Analysis of "Bless the Broken Road"

Love has many different meanings to people. From the heartbreak to the most passionate, the ups and downs of love come into play in all relationships and therefore are a part of many songs, especially country. Country music has the rollercoaster of emotions within most of its songs not only because it is prevalent in everyone’s day-to-day life, but also it is easy to talk about or in this case sing about. Rascal Flatts has created a seemingly endless love in most of their songs such as “Here” and “Love You Out Loud”. But the most undying love affair is found in the song “God Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts, which tells of the paths in his life that eventually led to this love through many poetic devices.

The song “God Bless the Broken Road” is the story of someone’s life and an everlasting love, which he eventually stumbled across. “I set out on a narrow way many years ago” is his first line of the song in which he starts telling about the journey of his life. He says, “but I got lost a time or two wiped my brow and kept pushing through” which states that he did falter but he kept going because he knew that the love that he was searching for was out there somewhere and it would be worth all the hard work and effort that he put in if he kept going. By saying, “I couldn’t see how every sign pointed strait to you” he tells that he did not know that every sign in his life that he encountered brought him closer and closer to her. He also goes on to say in the chorus, “Every long lost dream led me to where you are, others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars pointing me on my way into your loving. This much I know is true, that God blessed the broken road that led me strait to you”. This statement says to his love that everything that he has experienced in his life such as the bad relationships or lost dreams was, “all part of a grander plan that is coming true” and that God blessed his life journey because it led him strait to her. This song relates to my theme of love in country music because it is about a man’s life that ultimately led to his new relationship.

Throughout the song there are many uses of poetic devices. For instance, when he refers to the “broken road” the metaphor is talking about his trek through life. This could also be an example of figurative language because it is not an actual broken road but it is his life. Another poetic device used in the song is simile. “Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars pointing me on my way into your loving arms” compares his previous loves to Northern stars which helped him or led him to his newly found love. The tone or overall mood of the song was happy because the singer has a point and purpose in life. He feels as if all of his life was the map to the life that he has always wanted. The point of view in the song is that the things that happened in life were all worth it for her from his perspective. Style is used throughout the song in the form of imagery to tell of his life before the person in his life or the “broken road” and his life with her now. These are all uses of poetic devices used throughout the song.

All through the song “God Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts the singer is talking or singing about a new relationship that he has been involved in. He tells the whole world that this person was worth all of the heartbreak and pain that he had experienced throughout his life because in the end it all led him to her. This song uses many poetic devices and is an excellent example of love through country music. Rascal Flatts has understood the meaning of unconditional love and has helped the music world to understand it as well. This song and the many other songs help the greater scope of country love and an understanding of love.