Music Review: Lorde "Glory And Gore"

Lorde

Glory and Gore

Album: Pure Heroine

Year: 2014

         Lorde waits for her turn to battle for a scholarship to her  in the  chilling   “Glory and Gore.”

             Starless strings open the single, setting a sinister tone. In a far off tree, a bird lets out a long buzz, breaking through the humidity. She sits on the grass and fans herself. There is so much to do to prepare for the evening’s festivities. Today, the group hung out at the lake, reminicising about past memories and the friends they lost while they have been there. She sees a boy in the corner, crying. However, it’s as though he’s not there. Like her, others have figured he has broken from the pressure. A crash on the table causes her to jump up. She sees a girl at the table watching everyone with a expressionless face. Her friend vomits next to her. The sweat on his face highlighting the tints of rose and emerald in his bruise. Earlier, his best friend punched him in the face. It was after his friend kept egging him on, badgering him until he couldn’t take it anymore. People’s nerves are getting frayed. But it will only makes things easier when the time comes. She says they are good people caught in a tragic situation. Education must be earned. It’s not a privilege. Distance and lack of emotion is the way the get through the days. An announcement them know it’s time to come in and get ready for the show tonight. (“There's a humming in the restless summer air/And we're slipping off the course that we prepared/But in all chaos, there is calculation/Dropping glasses just to hear them break/You've been drinking like the world was gonna end (it didn't)/Took a shiner from the fist of your best friend (go figure)/It's clear that someone's gotta go/We mean it, but I promise we're not mean.”)

In the pre-chorus, she puts her hand on her ears, shielding it from the cheering crowd applauding and cheering outside.  The dull echo in her ear returns as she parades around the arena. She blows kisses and shakes hands. Despite camaderie among them, everyone wants to win. It’s become their ultimate goal and they are willing to do whatever they can to save themselves. (“And the cry goes out/They lose their minds for us/And how it plays out/Now we're in the ring/And we're coming for blood.”)

               The crowd is hushed as the host enters the arena. He pronounces them as all champions tonight. However, for the competitors tonight, there will be only one winner.

He introduces them all, reading off aspects of their personalities from a teleprompter. She hears him she loved reading and swimming. She can’t who remember that person anymore. The audience is their last look at light and celebration. Everyone loves a good comeback. It’s what made some household names and made them targets within the group. There are editorials how the competition is immoral and offered other ways the military could raise morale. (“You could try and take us/But we're the gladiators/Everyone a rager/But secretly they're saviors/Glory and gore go hand in hand/That's why we're making headlines/You could try and take us/But victory's contagious.”)

          She watches the clip of herself, talking about her mother. She demonstrates how her mother taught her how turn some string into a butterfly. After he talks with her, they will pick tonight’s participants. The sword, which has become a form of forced study, is now a hobby she’s invested in. During breaks, she smooths her hand over the blade, wondering how one little prick into a body could end a life. There’s nothing she can do about her current state. It’s just how society works. (“Delicate in every way but one (the swordplay)/God knows we like archaic kinds of fun (the old way)/Chance is the only game I play with, baby/We let our battles choose us.”)

            The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

            In the bridge, she watches out for herself and only for herself. Her friend could be gone next week. There’s no use in getting too attached. They return home, chatting about the people they saw in the stands. One girl saw her little sister. Another boy mentions he saw a sign saying asking him if he would marry one his fans. They’ll tell each other they will be there for each other. They were lucky. They are still alive. Her friend asks her when it happens, will he see the light he’s heard exists. She tells him she thinks of the only next evening. It’s her strategy, a way to make her forget she’s here and the people she’s with are human. Once in her room, she’s told that she has received some string from some sponsors. She’s garnered attention as the grieving daughter honoring her mother. Back at home, she was just another person, wading through the halls, hoping for someone would see something special in her. She can’t wait to show the world what she’s made of and make her fans proud. (“No-one 'round here's good at keeping their eyes closed/The sun's starting to light up when we're walking home/Tired little laughs, gold lie promises, we'll always win at this/I don't ever think about death/It's alright if you do, it's fine/We gladiate but I guess we're really fighting ourselves/Roughing up our minds so we're ready when the kill time comes/Wide awake in bed, words in my brain, "Secretly you love this/Do you even wanna go free?"/Let me in the ring, I'll show you what that big word means.”)

              The chorus is sung again to end the single.

Lorde’s accepting vocals have realized she must give into her bloodlust in order to survive. Education will allow her to provide her for her family  As long as she waits, she is safe from the poverty and hunger that threatens her city. She is well-taken care of by the government and her sponsors. Violence is how issues are solved. No other valid alternative seems to exist. It’s been the status quo since she was born. Compromise or the even the vague concept of it was derided as weak. She knows her fate.

         The metaphor is detailed and well-researched. It has a wide scope. There are the young people involved in the competition who listeners meet first. Lorde offers her point of view as one. Then, society as a whole is represented in the pre-chorus by their reaction. The chorus lets people find out who exactly is governing the society. Celebrity culture is hinted at. However, the political theme is the most present.

            The literary “Glory and Gore”  would be an excellent short story, if only how to learn what happened to her