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Kemani Jenkins
Dr. Tina Iemma
English 112-005
07 October 2024
James Arthur's 2019 released album by the name of “You” highlighted his growth in his
music in life while also giving his listeners and fans something to relate to as all his music does.
The popular songs on the album include “You”, “Quite Miss Home”, “From Me to You, I Hate
Everybody”, “Car’s Outside”, “Finally Feel Good”. These songs explore the ideas of love, pain,
self-acceptance, and mental health. But the song from the album that we will talk about today is
“Car’s Outside” which follows the artist's emotional struggle with love and the necessity to
leave.
Throughout “Car’s Outside” the songwriter and Singer James Arthur expresses a strong
desire to stay with his partner but he has obligations and have to leave which is shown as he
states one minute and four seconds into the song “I’m tired of lovin’ from afar” then follows up
by saying two minutes into the song “But the car’s outside, but I don’t wanna go tonight”.
Throughout the song the phrase “Car’s Outside” shows the external force which is represented
by the “car” which acts as a metaphor for responsibilities that pulls us from those we care about,
capturing the pain of separation and the urge to prioritize love over everything else, which many
listeners can resonate with. This is a universal experience of balancing the things in your life that
are important to you.
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Throughout this song the singer Arthur lyrics conveys the tension and vulnerability of the
situation while also showing the emotional conflict represented throughout the lyrics between his
heart and his mind. In the beginning of the song James Arthur states “But you know the truth I’d
rather hold you, Than try to catch this flight” this line immediately lets the listeners know he is
not ok with the idea of leaving. This lyric sets the tone for the rest of the song as it emphasizes
his internal struggle between what he needs to do and what he wants to do. The writer uses
metaphors to intensify the emotions and help the listeners better understand how he wants them
to feel while listening to the song. The tone of the music and the lyrics draw the listeners in but
the fact that they can relate and feel what he's saying keeps them listening.
Not only was it the tone that captured the audience, it was also the singer’s vocal
performance. His voice was very raw and full of emotion which captured the vulnerability
causing the listener to feel every word he said. There would be times in the song that were more
emotional than others causing his voice to crack and that just screamed authenticity, even
towards the end of the song he would repeat the same lines and each time he said it there was a
deeper level of sadness. Each layer of the song enhanced the song’s emotional pull.
“Car’s Outside” resonates with the listener's relatability as all his songs do. The song
addresses the universal experience of not wanting to leave someone you love due to other
responsibilities. People tend to relate this song to their relationships so when they hear it, it
becomes personal for them as i said before is what he always does with his music if you any
song from him such as “Train Wreck”, “Can I Be Him”, and “Say You Won’t Let Go” which is
just naming a few. His rawness in his tone and in the lyrics helps people express what they
always wanted to say in situations and what they always wanted people to understand. He
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captures the heartache and the emotional aspect of love and life and that is why this artist was
chosen for my project.
