Rachel Platten's "Fight Song"

What is the context?

            Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” has been all over the radio recently. Considering it to be overplayed, most people will switch the station or skip the song when it comes on their playlist. However, there is a lot more meaning behind the song if you truly take a look at it. Rachel Platten wrote it to be reminded of her strength and the struggles she has overcome. She has said “"'Fight Song' was inspired by a lot of experiences that were hurting me and that were making me feel like maybe I didn’t have a chance in this industry. I wrote it because I needed to remind myself that I believed in myself. No matter what, I still was going to make music, even if it was on a small scale. Even if it was just for me.” As you can tell, the song holds a lot of emotions for Platten. After being rejected time and time again, Platten was not confident in her abilities as an artist. She just could not shake the feeling that she wasn’t good enough. Nevertheless, Platten realized her love for music. She was not going to stop just because she couldn’t get a record deal. Instead, she wrote “Fight Song” to remind herself and all her fans that they should still believe in themselves.

What is the author communicating and how?

            The song is important for many reasons. For one, Rachel Platten wrote this song for herself. She needed to recognize her worth and believe in herself again. You can hear that in the lyrics. She realizes that she has the potential to change the world. “I might only have one match, but I can make an explosion.” Those words represent that Platten has fire left inside of her and that she shouldn’t give up.

            In addition, the song conveys that you should speak your mind. Many people hold back their true feelings, whether it be because they are scared or just shy. Platten sings “And all those things I didn’t say/Wrecking balls inside my brain/I will scream out loud tonight/Can you hear my voice this time?” She encourages people to stand up for themselves and to speak their mind.

            Lastly, she shows that she, as well as everyone else, should believe in themselves. “And I don’t really care if nobody else believes/ Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me.” It does not matter what other people think of you. As long as you believe in yourself, you have the power to change the world.

Why is it beautiful?

            I think, although cliché, this song is very relevant in today’s world. The song is popular among teenage girls, which are the people who need to hear these words the most. Often times, girls are put down and told to stay quiet. They are not encouraged to pursue their dreams, and many girls feel as if they cannot do anything. However, this song changes all of that. It encourages everyone to believe in themselves, and never lose hope. You have the power to “make an explosion” as long as you realize your worth. Platten said that she wrote this chorus through tears. It was so hard to write and so meaningful to her that it was worth one and a half years of work. If a song is that important to someone, then you can trust that her words are sincere and were not just written to make money. Platten truly believes in this song just like the listener should believe in herself.