Book of john by tim mcgraw (song analysis 1)

                                                 Song Analysis


                                                   Book Of John by Tim mcgraw

    We were sittin' round the supper table and the buzz of the frigidaire A Was the only sound 'til momma laid down, a book she found upstairs  A
    It was covered in dust in the back of the closet,  B
          Goodwill box we almost tossed it out C
           We could have lost all those memories D

           There was a picture of mama in the pouring rain  E
            Ticket stubs to a Braves game  F
            Silver star and a baggage claim from Hanoi, Vietnam F
              There was a picture of him callin' on grandpa G
               Leather skin from a baseball H
               We laughed and cried, told stories all night long I
                                 From the book of John I

          Now the pot of coffee's almost gone, as we turn another page  J
   We're climbing on him like a Jungle Jim, watching his hair turn gray K
                All the Polaroids are just reminders,L
                  You can't hold life in a three ring binder L
                   We flipped on, through 'em anyway K

                     There's a picture at his sister taken in July  M
                       On the steps of the church pulling out his tie  M
             Hair's still wet from gettin' baptized, the brand new blue suit on I
                          An old set of keys to his Chevrolet N
                           A crumpled up receipt for a wedding ring O
                            We watched ourselves grow up there in his arms P
                                             In the book of John I

                        That sun came up, we were wide awake Q
                           Head to toe in black and gray K
                            Long black Lincoln waiting down the drive R
                             He was father, son, husband and friend S
                              I still flip through it every now and then T
                              When I need just a few words of advice T
                                It's almost like he's not really gone I
                                  And I know one day I'll be passin' on  I
                                                 The book of John I

Alliteration-          Repetition - 
 Internal Rhyme-   imagery-
simile-                    Figurative language-
Rhyme scheme-   Allusion-


 Tim Mcgraw's , Book Of John uses  discriptive imagery, playful figurative language and expressive allusions to show the meaning of the feeling of  saddness watching someone age and then pass away.

     Throughout the song mcgraw discriptive imagery is everywhere. The author displays imagery to help us reader to connect to the song and be able to picture whats going on in the song. It also helps us simpathize what the author was trying to potray. " We're climbing on him like a Jungle Jim,watching his hair turn gray." The imagery helps us imagine kids playing with the man and over the years see how he is growing old.In the song, the imagery expresses the pictures in the "Book Of John." Without the imagery it wouldn't help the readers be able to picture the meaning of the song.

        Another device that is used in this song is figurative language. " You can't hold life in a three ring binder" The speaker is trying to express how life is too huge to be able to put every thing in life in one three ring binder. Even though that book of john has pictures and helps you recall how it was when the person was alive. It doesn't hold everything though and it still makes you sad that the person in the book is gone. "We watched ourselves grow up there in his arms," the speaker doesn't really mean that literally that they grew up in his arms but more like over the years they grew up with his love and support just like him holding them. The person was a main focal point in their lives and when he passed away it wasn't the same. Figurative language helps show us the happiness the family had when that person was around.

        There are many allusions in this song. These allusions help portray how things in our time was in this song. "Long black Lincoln," " Chevrolet."These are both different type of cars. The allusions in this song help represent aspects of life is in this song, that this song is more narrative with the things they use (the allusions) throughout the song. The overall meaning of the book of john by tim mcgraw is the sadness of watching someone grow old and pass on but also how after someone passes away you still have things to remember the person. Those things dont have everything about the life with the person but its enough to enjoy going through time after time.