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Evelyn Cornejo

Professor Batty

English 102

22 September 2018

Sober: The song interpreting the struggles with mental health and addiction

For many years, poetry is seen as an artistic and most articulate way to express

unrestrained emotions and till this day envelops in our everyday lives. You may wonder how it is

possible, the answer is the power of music. Music is the modern way to express and therefore it

easily hooks us as listeners because it can connect with our varied moods. The song that I chose

to evaluate is ​Sober​ by Demi Lovato and the reason why I chose this song is because mental

health is put into more importance now than how it was before, becoming educated about serious

topics that correlate with substance abuse or any mental disorder could greatly save lives.

I consider this song to be poetry because the writer uses cacophony in both the music and

the lyrics; it was purposefully made for the audience to feel empathy for victims of any form of

addiction, such as eating disorders, alcoholism, drugs etc. Two literary devices I found

throughout the song was mostly imagery and metaphors. In the beginning of the song, it

thoroughly explains how addiction destroys meaningful friendships and other types of

relationships. The interpretation of feeling trapped is related to the term “dying inside” because

addicts feel imprisoned in their own head. Therefore, feeling guilt about excluding loved ones

who only want what is best for them seem to relapse by giving into those urges of addiction

through influences that are not beneficial which is what the artist is trying to interpret in her
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personal view,​“​I got no excuses for all of these goodbyes/ call me when it’s over cause I’m

dying inside/ Wake me when the shakes are gone/ and cold sweats disappear/call me when it’s

over And myself has reappeared” (Line 1-5).

Not only does it express how the victim is feeling but it also explains the effect of substance

withdrawal that include symptoms such as cold sweats and insomnia. This could also interpret

symptoms included with eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia and other withdrawals

that feel tempting to rewind into those harmful habits. Through these first lines it guides us to

the pain and suffering, it is both a mental and physical toll, many addicts experience a point

where they want to get better but side effects of emptiness and urge to give in appear. As the

artist aforementioned “Call me when it’s over and myself has reappeared” the gist of this line she

is trying to indicate is what many sufferers encounter when they feel stuck try to remember who

they were before their downward spiral captured their lives. Demi speaks for every victim,

explaining how they lose sense of who they are, their identity becomes blurred because of their

addiction and it heavily controls their sense of well being.

The next line that caught my attention profoundly depicts how trying to recover makes

addicts prone to compulsive behavior that is out of their control. This feeling of loneliness

comes along with lost friendships and relationships that therefore makes them turn to what they

feel to have a sense of control of, when in fact the addiction has them on a ball and chain,“I

don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know why/ I do it every, every, every time/ it’s

only when I’m lonely/ sometimes I just wanna cave/ And I don’t want to fight/ I try and I try

and I try and I try and I try/ just hold me, I’m lonely” (6-11).
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As this line is being read over and over, there are unlimited numbers of raw emotions that are

depicting her feeling absence of human affection , the need for support and crying out for help.

Demi interprets from her personal view that addicts want to cave in as an escape from their

dismantled reality in order to feel no more pain and suffering. Battling these issues alone is

incredibly draining because trying to quit their addiction becomes way more challenging.

Fighting to recover is a journey and it could have its highs and lows, it could lead to exhaustion

and frustration as it is mentioned on this line of the song above. When it comes to certain

addictions, it becomes easy to give up rather than get better which is a saddening concept yet

there is always a promise and hope for recovery.

Apologies after apologies are not left out, Demi feels like a failure for going back to her

old ways which she has tried to conquer through the years. After relapsing, addicts feel like

failures and feel as if their loved ones are disappointed in them just because they could not help

themselves as they relapse. Substance abuse, eating disorders, drug addictions all take place in an

environment where there was somehow a trigger since childhood. In this case, Demi shares her

own experience with her alcoholic father. They both had a turbulent father/daughter relationship.

Lovato wanted to find out what it could fill in her since emptiness has been following her for so

​ omma I’m so sorry I’m not sober anymore/And daddy please forgive me for the drinks
long,​“M

spilled on the floor/ to the ones who never left me we’ve been down this road before/ I’m so

sorry, I’m not sober anymore.” (Lines 12-15). As she mentions how drinks are spilled on the

floor it clearly illustrates how scary an addiction feels because of its expansion. The road is

referencing to the artist’s history of eating disorders, substance abuse and drug use in all. Her
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apology makes the listener feel empathetic of her relapse because although she is a celebrity, she

is also human who is trying to figure herself out by getting the help she needs. She speaks for

everyone who is facing the same issues and gives them a sense that they are not alone.

Overall, this song is definitely considered poetry because it involves a sense of well being

and the importance of mental health by taking the first step to get better and that is admitting to

having a problem which is a brave thing to do. Recovery seems scary since it’s not about your

control but rather it is about taking care of yourself and it is a process, it can’t be done overnight.

It is important to reach out for help and it is necessary to talk about mental health issues. There is

hope, there is recovery and there are those who give their love and support.
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​Citation​​:

Lovato, Demi. “​Sober.”​ Island Records,2018 Spotify

open.spotify.com/album/4N04d4lvre3E3IbXugDWcA
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Appendix A

Sober Lyrics

[Verse 1]

I got no excuses for all of these goodbyes

Call me when it's over 'cause I'm dying inside

Wake me when the shakes are gone

And the cold sweats disappear

Call me when it's over and myself has reappeared

[Pre-Chorus]

I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know why

I do it every, every, every time

It's only when I'm lonely

Sometimes I just wanna cave and I don't wanna fight

I try and I try and I try and I try and I try

Just hold me, I'm lonely

[Chorus]

Momma, I'm so sorry, I'm not sober anymore

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And daddy, please forgive me for the drinks spilled on the floor

To the ones who never left me, we've been down this road before

I'm so sorry, I'm not sober anymore

[Verse 2]

I'm sorry to my future love for the man that left my bed

For making love the way I saved for you inside my head

And I'm sorry for the fans I lost who watched me fall again

I wanna be a role model, but I'm only human

[Pre-Chorus]

I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know why

I do it every, every, every time

It's only when I'm lonely

Sometimes I just wanna cave and I don't wanna fight

I try and I try and I try and I try and I try

Just hold me, I'm lonely

[Chorus]

Momma, I'm so sorry, I'm not sober anymore

And daddy, please forgive me for the drinks spilled on the floor

To the ones who never left me, we've been down this road before
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I'm so sorry, I'm not sober anymore

I’m not sober anymore

[Outro]

I'm sorry that I'm here again, I promise I'll get help

It wasn't my intention, I'm sorry to myself

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