"America" by Imagine Dragons

The guitar starts to play a quiet melody that can be compared to skipping stones on a stagnant river.  Then a soft beat climbs in the melody similar to a heartbeat making the pace a little faster. After a few notes a man’s voice starts to sing in a low key, soft and relaxing, “Is this just an illusion”? His name is Dan Reynolds, the lead vocalist in this song. Reynolds is a famous singer, composer and forms part of the band Imagine Dragons. The song I chose as a national anthem is called “America”, different to what I normally listen to but relatable to how I view this country.

It has a flowing beat, similar to hearing the ocean recede slowly. In the background one can hear a keyboard filling a void that only a piano can fill. “Believe in you”, our country has suffered through strong downfalls throughout history but always managing to find a way to rise again and again; “Rise to the top of the world, America”. By this point the beat starts to get stronger and faster adding a perfect rhythmical sense to the lyrics. The band proceeds to speak and give a voice to important citizens that sometimes are overlooked within the community. “From farmers in the fields…for all the ones that gave until they died”, for all the people that contribute to the growth and stabilization of this country.

I think this is an ideal song because it is simple and portrays the main aspects of how I view the United States. It’s a place that one can call home, a place to find a dream, “and I feel you close”. Sometimes we find ourselves falling but with time we come back rising to the top, “America, don’t you cry, lift me up”. The last instrument that takes place in this song gracefully makes an appearance in the chorus. The xylophone enters in the harmony as if a person would melodically fall down the stairs.  Lastly, the song ends repeating the chorus and mixing the drums, guitar, xylophone and Reynolds voice.

(The objective of this assignment was to pick a new National Anthem and describe the song through words so one can listen to the music without hearing the song).