1. The main line of the song, “I’m still standing,” is representative of Equiano as he survived many hardships of the slave trade and lived to tell the tale. The first lyrics of the song that goes “You could never know what it’s like Your blood like winter freezes just like ice” could be applied to the fear that Equiano faces when he is aboard the slave ship. The way the song is repetitive and drills the fact that Elton John is still standing parallels the way that Equiano repeats. The line that applies the most is “Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid.” Equiano is a true survivor and tells the tale from the perspective of a child or little kid to create more of an emotional appeal to his audience.
2. This song highlights the hopes that Equiano has for society. He hopes that the times will change, and slavery will be abolished. One line that relates is “Come Senators, congressman please heed the call.” In the book Equiano includes a “list of subscribers” these are people of high power like senators and congressmen who support and stand behind Equiano’s message.
Not available on Spotify: “Little Me (To My Sister)” by Britney Spears. Please click this link to listen via YouTube.
Equiano had a strong connection to his sister. In the story he addresses his sister as “dear sister” showing this bond. Britney was also incredibly close to her sister and that is why she wrote this song. Although the context for both stories is quite different the lyrics still apply. In the song Britney says, “but now I’m sitting here, all alone with my tears.” This applies to Equiano as he wept when he and his sister were separated. Overall, this song would make Equiano cry as he had such a strong bond with his sister and was not able to be with her for extended periods of time.
3. Equiano survived and persevered through a lot of hardships. The main chorus of the song is “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller.” This applies to Equiano as he persevered through the horrors of the slave trade and eventually became a wealthy part of society. He stood tall and used what he knew to try and end the slave trade.
4. This song first appeared when the main characters mother was tragically killed. The main character tries to use alchemy to revive but is unable to and the piece is incredibly beautiful but also somber. The main character then sets off on a journey to learn and master alchemy to prevent things like his mother’s death from happening. This applies to Equiano as he is tragically taken from his family and tries to return home by seeing if there is anything he recognizes around him, but he is unable to. His life is now set in a new direction like the main character of “Full metal.”
5. This song is about how someone misses their lover and how life is difficult without them. This applies to Equiano as he does not miss a lover but a family who loves him. The main chorus goes “I’m missing you today, your kiss is far away I’m gonna hold you soon And I need you to know that I’m missing youSay; “we’re gonna be okay.” This would resonate with Equiano as he longs to see his family. He is able to meet his sister but only briefly and I think he would listen to this song on repeat after he is torn away from her.
6. This song is about how there are bad days, but we push through them and that makes the good days even better. For Equiano it was not just a dreadful day but years. However the contrast was great as he was able to use his knowledge and position in society to share a story that was heavily influential in the abolition of slavery. The lines “Let good energy be your strong, Won’t get away-way-way-way, this rainy day is temporary.” would motivate Equiano to carry on and not give up.