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Hadassah Boodhoo

English Composition I

Dr. Carrie Hall

December 03, 2018

Album “Shoebox” Analysis

–We Fight ourselves

When it comes to writing poetic and witty lyrics. Epik High takes the cake for making some of the most intense to beautifully crafted songs. Which listeners can understand and fully relate to them. One of their most successful albums, “Shoebox” discusses about personal struggles and tells off haters. From songs like “Encore” to “Shoebox” in the album demonstrates how people cope with situations in their lives. But one songs I’d like to discuss about is: “We Fight Ourselves”.

When I first listen to “We Fight Ourselves”, I somewhat understood the emotion behind the song. Even though it’s in another language. I just felt that I can just relate to it for some reason. And I listened to it for so many times that I could never really get over it. To my surprise when I searched up the English translation for it. Instantly, it grew my interest in listening to this music group even more. The way how the song begins, it clicks into your head that you actually know what the rapper, Tablo is talking about. Then going to the chorus where the singer’s smooth vocals immediately shakes your heart with a sense of vulnerability in this song.

Who said love is sweet?

We fight every day
Every second, minute, every damn hour
Even when you win, you lose in this game
Don’t wanna play

So basically, Tablo is in a situation where him and his significant other are fighting. He questions why love is so sweet when things go sour. It’s like candy, it’s so sweet and satisfying, but have too of it, it’ll rot your teeth. Moreover, it’s like a game where you win, you lose. There’s no win-win situation.

I avoid your eyes but I’m good at sensing your mood
If I put my head down in surrender first, you ridicule me
“Do you even know what you did wrong?”
I’m used to it now

Usually in arguments, there’s this one person who would taunt you and make feel a certain way, but they don’t see the fault in their actions. But when you constantly go through this type of treatment. You’ll get used to how the fight goes, an won’t move past it because it’s the same thing all over again. It doesn’t get old.

Everything but your faults is a crime
I protect my lonely innocence with more of my sins
I do it more when you tell me not to
I understand twice when you misunderstand at once

There comes a point where you start to do things that your partner doesn’t want you to do because of the pressure and the situation to become a big thing. So you would get to the point that you’d blame yourself for this to happen. When in reality, the person gives you that impression.

Oh no. Not again.
We can’t to go sleep like this
Oh no. Not again.
Winning means losing so let’s go till the end

We’re fighting again
Are you crazy?
I’m sick of this
When you say this is really it
It’s the most you
It’s so you

I fight with myself
Saying, let’s stop
Saying, I’m gonna die
My gaunt face that’s not like before
Now it’s like you
It’s like you and me

When you’re constantly being pulled into arguing unnecessarily, you start to feel that you’re losing some part of yourself and peace of mind. It’s to the point where you and that person start to feel like if this relationship will even last longer because of the constant arguing and disagreements you get from one another, that it’ll throw you off.

The dissonance continues
The moment it sounds off, you rip up the music
When we fight about the past
There are repeat marks only on top of my mistakes
Questions and trials
Pushing everything to be my fault
A witch hunt that sets fire to my reasoning

Sometimes when you and that person fight. Usually, they would bring back some of the habits you do that annoys them. It gets to the point where you end up feeling like this person has pointed out your faults when they’re not even saying the things they’re doing are affecting you both. And as much as you try to tell them that they’re wrong. You feel like you’re speaking to a wall. So no one is winning this fight, but adds more misery.

I get angry and scream
You poke my conscience with tears as your weapon
Whatever it is, I don’t like losing
Arguments, responsibilities
Our baggages that we thought were light
I throw my phone
Make a fist and throw a period mark punch into the wall

So, Mithra Jin, implies a situation where the conflict gets so bad to the point that he even throws his phone out of anger and punched a wall. Like the last sentence, you end up talking to a wall, the person you’re arguing with, doesn’t understand how hard it is to try to endure their treatment to you. So when the conflict escalates. The atmosphere feels heated and things feel like it’s falling apart.

However, the song discusses about how we get ourselves into situations that we can’t win in. As much as you want to believe that you’re right. You’re not always gonna get that. Its to the point where you and that person end up falling out and don’t make up.