Put Your Records On By Corinne Bailey Rae

Music, one of the most valued entertainment options, is more than just some sound and vibrations. It is a way for artists to communicate messages to their intended audience. Corinne Bailey Rae is one artist who does not take for granted the power held in music. In 2006, Bailey Rae released a persuasive and inspirational song relating to her own experiences. In “Put Your Records On,” Corinne Bailey Rae uses allusion, repetition, and pathos to persuade women to embrace their inner beauty and to feel free to live life on their own terms.

Right from the start, Corinne Bailey Rae applies her message to the female audience with an allusion to another well-known song. The first lines of her song read: “Three little birds sat on my window/And they

This is easily done by her use of pathos and structure. She illustrates times when life was simple and enjoyable. For example, in the intro she shares, “Summer came like cinnamon, so sweet/ Little girls double-dutch on the concrete” (Bailey Rae). During childhood, summer was a time of relaxation where many would play outside until dark. Bailey Rae depicts this surreal time through her lyrics. It reminds the audience that there was a time of true blissfulness and freedom. Once again, Bailey Rae portrays girls in the lyrics as she is trying to grab ahold of their attention and persuade them to once again, feel the joy of “double-dutch.” As the song continues, Bailey Rae pulls on the heartstrings a little more, but this time appealing to the loneliness felt when we are not ourselves. She relays, “Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely/ Sipping tea in the bar by the road side” (Bailey Rae). Structurally, the audience gets a high from the beginning lines, then is burdened by the idea of being “blue” and “lonely.” Bailey Rae purposefully includes this emotional roller-coaster to showcase how the female population feels when they go from a carefree child to a “girl” following the crowd. However, the audience is given one last boost of enjoyment and satisfaction as the lyrics continue with, “When you gonna realize that you don’t even have to try any longer?/Do what you want to” (Bailey Rae). The end of the song gives off the feeling that the “girl” will finally find herself and not “have to try any longer” to fit into the social norms set in place. Bailey Rae’s use of pathos relays the highs and lows of a female stuck in a world of conformity who is trying to be her true self. Feeling the connection also persuades the audience to do the same and show their inner beauty by living