Songs With Cage In The Title
The word “cage,” can be used to denote imprisonment, or being trapped, not just physically, but mentally too! We are meant to be free beings, allowed to explore our world to the fullest. If you are feeling trapped, like a bird in a cage, and you want to fly and feel free again, these songs are for you!
1. Arcade Fire ` “My Body Is a Cage”
Lyrically, this is one of the best songs with cage in the title. From the second and third verses in particular, it is clear that the narrator of “My Body Is a Cage” is speaking to someone who suffers from social anxiety.
The singer declares at the outset that he has “fear and self-doubt” in this opening to the song. However, as the song develops, it becomes clear that the vocalist’s ailments are linked to his or her interactions with others, and ultimately with society at large. This is how he feels when confronted with other people, which is the times he has to interact with them.
It’s also worth noting that the piece is loaded with metaphors, evades direct explanation, and is somewhat nebulous. What Win appears to be implying, however, is that he is the type whose sense of self-worth has been damaged by the belief that he is not mainstream-acceptable.
Further, his own body has become a prison, as suggested by the title. In any case, that’s just a fancy way of saying that he understands that he’s introverted and, therefore, is inhibited in his ability to speak his mind in social situations.
This song seems to have a lot to say, but it’s actually quite straightforward and nothing we haven’t heard before. The singer desires spiritual freedom, not in the strictest sense of the term, but rather the ability to perform in front of an audience without feeling threatened.
Nonetheless, the main reason he is this way is because of the “age” in which we are living, which further implies that accomplishing this goal is an almost impossible task.
2. “Caged Bird” by Alicia Keys
This is one of the songs with cage in the title that reflects on a lot of things, at least in part, Alicia is addressing her fame. Furthermore, she is observing how positive things appear to be on the surface. She appears to enjoy the attention she receives externally, but on the inside, she resents the way people automatically assume that she is just chilling out.
The truth is that she’s clinically depressed. The fact that she is so widely admired is probably discouraging the singer from reaching her full potential.
To put things in perspective, this song was released early in Alicia’s career. Before that, she was hardly a household name. These lyrics, however, give the impression that the singer has been dealing with fame for quite some time.
Poetically, this tune could be applied to almost any situation. Gender pronouns and all, it could also be read as focusing solely on the female perspective.
And Alicia appears to be drawing parallels between her own musical career and the plight of all oppressed women. Others pass judgment on them based on how they look on the outside, and then they just kind of gawk and move on. Yet these same women are experiencing a form of repression on the inside that can be overcome with a healthy dose of self-confidence.
3. “Rusty Cage” by Soundgarden
For the lead singer, life is like a “rusty cage,” symbolizing a sense of confinement. The song’s lyrics, in particular, should not be taken at face value. One example is how Soundgarden’s “very claustrophobic” tours (with “one crew guy and a… U-Haul filled with gear”) served as the inspiration for the song’s lyrics before the band’s demise.
This song may be about an oppressive situation, but it doesn’t come across that way. Instead, it sounds like it was written for someone else who is also the intended recipient. Moreover, despite their metaphorical nature, the verses seem to progress logically from one to the next.
The first one suggests the singer is in a particularly unpleasant situation caused by the person being addressed. In the second, he warns that the person he controls now will eventually rebel violently.
This is also the note that the bridge ends on, emphasizing once again how much the singer is suffering in captivity. The third verse appears to take place after he has escaped and justice is being meted out to his tormentor (s).
4. “The Soul Cages” by Sting
Sting has claimed that “The Soul Cages” is based on traditional British folklore. The story follows a group of ghosts who are trapped in lobster traps at the bottom of the ocean and can be rescued by anyone who can drink more than their half-human, half-fish captor.
If the monster’s challenger loses, he, too, will be imprisoned for all time, so the legend goes.
The song’s verses describe an incarcerated young man. This kid, the song goes on to say, is locked underwater by the Fisherman and the Keeper. When Sting wrote this song, he was grieving the death of his father. Maybe he is the boy singing about in the song. In the final verse, the boy and his father set sail for an unknown destination.
Sting has been on record as saying that he and his late father had a strained relationship. The song’s final lines suggest that he still has faith that they will find each other and end up happy together someday, despite the fact that their relationships were less than ideal.
5. The Cage by Billy Idol
Last on our list of songs with cage in the title is The Cage by Billy Idol. The single is a high-energy, guitar-driven tune, and the accompanying music video shows him fighting to break free of a restraint so that he can unleash his full aural potential. The song demonstrates Idol’s capacity to grab both eyeballs and eardrums by using gang vocals and a tune that is easy to remember.
As people emerged from the period of lockdown, they had a great deal of pent-up energy. That served as the impetus for the song ‘Cage.’ Getting back into the swing of things and engaging in the activities we’ve neglected.
And this means not being hesitant to perform a rowdy punk rock song like “Cage,” which is one of their more popular songs. And because it sounds so uniquely Billy, his producer didn’t care if it fitted in anyway; he just liked how it sounded.
