Rhetorical Analysis - "Roots" by Imagine Dragons by Natalie Nunez

Introduction - SOAPS

nattypurple19 — 2018-12-14 15:30:40 UTC

The song "Roots" by Imagine Dragons is a song about remembering one’s humble beginnings. While all of the band members can be classified as speakers, the song is mainly told through the eyes of Dan Reynolds, the lead singer. It is dedicated to reminding themselves to never forget where they came from and, to not let their newfound fame change them. Dan Reynolds, the only remaining original member of the band, created this song during the band's rise to fame. It was written while they were on the road during a tour in 2015 after their Smoke & Mirrors album became very popular. The music video was filmed while they were in the New Zealand area for their tour. The New Zealand settings appears to be symbolic to them discovering new and beautiful places, but it also goes back to show him at home as a child. The music video consists of home videos of Dan Reynolds ranging from when he was an infant to a teenager. "Roots" was a very personal song that was meant to encourage the members of the band. Reynolds's audience is either themselves as a band or their future selves. Their rise to fame created this hectic tour lifestyle, and he is just trying to remind himself of a way to escape by never forgetting who he was and going back to his roots.

Works Cited

nattypurple19 — 2018-12-21 01:26:00 UTC

“Roots (Song).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Dec. 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roots_(song)>.

Butt. On. “Imagine Dragons - Roots (Lyrics).” YouTube, YouTube, 27 Aug. 2015, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlIqFo81rOI>.

ImagineDragons. “Imagine Dragons - Roots (Official Music Video).” YouTube, YouTube, 29 Sept. 2015, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PscXGpsF3dY>.

Thesis for Analysis

nattypurple19 — 2018-12-21 01:29:48 UTC

In expressing his need to never forget where he came from, Dan Reynolds uses logos and pathos in the lyrics and includes ethos and pathos in the video of "Roots" to show the importance of not letting the band's newfound fame change them. By using a lot of symbolism and imagery, and giving relatable examples such as Reynolds's home videos showing his childhood, Reynolds creates an effective work that reminds his audience that people should never let new circumstances change who you are and to know you can always go back to your roots.

Lyrics Link

nattypurple19 — 2018-12-21 15:26:00 UTC

Lyrics Analysis - Logos

nattypurple19 — 2018-12-21 15:36:05 UTC

Logos is the term used to describe to the appeal to logic: it is a way of persuading an audience with reason and logic or with facts and figures. In "Roots", Dan Reynolds uses a few lines of logos to further encourage audiences to understand his message. In fact, the very first lines of "Roots" can be classified as logos. "Don't throw stones at me / Don't tell anybody / Trouble finds me" - these first lines of the song "Roots" can be analyzed using logos. By stating to "not throw stones" at him, he is referring for people not to judge him and to not tell people that trouble found him, Reynolds is effective in reminding his audience of how easy it is for people to judge others when they don't know what is going on in their lives. He tries to reason that he shouldn't be judged because of his troubles, which can be interpreted as his sudden life change that he is trying to figure out. Another example of logos that Reynolds uses in "Roots" is the thought that this new journey in life is going to be hard, but he will make it through. "Had to lose my way / To know which road to take" are examples of lines in which he reasons that he would be more successful trying to find his own way home rather than the same path he's walked his entire life. He knows that in his new circumstances that his old ways aren't going to be effective. Along the same lines he says, "I know its gotta go like this, I know / Hell will always come before you grow" - meaning he knows it will be hard, but it is just something he has to do to figure out his new life. The final line of the song, which is repeated many times throughout its duration, "I'm going back to my roots / Another day, another door" signals that he knows exactly what his new life entails. He'll go through it day by day, moment by moment, but he is always reminded of who he was by "going back to his roots". By incorporating this idea into "Roots", Reynolds reasons to his audience and fans that while life can turn for better or worse, don't ever forget who you are. Always know you can find solace and familiarity with your old self; you don't need to let it go.

Lyrics Analysis - Pathos

nattypurple19 — 2018-12-21 15:36:33 UTC

Pathos, also known as the appeal to emotion, is a way of convincing an audience of an argument by creating an emotional response. Dan Reynolds frequently uses pathos to convey the importance of never forgetting who you are to his audience. Pathos itself is the inspiration for "Roots" as the subject of the song is very personal. The first example of pathos can be found in the fourth line of "Roots". Following a logos theme at the beginning of the song, Reynolds sings "All the noise of this / Has made me lose my belief." This line relies heavily on pathos because, it shows that the speaker is lost in his newfound fame and he isn't sure in what he believes in anymore. Additionally, pathos appears in each chorus. The chorus of "I'm going back to my roots" is very simple: the phrase "Another day, another door / Another high, another low / Rock bottom, rock bottom, rock bottom" is repeated twice. This simple phrase is full of emotional meaning because each chorus is his view of this new life he has. By saying "another high, another low", the speaker is explaining that he will experience both joy and sorrow and whether he wants it or not, change him as a person. Another moment that has emotional meaning occurs in the second verse. This line, "Trouble found me / All I look forward / Washed away by wave," is a great example of pathos because it shows that Reynolds is saying that because trouble (his new fame) found him, everything he was looking forward to in the future was being washed away. These actions are once again influenced by pathos, and while they do spawn from the struggle in his journey, they also show hope because he believes that the end result will be a sound life. The third verse also contains similar ideas. "Trouble found me, trouble found me / I know it's gotta go like this," also shows Reynolds's understanding that there will always be trouble. He knows that it is the natural way of life. The final line of "Roots", could be seen as one last appeal to pathos. In the concluding tag, Reynolds sings, "I'm going back to my roots." This lyric shows the characteristics of pathos because Reynolds once again reminds the audience that even though your life will take its course never forget who you are; you can always go back to the comfort and safety of home. You can always go back to your roots.

Video Link - Unedited

nattypurple19 — 2018-12-21 15:37:06 UTC

Video Analysis - Pathos

nattypurple19 — 2019-01-04 15:36:48 UTC

Reynolds and Imagine Dragons use a combination of setting, the home videos, and coloration to portray the messages found in "Roots" through pathos. By using these particular methods, Reynolds reveals how personal and meaningful this song is to him. It's something that he doesn't want to forget and truly sung from the heart.

Conclusion

nattypurple19 — 2019-01-04 15:37:13 UTC

The lyrics and music video of Imagine Dragon's song "Roots" are effective in conveying Dan Reynolds's message through the use of various persuasive techniques. Dan Reynolds, songwriter and lead singer of the band, uses ethos, pathos, and logos to convey his messages through symbolism, his past experiences, and relatable examples. The lyrics are especially effective in relaying the band's struggle with their new life, and coupled with the video, expose how much that message means to them. Reynolds is very effective in conveying these messages and I believe that his work is capable of inspiring us to never forget who we are, no matter what happens through our course in life.

Video Analysis - Ethos

nattypurple19 — 2019-01-06 19:55:19 UTC

Dan Reynolds uses symbolism and real life events to portray his own experiences and relay the message that despite being thrown into this new chaotic life, he wants to figure it out.