy on my conscience
‘Cause it’s not my fault
I know I’ve been taught
To take the blame

Rest assured my angels
Will catch my tears
Walk me out of here
I’m in pain

As my soul heals the shame
I will grow through this pain
Lord I’m doing all I can
To be a better man

Once you’ve found that lover
You’re homeward bound
Love is all around
Love is all around

I know some have fallen
On stony ground
But Love is all around

Send someone to love me
I need to rest in arms
Keep me safe from harm
In pouring rain

Give me endless summer
Lord I fear the cold
Feel I’m getting old
Before my time

As my soul heals the shame
I will grow through this pain
Lord I’m doin’ all I can
To be a better man

“No Regrets”

Tell me a story
Where we all change
And we’d live our lives together
And not enstranged

I didn’t lose my mind it was
Mine to give away
Couldn’t stay to watch me cry
You didn’t have the time
So I softly slip away…

No regrets they don’t work
No regrets they only hurt
Sing me a love song
Drop me a line
Suppose it’s just a point of view
But they tell me I’m doing fine

I know from the outside
We looked good for eachother
Felt things were going wrong
When you didn’t like my mother

I don’t want to hate but that’s
All you’ve left me with
A bitter aftertaste and a fantasy of
How we all could live

No regrets they don’t work
No regrets they only hurt
(We’ve been told you stay up late)
I know they’re still talking
(You’re far too short to carry weight)
The demons in your head
(Return the videos they’re late)
If I could just stop hating you
(Goodbye)
I’d feel sorry for us instead

Remember the photographs (insane)
The ones where we all laugh (so lame)
We were having the time of our lives
Well thank you it was a real blast

No regrets they don’t work
No regrets they only hurt
Write me a love song
Drop me a line
Suppose it’s just a point of view
But they tell me I’m doing fine

Everything I wanted to be every
Time I walked away
Everytime you told me to leave
I just wanted to stay
Every time you looked at me and
Everytime you smiled
I felt so vacant you treat me like a child
I loved the way we used to laugh
I loved the way we used to smile
Often I sit down and think of you
For a while
Then it passes by me and I think of
Someone else instead
I guess the love we once had is
Officially dead

“Feel”

Come and hold my hand
I wanna contact the living
Not sure I understand
This role I’ve been given
I sit and talk to God
And he just laughs at my plans
My head speaks a language
I don’t understand

I just wanna feel
Real love feel the home that I live in
Cos I got too much life
Running through my veins
Going to waste
I don’t wanna die
But I ain’t keen on living either
Before I fall in love
I’m preparing to leave her

Scare myself to death
That’s why I keep on running
Before I’ve arrived
I can see myself coming
I just wanna feel
Real love feel the home that I live in
Cos I got too much life
Running through my veins
Going to waste
And I need to feel
Real love and the love ever after
I can not get enough

I just wanna feel
Real love feel the home that I live in
I got too much love
Running through my veins
To go to waste

I just wanna feel
Real love and the love ever after
There’s a hole in my soul
You can see it in my face
It’s a real big place

Come and hold my hand
I wanna contact the living
Not sure I understand
This role I’ve been given
Not sure I understand
Not sure I understand
Not sure I understand
Not sure I understand

“Sexed Up”

Loose lips sunk ships
I’m getting to grips with what you said
No it’s not in my head
I can’t awaken the dead
Day after day

Why don’t we talk about it
Why do you always doubt that there can be a better way
It doesn’t make me wanna stay

Why don’t we break up
There’s nothing left to say
I got my eyes shut
Praying they won’t stray
Oh we’re not sexed up
That’s what makes the difference today
I hope you blow away

You say we’re fatally flawed
When I’m easily bored
Is that OK?
Strike me off your list
Make this the last kiss
I walk away

Why don’t we talk about it?
I’m only here don’t shout it
Give ‘em time, you’ll forget
Let’s pretend we never met

Why don’t we break up?
There’s nothing left to say
I got my eyes shut
Praying they won’t stray
Oh we’re not sexed up
That’s what makes the difference today
I hope you blow away

Screw you
I didn’t like your taste anyway
I chose you
That’s all go to waste it
It’s Saturday
I’ll go out and find another you

Why don’t we?
Why don’t we break up?
There’s nothing left to say
I got my eyes shut
Praying they won’t stray
Oh we’re not sexed up
That’s what makes the difference today
I hope you blow away
I hope you blow away
I hope you blow away

“Nan’s Song”

You said when you’d die that you’d walk with me every day
And I’d start to cry and say please don’t talk that way
With the blink of an eye the Lord came and asked you to meet
You went to a better place but He stole you away from me

And now she lives in heaven
But I know they let her out
To take care of me

There’s a strange kind of light
Caressing me tonight
Pray silence my fear she is near
Bringing heaven down here

I miss your love I miss your touch
But I’m feeling you every day
And I can almost hear you say
‘You’ve come a long way baby’

And now you live in heaven
But I know they let you out
To take care of me

There’s a strange kind of light
In my bedroom tonight
Pray silence my fear she is near
Bring your heaven down here

You taught me kings and queens
While stroking my hair
In my darkest hour I know you are there
Kneeling down beside me
Whispering my prayer

Yes there’s a strange kind of light
Caressing me tonight
Pray silence my fear
She is near
Bringing heaven down here

The next time that we meet
I will bow at her feet
And say wasn’t life sweet
Then we’ll prepare
To take heaven down there

“Make Me Pure”

So I sing a song
To reel ‘em in
It’s a song I sung before
And a song I’m gonna sing again
I mean every word
I don’t mean a single one of them
Oh Lord, make me pure
- but not yet

Tell a joke
Tell it twice
If no-one else is laughing then why am I
I split my sides both times and laugh till I cry
Oh Lord, please make me pure
- but not yet

I don’t have to try
I just dial it in
I’ve never found a job that for me was worth bothering
I got a ton of selfish genes and lazy bones
Beneath this skin
Oh Lord, make me pure
- but not yet

Smoking kills
Sex sells
I’ve got one hand in my pocket but the other one looks cool as hell
I know I’m gonna die so my revenge is living well
Oh Lord, make me pure
- but not yet

I stopped praying
So I hope this song will do
I wrote it all for you
I’m not perfect but you don’t mind that, do you?
I know you’re there to pull me through, aren’t you?

So I look for love
I like the search
And I’ll be standing for election all across the known universe
Every president gets the country she deserves
Oh Lord, make me pure
- but not yet

And I’ve been seeing
Somebody’s wife
She said she’d leave him for me and I said that wasn’t wise
You can’t lie to a liar because of all lies
Oh Lord, please make me pure
- not yet

“Your Gay Friend”

Woohoo!

Hey hey here comes no-one
Another friend to have a go on
And she asks me do I miss her when shes gone
And I reply as much as I miss anyone

Oh! Woohoo
And I’ll be your gay friend
‘Cause your marriage never ends
Till we fuck and fight again
Theres a space between us
So jump into my bed
Pretend the world is dead
And always in my head
Is a face between us

Hey lord forgive us if we’re wrong
Make sure that he never hears this song
And she says that I’m the opposite of a hallmark card
She asks me how I’m feeling well
I don’t want to think that hard

Oh! Woohoo!
And I’ll be your gay friend
‘Cause your marriage never ends
Till we fuck and fight again
Theres a space between us
Jump into my bed
Pretend the world is dead
And always in my head
Is a face between us

It’s the late show now
How does the late show end?
Well if God is in, the details
Thank God that you’re my friend
I have a friend again
You’re my friend again
My gay friend

Oh! Woohoo! Erhh
So jump into my bed
Pretend the world is dead
And always in my head
Is a face between us
And I’ll be your gay friend
As your marriage never ends
Till we fuck and fight again
There’s a space between us
Oh! Woohoo!

Shakespeare

“I have done penance for condemning love,

Whose high imperious thoughts have punished me

With bitter fasts, with penitential groans,

With nightly tears and daily heart-sore sighs.

For in revenge of my contempt of love

Love hath chased sleep from my enthralled eyes,

And made them watchers of mine own heart’s sorrow.”

[The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 2.4.121-8]

 

“Time is the nurse and breeder of all good”

[The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 2.4.242]

 

“…that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;”

[Romeo and Juliet, 2.2.45-6]

 

“Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!
O anything, of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness! serious vanity!
Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!
Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!–
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.”

[Romeo and Juliet, 1.1]

 

Romeo. Is love a tender thing? it is too rough, Too rude, too boisterous; and it pricks like thorn.

Mercutio. If love be rough with you, be rough with love; Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.

[Romeo and Juliet, 1.4]

 

Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.

[Romeo and Juliet, 1.5]

 

My only love sprung from my only hate!;
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me,
That I must love a loathed enemy.

[Romeo and Juliet, 1.5]

 

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!–
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she

[Romeo and Juliet, 2.2]

 

There is thy gold; worse poison to men’s souls,
Doing more murders in this loathsome world
Than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell:
I sell thee poison; thou hast sold me none.

[Romeo and Juliet, 5.1]

 

If music be the food of love, play on;

[Twelfth Night (I, i,1-3)]

 

The course of true love never did run smooth.”

–From A Midsummer Night’s Dream (I, i, 134)

 

“To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow; a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

–From Macbeth (V, v, 19)

 

“O, beware, my lord of jealousy;
It is the green-ey’d monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.”

–From Othello (III, iii, 165-167)

 

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.”

–From As You Like It (II, vii, 139-143)

 

“So wise so young, they say do never live long.”

–From King Richard III (III, i, 79)

 

“We are such stuff
As dreams are made on and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep…”

–From The Tempest (IV, i, 156-157)

 

“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go.”

–From Hamlet (III, iii, 100-103)

 

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

–From Hamlet (III, ii, 239)