Nadathur 1

Govind Nadathur

Professor Strehle

English Composition II

16 February 2020

Party Like We’re Young

The song “22” by Taylor Swift and the cover of “22” by the band Eclipse 6 both express

the claim that one should ignore negativity in life and focus on joyfully spending time with those

closest to them. Although containing the same lyrics, the two music videos clearly differ in

several ways. For example, Taylor Swift’s music video displays her excitedly spending time with

friends and having a good time. There are several instances in the video wherein she appears to

be escaping the negativity surrounding her, and goes out to many places such as the beach, the

pool, and a trampoline. The music is very upbeat. The instrumentals like the guitar play very

uplifting music. On the other hand, the cover of this song displays a mother and father trying to

escape the hectic lifestyle produced by their stressful jobs and children. In addition,

instrumentals are also very upbeat; however, they are more mellow than the original song.

Hence, the cover and original version of “22” both share a similar message that one should flee

the negativity of life with those closest to them, but the original song appeals to a younger

audience because of the increased energy in the lyrics and visuals focused on dating and finding

new love.

Firstly, The two versions differ greatly in the intensity and pitch of the way in which

some phrases are sung, particularly phrases that pertain to finding new love. This impacts the

message that is conveyed, and thus appeals to a different audience, perhaps an older audience

who is not looking for new love. For example, in the original version of “22,” Taylor Swift
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sassily says, ‘Make fun of our exes… and fall in love with strangers.’ However, in the remixed

version, the singer says these lyrics in a much blander and shallower tone. By not putting much

emphasis into this line of the song, the singer makes it clear that the song and music video is not

focused on those that are constantly going out and dating. Moreover, this cover version of “22”

also says the lyric “tonight's the night, when we forget about the heartbreaks” with a much drier

tone than the original version. Thus, the version of “22” appeals to an older audience because

most older individuals wouldn’t be focused on constantly reflecting on old love and trying to

find new love.

Secondly, the two videos differ in several ways; specifically, there are many aspects

about the actions of the characters in Taylor Swift’s original video that would pertain to a

younger and more adventurous individual. The original video begins with a Taylor meeting with

her friends, and makes several references to find new love. For example, her and her friends

wear glasses shaped like hearts. Their mission seems to have fun with each other to forget about

toxic relationships and exes that they have had. They hold up multiple hearts throughout this

video. Hence, the original video seems to be focused on a younger audience that is seeking new

love. In contrast, while the lyrics about love are sung in the cover version of this song, the music

video simply displays a married couple who are bogged down by jobs and their kids. Ergo, the

original version of “22” is more centered on finding new love, while the cover version of the

song shows an existing couple having some extra fun in their lives.

Thirdly, although both versions of the song contain pathos, emotional appeals, the

original version of the song has a happier vibe because of its more upbeat instruments and

singing. A more upbeat song appeals to a younger, more energetic audience. First, the original

song utilizes instruments and drums to create a beat in the background of the song. However, in
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the cover of “22,” all of the background music is created by an A Cappella group. The beat is not

as pronounced when produced by singing rather than the use of instruments. Thus, the song is

not as upbeat, and thus appeals to a younger audience. Furthermore, the cover of “22” is sung in

a much lower tone. This makes the lyrics of the song sound more mellow, and thus less

energetic. Lastly, Taylor Swift sings the original version of the song with more variety in her

pitch. Since the original version is more monotonous, it is less lively. All in all, the original

version of “22” is a much more active song, so it is better suited for a younger audience.

Evidently, “22” by Taylor Swift and the cover of “22” by the band Eclipse 6 both share a

common theme: one should find positivity in life and have fun with others like they are young

again. Yet, the two songs contain many distinct differences. The cover of this song doesn’t

emphasize the lyrics pertaining to finding new love. Additionally, the storyline of the video is

focused on an older couple that are in distress not because of their prior relationships, but their

busy jobs. Lastly, the original song contains much more lively instrumentals and a more

energetic tone of singing. In conclusion, the original song appeals to a younger audience because

of the stronger energy in the lyrics and presence of visuals focused on finding new love.

Works Cited

Eclipse 6. “Taylor Swift - 22 (Twenty-Two) - Official Music Video - Eclipse 6 (A Cappella

Cover) - on iTunes” YouTube, sung by Patrick Rose, 13 May 2013,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpu35i2yqC0

Swift, Taylor. “22” Youtube, sung by Taylor Swift, 15 Nov. 2012,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgFeZr5ptV8
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