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Shoulders By Adrianne Lenker

699 Words3 Pages

Many people feel that they are destined to share unwanted traits with members of their family due to their biological relation. The feeling of an inescapable nature can lead an individual to accept unhealthy behaviors that may cause them to hurt those they are close to. People who experience trauma from their parent’s relationship might see parallels to it in their future relationships. “Shoulders” written by Adrianne Lenker and the band Big Thief off of their album Two Hands released in October of 2019 discusses these compelling, emotional themes. Through Adrianne’s tender, powerful vocals, and visceral lyrics, it is easy to see a deep understanding of the subject matter described. The song takes advantage of intense, graphic imagery, symbolism, …show more content…

Blood is used as a way to show the protagonist's tie to their father and the song later shows how that tie damages their relationship. Many people who experience parental trauma during their childhood fear that one day they will end up becoming just like their father. This song uses the idea of blood connecting two people as a way to delve into that fear “And the blood of the man who killed my mother with his hands is in me- in my veins”. The protagonist sees the abusive behavior that their father displayed towards their mother in them with their partner and fears that they are connected by their blood and that they’re destined to be just as horrible as their father. This is shown later when their partner is found dead and the protagonist’s blood is on them. This is a metaphor for the protagonist’s similar behavior to their father in hurting the one that they love “The blood was on your shoulders- your head was doubled over”.

In closing, the song “Shoulders” written by Adrianne Lenker is a powerful, emotional song that commands the attention of anyone listening. It uses symbolism in the idea of blood to explore the fear of becoming someone you hate through a story of a complex tragedy. Speaking from her own experience of familial trauma, she gives a genuine and visceral take on individuals’ feelings of destiny to share the worst traits of their family due to their biological

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