Darius Rucker Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gvzUwV93ac

The argument- Rucker makes clear the message of this song in the chorus when he sings “And it’s alright, alright. And I’ve got all I need, and it’s alright by me.” Essentially, he is saying that everything in life is alright when you have what you need.

The audience- The audience is listeners who may not be satisfied with life. This dissatisfaction potentially comes from wanting more then they need and ignoring the blessings they have. Rucker is speaking to these listeners.

The goal- The goal is to help listeners be content with what they have. Rucker wants listeners to acknowledge the important and calculate the blessings they have, even if they don’t add up to much material worth.

How he does it:

First, Rucker uses pathos to appeal to the listeners. He does this by utilizing imagery in his lyrics. For example, in the second verse he describes a walk down by the river under a moon lit sky. He states that it may not be the French Riveria, which allows the listener to get an idea of what this spot may be like. He emphasizes this overall theme of contentment by explaining his satisfaction with the walk despite the less than romantic circumstances.

Second, Rucker also uses logos to convey his ideas. He does not use any statistics but he does lay out a fairly logical thought process as to why he is content in life. He mentions, “The best of Patsy Cline”, spaghetti, and cheap wine as some of the things he prizes in life. All these things are simple, suggesting that even the simple things in life can make one happy.

Third, the evidence is typical to the audience. Most live in some sort of home and have shoes on their feet. They can identify with these types of material items in their own lives, and thus can evaluate whether or not they are grateful for them.

Fourth, the evidence is relevant to the purpose of the song. He describes the simple things like a house or shoes on the feet which tend to be the first to be forgotten when pursuing some of the finer things in life. His lyrics attempt to help the listener remember these blessings.

Effectiveness- I feel that this song is as effective as a repetitive country song could be in conveying its purpose. The message is simple and clear and conveyed easily to a general audience. This simplicity is important to a song that is emphasizing enjoying the little things in life.