Imagery In...

Keep the Faith
By Bon Jovi


Mother mother tell your children
That their time has just begun
I have suffered for my anger
There are wars that can't be won

Father father please believe me
I am laying down my guns
I am broken like an arrow
Forgive me
Forgive your wayward son


Everybody needs somebody to love
(mother, mother)
Everybody needs somebody to hate
(please believe me)
Everybody's ---
'cause they can't get enough
And it's hard to hold on
When there's no one to lean on


Chorus:
Faith: you know you're gonna live through the rain
Lord you got to keep the faith
Faith: don't let your love turn to hate
Right now we got to
Keep the faith
Keep the faith
Keep the faith
Lord we got to keep the faith


Tell me baby when I hurt you
Do you keep it all inside
Do you tell me all’s forgiven
And just hide behind your pride

Everybody needs somebody to love
(mother, father)
Everybody needs somebody to hate
(please don't leave me)
Everybody's bleeding 'cause the times are tough
Well it's hard to be strong
When there's no one to dream on


Chorus

Walking in the footsteps
Of society's lies
I don't like what I see no more
Sometimes I wish that I was blind
Sometimes I wait forever
To stand out in the rain

So no one sees me cryin'
Trying to wash away the pain
Mother father
There's things I've done I can't erase
Every night we fall from grace
It's hard with the world in your face
Trying to hold on, trying to hold on


Chorus




There is a lot of imagery present in this song. The song is introduced by saying that there are wars that cannot be won. This gives you the image of war. The artist says he is laying down his guns, as in giving up, and then says he is “broken like an arrow”. This makes you imagine an arrow that is broken. He doesn’t like society’s lies so he says, “sometimes I wish that I was blind” which makes you picture a blind person. The artist also says he “stands out in the rain so no one sees me crying”. These lyrics make you imagine a solemn man out in the rain crying. These examples of imagery, along with other lyrics, help to show why the artist is telling the listeners to “keep the faith”. The difficult time the artist is going through inspires other people to “keep the faith” through their own personal tough times.