"Stand" Rascall Flatts

Audience: The target audience of this song is comprised of determined individuals who invest themselves in something they love, such as athletics, music, sports, or other forms of expression. They are putting their all into something they care about, but are currently discouraged to the point of giving up. Those in this position, though feeling helpless and alone, will continue to fight, as the lyrics explicitly state. These individuals have what it takes to stand.

Argument:
WATCO the discouragement you are currently facing?

Enthymeme:
The struggles you are going through will help you to find hope and strength within yourself, because you have the will to stand and the determination to pull yourself back up again.

Whatever causes you to have the will to stand and the determination to pull yourself back up again will help you find hope and strength within yourself.

Goal: To remind the audience of the indigenous strength within that will enable them to become better and continue their journey of self-discovery.

How: Relevant-the message is simple and is expressed clearly through the lyrics. The audience can relate to the message because the words mean something to them. The first line addresses the audience as feeling like a “candle in a hurricane”. This idea relates to their situation, and makes this initial statement, as well as the rest of the song, relevant to their situation.

The progressive nature of the lyrics serves as the logical base of the argument. The song starts out by describing the state of the target audience as being discouraged and wanting to give up. Then, as the song proceeds to the chorus, the initial discouragement and frustration serves as the motivating factor to “get mad [and] get sad”, and then get back up and keep going. By the end of the song, the discouragement has turned into resolution, and implies that the individual, through the struggle, has become more refined.

Effectiveness: The most effective element of the lyrics is that of their progressive nature, and the way in which the imagery appeals to the audience. For those that feel that they have given everything to something, but are frustrated with their progress or results, this song serves as a reminder that these challenges will make them stronger, and help to further define them as a person.