"Inaudible Melodies" by Jack Johnson(7)

In the song “Inaudible Melodies” by Jack Johnson, he speaks to the audience with a sense of remorse in the words he uses. He feels that his life has slipped away from him and he wasn’t able to hold on to the memories long enough to realize the impact they would make on his life. He uses many stylistic devices to persuade the audience to hold on to not rush life and enjoy every minute of it. It is packed with personification, alliteration, and so many oxymorons.

The title in itself uses a stylistic device. An oxymoron is the combination of two contradictory terms. Inaudible melodies are clearly an oxymoron. Melodies normally refer to pieces of music that you can hear, and of course inaudible means you can’t hear it at all. “Frame-lines tell me what to see, chopping like an ax”. The comparison of frame-lines to an ax implies that each part of a person’s life makes them who they are, and the people who are trying to get to know you better can understand you through that. Alliteration is used when Jack Johnson wrote the lyrics “solar powered plastic prints.” An anastrophe is basically when an author or in this case songwriter switches around words. In the first verse he writes, “to rebound off of we” instead of we rebound off of. “Frames can’t catch you when you’re moving like that.” How are frames supposed to catch you exactly? This is a simple act of putting human characteristics on inanimate objects. He Is stating that if his audience is moving to quickly throughout life, you will miss out on things that are most important to your plan God has for your life. So many stylistic devices in one song helps Jack Johnson reach out to his audience and make them understand what he means.

Jack Johnson is a poet with his words. With all of the devices he used, he clearly persuades people that life should be a journey, not just something to hurry and get through. Every aspect of your life needs to be prolonged somehow. By hurrying through life, you may become someone you have hatred for. Everyone needs time to relax and enjoy the good things in life.