Week Sixteen: Screeching Weasel - "Every Night" - Anthem for a New Tomorrow

I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have personally related to the first two lines of this track - "I'm not feeling human anymore; Half connected all the time".  With all of this new technology that is supposed to be connecting us so easily, I see it hindering bona fide human interactions and effective interpersonal communication - in essence, half connecting us all the time.

Nonetheless, the imagery in this tune is pretty amazing, especially for it being a song favored primarily by those of the punk persuasion!!  My favorite lines are:

"I've sat and smoked a billion cigarettes
And wished to hell that you were here
My stained and calloused fingers hold a pen
Scratching apologies to you too late too little"

I highly doubt that the guys from Screeching Weasel ever imagined anyone analyzing their lyrics using literary techniques, such as imagery, but here I am doing just that.

When I teach my poetry unit, I require my students to select song lyrics that have some type of special meaning to them, and I also make them mark various literary techniques that are being employed within the song, like symbolism, alliteration, simile, metaphor, etc.

It fascinates them to see how the artists utilize these techniques... it fascinates me that they can actually do it because their minds always seem to be floating off to who knows where during daily lessons - oh, the joys of junior high!!

I apologize for focusing so much on school during Screeching Weasel week, but that's where my mind is at the moment.  I seriously cannot believe that today is only the third day of the 2012 school year... I swear, it already feels like the thirtieth day or beyond!!!!

I'm not feeling human anymore
Half connected all the time
Each night I document the things I've done
The pointless points I've made for stupid reasons
Every night I'm always the same
You're pounding on my brain
Tonight and every night
I lie down clenching up my teeth
Trying to fall asleep
I've sat and smoked a billion cigarettes
And wished to hell that you were here
My stained and calloused fingers hold a pen
Scratching apologies to you too late too little
Every night I pay off my debts
Trust me I don't forget
Tonight and every night
I will analyze everything
And make myself count the ways
I f*cked up today