The Sound of Music in a Quiet World

Awarded to Rielly Harris for work submitted in Fall 2023 to Katrina Knebel in ENGL 1010: Expository Writing

One Shadow

Awarded to Jayla Emilie for work submitted in Spring 2022 to Dr. Bridget Donnelly in ENGL 2020: Research and Argumentative Writing

For this project, I’ve decided to write and record a song. I selected this format not only because songwriting captures deep and intricate emotions but also because there is no limit to creativity. Having the ability to write comforts me, as well as many others who may be experiencing difficulties. Choosing this format will also help my success and growth as a songwriter. I have been writing songs ever since the age of 10 and having more practice will only make me better. While I have written songs for other classes, this project brought new ideas and opportunities to the table. One topic addressed in my previous works has been loneliness; however, I’ve never combined horror tropes and themes such as nature, no sleep, insanity, isolation, and more. Overall, the process was exciting and effective because it broadened my writing to other subjects.

As seen in the title, the name I chose for this song is called “One Shadow.” It tells an interesting story because it’s so vague that anyone can relate at some point. It’s about this girl who feels as if she has no one or any place in the world. She always tries to make an effort but either has social anxiety or other problems on her plate. The story progresses when she goes over to a friend’s house one day; however, she has a strange feeling. It’s the feeling that someone is watching you or like when you watch a horror movie late at night and don’t wanna sleep right away. She then gets deja vu about crashing her car and the chorus, specifically the first one, tells what would’ve happened if she walked instead. As seen, later on, she does drive home and suffers for it.

At first, this wasn’t the plot I intended for the song. Originally, this character was expected to go home and never be in the hospital. It was supposed to be more supernatural than it already is, almost like a haunted house. Some other tropes I had included faces appearing in the security camera or mirror, no source of light, hearing noises, and more. It wasn’t until the second verse that I changed my mind. The reason for this is that I knew the song could be more than it already was. I wanted more figures of speech, which will be discussed later, and leave listeners with more questions at the end. I will say, this song was so intriguing that I wrote it in a total of two days. I feel like I was able to write it quickly because I was so inspired. I thought “this happening would be really cool, why not try this?”

This isn’t the only significant change that was made. For “One Shadow,” the production process changed quite frequently. While lyrics are very important in a song, I believe the production aspect takes it to the next level and ties a song together. Personally, this is always the longest part because I’m not always the best at being able to express my ideas. At first, I was only going to include acoustic guitar and vocals. I always do this for my demos, however, I decided to go a different route this time. I instead wanted something more convincing and dark since it’ll have a greater effect on listeners. Some influences I had in mind for “One Shadow” included artists such as Billie Eilish, Nessa Barrett, and more. I feel like this style of music is different or unique and has grown a lot over the past few years. Furthermore, when I decided to incorporate more, I realized I had a friend who can lead me in the right direction. One major decision that changed the whole outcome of the song is how it was recorded. I usually always record guitar first but in this case, I built the song inside of ProTools. For example, using a loop or accessing samples and different plugins. I made this decision because I figured it would change the outcome of the song, and it did for the better.

When analyzing “One Shadow,” I found more horror tropes and themes than I anticipated. The first one I’d like to discuss is the title. As mentioned, I wanted to include more figures of speech in my song. For the line “one shadow,” I tried my best to do so. In the chorus, it’s saying and letting everyone believe that she is seeing two shadows. This line is neat because it implies that something bad would’ve happened in any case, and the other shadow would still be there. However, it also leaves unanswered questions. Is there really an evil entity present, or is she crazy and imagining it all? Overall, the story leaves the listeners with cliffhangers and the ability to create different scenarios. Another crucial part of the song is “would anyone really miss her?” Since she believes she truly has no one, then why would it matter what happens to her? I feel like this line is important because it’s expressing how she genuinely feels and her impulsive decisions.

Furthermore, one reading that influenced my project and the tropes I included was Frankenstein. The first one is physical isolation and loneliness. In “One Shadow,” this character constantly isolates herself from others and feels very sad or lonely. My inspiration for this is Victor Frankenstein. While the circumstances are very different, it’s the same feeling. This feeling is progressively shown throughout the novel, especially near the ending. For example, Victor loses everyone he cared about due to selfish desires. He became obsessed over this one goal and never realized what he had until it was gone. Meanwhile, the character I created has done nothing to deserve this feeling. She is treated horribly for no apparent reason and is simply unlucky.

The second trope would be no sleep. I took this idea and portrayed it differently. In my song, the character doesn’t get sleep because she is truly frightened. Victor, on the other hand, gets this way because he is haunted by his actions and how many lives he ruined. Another trope taken from Frankenstein or other works such as Carmilla is nature and the world outside. Almost immediately, rain can be heard at the beginning of “One Shadow.” Not only does this foreshadow, but it also sets the mood for the rest of the song. Other elements that relate to this trope are mostly in the chorus. For example, “the lamppost flickering and the wind kept howling.” Overall, this line can really heighten the feeling of unease or suspense. Another work that influenced my project is My Heart is a Chainsaw. I can relate Jade Daniels to the character in “One Shadow” because they are both female and share similar problems with making friends, family members, and more.

In the end, I’m very satisfied with how my project turned out. Not only was I able to tie the project into our course materials, but I was also able to improve my skills along the way. While I have written many songs, this project brought new ideas and opportunities to the table. It makes me realize the topics I have yet to write about. Overall, I’m happy I could choose this format because it’s my passion and desire in life. In the future, I can even relate back to the course information we learned and use it for future references.

“One Shadow” Lyrics

She’s the girl who had some friends but always felt alone

Not really popular but they still knew of her

They need something she thought as she walked in their house

But she felt someone present, not like heaven

So she made an excuse cause she got deja vu

Of crashing the car and no one could fix her

But would anyone really miss her?

She would’ve walked down the block in the rain anyways

It’s only down the street, but she still got anxiety

She counted her footsteps but it was too dark to see

She prayed please don’t get worse but she might’ve been just cursed

With the lamppost flickering and the wind kept howling

She got the company when there’s only supposed to be one shadow

Shadow in the head or are they real?

She’s the girl who’s always scared but still lives alone

Not getting any sleep as the doors tend to creek

Wide-open at night in the hospital room

She could only imagine what could’ve happened

She wished she walked down the block in the rain anyways

It’s only down the street but she still got anxiety

The hurt that she suffered from getting in her car

She prayed please don’t get me hurt but she might’ve been just cursed

With the lamppost flickering and the wind kept howling

She got the company when there’s only supposed to be one shadow

Shadow in her head or are they real?