Song Analysis--The Next Right Thing
So…this movie broke me. And there are so many parallels/foreshadowing/throw backs/deep moments…but I wanted to break down some of the songs…at least in my opinion.
I’ve seen dark before But not like this This is cold This is empty This is numb ((Anna had experienced such darkness in her short life. Her sister shut her out for 13 years, and she never knew why. She buried both of her parents…alone. For three years, she was completely isolated. Her sister was still barricaded in her room, her parents were gone, she was all alone. She was left to process through her grief all alone.))
The life I knew is over The lights are out Hello, darkness I’m ready to succumb ((Anna…the picture of optimism, hope, joy, and light…was completely overcome. She did not see how she could continue on. For a moment at least, she was ready to succumb to the darkness.))
I follow you around I always have ((Throughout both movies, it is shown how Anna follows Elsa everywhere. No matter how many times Elsa shuts her out or pushes her away…she continues to love and follow her sister.)) But you’ve gone to a place I cannot find This grief has a gravity It pulls me down But a tiny voice whispers in my mind “You are lost, hope is gone But you must go on And do the next right thing” ((Despite her grief…despite all of her pain…Anna always looks out for and cares for others above herself. Even when she was literally freezing to death…she purposely put herself in front of her sister, in front of the sword, in order to save her.))
Can there be a day beyond this night? I don’t know anymore what is true I can’t find my direction, I’m all alone The only star that guided me was you How to rise from the floor When it’s not you I’m rising for? ((In my opinion, this speaks again to when Anna stepped in front of the sword, putting Elsa’s life above her own.)) Just do the next right thing Take a step, step again It is all that I can to do The next right thing
I won’t look too far ahead It’s too much for me to take But break it down to this next breath This next step This next choice is one that I can make ((I have seen people say that Anna too quickly got over her grief. Although for me all of the end of the movie felt rushed (from after Show Yourself), but these lines show how she is handling her grief. She is not over it…she is simply placing one foot in front of the other…willing herself to keep going. She cannot even imagine life without her sister, and she is not letting herself go there…not at this point. She knew what she had to do. She had to right the wrongs. She had to save the Northaldra. She had keep going. Which points so much to why she is the right person to be queen.)) So I’ll walk through this night Stumbling blindly toward the light And do the next right thing And with the dawn, what comes then When it’s clear that everything will never be the same again? ((At the beginning of the movie, Anna sings how some things never change…in the last song, Anna exclaims that she is realizing that nothing will ever be the same. The coming of dawn is a reminder that life is still moving forward…and she has to keep going, and dealing with her grief as she can.)) Then I’ll make the choice To hear that voice And do the next right thing
((This song so beautifully explores grief and pain. And Kristen performed it so wonderfully and it was so incredibly heartbreaking hearing her. She was not ok…though she knew what she had to do. She is a picture of love and leadership. As much as I related to Elsa…I adore Anna and desire to have more of her traits. I hate that she is often overshadowed. IMO, Anna is the true hero of both stories. She deserves and is rightfully Queen.))
These are just my thoughts….it is ok to disagree :) My box is open if anyone would like to continue to discuss
