“I’m so glad that we are different. I would hate to be the same. I just want to be peculiar.”
~Alex Boye
What may first be perceived as just another self-empowerment song, Alex Boye’s, “We All Bleed the Same,” is a motivating piece that reaches one of the deepest parts of the human heart: that we all want to be loved and accepted for who we are. A few key components that contribute to the effectiveness of this song are its emotional appeal, the song’s unique-yet-popular style, and the context in which it was written.
Every person has experienced some kind of hardship or turmoil in his/her life, which has shaped him/her into who they are today. This concept reaches every soul and can help people from all different backgrounds and beliefs find common ground. We have all experienced adversity, albeit different levels of it. “We All Bleed the Same,” calls upon that part in all of us with the lyrics, “In this world full of confusion, heartache, pain, and disillusion, don’t let them dim your shine” (Boye). The, “shine,” the lyrics refer to is our inner light or beauty that makes us different. All of us have something to offer in this world, and in challenging moments in life, we can easily forget our worth and abilities. This line reminds us that we are of value. “We All Bleed the Same” promotes love and acceptance for all people, and it is so desperately needed in society, today.
This is not only a lovely thought, but an effective and common theme in music, today, as well as in literature and other forms of art. We live in a society that is constantly plugged in and comparing. I better check my Instagram! Who had the most exciting vacation? Fashion tutorial: How to Appear Thinner. Why am I not as happy–as beautiful–as smart–as talented–as perfect as…
One can infer that because of this new culture, a great deal of popular music has become a juxtaposition to what we begin to believe about the world based on what our minds are fed by distracting social media and disturbing news reports. For example, public shootings, terrorist acts, political upheaval, anxiety, depression, and other problems seen in the modern world, can overwhelm people and cause them to doubt there is still good around them. The music of today focuses on lifting us up and overcoming those who said we couldn’t. However, one thing that makes this song unique, is the focus on not only believing in oneself, but lifting others up and becoming strong–not in spite of, but because of our differences. This idea is greatly expressed by the line, “We might not have it all together, but together we have it all,” as well as the song’s title: “We All Bleed the Same” (Boye).
Style also plays an important role in this piece, as it does in most of Alex Boye’s songs. Boye’s style is a combination of modern United States culture and his authentic African roots. He was born in Nigeria then adopted by an English couple, later became a US citizen, and now makes Africanized covers and original songs on his Youtube channel. He is also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and sang in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Boye’s music style is just as much of a cultural kaleidoscope as he is.
From his diverse background, one can imagine that a song like this means just as much to him as it does for those who listen to it/download it. One can assume, by the lyrics and tone of the song, Boye put his heart into this piece, as he does with all his music. Although this song is not as heavy in African style as other songs of his, the song embraces diversity in not only ethnicity, but belief.
In relation to differing beliefs, it is important to address the context in which this song was written. Published on Youtube in the spring of 2017, “We All Bleed the Same,” came in response to the hatred and anger spreading across social media and through news reports concerning the recent police shootings, particularly the one that took place in the state of Texas, which inspired the “Black Lives Matter” movement in the United States. Arguments over the situation had raged on for quite some time, (largely over Facebook) and as political and racial tensions grew, Americans needed to be reminded to love.
The audience of “We All Bleed the Same” is most likely Americans involved in the heated discussions following this event. When the piece is put into historical context, the lyrics offer an even deeper meaning and direct response to the hate consuming American hearts. A few examples of this are, “You go for yours, I’ll go for mine. Still a beautiful world, and we’ll be fine,” and, “Everybody’s life is precious, all, protect us all. Don’t let us fall. ‘Cuz we all bleed the same” (“We All Bleed the Same,” Boye). “We All Bleed the Same,” came primarily to an audience of Americans who felt wronged and lashed out at other people who had opposing views because they wanted to protect and defend their passionate beliefs. Of course, this song could be heard by people of other countries, or even Americans in a different historical context, and it could being them hope and peace to know that they are fine to “just be [themselves because] everybody else is taken” (“We All Bleed the Same,” Boye).
A similar situation occurred at the gates of Loyola University (also in 2017) when a Baptist church protested two LGBTQ+ support and ally groups at the Jesuit Campus. Brian Norman, Vice President of Faculty Affairs and Diversity, describes his experience in this event in his article, “Of Love and Distraction: Words from One Jesuit Campus Respond to Hatred at its Gates.” The campus responded by holding an event inside its gates promoting love. Norman recalls speaking at this event, and a section of his speech is as follows:
We must mark the presence of obvious bigotry, like those standing on Charles Street with a message of hatred. . . . But we cannot let that be a distraction from work to be done here, within our own community. . . .Let’s not prematurely celebrate unity. Let’s work together to achieve it” (“Of Love and Distraction…” Norman).
This ties into Boye’s song, “We All Bleed the Same,” because both men expressed the importance of love in all communities, and both chose to respond to contentious situations with a promotion of peace and acceptance. Norman and Boye discussed the importance of not letting hatred dwell within our communities or close to home because that breaks down the whole group. Both men are also from minority groups in the United States, yet they choose to encourage listeners to love and rise above all the hate around them, rather than being so angry that they fell into the same war of ideas.
In Conclusion, Alex Boye’s song, “We All Bleed the Same” is an upbeat song that shares a powerful message of acceptance and love, which we need more of in the world. Unity is an important part of creating accepting and loving communities, and Boye’s song promotes an increase of that love. One of the greatest examples of this is in Boye’s lyrics, “Nothing wrong with being strange. What does that even mean? Does anybody know? I just want to be the real me, instead of putting on a show” (“We All Bleed the Same,” Alex Boye).
Work Cited
Alex Boye. “We All Bleed the Same.” We All Bleed the Same, Boye Central Records 2016
Norman, Brian. “Of Love and Distraction: Words from One Jesuit Campus Respond to Hatred at Its Gates.” Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, vol. 51, Feb. 2017, doi:https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2062&context=conversations.
Kamary Azure 