Someone's Last Song

Jessica Alleyne
Mr. Parry
English 4

04/08

Someone’s Last Song
By: Elton John

Everyone goes through trials and tribulations; some don’t have the strength to make it through with their life. In this song, Someone’s Last Song by Elton John, the speaker tells the story of a man who went through a difficult time, fell short in strength, and took his life. I will be analyzing the occasion, diction, and symbolism in this song.



The occasion in this song could be the moment before the man this song is about takes his life. We can assume this because in line 7, he says that can’t stand to “To go on living… life this way”. This statement makes the reader realize what this man is about to do. Also in line 5, he says that he thinks that “it's the only way”. Many people that go through things like this think that taking their own life is the only way to get rid of the pain they have to live with on a day to day basis.



The diction in this song is one sorrow. The words used in this song let the reader(s) know that something bad has or is about to happen. For example, the man says “he know it's wrong”. When this kind of decision is made, the individual knows it’s wrong, but they feel they have no choice. They feel that they have to kill themselves, feeling that all they are doing is hurting those around them. They feel worthless so, according to them, who would care if they chose to end their life? Also, the speaker says that the man in this song “died when the house was empty”. When people make decisions like this, they tend to carry the actions out in solitude. They often don’t want to hurt their loved ones, but know that they will if they do what they want to do. Therefore, they carry out their decisions alone.



The symbolism in this song is subtle, yet when analyzed, its very interesting. For example in line 3, the speaker says that this man “put a pen to paper for one final song”. This line symbolizes the letter he wrote to leave behind once he was found dead. Individuals that commit suicide often leave behind letters to their loved ones explaining what they did and the reasons for their actions. Also, in lines 13 and 14, the speaker said that “I'd let nobody…/Stand inside my shoes”. His shoes symbolize his life, and everything that has to do with him. He could be saying that he would give his life to anybody else so that he could be rid of the hurt he suffers.





No matter who you are, what you do, or how you live, everyone has hard times. The key to those hard times is to live to learn from your mistakes. Breaking down and giving up isn’t the only answer, although many think that it is. If one commits suicide, they think their putting themselves out of their misery, and this may be so. However, one must think how much they would hurt the people they love. Think about the son who will grow up without his father, the husband who will grow old alone, the parents who will have to bury their child. Committing suicide is a very selfish action, not to mention running away from your problems. No one should feel they have to give up and write their Final Song.