Ironically, a member of Lady Antebellum, Hillary Scott, auditioned for the television show, American Idol, twice and was rejected both times. She is now a part of Lady Antebellum with Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood. They formed together in 2006. Family connections in the music industry helped launch their now extremely successful career. Hillary Scott’s mother, Linda Davis, is a famous country singer and Charles Kelley’s brother, Josh Kelley, is a prominent figure in the music industry. Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood began as childhood friends. They met Scott through Kelley’s Myspace page. Their debut album, Lady Antebellum, now certified two-times platinum, featured an array of different song styles within the country genre. A particular song, “One Day You Will”, is slower than most of the songs on their album. It’s uplifting lyrics and meaning provide hope for the future during rough times. Lady Antebellum uses an extensive amount of poetic devices in their song, “One Day You Will”, to symbolize the process of overcoming conflicts in one’s life and how unfortunate events will not likely be permanent.
To achieve the mood and meaning of the song, Lady Antebellum uses multiple clichés. For example, “Like you’re slippin’ through the cracks” is one cliché used. Many people use this expression to describe the feeling of falling apart emotionally. Another cliché used is: “In every cloud there’s a silver lining”. This cliché is used when describing that an unwanted or unfortunate event will get better. It is well-known, which allows it to have a universal meaning. Lady Antebellum says, “You’re just barely hanging by a thread”, which is a third cliché. This is often used to describe the feeling that one is just about to fall apart emotionally. These clichés are common; they allow universal meaning and can be relatable to most. Their use also contributes to the overall theme of overcoming conflict.
Other poetic devices used in Lady Antebellum’s song include symbolism and objectification. In the chorus they say, “But down the road the sun is shining”. Saying “down the road” is a symbolic way of mentioning the future. Then, the assurance that the future will be better is symbolized when they say that “the sun is shining”. Objectification takes on a slightly different role from the symbolism. The objectification takes on the role of describing some of the conflicts that the symbolism suppresses and heals. They say, “With the weight of all those disappointments/ Whispering in your ear”. The disappointments are being objectified. First, they are mentioned as if they are a concrete item because they are said to have weight. Second, the disappointments are given the capability of whispering. Disappointments neither have weight, nor can they whisper. This objectifying helps present the disappointments, or conflicts, in one’s life in a more dramatic way. The symbolism and objectification work together to help provide the deeper meaning of the song.
“One Day You Will” by Lady Antebellum is a highly uplifting song filled with poetic devices. The clichés are used in an effective way; they allow universal connections and interpretations to the lyrics. Symbolism and objectification are used to show conflict and the ability to overcome them. Contributing to the theme of resolving conflict is the tone of the song. The chorus’s tone is extremely uplifting and encouraging. It provides a sense of happiness, or hope for overcoming conflict. These poetic devices, along with the tone, work together seamlessly to create the overall uplifting and encouraging mood of the song that provides hope for the future as one makes their way through hardships.
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