Analysis of Stone Sour's Through Glass

Introduction |||| ||| (silence)

I’m looking at you through the glass

Don’t know how much time has passed

Oh God it feels like forever, but no one ever tells you

That forever feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head

Verse 1 A |||| |||| 

How do you feel? That is the question

But I forget you don’t expect an easy answer

When something like a soul becomes initialized and folded up

Like paper dolls and little notes, you can’t expect a bit of hope

Pre-Chorus/Chorus |||| |||| ||| [Drop]

So While you’re outside looking in, describing what you see

Remember what you’re staring at is me

‘Cause I’m looking at you through the glass

Don’t know how much time has passed

All I know is that it feels like forever, but no one ever tells you

That forever feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head

Verse 2A |||| |||| 

How much is real? So much to question

An epidemic of the mannequins, contaminating everything

We thought came from the heart, but never did right from the start

Just listen to the noises, null and void instead of voices

Pre-Chorus/Chorus |||| |||| |||| [upbeat]

Before you tell yourself, it’s just a different scene

Remember it’s just different from what you’ve seen

I’m looking at you through the glass

Don’t know how much time has passed

And all I know is that it feels like forever, but no one ever tells you

That forever feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head

Chorus |||| |||| 

Cause I’m looking at you through the glass

Don’t know how much time has passed

And all I know is that it feels like forever, but no one ever tells you

That forever feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head

Bridge |||| |||| 

And it’s the stars, the stars

That shine for you

And it’s the stars, the stars

That lie to you, yeah-ah

B’ |||| |||| 

And it’s the stars, the stars

That shine for you

And it’s the stars, the stars

That lie to you, yeah-ah

Chorus |||| |||| 

I’m looking at you through the glass

Don’t know how much time has passed

And all I know is that it feels like forever, but no one ever tells you

That forever feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head

a |||| |||| 

Cause I’m looking at you through the glass

Don’t know how much time has passed

And all I know is that it feels like forever, but no one ever tells you

That forever feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head

Bridge |||| |||| [beatdrop]

And it’s the stars, the stars

That shine for you

And it’s the stars, the stars

That lie to you, yeah-ah

B’ |||| |||| 

And it’s the stars, the stars

That shine for you

And it’s the stars, the stars

That lie to you, yeah-ah

According to the diagram above, one stroke ( | ) represents a single bar. As such, one part of the song such as the verse and hook represents 8 bars of music. The pre-choruses that introduce choruses share bars and as such they have around twelve bars combined. In these bars, the pulse that is used is that of 4/4 although at times the beat drops to represent a ¾ pulse rate. An instance of when that happens is at the end of the introduction when the verse is about to begin.

The introduction of the song only contains the guitar and the vocals of the artist. The guitar starts playing a second after the artist starts singing. The reason for that is to allow the lyrics to capture the attention of the audience so that they can easily follow. The following tune serves to give the lyrics a structure and melody and in the process introduce the vibe of the song to the audience as well. These words he says in a manner that is slow and articulate and in a summarized form. As such, the audience gets a clue of what the song will be about and how it will be told.

In the start and end of the introduction, the intensity of the words is sparse while in the middle the singer uses more words and a faster pace. That creates an intensity which makes the story believable and create a climax which the singer rewards with a recession of words and stopping the beat temporarily. By the time the introduction ends, the audience’s full attention is on the song and there is the wait for the artist to elaborate what he meant. After the break, the beat and the artist come back in tandem and in the same nerve that it dropped off at. The effect in that case is the audience connecting to the artist since he has drawn them in and has the listening to the story they had expected to.

Although it would have created more excitement in the audience if after the brief pause the return was intense. However, it would have lost the story that the singer was trying to spread. As the song progresses, it continues becoming more intense through the constant addition of different elements including metal guitar. By that time, the message of the song is already established and the focus can then naturally move onto the melody and the rhythm that is expressed by the artist.

The artist is also keen to use the phonetic abilities to express his message effectively. For instance, when he sings “how do you feel” that lyric ends with a slightly higher pitch to signify that it is a question. At the same time, the voice of the author is soft and full of concern which shows that the question is out of love and care. Similarly, in the second verse the author’s lyrics “just listen to the noises, null and void instead of voices” provide an emotion thanks to the sound he produces. The first part he asks in a manner that wonders while the second one is sort of a confirmation of what exactly is missing.

Although the song has a general vibe of care, love and curiosity, the artist does not stick to any particular pattern in the stanzas. On the contrary, he continues changing the way he flows. Most of the stanzas in the song are short although there are others that are longer than usual. However, he manages these well as he keeps them within the bars that he is dealing with. Many times, he puts one entire stanza over two bars. That works because the audience focuses on the stanza and at times breaking the stanza breaks the thought or the feel that it is supposed to give. Case in point is the third line in the first verse “when something like a soul becomes initialized and folded up.”

As it is, the sentence explores an entire thought and with it tries to connect to the audience that feels like they lost their soul. Although the line could have been broken into two and sang like the first line then the message would still have been delivered. Nevertheless, it would have been minus the emotion that is experienced when the audience identifies with the exact situation that has been described by the artist. Without that emotion, the lyrics would have come off as unrealistic and wishful thinking for the most part.

The lyrics that the artist uses in the introduction are the same ones that are still in the chorus. However, the way the two of them are delivered is unique. For the introduction, the words are deliberately and slowly spoken. However, in the chorus the speed is faster and the delivery is not as deliberate as it was in the start. As such, at the end of the song the speed is even faster and singing even more emotional. The effect is that the audience will start on focusing in the words and making sense of them before connecting with them on an emotional level. The voice and sound of the artist also continues to be more aggressive as the track progresses.

There are also more voices that make the question move from the soft caring one to one that seeks to inspire or motivate one into action. At the start of the song, the rhythm of the guitar is perfectly symmetrical for the two bars after which it changes for the next two to for only one rhythm with a climax. After the second beat starts, the beat is perfectly symmetrical with four parts stretched out in two bars. That goes on with beats dropping when the artist was emphasizing something. For instance, after the chorus ends and the second verse starts, there is a slight pause that is essential for the audience to reflect what has just been said even if it is for a second.

The pause is also important because immediately after it finishes, the other verse continues. Since the audience is already meditating on the chorus, they will be able to link it with the words from the new verse. As such, the artist would be pushing his point home in a very persuasive manner. The beat dropping is also important because it helps the artist to come back with his message and have it clearly heard and thus deciphered by the audience. The chorus, which is the main message that the artist is trying to send, is emphasized in a number of ways. After the second pre-chorus, the drummer gives the beat a kick which emphasizes the chorus and effectively riles up the emotions in the audience. Similarly, after the bridge, the aggressive beat stops and the simple and more peaceful guitar comes in. All this is to emphasize the message and making it persuasive for the audience.