Battle Scar Lup Fiasco Analysis

Music is all around us, yet we often don’t look closely into the lyrics to find the true meaning of what we are hearing. As we look closer into the lyrics of our music today, we can see that there are songs that have deeper meanings that try to motivate those who listen as well as songs that are just a catchy tune that people enjoy. Music is supposed to influence us, to drive people to be better, and to have a lasting effect on the listener. Artists who employ their lyrics to do this are “Muses” of today’s society. On the other hand, there are “Monsters” in the music industry who focus their lyrics on the ugly parts of our world and spread negative values amongst their listeners. Lupe Fiasco serves as a monster by using his music to promote

Through his song “Battle Scars,” Lupe Fiasco suggests that human relationships are invaluable and that people cannot heal from hardship. At the beginning of the song, Lupe is talking to his audience about his troubles with love and alludes to how breaking up is like going to war with love. He sings, “Arrow holes, they never close from cupid on a shooting spree,” (10) The artist's use of a metaphor, by comparing breaking up with someone to getting an “arrow hole,” reveals his pessimistic attitude toward the subject. Saying that the arrow holes will not close is another way to say that things won’t get better after a relationship falls apart. This is a very discouraging thing to say to his audience and has the potential to negatively influence them. Later in the song, Lupe focuses on his regrets by talking about the troubles that a relationship can bring. He adds, “The only thing that comes is the post-traumatic stresses,” (44) Lupe further displays his negativity by saying that the “only thing” that someone can get out of dating is anxiety and even more troubles. Just like some suffer from post-traumatic stress after experiencing the horrors of war, he is implying that this