Into the Woods- Music and Stories

Background of Into the Woods 

Hi everyone. The focus of this weeks blog is using music to tell stories and I’ve decided to focus on one of my favorite musical movies Into the Woods. Into the Woods is a musical film brought to us courtesy of Disney. Into the Woods was originally a  broadway play created by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim. The movie was directed by Rob Marshell after being adapted to film by James Lapine. It tells the story of “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Cinderella”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, and “Rapunzel” from the Brothers Grimm fairytales who are all connected through a baker and his wife who are desperate to break the curse on their house to have a child (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Woods_(film)

Context of Your Fault

The work within the work so to speak that I have chosen to exam is the song Your Fault. This song originates from the United States and was released on the album on December 15, 2014 while the film was released in the United States on December 25, 2014. The music and the lyrics are both by StStephen Sondheim and is performed by the main characters of the story. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Woods_(film)

This song has a special context within the movie. It is the first time that all the main characters (little red riding hood, the baker, Jack, Cinderella, and the Witch) are together and are trying to figure what has happened. Because the individual characters only know snippets of the story this song serves to lay out the all the events that have taken place for both the characters and the audience. Most of the song is the characters trying to figure out who to blame for the giant destroying the kingdom. Through the course of the song each character realizes that they have all played a part in creating this mess, but agree to blame the witch who grew the beans.

Music Elements:

Lyrics

The lyrics are what makes Your Fault special. Because the song servers the purpose of recapping the story the lyrics have to summarize everything that has happened previously. It does this by breaking the story into three main events to help both the characters and the audience follow along. However, the lyrics also reflect the characters confusion into the why some things happened at all, as they try to justify their actions and put blame onto anyone but them self (http://www.themusicallyrics.com/i/443-into-the-woods-the-musical-songs-lyrics/5523-your-fault-lyrics.html).

Texture

The texture of this song is also interesting. For most of the song the texture is homophonic with the actors singing and the music accompanying. However, at the end of the song as the argument dissolves the texture switches to polyphonic as everyone is talking over each other, blaming each other. The texture then switches again at the end to monophonic as the characters come to an agreement that the witch is at fault. As everyone comes to the same conclusion, the voices sing together.

Social Commentary

One idea that is presented in Your Fault is that everyone is connected. Everyone said during the song is true, and it turns out that everyone has played a part in creating the situation. This is as true in real life as it is in the play, as everyone is connected to each other and we each play a part in creating the bigger picture. This song also hints at the point that at some point blame becomes irrelevant, while the real question becomes “what now”? (http://www.sondheim.com/discussions/uhm.html) .

My Opinion

I remember when I first heard this song I just started laughing. It reminded me of every group I’ve ever worked with when something goes wrong. Suddenly it is everyone’s fault your own. The more I’ve listened to it the more I have appreciated how the song neatly lays out what otherwise could be a fairly confusing movie. More then anything I love this song because it feels so relatable to a situation where something unexpected has happened and suddenly everyone is trying to figure out why instead of what to do next. I also appreciate the acting in the scene by the actors, as it makes the song that much better.

siminiblocker

Works Cited

“Into the Woods (Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Oct. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Woods_(film).

Sondheim.com, www.sondheim.com/discussions/uhm.html.

“Your Fault Lyrics.” Musical Lyrics, Songs From Musicals, Lyrics Broadway Musicals, www.themusicallyrics.com/i/443-into-the-woods-the-musical-songs-lyrics/5523-your-fault-lyrics.html.