I Hope I Never Rhetorical Devices

Split Enz: A bio
Split Enz were a band formed in 1972 Auckland, New Zealand. They were best know for their early 80s pop hits and became the first New Zealand band to achieve worldwide success. The original members consisted of Tim Finn, Phil Judd, Noel Crombie, Mike Chunn, Eddie Rayner and later, Neil Finn. Their style of music was eclectic and original, having influences of punk-rock, art rock, new wave and pop. The group had strong influences from The Beatles, The Move and The Kinks, and created a reputation for distinct visual style thanks to their original and bizarre costumes, make up and hairstyles. They received praise from their home country from early on in their career as a band, but the chances of being known internationally were

The song was part of the group’s most popular album True Colours, which was released in 1980 and topped the charts in several countries. The harmonic rhythm of most of the song is one chord every two bars, creating stability. However, in the third phrase and towards the end of the chorus, there is one chord per bar. This creates instability, adds tension and draws our attention more to what the lyrics are saying at this stage - “I hope I never have to see you again”. The harmony of this piece is constant and sometimes dissonant because of the chords used not being part of the two keys, for example, C diminished. There is use of synthesised string, bass pads and piano which give a pure, lush and vibrant sound to the piece, and with the combination of Tim Finn’s resonant voice and the lyrics used, it gives the song a very doleful feel.

I Hope I Never: Music Video
The music video of I Hope I Never is set at night after a party when there are very few people still around, including appearances of other band members in the background. We see Tim Finn singing and walking around the surroundings, looking fairly unhappy and dejected and we get the sense that he is left to clean up the mess left behind. This is similar in the fact that he may have felt like he was left to pick up the pieces after his conflict with Phil

The song is a reference to the time when Pioneers sailed around New Zealand, and it was banned from British airplay because it was released at the time of the falklands and was thought that leaky boats were not appropriate at the time. The song is written in verse-chorus form and has powerful dynamics. There is use of a synthesiser and a guitar which creates vibrant colour, also the use of a drum kit constructing an upbeat tempo. there is one chord per four bars and this crates stability as it is consistent. The music video shows the band performing inside a ship and at one point, the video cuts to a kapa haka group, showing that there is a real sense of significance for New Zealand culture in this song. The song was voted the 5th best New Zealand song of all time and made it onto the charts of four