Barely Breathing - Duncan Sheik

Barely Breathing - Duncan Sheik

The song Barely Breathing by Duncan Sheik was written and recorded in 1996. In my opinion it is a contemporary pop song geared toward a younger crowd. The song contains mentions of two astronomical objects. These objects mentioned in the song are a shooting star and a black hole.

In the case of the mentioned star, I would have to say that the songwriter was not using the object as a true scientific astronomical object. He is merely using it as an expression of how he was feeling at that moment, saying that he knows that the person that he is writing about is just leading him on. Therefore, he says that he is basically "wishing on a star" to think that the person truly has feelings for him.

The line in the song "But the black holes that surrounded you are heavier by far" is the other astronomical object that is used by the writer. With the mention of the black holes, I think the writer is not really using them in a scientific manner, again I believe that he is merely using them for imagery. The definition of a black hole is a concentration of mass great enough that the force of gravity prevents anything from escaping from it. (Wikipedia.com) The writer is clearly just using the term as imagery about what he is going through, and not in the literal means.

Overall, I can't say that I can really draw any strong astronomical conclusions from this piece. I think that the writer does however, use these astronomical objects well as imagery, but not as actual scientific astronomical objects. He is just using the terms to help express what he is trying to say in the song.

In closing I have to say that this song does not appeal to me. It's nothing personal, the song itself is fine and I don't mind it, but it is not really my kind of music .

My Traveling Star - James Taylor

The song My Traveling Star by James Taylor was released in August of 2002. I believe the song is about a man who is lamenting about not being able to commit to a woman he cared about that roots from his father abandoning him as a child. I would have to say that this song is geared toward an older crowd, since James Taylor is not really that popular with today's younger crowd.

The song contains the mention of a traveling star. I would have to say that James Taylor was not using this term in a true scientific manner, but as a kind of imagery for his listeners. I think that he is trying to compare the song's narrator as a kind of traveling star. Taylor uses this imagery trying to parallel the way the stars seem to endlessly travel across the sky to the narrator of the song, constantly moving on and not staying in one spot for too long. I believe the emotion he is trying to bring out in the listener is regret for mistakes made in the past. I think that he has made very good use of this astronomical object because it really does give the listener great imagery of what he is trying to express.

Overall I can't really draw any strong scientific astronomical conclusions from this song, but the imagery of comparing a man who has commitment problems to a star traveling across the sky is a great concept. Therefore, I really wouldn't classify this as a song about true astronomical objects I actually kind of like this song because it is relaxing and mellow and again for the use of great imagery, one can almost feel themselves in his