Jamison Bodner

Professor Villacorta

English 1001

15 September 2022

Dear Natalie,

Since our conference, I focused on revising two main topics. I wanted my topic sentences to be

clear and strong, I want to make sure the point of the paragraph is clear. Similarly, I changed the

clarity of the point of my entire paper. An issue that we addressed in our conference was my

reasoning for writing my paper, I am not just explaining what Logic is saying, I am explaining

why he wrote the song. I what Logic’s message is in my introduction as well as my conclusion

so there is a clear understanding of what I am talking about throughout the paper. This will carry

over and be important for my research paper because I need to clearly state what I am

researching and why I am researching it, the reader should not be confused about what the point

of my paper is.

“1-800-273-8255"

The struggle with mental health is a growing problem in the world, especially in the

United States. Mental health affects everyone, no matter your race, age, where you are from, or

what you ate for breakfast. Along with mental health, suicide rates tend to grow every year. This

is an issue that is frequently overlooked and forgotten, but in April of 2017 American rapper

Logic took the matter head-on. In his song 1-800-273-8255, the suicide prevention hotline

number, Logic addressed the problem by telling a story of a young man affected by the issue.
Logic stood with those struggling with suicidal thoughts and mental health, letting them know

they are not alone. Logic uses storytelling, mood swings, and a happy ending to connect with the

listeners of his song to share a simple message, do not kill yourself. It may seem blunt, but it is

supposed to be, Logic wants people to understand there is always a reason to live. This song is

not only a message to those struggling, but an "anthem" in Logic's own words, an anthem for

those struggling that need one more push to keep going. After being released it not only reached

the number one spot on the pop radio billboards but reached the hearts of many of its listeners.

The first thing I noticed when listening to the song was the perspective. 1-800 is sung

from a first-person point of view, this is done to relate to the listener on a personal level. Logic

does this to tell a story, in which he shares his message about the ongoing mental health crisis. It

made me feel like Logic was talking to me like we were sitting down and having a conversation

which is exactly what he wants. This is done so the audience can relate to his message on a more

personal level. Hearing the story of another person going through the same situation that you are

in can make someone not feel alone and help them understand that they are not the only person

going through a challenging time in their life. Logic focuses on building an emotional connection

with the audience throughout the entire song so they can fully comprehend the way the person in

the story is feeling. Logic opens the song by saying he has been “on the low” and “taking his

time.” This means he has been keeping to himself, “staying low,” and being distant from

everything and everyone. The reason he says these things is because he has not been feeling

himself, this is reiterated by Logic when he says, "I feel like my life ain't mine." Following these

lines, Logic asks a question to the listener shouting "Who can relate?" This question builds a

further connection with the listener by making them realize the story Logic tells is one many

people go through. The last lines of the pre-chorus are “I feel like I'm out of my mind, I feel like
my life ain’t mine.” In these lines, the storyteller is questioning themself, and more specifically

their sexuality. Though it is not clear in the song the person in the story is struggling with their

sexuality, struggling to accept who they are and why. This is shown in the music video of the

song where a high school boy is kicked out of his house for coming out as gay.

Next, the chorus of the song opens with an eerie feeling. Logic begins the story with a

dramatic opening to draw in and engage listeners. He says, "I don't wanna be alive, I don't wanna

be alive, I just wanna die", which is a dark but important message in the story Logic tells. He is

saying he wants to kill himself, which seems weird as he is trying to prevent his audience from

committing suicide, this is done to build a further connection with the listener. The chorus is

followed by Logic saying, "Let me tell you why". By saying he does not want to be alive he

grabs the audience's attention, drawing them to listen to what he has to say, and his reason for

how he feels. Logic says this is done to make whoever is listening sit down and think to

themselves. Is suicide the solution to what I am going through? He wants listeners that are

struggling to think the same way about their situation. The perspective from which the song is

written is extremely important because of how it makes a listener feel.

Logic starts the first verse further connecting with the audience. Sometimes when people

try and give advice they can try and talk about a situation they have no experience with, most

everyone has experienced this. Logic starts the verse off relating to that exact scenario, “All this

other shit I’m talkin’ ‘bout they think they know it.” This can be extremely frustrating for

someone going through something difficult because someone can try to imagine what is going on

in their life, but in reality, they have no clue. The following line is about praying for help but

receiving no answer. For people going through a grim time in their life turning to religion might
help them, but in the song, no one is there to help. After not getting help or feeling saved

someone can start to feel like they do not matter which is exactly what Logic says, “My life

don’t even matter, I know it. I know it.” For the rest of the verse, Logic sings about why the boy

feels like he does not matter, saying he never had a home or a place to call his own. Logic does

not mean the boy never had a home, but he never found a place or a group that accepted him and

fit into.

Another tactic Logic uses to real in, connect with the audience, and deliver his message is

mood swings. In the second chorus, Logic uses a change of mood to uplift the audience and

share the message that everything will get better, and their battle can be overcome. The first

mood swing is when the point of view changes from the boy talking to someone talking to him.

The person, more specifically a suicide hotline operator, tells the boy, “I want you to be alive.”

This line lets listeners know that there are people that care about them no matter what is going

on. The operator repeats themself multiple times telling the boy they want them to be alive,

before Logic sings the same line as in the previous chorus, “Now let me tell you why.” The

second verse is sung by Alessia Cara and has a much different tone than the first part of the song.

Cara’s lines are uplifting, she uses figurative language to give the listener hope. She also

switches the point of view once more; she is talking directly to the listener. In the first line, she

sings “It's the very first breath when your head's been drowning underwater,” by being

underwater she means feeling overwhelmed, and breathing is that feeling of hope that everything

will get better. Some people just need that one breath to keep them motivated to keep pushing

and she is telling the listeners that that breath is there. She repeats the same idea by singing

“seeing light in the darkest things,” meaning there is always light left, always a reason to keep

going.
 The third verse is about understanding that you are not alone, struggle is a part of life and

is something you must overcome and live with. Everyone has tough times in their life, and your

struggle is not unique to you. There are always people fighting similar battles, and Logic wants

you to know that if they can keep fighting then so can you. Logic and Cara sing the third verse

together telling the listeners hardships are a part of life. They do not say this directly, but sing,

“What’s the day without a little night?” In this line, the day symbolizes someone's life, and the

night represents the problems they face throughout it.

The final chorus is a perfect ending to Logic’s song and story, all good tales have a happy

ending, including the one Logic tells. If those who are struggling hear the story of someone else

overcoming their struggles, they realize that they can do the same thing, their battle can end in

victory. The point of view switches back to the first person of the boy, but instead of singing

about wanting to die Logic sings the opposite. “I finally wanna be alive,” Logic sings showing

that you can make it through your problems in life and that there is a way past what you are

going through. This small section is especially important because it signifies victory, you can and

should fight, and fight to win. Not to prolong your battle, but to end it and keep living. This new

happy tone is continued by the last verse sung by Khalid. He follows the same feelings as the

previous chorus saying, “I don’t wanna die anymore,” along with that Khalid tells people to

move until they cannot anymore, because in the end it will all be worth it, and their life is worth

fighting for.

In 2020 one person in the United States committed suicide every eleven minutes, which

equates to 45,979 people in just one year. This number does not take into consideration the 12

and a half million other people that seriously considered suicide and self-harm. Mental health is a

problem that continues to grow each year and is often forgotten. Logic's song was not only a
message to people struggling with these issues, but it was also an answer for some. On the day 1-

800 was released the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline received its second-highest call total

in the organization’s history. The effect did not stop there, throughout the following month the

hotline had a 50% increase in call volume. Logic's use of storytelling, mood swings, and a happy

ending not only made for an amazing song that topped billboard charts but also impacted many

people's lives in a positive way. Logic sent out a message to people struggling everywhere letting

them know they are not alone, and they should live. Logic wants you to know that your life

matters, and ending it is never the solution.