I am not typically one to read literature or philosophy, but I do tend to enjoy analyzing songs or poems. There is one in particular that I have been wishing to analyze. 'Bruno Is Orange' - Hop Along "Bruno, what did you tell that man? He's a clever man, did you know? I bet he works for the government, And I know you know I know, I can't control thoughts of things I needed, I believe everybody needs some encouragement. (CHORUS) I think it's real unfair that you should put him there, All we did was kiss, on my grave, I swear Where did you find his shoes? A lock of my hair? All we did was kiss, on my grave, I swear (X2) (CHORUS END) Some dull morning we were wearing sheets And he whispered, "I think that they know better than me" See this hand that pushed you into the creek? I'm sorry, was just fun, and you were laughing We were running towards the street And I wrote my name into the fresh painted yellow line And you wrote your name right there next to mine We had to dodge a truck, He almost hit a buck, I think we had some luck And for two bucks, We bought some bread and fed the grey geese And the ducks (SECTION 2) Everyone will come, everyone will yell I'd thank you just the same if you didn't tell My mother says that I will surely go to hell Please be a good man, please say you won't tell Everyone will come, everyone will yell I'd thank you just the same if you didn't tell My mother says that I will surely go to hell Please be a good man, please say you won't tell (section 2 end) Did you know that that boy is an armed man? Bearing flowers into hands / Very able to hold me down (And love me more than anyone) Bruno, what happened to your good sense? I broke down, that man's good, I bet he works for the government Did you hear about that, Mother? Broke her daughter's legs in two And said, "It's too dangerous out there to walk, so I had to save you" I think it's real unfair that you should put him there All we did is kiss, on my grave, I swear Where did you find his shoes? A lock of my hair? All we did is kiss, on my grave, I swear x 2 (SECTION 2 REPEAT) Bruno, did you know that the Greeks in the morning would eat oranges? They were firm believers in fruit-curing fevers, and I agree See, they believe that an orange warms the stomach" ________________________________________________________________ Now for the close read. Many have interpreted this song, leading to many theses and bases for interpretation, Leading me to analyze the song myself. Put simply, the song interprets a girl's relationship with an older man. The song opens with what sounds like the bubbling of water, the quacks of ducks or geese, and an obvious 'hush' sound. I believe the bubbling may represent the "creek," mentioned in the line "See this hand that pushed you into the creek?" Shortly after, we hear about the ducks and geese the sounds may be represented in "And for two bucks, We bought some bread, And fed the grey geese, And the ducks." The 'hush' sound could likely be included to indicate the secrecy of the relationship. In general, the lyrics of that section describe a day that the two of them spent together. The important thing to notice about that section was the first line; "Some dull morning we were wearing sheets," meaning they were wearing sheets, just like a scene after two characters have had sex. It's important to recognize whose perspective we are following throughout the song. After analyzing the songs use of pronouns and descriptions, It's clear that the girl of the story is the one singing from a first-person perspective and Bruno is the man she had a relationship with. Knowing this, we can go to the next line: "And he whispered 'I think that they know better than me.'" Here, the girl mentions that Bruno said something after doing what they did. It's communicated without much context, but I believe this indicates that Bruno knows that what he's doing is wrong. After this, Bruno says "See this hand that pushed you into the creek? sorry, was just fun.." And then it continues to the description of their day together, meaning this section is Bruno and the girl reminiscing about their day together after waking up the next morning. Now back to the first section. The girl asks Bruno “What did you tell that man? / Hes a clever man / I bet he works for the government.” I see this as Bruno perhaps considering or talking to someone to turn himself in or get caught because he might've felt guilty. The girl sees this, and is afraid, so she tries to justify herself and convince Bruno not to do it by saying “I can't control thoughts of things I needed, I believe everybody needs some..encouragement.” She believes that what they have is something she needs and refers to it as her own ‘encouragement.’ Then immediately, we enter into the chorus. “I think its real unfair that you should put him there, all we did was kiss, on my grave I swear” Here, Bruno must’ve turned himself in or got caught, and she’s in disbelief and trying to defend him. It's also important to note here that “Put him there” probably refers to Bruno being put in jail. “Bruno Is Orange” is the title of the song, which supports the idea that Bruno was put in jail, and the Orange represents the orange jumpsuit. Then the other lyrics in the chorus; “Where did you find his shoes? A lock of my hair?” is the girl in disbelief and denies the evidence of the two of them together. After the section we already looked at, we skip to section 2, which is a continuation of the girls pleading with Bruno not to tell everyone about them. Its pretty clear that here, shes expressing her worry for others and her mothers reaction, then pleading with him to be a “good man” and not tell. Now for the next two lines that I believe to be the most important for this interpretation. The girl says to herself “Did you know that that boy is an armed man?” This here is her rational side knowing the “boy” she perceives is actually a “man” who is “armed” with bad intentions. But then she says “Bearing flowers into hands,” immediately contradicting her rational side. This could easily be an example of the grooming that Bruno did that could also be seen in the way the girl defends Bruno. Despite this, she quickly switches up again, saying “Very able to hold me down..” giving us the idea that she still recognizes what was wrong, until she immediately says “And love me more than anyone.” Clearly, she's convinced that the things Bruno did was love. This back and forth monolouge gives us insight to the girls jumbled thoughts and the impact Bruno has on them. Next, we transition into what happened after Bruno was turned in. “Bruno, what happened to your good sense?” The girl questions Brunos decision, before saying “I broke down, that man’s good, I bet he works for the government.” At first, we can assume that she's defending Bruno because she breaks down after he's caught and still thinks he's good. This could be the case, but the reoccurring mention of the man who works for the government can indicate otherwise. The importance here is the use of the word “good” throughout the song. When the government man is first mentioned, the girl refers to him as “clever” and not “good.” Bruno is referred to as “good” throughout the song when the girl asks him to please be a “good man” and not tell. Essentially, Bruno is no longer the one referred to as “good” in these lines. The girl questions what she initially thought was Brunos “good sense,” and rather than being referred to as “clever,” the government man is now the one who is “good.” The girl is now having to come to the realization that the government is the good one here, and Bruno was bad all along, causing her to break down. Now, we aren't hearing from the girls perspective, but rather from some kind of outside source saying “Did you hear about that mother? Broke her daughters legs in two and said "it's too dangerous out there so I had to save you.’” The mother, whom the girl was previously worried about, is or was very concerned and upset. “Broke her daughters legs in two” is a rather extreme statement, but it's safe to say that the underlying meaning was some kind of punishment or preventive measure the mother believed was necessary to keep her daughter ‘safe.’ Lastly, we hear the chorus one more time before we hear the ending statement. I'm less confident in my ability to understand the underlying meaning of this section, since it has to do with the Greeks and oranges. Doing some research, it's unclear what exactly the Greeks associated oranges to, but others have their own ideas. One that I believe makes sense made the reference to the Greeks use of oranges to signify love and youngness/childhood, saying that the author made the comparison to eating oranges and getting warm feelings in her stomach, A.K.A, butterflies. That is my interpretation of the song Bruno is Orange, and the interpretation I believe for many reasons. There are other pieces here and there that I can use to further close read and convince my theory, but I won't get into those now. Essentially, the songs tone, change in lyrics, sounds emphasized and even the change in the singers voice during certain lines can all hold underlying meaning.

As a student, I aim to personally make a positive impact on the people I care about and the people around me. Within my community, I am acutely aware of the impact mental health causes to many. I am not personally diagnosed, but I feel that I do, and have dealt with my fair share of struggles. Because of this and my experiences, I believe it makes me better aware of the feelings and experiences of others I interact with. As someone who doesn’t have many friends or feel very welcome in my communities, I strive to be a welcome and open minded person to anyone I am given the chance to talk to. One of the most important aspects of mental health in my life is actually my partner, who struggles daily with her mental health. This makes mental health all the more important to me, since I aim to understand who she is, what she struggles with, and how I can be of the best support. I’ve done my research on a disorder she has that I hadn’t previously known much about, and even refreshed my memory on others and thought of the best way I could be the best for her. One of her disorders happens to have a negative stigma around it, but I know that these struggles are real and while they affect her way of thinking and behavior, I am more than willing to give her any support she needs and stick with her through everything. I will admit that most people wont fully understand the importance of mental health until they themselves or others around them are affected by it. Even so, mental health affects everybody, whether they realize that or not. What many people may not fully comprehend, is that mental health is more than just a stereotype or separate entity. It’s the people, their feelings, their struggles, and a part of who they are. I recognize this, and always make an effort to understand what someone may be thinking, feeling, or struggling with. I don’t have much of a public face on social media or within my community aside from my involvement in the Boy scouts of America, so while I don’t publicly advocate, I do strive to be a better person within my community. No matter where I go, I will always be available and ready to lend a listening ear, my support, and be a thoughtful friend to who ever will have me.