Song: “Never” by Moving Pictures
Movie: (Footloose)
In the film Footloose, “Never” is a typical teen angst song that Ren dances to to get out his frustrations and resentments in an abandoned industrial building. After moving to the small town of Beaumont with his mother, Ren quickly learns how biased the town is against him and his family. After arriving, Ren is kicked off the gymnastic team and pulled over by the police for playing music in his car. His new tape is confiscated and he is fined. As a result he is seen as a trouble maker and an outsider by all of the adults. This image prohibits him from finding a lucrative job and even puts his aunt and uncle’s employment situation in jeopardy. All of Ren’s anger and frustration culminate in one giant dance scene to the song “Never.” In this scene Ren lets go of all his resentment and fury over the town’s restriction in one long dance sequence. This scene is dimly lit, and shot against the backdrop of a bare industrial building. Shots of broken windows, exposed beams and little lighting, contribute to the tone and mood of the scene. The bare and raw backdrop seems to shadow the anger and rage that Ren feels. With the fast paced lyrics and strong quick beat of the music, Ren runs, jumps and pounds the air clearly getting out his frustration and anger.
If you want to feel rebellious, the song “Never” is the perfect song. The lyrics talk about breaking free and breaking down walls; “Break down the walls, Well, you’ve got to cut the ties. Well, there’s pain, pain, Burning in your eyes. It’s time to fight, Well, it’s time for tearing free.” People who are feeling trapped, will feel inspired to take control, break free and rebel against what is holding them back. The lyrics have an inspiring message that grant you permission to fight back and rebel. People who don’t take control and leave things alone will never be able to succeed. People need to act and fight for what is right, in order to prosper and fly.
