1. Introduce/integrate a block quotation (4 lines or longer), including some sort of topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph—and also introducing the band’s or singer’s name and the title of the song (in quotation marks).
2. Then, follow up the block quotation with three to five sentences of analysis.
3. Work in at least two shorter quotations (from the block quote) into your analysis.
Elliott Smith’s song, “Between the Bars,” tells a depressing story of alcohol addiction. The song begins with a slow, steady acoustic guitar, and then Smith’s voice glides in, almost as if he is whispering to you (or to himself, perhaps):
Drink up baby, stay up all night With the things you could do You won't but you might The potential you'll be that you'll never see The promises you'll only make
In this opening excerpt of the song, the speaker could be Smith himself, perhaps speaking to his lover. And, at first glance, the opening line, “drink up baby,” suggests some type of celebration—drinking and partying all night are often seen as fun, harmless activities that you might experience with a lover (or a group of friends)... However, there could be a darker side to these lines, as the speaker could also be the alcohol itself, personified, as if the bottle of booze is actually singing to the drinker/alcoholic in a soothing, comforting voice, telling him or her to “drink up” and forget about any problems…