The first single Britney (and hey this is my second post so we are on a first name basis now!) released is also the name of her first studio album. It is ...Baby One More Time. Not Hit Me Baby One More Time!
Anyway why don't we have a listen to the song.
The official music video has been blocked from being used in Australia by the corporate wolves Vevo so I am posting this version. You can see the official music video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKo4fFVymqk
So what is it all about? Well I remember back when I was in High School and we were analysing William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies. Many people had different opinions about the novel, Golding himself said he just wrote a story, but there is a lot you can think about even when with the words of a song.
But what did Britney think the song was all about?
So Britney says it's about a guy she wished she had not broken up with. Is there anymore to it than that?
Well let's look at the lyrics. The song was written by Max Martin who lately has written Teenage Dream for Katy Perry and Raise Your Glass for Pink. Born in 1971 he is certainly older than Britney and this may show us something as well.
Oh baby, baby
Oh baby, baby
Oh baby, baby
How was I supposed to know
That something wasn't right here
Oh baby, baby
I shouldn't have let you go
And now you're out of sight, yeah
Show me, how you want it to be
Tell me baby
'Cause I need to know now, oh because
[chorus:]
My loneliness is killing me (And I)
I must confess, I still believe (Still believe)
When I'm not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me baby one more time
Oh baby, baby
The reason I breathe is you
Boy you got me blinded
Oh pretty, baby
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
It's not the way I planned it
Show me, how you want it to be
Tell me baby
'Cause I need to know now, oh because
[chorus:]
My loneliness is killing me (And I)
I must confess, I still believe (Still believe)
When I'm not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me baby one more time
Oh baby, baby
Oh baby, baby
Ah, yeah, yeah
Oh baby, baby
How was I supposed to know
Oh pretty baby
I shouldn't have let you go
I must confess, that my loneliness
Is killing me now
Don't you know I still believe
That you will be here
And give me a sign
Hit me baby one more time
[chorus:]
My loneliness is killing me (And I)
I must confess, I still believe (Still believe)
When I'm not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me baby one more time
I must confess
(My loneliness is killing me)
That my loneliness
Is killing me now
(I must confess, I still believe)
Don't you know I still believe
That you will be here
(When I'm not with you I lose my mind)
And give me a sign
Hit me baby one more time
The first thing to mention which is not about the lyrics, but the music is how good the beat is, it really does have a good feel about it. In someways it sounds a bit slow and there are remixes which speed it up somewhat, but it is certainly a good beat and her singing voice is very good as well, smooth and slickly produced, and accused of being like candy, but even if it is somewhat manufactured it is perfect pop.
So the words.
I was amused to hear that Justin Bieber's song Baby mentions the word Baby 54 times. I personally don't have Bieber Fever, Britney mentions the word Baby twenty five times. I wondered when was the first time baby was used in a song to talk about the love of someone's life? I managed to find a song from 1912, but I wonder is there an earlier song. All comments on this are appreciated.
The first verse is regret, regret for the loss of someone a loved one, her baby.
I shouldn't have let you go. The wrong decision was made, and she is sorry. It is kind off strange when you compare the lyrics with the actual music video, in some ways it does not seem to match. Britney did look fine in the video though. Ha Ha!!
The next line of note is "My loneliness is killing me" on one level this is real teen heartbreak stuff, a whole Romeo and Juliet scenario where teens who really don't understand true love make it into life and death and not about what love essentially boils down to in the end tea and toast.
However there is something in that loneliness does kill and so many people are dying in their own loneliness. We have never had so many ways to connect on the social network as right now and yet so many people have pretend friendships and are inside dying of crushing loneliness.
This then is a very insightful line.
In the Bible Jesus said to the Pharisees who were demanding a sign Jesus laid into them look at this from Matthew chapter 16
The Pharisees and Sadducee's came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
Sure again there is probably no connection but the idea of demanding a sign being a clue to a person who really doesn't believe and being adulterous is something worth thinking about?
Had the character in the song Britney was singing about not just ended the relationship but also been cheating?
It is at this point thinking way too deep into the lyrics but you know there is something worth thinking about when you demand a sign off someone what are you really demanding and why?
The next part I want to discuss is the whole verse which surrounds the adage love is blind. She says the reason I breathe is you, that is either a massive hyperbole, a toxic commitment, or the deepest love you can ever have.
In this case I don't believe it is the real deal especially when it is followed up by 'Boy you got me blinded' He has fooled her? Or her own feelings for him have fooled her? Whatever way this is saying 'love is blind' and it can be, it really can, a famous positive quote says 'love covers a multitude of sins' love being blind though is the negative extreme of that sentiment and that is where toxic relationships can really develop.
Form that point on the song basically repeats itself and then fades out and in the video you get Britney giving that smile. This is real Mona Lisa stuff here, what does the smile mean? I'd love to know what you think that smile means?
Over all it is a very good song, it is a slickly produced piece of pop music and in some ways it is like a bit of candy, but I think there is below the surface some ideas which can really get you thinking about relationships and about what you would demand out of others and what you think love really is.
I'm going to score this song out of a maximum of ten -
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