The Wars, Part Seven

Look! You can start at Part One! ~

The Devil Wears Prada was known only as a movie to me before having tackled this assignment. ~ Nevertheless, I decided to listen to this song through the suggestion of FL, who helped a great deal by being there to listen to my ramblings and explanations while working on this playlist and ensuring me that I was still staying coherent... or not. ~ Regardless. "Louder Than Thunder" is a short but very unique song, calm yet haunting all at once. ~ One more interesting factoid before you listen: The Devil Wears Prada is a Christian band. ~

This will lead individuals to desire peace in the place of war.

Louder Than Thunder, by The Devil Wears Prada:

What would it take?
For things to be quiet, quiet like the snow.

I know this isn't much, but I know, I could, I could be better.

I don’t think I deserve it, selflessness.
Find your way into my heart.

All stars could be brighter,
All hearts could be warmer.

What would it take for things to be quiet?
Quiet like the snow.

Are we meant to be empty handed?
I know I could, I could be better.

I don’t think I deserve it, selflessness.
Find your way into my heart.

All stars could be brighter,
All hearts could be warmer.

What would it take for things to be quiet?

Literary Content

“Louder Than Thunder” conveys the individual’s longing for peace. The thunder is a symbol for war, whereas the “quiet” represents peace. The simile of “quiet like the snow” expresses the individual’s belief that peace is pure and innocent, untainted and unlike the fear that comes with “thunder,” and thus war. Having endured so much already, the individual does not think he “deserve[s]” be fighting in this war, amid all this violence, and exhibiting this “selflessness;” as a result, he starts to doubt the validity and justification behind fighting in the war. Even though he realizes that his desire for peace “isn’t much,” he knows that he “could be [a] better [person]” if peace were to finally come. His hope for this better future is conveyed through the lines “all stars could be brighter” and “all hearts could be warmer,” where the stars represent the brilliance of mankind and the hearts represent the potential kindness of human beings.

Auditory Elements

The piano and cello introduction establishes the slow tempo and longing mood that is to characterize the entire piece. The generally minimal accompaniment allows the lyrics to sound more unadorned and thus more heartfelt. Also, the swell that ends abruptly on the word “quiet” at 1:23, in addition to the end of all accompaniment on the last “quiet” at the very end, serve to draw the listener’s attention to the brief pause, which ends with a feeling of more to come. This parallels the individual’s urging and almost breathless desire for peace.