Thesis Statement: No matter how many obstacles life throws at us, God has a plan and will provide a way to overcome them. The song encourages us to trust God to guide us through difficult times, knowing that everything will work out in the end.
God’s plan is a song that was realized in 2018. Composed and released by Canadian Rapper Drake (Schmisek, 2022). The song inspires a common cause, the hands of challenge, which aims to improve the lives of street children and people less fortunate in society. In music concept, the song is classified as pop-rap and trap. To ensure that the message resonates with people listening to it, Drake has employed various literacy devices to ensure that the message is passed as intended through available literacy devices.
Analyses of literacy devices which resonates with the thesis statement.
The song employs various literary devices such as Repetition, rhyme, theme, metaphor, imagery, and idiom, among others. Imagery is a literary device used to vividly describe an idea so that the audience will create or imagine that picture (Raditya & Adi, 2022). This device is very important in ensuring that the audience can imagine what the speaker is trying to tell them and empathize with him or her, thus making the artwork effective in delivering the message or information. Drake wants to instill hope t0o people. In the line “I been movin’ calm, don’t start no trouble with me and Tryna keep it peaceful is a struggle for me.” Drake uses imagery to create a picture or visual imagination for the audience appealing to them that he does not want conflict and only wants to maintain his composure.
This device helps pass the message to people that peace can enable them to live a life full of purpose and happiness. It encourages people to be humble and promotes peace among others.
Repetition is used to make the author or the writer emphasize the central idea of their literary work. In addition, this device is used to create a rhythm in the song and stress a feeling or a central idea(Raditya & Adi, 2022). In addition, it makes the work more exciting and thus captures the audience’s attention. In this song, the phrase God’s Plan is repeated severally in the chorus to emphasize. Driving home the point that, even when circumstances appear uncertain or challenging, work has a greater purpose. The repetition stresses the central idea of how God works in mysterious ways to bless those who are desperate and unfortunate. It also stresses that people should have faith in God as he has plans for all of us regardless of our race or barriers, which hinder us from becoming the person we have always wanted to be. In addition, the phrase “I can’t do this on my own” has been repeated several. He emphasizes the value of relying on others and asking for assistance when necessary. Drake uses repetition in this manner to give his message a sense of urgency and momentum. This encourages listeners to connect with his message more deeply.
Another literary device used is Metaphor to convey the message of the song. This device compares one thing to another through showcasing the qualities they posse. The two things compared are nonsimilar, only that they share some qualities. Metaphors enhance the understanding of the audience as they can create imaginations which are simpler to understand and respond to than language would (Budasi & Bhuwana, 2020). Drake has used metaphor to convey his message about God’s deeds and how God uses people to serve others.
The line, “I make sure that North-side eats,” is a metaphor which showcases how he is inspired and willing to give back to the community by serving people. The image created is how he does community service by giving food to the less fortune ate as a way of serving humanity. Moreover, Drake has used a “juggin’ nut” who is trying to maintain everything in place as a metaphor to emphasize that although life might be hectic and overwhelming at times, we should make an effort to maintain our attention and continue going forward. This helps them keep fighting and hope that things will get better in the end. In addition, in the line “Might go down as a G.O.D,” he uses a metaphor to compare himself to a God. Drake and God are two nonsimilar things. Through the use of the metaphor, he has compared himself to God, which creates an image which people understand easily that he is willing to give his resources to the less fortunate. By doing this, he also creates an image where others like him can join hands to give back to the community. However, this may also be an idiom. An idiom is a literacy device that adds humor or idiomatic expression which makes the work more interesting. .”Might go down a G.O.D” this is an idiomatic expression, though he doesn’t necessarily mean he will be a God he has used this expression to make the song more interesting. And lastly, Drake inspires listeners to reflect on the complexities of their own lives and experiences by using these metaphors to give his lyrics a feeling of richness and depth.
Rhyme is essential in any artistic work as it leaves behind a long lasting effect to the audience. In this song, Drake has used rhyme, for instant in line, “I been movin’ calm, don’t start no trouble with me Tryna keep it peaceful is a struggle for me Don’t pull up at 6 AM to cuddle with me”
This is a rhyme used with emphasis on cuddling and troubled life which is full of ups and downs. In addition, rhyme can create a suspense or dramatic experience where sounds make the song a dramatic tension one (Budasi, & Bhuwana, 2020). At the end of rhyme, suspense is created, and the audience is kept wondering what happens afterward. This rhyme resonates with the central idea of the song. Even though the song focuses on restoring hope to people who are hopeless in their lives, it shows the challenges these people go through as they try to follow the path of faith and keep hoping. Their lives are troubled and yet those people who can help them and make their lives better only come to them when they need to gain from them. This rhyme has shown the truth about life and how people are hypocrites. They drive to cuddle with these people rather than improve their lives, they need something in return.
Lastly, Drake has employed allusion in his song. This literacy device is essential in ensuring that the target audience receives the message as it was intended. Drake makes numerous cultural and religious allusions throughout the song, indicating that his message of faith and optimism is founded religious background. In the line “God’s plan, God’s plan I can’t do this on my own, ay, no, ay”. This is used to emphasize that helping those who are in need cannot be done by one person but rather the society. Insinuating the culture of giving without expecting anything in return to restore faith and hope to those who have lost it.
In a nutshell, Drake’s central idea of whatever challenges life throws our way, God has a plan and will make a way to get through them. In the end, everything will work out, therefore the song compels us to have confidence and trust in God to lead us through the challenging times. Has been expressed through the use of literacy devices. Drake has used repetition, rhyme, metaphor, imagery and allusion to convey the central idea of the song, God’s plan. Each device efficiently conveyed the message it was intended to in the song.
Song Lyrics
Yeah they wishin’ and wishin’ and wishin’ and wishin’
They wishin’ on me, yeah
I been movin’ calm, don’t start no trouble with me
Tryna keep it peaceful is a struggle for me
Don’t pull up at 6 AM to cuddle with me
You know how I like it when you lovin’ on me
I don’t wanna die for them to miss me
Guess I see the things that they wishin’ on me
Hope I got some brothers that outlive me
They gon’ tell the story, shit was different with me
God’s plan, God’s plan
I hold back, sometimes I won’t, yuh
I feel good, sometimes I don’t, ay, don’t
I finessed down Weston Road, ay, ‘nessed
Might go down a G.O.D., yeah, wait
I go hard on Southside G, yuh, wait
I make sure that north-side eat
And still
Bad things
It’s a lot of bad things
That they wishin’ and wishin’ and wishin’ and wishin’
They wishin’ on me
Bad things
It’s a lot of bad things
That they wishin’ and wishin’ and wishin’ and wishin’
They wishin’ on me
Yeah, ayy, ayy
She says, “Do you love me?” I tell her, “Only partly”
I only love my bed and my momma, I’m sorry
Fifty dub, I even got it tatted on me
81, they’ll bring the crashers to the party
And you know me
Turn the O2 into the O3, dog
Without 40, Oli’, there would be no me
Imagine if I never met the brookies
God’s plan, God’s plan
I can’t do this on my own, ay, no, ay
Someone watchin’ this shit close, yep, close
I’ve been me since Scarlett Road, ay, road, ay
Might go down as G.O.D., yeah, wait
I go hard on Southside G, ay, wait
I make sure that north-side eat, yeah
And still
Bad things
It’s a lot of bad things
That they wishin’ and wishin’ and wishin’ and wishin’
They wishin’ on me
Yeah, yeah
Bad things
It’s a lot of bad things
That they wishin’ and wishin’ and wishin’ and wishin’
They wishin’ on me
Yeah
References
Budasi, I. G., & Bhuwana, I. P. A. (2020). Analysis of Slang Words Formation Found in the Lyrics of Drake’s Songs. kata, 22(1), 10-16.
Raditya, i., & Adi, m. (2022). the analysis of figurative language in drake’s song lyrics from album so far gone (doctoral dissertation, universitas mahasaraswati denpasar).
Schmisek, B. (2022). Signs, Superstitions, and God’s Plan: The Human Quest for Meaning. Paulist Press.
write