Nelly’s song, “Just a Dream,”

Nelly’s song, “Just a Dream,”

Throughout Nelly’s song, “Just a Dream,” the lyricist speaks about his past connection with a girl he loved. He expresses how beautiful her woman was and how much they adored each other. Eventually, the musician regrets losing her and blames himself. The lyricist’s application to listeners is practical. Throughout his presentation, he indirectly warns his young audience to stick to their lovers at all costs. The singer applies pathos, logos, and ethos when describing his situation to convince his listeners that breaking up with one’s lover was ill-advised and irreversible. Although he wishes her back for marriage, Nelly realizes that his desire is merely a dream. Nelly advises that individuals must stick to their lovers at all cost since breakups are irreversible, painful, and one is easily replaced after that.

The singer employs ethos to demonstrate to his listeners that once one separates with a lover, the event is irreversible as the lover never comes back. First, Nelly cites reliable evidence, including memories of him and his lover to win his audience’s trust and to make his story credible. For instance, he claims, “Cause I can still feel it in the air; See her pretty face run my fingers through her hair; My lover, my life, my shawty, my wife” demonstrating his deep imaginations. He then goes ahead to express regret for his action and for letting his lover go when he states, “She left me, I’m tied; ‘Cause I knew that it just ain’t right” (Nelly). Here, Nelly believes the breakup to be his fault and how affection was never enough. He wishes that “[he] should’ve put it down, should’ve got the ring” (Nelly) when he still had the chance.

Eventually, the lyrist realizes that all his imagination and thoughts of having his woman back into his life were just but dreams and states, “will she come back, no one knows” (Nelly). Here, he expresses his belief that his girlfriend was forever. Nelly, thus, warns of the irreversibility of broken affairs.

Additionally, the singer utilizes pathos to portray the pains and sufferings of losing a lover. Throughout his narrative, the lyrist appeals to his listeners’ emotions to make them sympathize with him for separating with his love and also caution them. First, the artist reveals to his audience that the memories of the loved one continually torment an individual. His repetition of the phrase, “pen my eyes yeah, it was only Just A Dream” (Nelly), mainly displays how his memories frequently torment him. Also, the artist demonstrates to his audience that once one loses a lover, the individual never gets over the lover quickly, which is painful too. Nelly claims, “and I just hope she knows that she the only one I yearn for” (Nelly). Here, the lyrist, unable to overcome his feelings for his lover, hopes that the lover knew how much he still loved her. Sadly, this is not the case. Moreover, the lyricist displays that one suffers hopelessness when a lover is gone, possibly shown through his questions to his listeners, “said if you ever loved somebody put your hands up; If you ever loved somebody put your hands up” (Nelly). Here, he appears to be depressed and thus vents out to the listeners to allow them into his suffering. Therefore, separating with a loved one is painful.

Finally, the singer utilizes logos to illustrate to his spectators that immediately after breaking up with a lover, and the individual is easily replaceable. Throughout the song, the lyrist cites evidence that reveals the lover replaced him, warning his viewers about separations. The lyricist sings that he was previously “was at the top, and now it’s like [he’s] in the basement” (Nelly). Here, the artist is probably attempting to inform his author that his top position has already been taken by someone else and that he is at the bottom. Also, Nelly reveals that he was “number one spot, and now she finds her a replacement” (Nelly). Here, it is clear that the lover already replaced Nelly with another guy. Eventually, he reveals the difficulty of accepting that the lover moved on, “I swear now I can’ take it, knowing somebody’s got my baby” (Nelly). Even though he attempts to live with reality, he finds it difficult. One is easily replaced after breaking up with a girlfriend.

Individuals have to stick to their partners at all cost because separations are irreversible, painful, and that after divorces, one can easily be replaced by a new lover. The artist effectively applies ethos, pathos, and logos to present his message to the audience. In the song, Nelly reminisces his past with the lover and wishes her back but realizes that it was impossible and just a dream. Also, he experiences immense pain as the memories of him and his lover torment him continuously. Furthermore, Nelly realizes that his girlfriend had already found his replacement, and he is unable to live with the reality. Thus, individuals need to stick with partners at all cost.