The song Fifty Ways to Die by Train has many different meanings. It talks about a boy, the lead
singer, whose latest girlfriend has just dumped him like many in his past. The lead singer basically
feels like he's always the one left saying goodbye. At this point in his life he feels like he knows
how to say goodbye 50 different ways. This past girlfriend for him was the last straw, he was out of
excuses now,to say why that particular girlfriend left him. Throughout the song many different
literary devices are used to describe his strong feelings of hurt and dismay.
The lead singer of Train says "It's not you it's me" ,It's meant to be", and "Your leaving now for
my own good". He says these particular things to express he's heard all these same things before,
and basically already knows what the girl is trying to say before she even says it. He also says "I'm
all out of time and ways to say goodbye". This particular quote expresses that not only am I out of
ways to say goodbye, as I have gone through this numerous times. "I take the high road like I
should". This expresses the lead singers desire not to get mad about this situation he is in yet again,
but to move on. "I returned everything I ever bought her", expresses his anguish towards this
particular girl and counteracts what he said in the last quote about taking the high road.
Now that I have told you the song in a nut shell and analyzed some of the lyrics for you I am going
to show you literay devices that are shown in the lyrics throughout this song. To begin with, when
the lead singer states Help me, help me I'm no good in the night. The literary device of repetition is
shown, because "help me" repeats itself in the same line. I believe he used this Particulat literary
device to emphasize his dismay. When he says "My heart is paralyzed" , he is using the literary
device of a metaphor. I believe he uses this device to start out the song strong, it being the first lyric
in the song, and again to express his hurt. When he says "You were my everything", he is using the
literary device metonymy. I believed this device is used to show how she was like his everything, but
really wasn't. She was really important to him.
This song is very different in the beginning, compared to it's initial chorus. For example it starts
of with the tune of a violin, almost mariachi band like. It calms down when the first verse starts,
and the lead singer starts singing. When the main chorus come in, the song gets super upbeat,
changing the entire feel of the song. When it goes to second verse, it begins slow
down like the violin in the beginning. It is basically identical to the first verses
tempo. The chorus stays the same. While the bridge makes a right turn and stays at the
same tempo as a chorus. Throughout this song a sense of parallelism is shown, that being
with the choruses and bridge. As well as with the first and second verse.
All in all this song goes up and down much like the lead singer is feelings with all of
the mishaps in his relationships. I think he did an amazing job of relating the lyrics,
the lyrics meaning, and the actual music. This song has a lot of deeper meanings you
really have to analyze to understand, but when you do the song is composed extremely well.
