Turn it inside out so I can see
The part of you that's drifting over me
And when I wake you're never there
But when I sleep you're everywhere
You're everywhere
Just tell me how I got this far
Just tell me why you're here and who you are
'Cause every time I look
You're never there
And every time I sleep
You're always there
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
I recognize the way you make me feel
It's hard to think that
You might not be real
I sense it now, the water's getting deep
I try to wash the pain away from me
Away from me
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
I am not alone
Whoa, oh, oooh, oh
And when I touch your hand
It's then I understand
The beauty that's within
It's now that we begin
You always light my way
I hope there never comes a day
No matter where I go
I always feel you so
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I catch my breath
It's you I breathe
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
You're in everyone I see
So tell me
Do you see me?
Life can express times of difficulty and the feeling that we may not make it. Many feel they aren’t cared for or loved and are totally isolated and suffering. Throughout our time here, we may find the one person that we can relate to most or depend on most. Often times, that person depicts that of a safe haven or a certain comfort level helping the lost get through the day. Whether that person may know it or not, they have made an impact on the lives of those around them especially the one who feel the connection most. Michelle Branch, in her song “Everywhere,” utilizes diction, imagery, and repetition to explain mankind’s desire to be loved and sought out and no longer isolated.
The song centers around the life of the speaker and expressing how much one person has influenced her compared to her life before. In the opening line, “Turn it inside out so I can see,” starts off with contrast. Normally turning something inside out, like an article of clothing, hides the image everyone else in the world sees. Turning something inside out makes it difficult to see the truth, yet the artist takes the norm and alters it saying she wants all aspects and angles of what she’s looking at. The idea of being completely aware of everything around her carries on through, “the part of you that’s drifting over me.” “And when I wake you’re never there, But when I sleep you’re everywhere,” continues the awareness of her environment and her life. The juxtaposition of “wake” and “sleep” directs itself to all facets of life, both those man is aware of those, and those they may not know is even happening. This idea continues on with, “ ‘Cause every time I look you’re never there, and every time I sleep you’re always there.” The song gives glimpses of the life before and after this person was brought into the speaker’s life, leaving her unchanged.
The true emotional catharsis reveals itself through the speaker’s realization that man holds no power over fate and feelings leading to surrender. Going on with straightforward and very direct diction, she asks “how I got this far…why you’re here and who you are,” to the person this song is directed to. She searches for answers trying to understand how one person could change her so greatly. She accepts this change in, “I recognize the way you make me feel, it’s hard to think that you might not be real,” continued in, “And when I touch your hand, it’s then I understand the beauty that’s within.” Images such as the previously stated places the audience in the speaker’s shoes making it more relatable to average life. Also, images such as, “I sense it now, the water’s getting deep,” demonstrates the rough times in life many endure and that we can make it through, “I try to wash the pain away from me.” Continuing on, the juxtaposition in the idea of “And when I close my eyes, it’s you I see,” connects to the religious allusion of that man is not able to truly see until they are made blind. Another religious allusion displays itself through, “It’s now we begin; you always light my way,” with the idea of Resurrection in the form of light and Jesus being the “Light of the World.” Man remains powerless to the events of life, only to be changed by those around with influence.
The use of repetition throughout Branch’s “Everywhere,” places emphasis on ideas she wants to leave stuck in the mind of her listeners. Michelle repeats throughout the whole song, “I’m not alone.” The idea of repeating this connects with the thought that if mankind repeats a certain thing to himself or does a certain thing over and over it becomes habit and humankind actually starts to not only believe, but feel it making it a part of himself and his lives. Slight repetition, not necessarily of words, but ideas continues out throughout the work. The juxtaposition of seeing things with closed eyes refers to the idea of a spirit, a memory, and an image living longer than mankind itself. Starting off with, “you’re everywhere, you’re everywhere,” and ending with, “ ‘Cause you’re everywhere to me…’Cause you’re everywhere to me,” points out to listeners that although a person may not be tangibly present, their memory and spirit lives on, “And when I close my eyes, it’s you I see.” Finally, the speaker reiterates to the person this song is directed to that him/her is, not only everywhere, but everything to the artist, “And when I catch my breath, it’s you I breathe…you’re in everyone I see.” Ending the song with the question, “Do you see me?” brings the work to a close with the idea of humankind wanting nothing more but to be loved and noticed as much as they notice others.
As we go on through our lives we encounter different people. Many of those people come and go in our lives, some stick around, but almost all leave a mark. Those marks help shape and form the person we end up being. For much of mankind, that person is God. They feel Him everywhere and in everyone knowing that they are not alone. God, to them, depicts the greatest facet of their lives. Many times, however, man looks and looks for Him only failing in finding Him, or so they think. Man feels left and in despair, only because they’ve failed to notice His presence and small works in their lives. When awake, God seems to be never there, however once asleep, He’s everywhere.
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