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Tiearra Maloney

Tim Waggoner

English Composition II

Sunday February 21st, 2021

“Daylight”

“Daylight” by Taylor Swift was released in 2019. Throughout Swift’s song she

discusses how she “once believed that love would be burning red”, but it instead turns out to

be “golden”. She sees only daylight now that she knows what love is supposed to be like.

Daylight to her means moving on to days that are better than before, without the repercussions

of her past. “Daylight” by Maroon 5 was released in 2012. This music video portrays how one

knows that they have to move on. It seems as if two individuals once in a relationship now

have to make a departure from each other, but are not yet ready to completely move forward.

"Daylight" by Taylor Swift and "Daylight” by Maroon 5 share a somewhat similar theme.

Although the two videos represent two different life situations, the whole idea of "Daylight"

has much correlation in both songs.

I believe the purpose of the Taylor Swift version is a way of her showing that she is

forgiving herself for all of her past mistakes and moving on with her life into the daylight. She

says in the song “there are so many lines that I’ve crossed unforgiven” (Swift, Taylor.

“Daylight”. 2019.), which supports my first claim about her wanting to move from past
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actions. The Maroon 5 version portrays a relationship where the individuals need to go their

separate ways. In the song this lyric is sang, “And when daylight comes I’ll have to go but

tonight I’m gonna hold you so close” (5, Maroon. “Daylight”. 2012). This supports the claim

of them not being ready to leave one another but are going to go through with it anyways.

These two songs share much similarity in their themes. Both versions use of the word

Daylight in the same manor. For example, both songs are about leaving things in the past and

moving on, which they call their Daylight. The audience of Swifts song can really be for

anyone of age who wants to either find love, learn its okay to move on, or maybe even those

who need help forgiving themselves. This song does not apply to a certain gender or ethnicity.

It is for anyone who especially enjoys pop music. The Maroon 5 version can be a song for

anyone as well, but its audience is more directed to individuals who are into soft rock.

Pathos (an emotional appeal) is the rhetorical appeal used in both videos to create the

overarching messages. The two songs cause and emotional response in the reader that engages

the reader with the writers idea(s). Taylor sings about her feelings toward love and

forgiveness & Maroon 5 sings about a relationship that is sadly ending.

In conclusion, as stated in the thesis statement at the end of paragraph one, correlation

is seen between the two different versions according to their themes. Daylight is happiness in

their eyes, it is what they are trying to reach. Although the songs have different genres, such

as pop & soft rock, they still aim for almost the same audiences. They even use the same

rhetoric appeal (pathos). It’s amazing how songs with the same title can be so similar, and yet

still be very much different.

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Work Cited Page

Beteta, Ashley. “Taylor Swift – Daylight (FMV).” Video. YouTube. YouTube,

24 Aug. 2019. Web. 21 Feb. 2021. Taylor Swift - Daylight (FMV) - YouTube

5, Maroon. “Maroon 5 – Daylight (Official Music Video).” Video. YouTube. YouTube,

11 Dec. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2021. Maroon 5 - Daylight (Official Music Video) - YouTube