Song Analysis: Sowing The Seeds Of Love By Tears For Fears Essay Samples

Upon listening a few times to Sowing the Seeds of Love, which is among the classic hits of Tears for Fears, one could easily pick up messages related to politics – mostly criticisms, that is. Although the song did not necessarily condemn specific political figures for their actions, Tears for Fears made it sound more like a general evaluation of politics – its effect on peace and the fight against apathy. The song itself, as one would find, is reminiscent of music coming from the counterculture of the 1960s – a time when political activism reached great heights, despite the fact that it was released in 1989. The clamor for change, premised on love, characterizes the overall theme of the song, with each of its lines reflecting what appears to be troubles bothering the United Kingdom (UK) at the time of its release, characterized by conflicts between state and society (AZ Lyrics; “Tears For Fears”).
The common man, as emphasized in the opening parts of Sowing the Seeds of Love, clearly refers to the most plighted individual affected by political maladies. Ideally, democracy owes the common man his own space for expression, wherein he could air his views to make specific issues surrounding him more relevant. Whatever the words of the common man may be in relation to politics, he is entitled to express it in whatever means democracy affords him, as long as it does not threaten the overall interest of peace. Yet, the common man is aggrieved by what Tears for Fears seem to have described as political figures bereft of the ideal sense of democracy, given his apparent control of the media implied by this line: “as the headline states, you’re free to choose, there’s egg on your face and mud on your shoes” (AZ Lyrics; “Tears For Fears”).
Threatening a revolution, Tears for Fears, in the following lines: “one of these days, they’re gonna call it the blues,” made it clearer that Sowing the Seeds of Love is meant to be a political anthem. By emphasizing that “anything is possible when you’re sowing the seeds of love,” a line that forms part of the chorus of the song, Tears for Fears highlighted that love is the answer to all problems suffered by the common man. In relation to the opening lines discussed earlier, one could assume that the excessive yet irresponsible use of power has denied the common man the right to live fully under a democracy. With love, political figures would become more responsible in attending to what the common man ought to enjoy under a democracy – freedom, ultimately. Otherwise, the common man would be urged to instigate a rebellion (AZ Lyrics; “Tears For Fears”).
What is perhaps most intriguing about Sowing the Seeds of Love is the fact that it made mention of a certain politician granny. Given the context within which Tears of Fears have written the song, one may come to think of the then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whose rule became the subject of divisive opinions ranging from a conservative yet strong leadership to one that has led several Britons to suffer, as the politician granny. Through these lines: “have you no idea how the majority feels,” Tears for Fears is seemingly asking Thatcher, or whoever the politician granny is, where love is in the government plan, which they described as one where the common man is a “[fool] to a government plan.” With that, Tears for Fears is trying to say that the absence of both “love and a promised land” continues to afflict the common man (AZ Lyrics; “Tears For Fears”).
The rest of Sowing the Seeds of Love sounds as if it is resonating the same message of the power of love in instilling change. What is intriguing, as said in the beginning, is that the song resonates the counterculture of the 1960s – a time when anti-war sentiments in the context of the Vietnam War were growing among people, particularly the youth. The constant reference to sunflowers, which is touted as plants that would grow out of the seeds attributed to love, makes the message of Tears for Fears rather obvious. The song apparently serves as a reminder that at any point in time, love is needed to achieve lasting peace, which in turn translates to lack of apathy via greater concern towards political affairs. The common man, as it stands, should never turn a blind eye on anything around him (AZ Lyrics; “Tears For Fears”).
Furthermore, one could infer from Sowing the Seeds of Love that love, as a powerful force, is one that is severely lacking in the current system. Going back to the plight of the common man under a government plan run by a politician granny and other political figures serving as among her cohorts, one could agree that inequality cannot resolve itself, especially if programs are not exactly geared towards providing solutions for it. In that case, it is highly important for political figures to work proactively to ensure that love empowers them to benefit the plight of the common man – ideally the central force in democracy. Therefore, what the common man must do is to become less apathetic towards political affairs by ensuring that they hold all political figures accountable for all their actions. To say the least, love arises when apathy is diminished (AZ Lyrics; “Tears For Fears”).
In conclusion, one might think of Tears for Fears as one that attempts to bring in a revivalist tune in the form of Sowing the Seeds of Love, but as discussed earlier, love remains ever a relevant issue. To empower the common man, he needs to have love, not only for himself, but also to his fellows, so that he could take part in destroying the loveless affair that is the abusiveness of political figures. Needless to say, the song serves as a reminder that a democracy could only work properly if love is harnessed to its fullest extent (AZ Lyrics; “Tears For Fears”).

Works Cited

“Tears For Fears Lyrics: Sowing the Seeds of Love." n.d. AZ Lyrics. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.studygs.net/citation.htm>.
YouTube. "Tears For Fears - Sowing The Seeds Of Love." YouTube. 9 Aug. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAtGOESO7W8>