Blog #3: Tone and Symbolism, Essay 1.

Being the supernatural phenomena an interesting topic to talk and think about, I chose the Spanish song Psicofonia (Psychophony or EVP) written by Gloria Trevi. Gloria Trevi is a famous Mexican songwriter who is also well-known for having been almost five years in prison, for a crime she didn't commit. Her style, kind of gothic, punk and rock, has characterized her since very young. The song is the first single of her album “Rosa Blu”—without e at the end. It is because the company which produced her album didn’t want to have anything in English. Therefore Trevi decided to write it simply blu. I chose this song because after having been searching for awhile I remembered this song, so I started watching the video and it was just great. I believe that it fits perfectly with the class theme. I also chose this song because it talks about supernatural things, specifically about a dead man who is communicating with a woman who is alive. Finally they fall in love and according to the song they undergo many difficult situations. This song is full of symbolisms and the way Trevi performs the song shows many different tones.

The tone in a poem in this case a song is the way the singer expresses his/her feelings. It is also how the singer transmits to the listeners different emotions. In this song the singer shows different kind of tones such as sadness, loneliness, mystery, love, fear and anguish. Hence, using those tones, it becomes easier to understand the meaning of the song and what the songwriter wants to express. For example, at the beginning of the song in the first verse when she sings: “Since he is no longer. He doesn’t rest in peace, His soul cries, cries he is not satisfied with the loneliness” (Trevi). In this part, the way she sings shows sadness, anguish and loneliness that the dead man she is talking about is feeling. It is not just because the lyrics mention those words; it is because the way she performs the song. Through the song she changes her voice in every situation. Therefore, those voice changes give us an idea about what the story is and what the characters are living.

The symbols in a song is what the writer uses to say or mean something else, such as the word “red” is usually used to write about love, passion or blood. According to Wikipedia, “the symbolism used in a poem may not always be as overt as metaphor”. So it will be a bit harder to identify them, or the symbols can have different meanings. Fortunately the song I chose is easy to understand and the symbols that the author uses are clear. For instance, in the second verse when she says: “he looked at her eyes and fell […] into her heart” (Trevi). She means that the ghost fell in love when he saw the woman. Also the third verse says: "white cell" (Trevi). That means a mental hospital where the woman was locked. Therefore, symbolism makes us think in what the writer really means. It doesn't necessarily have to be the easiest part to understand in a song.

It could be possible that spirits are hanging around in this world. It could also be possible that we are not able to see them, and maybe they do have a way to communicate with us. We just have to pay attention.