1. This song was used in the Titanic; the main character Rose sings this song about her lover Jack who died on the ship. Similarly, Olivia is mourning the loss of her brother. Just like Rose, Olivia has her brother on her mind and in her heart. Although Dion’s voice starts off as gentle, emotional, and soft, in the middle of the song it picks up and becomes very passionate and is performed with a lot of drama. Similarly, Olivia is characterized as being dramatic and emotional which is resembled by the fact that she is veiling her face for 7 years so that no man can see her.
“Near, far, wherever you are I believe that the heart does go on Once more, you’re here in my heart”
2. The lyrics to this song are associated with being there for others regardless of what happens and sticking through tough times by being by their side. I feel like this song resonates with Olivia because she is an extremely loyal person. She does not move on quickly from the death of her brother and instead subjects herself to being veiled for 7 years in honor of him (even though she does not go through with it, the intent is there). Rihanna sings these lyrics with a lot of deep emotion and the sound of rain in the background resembles hardship and turbulence- two things Olivia endures during her grieving process. Her loyalty also shows when she sticks by Malvolio’s side after Sir Toby tricked him into believing Olivia had feelings for him. She feels bad that he was manipulated and does not join in on the banter and bullying that the other characters are involved in.
“When the sun shines, we’ll shine together Told you I’ll be here forever Said I’ll always be your friend Took an oath, I’ma stick it out ‘til the end”
3. Gomez’s tone in the song is a little shy, sly, and mysterious. In this song, Gomez struggles to confront her feelings for this man she has a crush on. I feel that this has emotional resonance with Olivia because she struggleso accept that she has feelings for Cesario. Olivia is surprised she feels this way and it eats her up, which is resembled in the quote below.
Although she made this pledge to not see a man for 7 years, her attraction to Cesario is slowly taking over.
“Tryna distract myself But then I see your face…Oh, tryna play it coy Tryna make it disappear But just like the battle of Troy There’s nothing subtle here”
“Methinks I feel this youth’s perfections // With an invisible and subtle stealth // To Creep in at mine eyes” (1.5.302-305).
4. Olivia expresses her deep love for Cesario to his face and although “he” rejects her, she struggles to accept it and move on. Her overly dramatic personality and emotions makes her look quite literally “crazy in love.” Beyonce’s song is loud, passionate, and intense- which mirrors Olivia’s love for Cesario. Olivia falls in love with this man who does not have romantic intentions when he interacts with her- he is blunt and not affectionate, which adds to her “crazy” appearance. The lyric from the song below resonates with Olivia because she hopes Cesario will “pager her” or contact her/like her/reciprocate those feelings.
“Got me lookin so crazy right now, Got me hoping you’ll page me right now”
5. The song overall has a very upbeat rhythm to it which I think mimics Olivia’s unwavering attempts to seduce Cesario. The rhythm and tune slowly escalate as if the music is “rising.” Olivia rises from a depressive attitude after losing her brother, to this passionate quest for love. This song talks about how despite the rollercoaster of experiences the couple has gone through, the man will never let her go. Similarly, even though Olivia faced rejection her first time, she returns to Cesario to try to seduce him again. She even goes to give Cesario a pearl with her picture on it!
“Oh, it’s been a hell of a ride Driving the edge of a knife Never let you go, never let me down”
6. I feel that the power and control that is ingrained in the beat of the song and the instrumentals reminds me of the power that Olivia leads her life with. She is independent and takes the initiative to confess her love, go after what she wants (Cesario), and even propose to him. This is unheard of in Shakespeare’s time, but Olivia does not let many things stop her. She also makes it clear that this is her ball court- she yells at Cesario for being a bad husband almost immediately after their vows have been exchanged. She will not be tamed, just as Demi Lovato won’t be, as this is her show.
“I used to hold my freak back Now I’m letting go I make my own choice ***** I run this show So leave the lights on No, you can’t make me behave”
7. Despite Orsino’s unwavering attempts to woo Olivia with his love letters, Olivia wants nothing to do with him. She also rejects his proposal as she has her sights on another man. The lyrics to the song more or less say that even though a man is trying to get the woman’s attention, it is not going to work. The tone is also confident and the singers emphasize the word “no” throughout the song, which also resembles Olivia’s stern denial of Orsino. Despite Orsino’s good traits (he’s kind, wealthy, loyal, etc.) she treats him as a “scrub” because as the lyrics imply- “a scrub is a guy who can’t get no love from [her].”
“No, I don’t want no scrub A scrub is a guy that can’t get no love from me Hangin’ out the passenger side Of his best friend’s ride Trying to holla at me”