AOW #28

"Cross My Mind" by Jill Scott is one of my favorite songs.  In the song, Scott reminisces about an old lover.  She revisits their memories together but realizes that ultimately, and honestly, they were never meant for each other.  I think this song is really beautiful because it transitions from nostalgic attachment to heartbreaking honesty.  As you listen to the song, you would like to believe that there is no ending; you would like to believe that there is still a chance to amend things, that there is an opening for reparation, even if the situation does not pertain to you personally.  But when the Jill finally ends with the words, "you were never good for me, and I was never good for you," the reader realizes that there is a conclusion - a sad one at that.  It is tragic because of the outcome but beautiful for its honesty.  The song is an example of natural poetry.  It is not forced, it is not scripted.  Rather, it is intimate, real, pure in its expression.  Although I don't like to get technical with works of art like these, Jill Scott does incorporate a good variety of diction.  She uses both literal as well as metaphorical lyrics.  She also doesn't fail to remain personal, constantly making allusions that probably only she and her subject fully understand.  It is as if she is speaking to herself on record..  While this may seem fairly obvious, since music is supposed to be "self-expression," I think this aspect of her song sticks out because most artists often struggle with true-expression.  They often give in to outer influences such as their fans, critics, fame; they start to talk about things not for their own sake but for other people's sake.  This song by Jill Scott is a good rhetorical example of staying true, and as a result of that truthfulness, the song becomes  emotionally-appealing and effective.  It is important not to mistake the cause for the effect: the song focuses on being true; its effectiveness and appeal come afterward.