* Rhetorical Analysis of Jack
Johnson’s “Gone”
SOAPSTONE and Rhetoric and the Reader
“Gone” ~Jack Johnson
Look at all those fancy clothes,
But these could keep us warm just like those.
And what about your soul? Is it cold?
Is it straight from the mold, and ready to be
sold?
And cars and phones and diamond rings,
Bling, bling, because those are only removable
things.
And what about your mind? Does it shine?
Are there things that concern you, more than
your time?
Gone, going.
Gone, everything.
Gone, give a damn.
Gone, be the birds, when they don't wanna
sing.
Gone, people, all awkward with their things,
Gone.
Look at you, out to make a deal.
You try to be appealing, but you lose your
appeal.
And what about those shoes you're in today?
They'll do no good, on the bridges you burnt
along the way.
And you're willing to sell, anything?
Gone, with your head.
Leave your footprints,
And we'll shame them with our words.
Gone, people, all careless and consumed, gone
Gone, going,
Gone, everything.
Gone, give a damn.
Gone, be the birds, if they don't wanna sing.
Gone, people, all awkward with their things,
Gone.
“Gone, going.
Gone, everything.”
The subject of the song
is the negative impact
of materialism and
excess on today’s
society.
“People, all careless and
consumed, gone”
*SUBJECT
The context of the song is
found in our society’s need
to focus on materialistic
wants instead of our
realistic needs. Many
people try to fit the
Hollywood culture instead
of finding their true selves.
Many people in today’s
society are egotistical; they
focus only on themselves.
Instead of focusing their
efforts on something that
is actually important, they
spend too much time on
themselves
“Look at all
those fancy
clothes,
But these could
keep us warm
just like those.
/ And what
about your
soul? Is it cold?
/ Is it straight
from the mold,
and ready to be
sold?”
“And what about your mind?
Does it shine?
Are there things that concern
you, more than your time?”
*OCCASION / CONTEXT
“Gone, people, all awkward with
their things, Gone”
The primary audience is young
adults. They are at the most
impressionable age and often try
hard to be accepted by society.
“And what about those shoes
you're in today?
They'll do no good, on the bridges
you burnt along the way”
*AUDIENCE
“And what about your soul? Is it
cold?”
The purpose of the song is to
persuade teenagers and young
adults into focusing on the simple
things in life and to think twice
before indulging in materialistic
vanities. Material objects will not
last forever; what is more important
is what is found within people.
“Gone, going, Gone, everything.
Gone, give a damn. Gone, be the birds,
if they don't wanna sing.
Gone, people, all awkward with their
things, Gone”
*PURPOSE
“Look at all those fancy clothes,
But these could keep us warm
just like those.”
The speaker establishes his
credibility by providing everyday
examples when people give into
their impulse to focus on
materialism and vanity. He states
that people lose themselves by
focusing only on their outward
appearances.
“Gone, going, Gone, everything.
Gone, give a damn. Gone, be the birds,
if they don't wanna sing. Gone, people,
all awkward with their things, Gone.”
*SPEAKER
“And what about your soul? Is it
cold?”
The tone of this song is objective,
yet cold. The diction the speaker
uses suggests a rather unapologetic
attitude in order to prove that
people lose their true selves through
their attempt to conform to societal
norms.
“Look at you, out to make a deal.
You try to be appealing, but you
lose your appeal”
*TONE
The speaker utilizes an external
rhyme pattern to draw the readers’
attention to his words and force
them to resonate within the
readers.
The repetition of the word “gone”
emphasizes the emptiness that
people who indulge in materialism
and conform to societal norms will
feel; it helps to emphasize the
purpose of the song.
“Gone, going.
Gone, everything.
Gone, give a damn.
Gone, be the birds, when they
don't wanna sing.
Gone, people, all awkward with
their things,
Gone.”
Rhythm Pattern: ABAB
* “Look at all those fancy clothes,
But these could keep us warm just
like those.
And what about your soul? Is it
cold?
Is it straight from the mold, and
ready to be sold?”
*ORGANIZATION
“Look at all those fancy clothes…
And what about your soul? “
The writer speaks directly to his
audience by utilizing the second
person point-of view. He literally
asks his audience to visualize and
reflect upon some of the choices
they have made, and then he asks
rhetorical questions for each
reflection. The rhetorical questions
help to prove his point that
materialism leaves people feeling
empty inside.
“And cars
and phones
and diamond
rings… And
what about
your mind?
Does it
shine?”
“Look at you, out to make a
deal…And what about those
shoes you're in today?”
NARRATIVE STYLE
“Look at all those fancy clothes,
But these could keep us warm
just like those.”
The speaker establishes both his
ethos and logos by providing
evidence from most people’s
everyday experiences. Many people
spend a lot of money on their
appearance in order to feel accepted
by our society’s expectations. This
makes his argument more believable
and gives him more credibility for his
argument
“And what about those shoes
you're in today?
They'll do no good, on the
bridges you burnt”
*EVIDENCE
“Gone Lyrics.” Sing365. Web. 25 Sept 2011.
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/gone-lyrics-jackjohnson/696ad8c1c3beee6048256d1e000fb3d7.
*Works Cited