UNIVERSIDADE DO ESTADO DO PARÁ

CENTRO DE CIÊNCIAS SOCIAIS E EDUCAÇÃO

CURSO DE LETRAS LÍNGUA INGLESA
DISCIPLINA: INGLÊS II
PROF. DRA. SANDRA TAKAKURA

AN ANALYSIS OF SNUFF, BY SLIPKNOT BASED ON LITERARY BALLAD

AND MUSIC VIDEO
Bruna Carvalho – UEPA 1
Fabíola Moraes – UEPA 2
Vanessa Garcia– UEPA 3

ABSTRACT
Love has always been an important object of study in different fields. In literature,
ballads show the different faces of this object. This article analyzed the song Snuff by
Slipknot, released in 2008, because in it, the narrator recounts his romantic and tragic
love. It's unusual for heavy metal bands to produce ballads, but there are plenty of
examples of ballads in rock, metal and heavy metal. Slipknot is a heavy metal band
formed in 1995 in Iowa, USA. The aim of this article is to study the song Snuff based
on the notion of Ballad, Metal Ballad and the relation between literature and music in
vocal music and music video genre. In the music video, the characters illustrate a loving
relationship, however, full of loss and pain. The procedures used were: first, to study the
notion of Ballad by Conley and Pound; Verifying the relation between music and
literature in vocal music according to Sher (1994); Identifying the music genre features
based on Railton and Watson (2011), Goodwin (1992); Deepening the understanding of
Snuff by Slipknot. As a result, the leader of band, Corey Taylor, acts simultaneously as
the narrator and the main character of the song, he narrates about pain and loss.

Keywords: Ballad; metal ballad; love; tragedy; music video.

1
Undergraduate student of letters – brunacm09@gmail.com
2
Undergraduate student of letters – Fabiola.mdconceicao@aluno.uepa.br
3
Undergraduate student of letters – vanessa.globato@aluno.uepa.br
 1- INTRODUCTION

Snuff is a song from Slipknot’s album “All hope is gone” 2008 and was chosen
because it tells a tragic love story of the narrator. Slipknot is a heavy metal band formed
in 1995 in Des Moines, Iowa, US. The band rapidly rose to fame following the release
of their Eponymous debut album in 1999. In nineties, Iowa had a growing heavy metal
scene with bands like Atomic Opera whose guitarist was Jim Root, one of the founders
of Slipknot. He and the others members met at shows and clubs and started writing
songs. In 1993 was the beginning of the band.

 Object of study

The song and music video: snuff by Slipknot, released in 2008. It was produced by
Roadrunner Records.

 Objective

Studying Snuff by Slipknot based on the notion of ballad, the relation between literature
and music in vocal music and music video genre.

 Procedures

This study was performed according to the following steps:

1. Studying the Notion of ballad by Comley (1991), Pound (1921);

2. Verifying the relation between music and literature in vocal music according to
Sher (1994);
3. Identifying the music genre features based on Railton and Watson (2011),
Goodwin (1992);
4. Deepening the understanding of Snuff by Slipknot.

2- BALLAD

Manifestations of what we generally call ‘vocal music’ fall under the heading “music
and literature”. In vocal music, literary text and musical composition are inextricably
bound. Together they constitute a symbiotic construct that qualifies as a full-fledged
work of art only if components of both are simultaneously present. Most common
among such combinations of text and music in a single work are operas and lieder (art
songs), along with a host of other forms familiar from past centuries of European
musical and theatrical history, such as oratorios, cantatas, masses, motets, madrigals, a
cappella choruses, ballads, the English masque, and the German singspiel” (Sher, 2004,
p.175).

“In the interaction between text and music, poets and musicians no doubt recognized an
opportunity to transcend the communicative limitations of the individual art forms. The
manifold aspects of where and how word interacts and intersects with tone have proved
most rewarding for music-literary study.” (Sher, 1994, p. 176).

3- METAL BALLAD

Heavy metal is traditionally characterized by heavy, distorted guitars, vigorous vocals

and lyrics that deal with rebellion, war, religion, the occult or death. However, metal
ballads show a different element: lyrics that speak of romantic or tragic love. The first
prominent bands were Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, who began to
attract a large audience, even though they were disdained by critics.

In this article, we're going to analyze the performance of Corey Taylor, lead singer of
the band Slipknot, narrating the song Snuff.

It's unusual for heavy metal bands to produce ballads, but there are plenty of examples
of ballads in rock, metal and heavy metal. Although, according to Heesch and Nink,
“romantic ballads are judged as something feminine”, Corey Taylor (Slipknot) is the
one who narrates his love tragedy.

4- MUSIC VIDEO

According to Railton and Watson “Genres of music video function to legitimate both
performance and performer” (Railton; Watson, 2011, p. 48)

• Music Video Genre

Narrative music video is a Visual narrative that illustrates, the lyrics and helps visualize
the narrator’s feelings and emotions (p. 57)

• Music video performance:

Combining the song, the lyrics, the video, we have the vocal performance to bring the
narrator to life.
Music Video Narrator

In music video:

• In the music video, Corey Taylor, the vocalist, narrates about pain and loss.

The music and music video tell the story of a character who deals with loss and
betrayal.

The visual narrative includes scenes of loneliness and despair, reflecting the lyrics of the
song.

“The most popular themes of the older ballads were tragic love affairs, supernatural
events, and various forms of violence usually resulting in death.” (Comley, 1991, p.
568).

The song "Snuff" explores the depth of human emotions, in music, the emotions in
particular are pain and betrayal. Corey Taylor, the vocalist, uses his voice to convey a
feeling of despair and vulnerability. The lyrics of the song reflect on the loss and the
difficulty of continuing after a deep disappointment. This depth is increased by Taylor's
performance in the clip.

In addition, the music video of ''Snuff'' is a cinematographic work that fits perfectly into
the lyrics. Co-directed by Shawn ''Clown'' Crahan and Paul Brown, the video
complements the visual narrative that fits the lyrics of the song. Corey Taylor's scenes,
often in dark environments and alone, reinforces isolation and pain. In the music video,
dark colors and dramatic lighting are used to nurture a melancholic atmosphere of the
music. This combination of visual and auditory elements collaborates so that ''Snuff'' is
a very emotional experience for viewers.

5- STUDY

Narrator and Character: In “Snuff”, Corey Taylor, acts simultaneously as the narrator
and the main character of the song. He tells a personal and emotional story, reflecting
on pain and loss. The song was written during the divorce of vocalist Corey Taylor.

In the music video, the music environment is dark and introspective, with the narrator
feeling trapped in a suffocating reality, with an atmosphere of internal conflict.

Lines that convey and pain lost

“Bury all your secrets in my skin”: This line suggests a deep intimacy and vulnerability,
hinting at the emotional scars left behind.

“My heart is just too dark to care”: This reflects a sense of hopelessness and emotional
numbness.

“I couldn’t face a life without your light”: This line expresses the profound impact of
losing someone important.

“You sold me out to save yourself”: This conveys feelings of betrayal and
abandonment.

“It took the death of hope to let you go”: This line encapsulates the ultimate despair and
resignation.

Corey Taylor finishes the song with a powerful emotional delivery, using his vocal
range to convey deep pain and loss. He utilizes a crescendo in the lines:

“So if you love me, let me go’’

“And run away before I know”

These lines indicate a desperate plea for release and the intense emotional turmoil of
letting go.

He then uses a diminuendo in the lines:

“My heart is just too dark to care”

‘I can’t destroy what isn’t there”

These lines reflect a sense of resignation and emotional numbness, highlighting the
depth of his despair and the futility he feels.

FINAL WORDS

A ballad tells a story, as the principal objective. The story contains characters, plot,
narrator, dialogue, setting and drama.

In addiction, there are two forms to tell a ballad, in a poetic or in a musical way.
The song Snuff, by Slipknot, is about a tragic love story of the narrator (Corey Taylor).
The singer narrates a about pain and loss. Corey Taylor, acts simultaneously as the
narrator and the main character of the song.

REFERENCES

COMLEY, Nancy R. Ballads. In. SCHOLES, ROBERT et al Eds. Elements of

literature: Essay, Fiction, poetry, Drama, Film. Oxford. Oxford UP, 1991, p.78-568.

GOODWIN, Andrew. The Structure of the music video: rethink narrative analysis.
Dancing and the distraction Factory: Music Television and Popular Culture.
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota press. 1992, p. 72-97.

IMDB Internet Movie Database. Snuff. Available at:

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9257730/ Accessed on: Sep. 8, 2024.

LET’S STUDY SOCIAL SCIENCE. What is ballad e types of ballad. YouTube,

07/08/2021. Available at: https://youtu.be/v4qVMD-wQLE?si=UCMlLe-vqrY4iiU7

NINK, Theresa. Florian HEESCH. 2023. Metal Ballads as Low Pop? An Approach to
Sentimentality and Gendered Performances in Popular Hard Rock and Metal Songs.
Arts 12: 38. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12010038

POUND, Louise. The ballad style. In. POUND, Louise. Poetic origins and the ballad.
New York: The Macmillan Company, 1921, p.120-152.

RAILTON, Dianne, WATSON, Paul. “Part I: Towards a Critical Vocabulary.’ Music

Video and the Politics of Representation. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. 2011,
p. 57.

SHER, Steven Paul. Literature and Music (1982). BERNHART, Walter; WOLF,
Werner. Word and Music Studies: Essays on literature and music (1967- 2004) by
Steven Paul Sher. Amsterdam- New York, NY: Rodopi, 2004, p. 173-202.

WHIPLASH.NET. 03/02/2023. Rock and Heavy Metal content. Available at:

https://whiplash.net/materias/news_710/348912-slipknot.html Accessed on: 09/08/2024.