eXpLoRiNg ThE SiGniFiCaNcE oF ThE PaSt WiTh RoRy

RORY is a huge inspiration and we love the fact that she has broken through despite being told she was too old to be a rock star! Let’s spend some time with the emotional blockbuster that is ‘UNCOMPLICATED’!

When considering the significance of a theme, the exam boards tell us that A-Level, “students and centres need to remember that this is ‘significance’ in the semiotic sense of being ‘encoded with meanings’ rather than in the conversational sense of ‘important’.”

Which is true.

To an extent.

But the ‘importance’ of the theme is also relevant. Yes, we need to talk about how the written word (whether we’re considering the motifs, metaphors, structure or any other of the myriad writers’ methods) does serve as a code, and how the written word does have greater significance than we might realise if we weren’t familiar with the code.

However, it’s difficult to frame an engaging argument simply based on ‘code’. The argument that drives your essay and makes it riveting surely comes to a large extent from the relevant theme’s ‘importance’. We need to ask ourselves how the theme in question impacts on the characters involved, on the feelings being expressed, on the action or setting being detailed – in other words: how is said theme ‘important’?

In short, it’s true that we need to consider significance in the semiotic sense and this is what we do when we examine the relationships between signs (signifiers) and their interpretations (signified). That is the process of code-reading. And we absolutely need to understand how those signifiers – that code – might be read in different ways dependent on the context. But if we’re going to frame that code-reading in any kind of interesting way, we also need to talk about how they’re part of a bigger picture, about how they underline a broader significance – about how they’re significant in that more familiar sense of being important.

Ultimately, then, we actually are writing about the importance of the theme, or character, in question – but of course we need to remember that it’s the significance – in a semiotic sense – of the evidence we use to support our argument about a theme’s, or character’s, importance that will fuel our success at A-Level.

Your task today is to:

Explore the significance of the past in RORY’S ‘UNCOMPLICATED’

When you have finished writing your essay, you can look at the model at the bottom of this class (underneath the RORY tour poster). You will see some of that model essay has been highlighted orange and some purple. The orange sections show you where if felt relevant to define the significance of the past as in the importance of the past; the purple sections show you where the past has had a significant impact on the way in which we interpret the code.

Okay, whenever writing a piece like this, it helps to make your first job deciding on a thesis statement (also known as a clear argument!). Try using my thesis statement, outlined immediately below in blue.

In ‘UNCOMPLICATED’, the past is enormously significant. It’s not only that RORY’s memories of it are still very present and positive, it’s also the way in which the joy she felt in her past contrasts with her present state and makes her current life feel so dark and disappointing. Not only, then, is the past significant in its own right, it’s also so significant because of the way in which it shines a light on RORY’s current situation.

Before all that, let’s look back at Avril Lavigne’s ‘Complicated’ – a song that served as inspiration for RORY. Why do you think 18-year-old RORY might have felt excited by the song? (You can see from the Glastonbury video that Avril meant A LOT to A LOT of young people back in 2002!)

Now, look what RORY was seeing when she looked around at the experience of other female artists over the few years following ‘Uncomplicated’. How might she be affected? What do you think her experience as an aspiring singer might have been like?

Britney in 1998…

This is what was happening to Britney Spears in 2007…

Around the same time, Amy Winehouse is bringing joy to the world…

Lady Gaga talking about Amy Winehouse’s death (2011)

What does hair symbolise?

Identity and Individuality

• Expression of self: Hair often reflects who a person is — their style, beliefs, or emotions. Changing one’s hair can symbolize personal transformation or a new phase in life.
• Cultural belonging: Hairstyles can indicate ethnic identity, social status, or group affiliation (e.g., dreadlocks, braids, turbans, wigs).
• Gender and sexuality: Hair can also signal gender identity and norms — e.g., long hair as traditionally feminine, short hair as masculine (though these meanings vary widely).

Power and Strength

• In mythology, hair is often tied to vitality and strength — think of Samson in the Bible, whose power was in his hair.
• Cutting or losing hair can symbolize a loss of power, control, or virility.
• Conversely, shaving can represent humility or the shedding of ego (as in monastic traditions).

Spirituality and the Sacred

• Many spiritual traditions treat hair as sacred — a channel of energy or connection to the divine.
• Sikhs keep uncut hair (kesh) as a sign of respect for God’s creation.
• Nazirite vows in the Hebrew Bible involved not cutting hair as a symbol of holiness.
• Monks and nuns often shave their heads to renounce worldly vanity.

Freedom and Rebellion

• Hair has long been a site of political and social resistance:
• The Afro in the 1960s–70s symbolized Black pride and resistance to assimilation.
• The bob in the 1920s was an act of defiance against rigid Victorian femininity.
• Long hair on men in the 1960s countered conservative ideals and symbolized anti-establishment values.

Transformation and Renewal

• Cutting or changing hair often marks a rite of passage — grief, liberation, new beginnings, or the end of a relationship.
• In dreams or literature, hair changes frequently symbolize inner transformation, letting go, or reclaiming control.

ANY WINEHOUSE VIDEO

ACTIVITY 1

Now, find at least 5 different words or phrases that support the argument established in that introduction.

Label the techniques in each of your chosen quotes.

You might spot:

• rhyme
• symbolism
• repetition
• assonance
• rhetorical question
• plosive alliteration
• metaphor
• adjective
• polysyndeton
• imperative

Consider too the structure of the piece – for example, the assonance later in the lyrics is positioned quite centrally in the relevant lines.

If you can’t locate these key techniques, scroll down below the picture of RORY for a colour-coded version of the lyrics.

RORY, ‘UNCOMPLICATED’

Take me back, I fuckin’ hate it
Those days were uncomplicated

My best friend Jenny
I missed her wedding
I don’t blame her at all
That she can’t forget it (can’t forget it)

She drives the same car in the same town (town)
I heard she got a couple kids now
My first ever lover

But like the others
LIT was my favourite band
So he sang me a cover (a cover)
And I got the mixtape in an old drawer (drawer)
What do I keep it for?

Now it’s another damn day
And another diagnosis
You get usеd to the pain
When you get my kind of hopеless
You drown in the weight of it all
When you’re down and there’s nowhere to fall

And now Avril’s on the radio
Takes me back to 15 years ago
Just a small town kid with no regrets
‘Cause I ain’t dropped out of uni yet

And my brother is still in my life
Ain’t lost nobody to suicide
Take me back I fuckin’ hate it
Those days were uncomplicated

Dysfunctional family
But I didn’t know it
My dad had some feelings
But he couldn’t show it
I buried my heart in empathy
That shit’s my worst enemy

Now it’s another damn day
And another diagnosis
You get used to the pain
When you get my kind of hopeless
You drown in the weight of it all
When you’re down and there’s no one to call

And now Avril’s on the radio
Takes me back to 15 years ago
Just a small town kid with no regrets
‘Cause I ain’t dropped out of uni yet

And my brother is still in my life
Ain’t lost nobody to suicide
Take me back I fuckin’ hate it
Those days were uncomplicated

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, uncomplicated
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, those days were uncomplicated
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Take me back, I fucking hate it
Those days were uncomplicated

• rhyme
• symbolism
• repetition
• assonance
• rhetorical question
• plosive alliteration
• metaphor
• imperative

RORY, ‘UNCOMPLICATED’

Take me back, I fuckin’ hate it
Those days were uncomplicated

My best friend Jenny
I missed her wedding
I don’t blame her at all
That she can’t forget it (can’t forget it)

She drives the same car in the same town (town)
I heard she got a couple kids now
My first ever lover

But like the others
LIT was my favourite band
So he sang me a cover (a cover)
And I got the mixtape in an old drawer (drawer)
What do I keep it for?

Now it’s another damn day
And another diagnosis
You get usеd to the pain
When you get my kind of hopеless
You drown in the weight of it all
When you’re down and there’s nowhere to fall

And now Avril’s on the radio
Takes me back to 15 years ago
Just a small town kid with no regrets
‘Cause I ain’t dropped out of uni yet

And my brother is still in my life
Ain’t lost nobody to suicide
Take me back I fuckin’ hate it
Those days were uncomplicated

Dysfunctional family
But I didn’t know it
My dad had some feelings
But he couldn’t show it
I buried my heart in empathy
That shit’s my worst enemy

Now it’s another damn day
And another diagnosis
You get used to the pain
When you get my kind of hopeless
You drown in the weight of it all
When you’re down and there’s no one to call

And now Avril‘s on the radio
Takes me back to 15 years ago
Just a small town kid with no regrets
‘Cause I ain’t dropped out of uni yet

And my brother is still in my life
Ain’t lost nobody to suicide
Take me back I fuckin’ hate it
Those days were uncomplicated

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, uncomplicated
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, those days were uncomplicated
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Take me back, I fucking hate it
Those days were uncomplicated

ACTIVITY 2

Explore the significance of the past in RORY’S ‘UNCOMPLICATED’

Now, start writing your full answer – in the same way you might write any analytical essay focussed on a single text. You have your thesis statement (your ‘point’) and your evidence. Each quote will serve as evidence that proves the validity of your argument.

Once you have finished – or if you don’t want to write the full essay – read the model directly underneath the RORY tour poster.

Explore the significance of the past in RORY’S ‘UNCOMPLICATED’

In ‘UNCOMPLICATED’, the past is enormously significant. It’s not only that RORY’s memories of it are still very present and positive, it’s also the way in which the joy she felt in her past contrasts with her present state and makes her current life feel so dark and disappointing. Not only, then, is the past significant in its own right, it’s also so significant because of the way in which it shines a light on RORY’s current situation.

The past is at the forefront of RORY’s mind from the very beginning, and the foregrounding of her desire to return to the past highlights its significance. Look at how she demands to go back in time – the imperative tone is made evident by that opening word: ‘Take’, and the positioning of this command at the start of the poem underlines the significance of the past; she is desperate for it and we know that because it’s the first thing she tells us about.

Clearly, RORY regrets missing her friend’s wedding. Typically, such events are invested with feelings of joy and happiness, but the past has warped RORY’s perspective to the point where she now thinks of a wedding as the catalyst for regret and hurt. And the same is true, to some extent at least, for her friend (Jenny): “she can’t forget it.” The definitive nature of the statement underlines the past’s impact – it continues to affect Jenny’s personal life, even now that she is settled in the ‘future’.

The hurt RORY feels as a result of the past is apparent throughout the lyric. The assonance inherent in the “town… / now” rhyme literally replicates the sound of someone calling out in pain. And then there’s the reference to the band Lit. The idea of something being lit obviously suggests brightness and alludes to feelings of warmth, security and clarity. The past tense (“was my favourite band”) creates the feeling that the light has now gone out of RORY’s life. The past is significant because its brightness serves as a stark contrast to the present darkness being experienced.

RORY finishes that stanza with a rhetorical question: “What do I keep it for?” This could be read in different ways. Maybe she’s certain that there’s no value in her holding onto the Lit tape – all the things it stood for have fragmented to the point of uselessness (an idea that might be served further by the fact that cassette players are hardly in common use in the 2020s – how would she make use of the mixtape anyway?). On the other hand, maybe it’s obvious why she should keep the tape – exactly because it does signify all those things that were positive about the past. Either way, the metaphorical weight of this tape clearly signifies the relative weight of the past.

The heaviness of the past is emphasised by the plosive alliteration: “Now it’s another damn day / And another diagnosis.” The density of that consonant sound clearly conveys the overloaded feelings being experienced by RORY. The past is significant because it is so burdernsome. And that fact is only exacerbated by the repetition of “another” – the past is significant because in some paradoxical sense it is always present.

All of that makes RORY feels as she will “drown”. The metaphor equates the past to water – an entity that can change form and, as a result, can be hard to contain. Just as water can melt or evaporate, so the past can shapeshift too. Water is also unpredictable – it can be calm or it can be devastatingly turbulent. And to drown is to be unable to breathe – the past is significant because it’s suffocating. The pain of drowning is underlined by yet more assonance -“a small town kid… ain’t dropped out” – and note too how that assonance is embedded in the centre of those lines, just like the agony has become so central to RORY’s experience of life. These ideas about water seem particularly telling. In happier times, RORY might recognise water as refreshing, cleansing and fuel for a healthy life, but the past has blinded her to these more positive connotations.

Finally, there’s the brother figure. In the past, he is alive and he signifies comfort and connection – he is a symbol of love. But in the present, he is dead and he signifies the loss of all those things. And it’s through the image of the brother that RORY underlines the significance of the past. The past has altered the way RORY interprets even the cornerstones of her life. When she listens to Avril on the radio, those songs are no longer the soundtrack to a happy time, they are a reminder that her present life is a pale imitation her past existence.

Ultimately, it’s important to look at the reasons why the past holds such significance for RORY. Maybe, if you’ve listened to more of her music, you’ll understand that she is desperate to hold onto a time before her mother passed away, before her father left, before her drug addiction, before she was so acutely aware of her ADHD. But even if you don’t have that insight, you can infer that the past is SO significant for RORY because it represents innocence – and growing beyond that innocence at the start of the 2000s would be to recognise the difficult position for women in a society that is still largely patriarchal; to identify the struggles of musical artists working in an industry struggling with new technology;

You might want to think further about the context of those years beyond the release of Avril Lavigne’s ‘Complicated’. The early 2000s (2002–2008) were a transitional and complex time for women, especially in the music industry. Below is a breakdown of some of the social, industry, and cultural factors that made life particularly difficult for female music artists during that era.

Sexism and Gender Double Standards in the Industry

• Sexualization over artistry: Labels, media, and marketers often emphasized a woman’s looks and sex appeal more than her musical talent. Female artists were pressured to maintain a “marketable” image—often thin, glamorous, and sexually suggestive.
• Limited creative control: Many women were not allowed to fully control their sound or image. Producers, managers, and executives (mostly men) often dictated their style, lyrics, and even their public behavior.
• Double standards: Men could be edgy, rebellious, or outspoken and be praised for it, while women were labeled “divas,” “difficult,” or “trashy” for similar behavior.

2. Media Scrutiny and Body Policing

• Tabloid culture explosion: The rise of TMZ, Perez Hilton, and gossip magazines (like US Weekly and In Touch) made female artists’ personal lives public property.
• Unrealistic beauty standards: The “thin ideal” was heavily promoted, and artists were constantly criticized for their weight, outfits, and appearance.
• Public shaming: Women like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Amy Winehouse were ridiculed and demonized for things male peers got away with—mental health struggles, partying, or sexuality.

3. Industry Gatekeeping

• Male-dominated production and executive teams: Very few female producers, A&Rs, or executives meant fewer advocates for women behind the scenes.
• Tokenism: Often, only a few women were allowed to dominate at a time—media pitted them against each other instead of letting multiple women thrive.
• Pay gaps and contract exploitation: Women were frequently underpaid or trapped in restrictive contracts that gave away creative rights.

Pre–Social Media Era Challenges

• Limited self-advocacy: Before Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok, artists couldn’t directly speak to fans or control their narrative.
• Media gatekeepers ruled: What the press said about you was your reputation—female artists had little recourse against false or biased portrayals.

Mental Health Stigma

• No open conversation: Discussions about mental health were rare and stigmatized, especially for women.
• Public breakdowns exploited: When female artists showed vulnerability or struggled publicly (e.g., Britney Spears 2007), it was treated as entertainment, not a call for empathy.

Genre Biases and Pigeonholing

• Pop princess vs. R&B diva vs. rock chick: Women were often boxed into narrow categories that dictated how they could act and sound.
• Resistance to genre crossover: When women experimented outside their “lane,” they were seen as unfocused or attention-seeking, while male artists were praised for versatility.

Cultural Double Binds

• Madonna-whore complex: You had to be sexy, but not too sexy. Feminine, but not weak. Assertive, but not “bossy.” Every choice was scrutinized.
• Motherhood penalty: Becoming pregnant or a mother often damaged a woman’s career in ways it never did for men (e.g., reduced marketing support, touring issues).

Social Backdrop

• Post–9/11 conservatism and “family values” backlash: There was renewed pressure for women to fit traditional, “wholesome” ideals, conflicting with pop culture’s sexualization of female artists.
• Rise of reality TV and “celebrity culture”: Female artists had to compete not only with other musicians but with reality stars for attention—further blurring lines between art and spectacle.

Examples of Artists Who Faced These Pressures

• Britney Spears: Extreme media intrusion, sexualization from a young age, breakdown exploited.
• Christina Aguilera: Labeled “too provocative” for asserting sexual independence.
• Amy Winehouse: Mocked for addiction and appearance, rather than helped.
• Avril Lavigne: Dismissed as a “teen fad” despite songwriting talent.
• Beyoncé: Faced criticism for being “too sexy” while also needing to appear “empowered.”
• Ashlee Simpson / Jessica Simpson: Pressured to conform to contrasting standards of purity and sexuality.

Some techniques we didn’t explore. Let’s think about their impact on our understanding of RORY’s feelings and experience…

Elliptical storytelling uses omission and suggestion to drive a narrative, cutting out mundane or implied details to focus on key plot points or create a deliberate sense of mystery. This narrative technique accelerates the story by skipping over the less important moments, but it can also be used to discuss taboo subjects by being indirect or ambiguous. Examples include time jumps, omitting transitional actions between scenes, or leaving parts of a character’s story or motivation unexplained for the audience to infer.

Metonymy is a figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated. The substitute is related to, but not the same as, the thing it represents. For example: “The crown will decide” → “crown” represents the king or queen. “Hollywood is obsessed with sequels” → “Hollywood” represents the film industry. In Rory’s lyrics: “Avril’s on the radio” represents a past time period or the feeling of youth, not literally Avril Lavigne herself.

Colloquial language / Vernacular: vernacular is the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region (e.g. ‘these poems were written in the vernacular’). Colloquial describes informal, casual words and phrases used in everyday conversation, while vernacular is a broader term for the native or indigenous language or dialect of a specific group of people or region, which includes colloquialisms but also refers to the community’s entire natural speech. In essence, a colloquialism is a casual expression, and the vernacular is the body of everyday language—including colloquialisms—that a community speaks.

Now, practise your poetry analysis with Moncrieff!

Homepage photo credit: Chloe Jackson-Nott