"Let Me Fall" Song Analysis #2

Bethany Joy Galeotti, née Lenz, is much more than another actress-turned-singer.  Starring as bookworm/rock star Haley James Scott on the CW hit One Tree Hill, Galeotti has a truly wonderful voice and had the opportunity to showcase her passion for singing and songwriting when her character’s storyline took her into the world of music.  Galeotti’s genuine talent and sincere likability have gained her many fans.  Though she has been apart of several soundtracks for the show, she has yet to release a full-length debut album.  She had a recording contract with Epic Records and was set to release an album in early 2006, but changes at the record company led to her being dropped from the label.  As fans eagerly anticipate a new record, they can hear her new material on Mondays at 9 pm on The CW.  Sung as Haley’s public debut on One Tree Hill, “Let Me Fall” describes a girl longing for the strength to live her life the way she wants to, even if she gets hurt.  Literary techniques devices, such as tone, hyperbole, and repetition, are used to achieve this.
The song begins by establishing what time of year it is.  The speaker describes the falling leaves of October.  The first verse also makes the listener aware that the speaker is wistful, saying that another year has passed and her life is still the same.  The chorus emphasizes the speaker's desperation.  She is pleading for her life to change.  She is tired of being afraid and living an unfulfilled life.  She wants to feel something, even if that something is pain.  The second verse is the speaker's self-analysis.  She is perfectly aware of her own flaws and is finally trying to stand up for herself and make change happen.  During the bridge, the speaker is expressing her final, desperate desire for her life to change and have meaning.  The final verse is a repetition of the first, symbolizing that despite her desires, the speaker's life has yet to change.
“Let Me Fall” expresses its themes through various tones.  The first verse conveys longing through a reflective tone.  The speaker is thinking about the past and how she wishes her life had been different in the past year.  During the chorus, the speaker expresses her longing through a desperate tone, begging an unknown force to let her feel something.  The second verse changes to a stronger tone, in which the speaker finally decides to take control of her life.  The third verse, though it is a repetition of the first verse, utilizes a more hopeless tone by stating that regardless of the speaker's intent to change her life, everything is still the same.  Hyperbole is also a key component of this song.  In the chorus, the speaker longs to feel something, not caring if she even “cr[ies] a little” or “die[s] a little.”  This statement is clearly hyperbolic, as dying is not something one would desire to feel.  In this way, the speaker conveys just how desperately she wants to feel something.  Finally, repetition is used several times in the lyrics.  The first verse is repeated at the end, in order to demonstrate the lack of change and excitement in the speaker's life.  Also, the bridge consists of the line “I wanna be somebody” repeated four times.  This sends a clear message about the speaker's truest desires and her deep longing for significance in the world.
“Let Me Fall” expresses the themes of longing and discontentment.  The song uses literary devices, including tone, hyperbole, and repetition to convey this message in a dramatic way.  The lyrics are especially relevant to Galeotti's One Tree Hill character, who longs to be somebody and tries to find her way through music.  Overall, “Let Me Fall” communicates the basic human desires to experience deep emotions and achieve greatness.