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Michael Hershey
Professor Olding
College Writing II
3 April 2014
Rhetorical Analysis:
Mockingbird-Eminem & Livin on a Prayer- Bon Jovi

Thesis
Mockingbird by Eminem and Livin on a Prayer by Bon Jovi are two extremely different
songs. They differ in genre, came out in different eras and have two very different audiences.
Despite the extreme contrast between the two songs, there are many characteristics that relate to
one another. Each musician utilizes ethos, pathos and logos to make their song more relatable,
popular and catchy.

Introduction- Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers was born October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Growing up
Eminem never had the chance to meet his father. His dad abandoned the family when he was just
an infant. Throughout his childhood Eminem took several strides to get in touch with his father,
but his dad avoided every attempt. Eminem didnt receive much support throughout his
adolescence, His mom was addicted to prescription drugs and could never hold down a job for
more than a couple months. Due to this instability Marshall and his mom frequently moved
between Detroit and Missouri, forcing him to spend large chunks of time in public housing
projects. Eminem often changed schools two to three times a year. He had no close friends and

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was treated as an outcast at every school. Mathers attended Lincoln High School where he failed
the ninth grade three times before dropping out of school at the age of seventeen. Eminem was
quoted saying No matter how bad my grades ever were, I was always good at English. I felt like
I want to have all these words at my disposal, in my vocabulary at all times whenever I need to
pull em out. (Eminem Bio.)
Eminems love for English was very beneficial to his rap career as he entered Detroits
underground rap scene as a reoccurring competitor in rap battles. He became of the most
respected figures in Detroits underground rap scene. Soon after pursing his rap career, Mathers
started dating Kim Scott. The couple had a daughter named Halie in 1995 and later married in
1999. In 2000, Eminem released The Marshall Mathers LP, which sold over nineteen million
copies and won a Grammy for best rap album. After 2000, Kim and Eminem divorced and
remarried several times, creating a long, ugly and highly public custody dispute over their
daughter Halie. Mathers then fell deeper into alcoholism, addiction to sleeping pills and
prescription pain killers. He later kicked his addictions and came out with one of his best albums
called Recovery. Eminem has made huge contributions to transforming rap into the mainstream
form it is in today. He will go down as one of the best lyrical rap artists to ever live (Eminem
Biography.)

Pathos: Mockingbird
Mockingbird may be one of Eminems most emotional songs of his career. From lyrics to
instrumentation this heart felt rap is full of sorrow. Unlike many rap songs, the piano is the main
instrument heard throughout the piece. The piano creates a very mournful mood by playing slow,
soft, low keys. The instrumentation compliments the dismal lyrics very well to express a very sad

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song. This masterpiece is written to his daughter Halie and expresses some of Eminems deepest
emotions. He raps about how sad Halie is because of the situation she has been put into. Her dad
is the next big rapper and she doesnt get see much of him, while her mom is a developing drug
addict. Later in the song he says I remember back one year when daddy had no money. Mommy
wrapped the Christmas presents up and stuck 'em under the tree and said some of 'em were from
me, 'cause daddy couldn't buy 'em. I'll never forget that Christmas I sat up the whole night
crying. In this verse Eminem opens up and explains that he stayed up all night crying. An
emotional connection is made between artist and listeners in this line because its so against the
social norm for a grown man to cry. For him to come out and openly admit that cried for an
entire night shows his extreme expression of sadness.

Ethos: Mockingbird
Eminem is one of the biggest and all around respected names in rap. He is one of the
most credible rappers in the game because he makes his music from real life events. Everything
he is saying in his lyrics are from firsthand experience. For example, in the song Mockingbird he
raps All the things growing up as daddy that he had to see. Daddy don't want you to see, but
you see just as much as he did. We did not plan it to be this way, your mother and me. But things
have got so bad between us. I don't see us ever being together ever again. (Eminem,
Mockingbird.) He is very credible in this verse because as explained in the introduction,
Marshall Mathers had a really tough childhood. He saw his mothers addictions first hand just
like his daughter Halie is seeing from Kim and Eminem. His daughters exposure to drugs and
alcohol is exactly what was trying to be avoided, but these substances have taken over their lives.
His credibility continues in the verse when he sings about how bad his and Kims relationship is.
Their well-known hatred for each other created a very long dispute over child custody that

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eventually led to many trials and lawsuits. Without the credibility, this original Eminem song
would have never gained the extreme popularity that it did.

Logos: Mockingbird
Even though the majority of this song is sang with emotion, there are a couple ways that
it utilizes a logos expression. Like many other songs, Mockingbird is structured in a way that the
song will consist of multiple verses followed by a chorus. The chorus is then repeated throughout
the song. The chorus itself also relates to the use of logos. After each sad verse the chorus sings
Now hush little baby, don't you cry. Everything's gonna be alright. Stiffen that upper lip up,
little lady, I told ya. Daddy's here to hold ya through the night. I know mommy's not here right
now and we don't know why, we feel how we feel inside. It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby.
But I promise mama's gon' be alright (Eminem, Mockingbird.) Even though the entire song is
filled with depressing events, Eminem reassures Halie, his audience and his listeners that
everything will work out and be ok.

Introduction: Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi is an eighties rock band formed in 1983 in New Jersey. It consisted of lead
singer Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such
and drummer Tico Torres. The band members have remained the same other than the separation
of Alec John Such in 1994 (Bon Jovi History). After two mediocre albums the band went big
after releasing Slippery When Wet (1986) and New Jersey (1988) which sold a combined
nineteen million copies in the United States alone, charted eight Top Ten hits, and launched the
band into global superstardom (Bon Jovi). In 2006, the band won a Grammy for best country
Collaboration for Who Says You Cant Go Home with Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland and

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also became the first rock band to reach number one on the Hot Country Songs chart with the
same song (Bon Jovi).

Pathos: Livin on a Prayer

Right off the bat in the beginning of the song Bon Jovi creates an emotional connection
with their listeners. Jon Bon Jovi sings Tommy used to work on the docks. Unions been on
strike. Hes down on his luck. It tough, so tough (Bon Jovi, Livin on a Prayer). This verse
targets every listeners emotions because they sing about a guy that works hard for his money
and is suddenly out of work. This loss of income is now making life tough on Tommy. These
lines make such an emotional connection to listeners because just about everyone has been in a
positon where money is tight and times start to get a little bit rough. This also targets any person
who has ever lost their job, been laid off, or had to give up their income due to a strike. In the
next stanza the lyrics sing Gina works the diner all day. Working for her man, she brings home
her pay. For love, for love (Bon Jovi, Livin on a Prayer). Much like the story about Tommy,
this targets the listeners emotions. Gina works long hours at the diner to support her man
because of the love they share. This makes the listeners root for Gina and Tommy because even
though things arent going smoothly they are still getting by and sharing their love. The listener
is now submerged in the story within the song making the song much more relatable. The story
continues with Gina dreams of running away. When she cries in the night Tommy whispers,
Baby its ok, someday (Bon Jovi, Livin on a Prayer). At this point in the song the audience is
fully submerged in the story of Gina and Tommy and hope that one day they can run away and
finally live their dream life.

Ethos: Livin on a Prayer

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Credibility is extremely important when a band releases a song. Without credibility the
song wouldnt gain popularity from fans. Bon Jovi has established their credibility by being one
of the great American rock bands of the 80s and 90s, notorious for writing songs about love.
Their credibility in this song is also established because they are singing about a couple middle
class workers in their native country. Lastly, this song is an original track written by Jon Bon Jovi
and Richie Sambora.

Logos: Livin on a Prayer

Livin on a Prayer is set up in a logical way in many aspects. The first line in the song
starts with Once upon a time not so long ago (Bon Jovi, Livin on a Prayer). Bon Jovi uses
this tactic to get the listeners sucked into the song. When they hear the beginning of the story the
audience becomes curious and wants to hear more. As the song progresses fans are engulfed
more and more into the story. Gina and Tommys story relates back to logos but the structure of
the song is also set up in a logistical way. It starts with a couple verses then the chorus is sang,
this is then repeated throughout the piece. The chorus is not only part of a logical structure, but
the content in the chorus adds to the expression of logos. The chorus sings Whoa, were half
way there. Woah, livin on a prayer. Take my hand and well make it I swear. Woah, livin on a
prayer (Bon Jovi, Livin on a Prayer). Even though the stories of Gina and Tommy are
unfortunate, the chorus reassures the listeners that the couple will get through their hardships and
prosper. Bon Jovi also uses upbeat instrumentation that creates a sense of hope for Tommy and
Gina. Their use of vocals compliments the lyrics and instrumentation by yelling woahhhh
ohhhh. These vocals help to give the song more of a full in union song to the listener the idea
that Tommy and Gina may be gaining some momentum towards escaping their financial set
back.

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Comparisons
After analyzing each song it appears that these two pieces are much more similar than
expected. Both Eminem and Bon Jovi revolve their rhetorical aspects around an emotional
appeal. Each song tells a story of someone who is experiencing adversity in their life. Halie is
being parented by a rap star father and a drugged out mother, while Tommy and Gina are going
through financial hardships. Though depressing lyrics, each song uses a chorus that gives hope
that these people will make it through their struggles. The choruses are very similar in content
but the vocalizations during them are extremely different. In Mockingbird, Eminem keeps a very
soft and soothing pitch while Bon Jovi sings a very upbeat and enthusiastic chorus. During the
chorus Bon Jovi is yelling Woahhh ohhh, livin on a prayer as Eminem softly sings Hush little
baby dont you cry. Despite the difference in sound, each chorus has been structured in a
logistical way that the song will consist of a verse chorus verse pattern.
This verse chorus verse pattern is used by many credible musicians. Both Bon Jovi and
Eminem have established themselves as two extremely credible artists. Eminem raps about real
experiences in his life while Bon Jovi was one of the great American rock bands. Their
credibility has given them the reputation needed to become superstars in the music industry.
These two songs now seem quite similar but their biggest difference above all is their
theatricality. Eminems music video consists of him sitting in a dark room watching old family
videos of Halie, Kim, and himself. There isnt a whole lot to the video. On the other hand, Bon
Jovi is extremely theatrical in their music video. Each musician is on stage with their long hair
and very abnormal clothes. Along with their appearance, there is a huge light sequence in the

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background of the video. The multiple camera angles on the rockers also add to their
theatricality. These aspects of their theatricality relate to Glam rock much more than Eminem.
Bon Jovi had the traditional long hair and crazy clothes that most glam rockers usually had. Their
on stage theatricality ties into glam rock as well.

Conclusion
At first glance it seems that these two songs cant very similar. They are written
by two very different musicians in different eras. Once analyzed, we see that Mockingbird and
Livin on a Prayer share some very similar traits. Each song is written to target their audiences
emotions through stories of people experiencing tough times. The structures of each song also
resemble each other by being set up in a verse chorus verse pattern. Both songs have very similar
choruses that reinsure the listeners that Halie, Tommy and Gina will get through their adversity.
The vocalization in the chorus however are extremely different. Eminem uses a soft and gentle
tone and Bon Jovi uses a very upbeat and energetic tone. The largest difference between the two
songs is their theatricality. Eminems music video is very simple, showing him watching family
films. Whereas Bon Jovi has a full staged performance in their video. Despite their similarities
and differences, both songs will go down as some of the best works in music history.

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Work Cited
Eminem- Mockingbird. Eminem. Youtube.com
Eminem- Mockingbird Lyrics. Eminem. Youtube.com
Bon Jovi- Livin On A Prayer. Bon Jovi. Youtube.com
Bon Jovi- Living on a Prayer (Lyrics). Bon Jovi. Youtube.com
"Eminem." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
Bon Jovi. Top 40 charts. Top40charts.com, 2 April 2015