The Reality Behind the Party Scene The song Cowboy Boots by Ben Haggerty (known by the stage name “Macklemore”) is an interesting song because it relates to me personally, and likely most of the high school and collegiate student body. Haggerty uses an informal tone of language to form his meaningful song full of several literary devices such as metaphors and clever imagery. The song can be best analyzed through a textual lense for its several ways to interpret the song and its usage of literary devices, a topical lense for how it requires the listener to know about some aspects of history to understand where Haggerty is coming from, and lastly, a social lense for the many personal connections listeners may have to it. What makes Cowboy Boots so unique is it is a seemingly perfect combination of a southern, country genre taste to parts of it fused with a city kid rap style. The overall meaning of the song is …show more content…
Also, the song is informal for how Ben Haggerty wrote the song in the first person point of view (uses of “I”), and calling out to the listener (uses of “you”). One thing that makes this song good is how Haggerty uses metaphors, and that he doesn’t overuse them. In line 8 of the first verse, he cleverly relates his memories with “a collage pasted with glue that barely sticks.” Haggerty is explaining about how some of his memories are slowly fading away, like when a collage is pasted with glue that barely sticks, the college is slowly falling apart. Also, near the end of Cowboy Boots, before the second verse softens in tone, he concludes with how he’d be a liar to say at times he didn't miss the party life. He then says, “So deuces, I turn my back as I walk into the distance / Dip my feet in every once in a while just to say I visit.” Haggerty admits that he certainly sometimes feels that he misses his past lifestyle, so he still occasionally parties or enjoys a fun night out with his