Sia’s “Alive” could easily be heard as a retelling of the monster’s life in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The similarities are actually kind of crazy:
“I was born in a thunderstorm
I grew up overnight
I played alone
I played on my own
I survived” –Sia“The rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open.” —Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The very first lines of the song strike a chord with the novel. (Ha! No pun intended.) Both the monster and the “I” of the song were born in the rain. The monster could also be said to have grown up “overnight” since he came to life as a fully-grown man.
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“I wanted everything I never had
Like the love that comes with light
I wore envy and I hated that
But I survived” –Sia“‘Night quickly shut in; but, to my extreme wonder, I found that the cottagers had a means of prolonging light…I longed to join them, but dared not. I remembered too well the treatment I had suffered the night before from the barbarous villagers.'” –The monster in Frankenstein
The monster desperately craves the human affection he sees between Safie and the other cottagers. But because of his hideous appearance, he never even has a chance at that kind of life.
***
“I took and I took and I took what you gave
But you never noticed that I was in pain” –Sia“My daily vows rose for revenge–a deep and deadly revenge, such as would alone compensate for the outrages and anguish I had endured.” –The monster in Frankenstein
As he watches the cottagers, the monster struggles more and more with the fact of his 
creator’s abandonment, which leads to his revenge.
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And finally, a summary of the monster’s life in relation to his creator:
“You took it all, but I’m still breathing” –Sia
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Going deeper:
I seriously have to wonder if the songwriter based the lyrics on Shelley’s novel. And if not, maybe this says something about how certain struggles and concepts are always relevant to our lives no matter what period of history we live in.
There’s also the fact that I only made the connection between “Alive” and Frankenstein after Googling the song’s lyrics. Just by listening to it I didn’t pick up on the similarities because Sia made it her own. It would seem, then, that point-of-view/voice affects the story itself–would you agree?
If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy Classical Music Stories: Frankenstein.
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If Mermaids Wore Suspenders 
Unusual but actually an amazing analogy … Somehow ones gets swept away by Sia’s voice and music and visually her out of box videos… Time to check her lyrics too 🙂
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Thanks! I know Sia and Frankenstein wouldn’t typically go together haha, but it really does seem to work. And I haven’t seen her music videos…I may have to check those out.
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I think a lot of the sentiments in those lyrics can be generalized or made universal pretty easily. That being said, there is quite a bit of matching that seems almost too close to be coincidental. Really great analysis.
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I agree! Maybe that’s what makes a “classic” a “classic.” And thank you so much! Glad you liked it.
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Oh my god! This blog is exactly what I’ve been looking for! Your one post has already inspired me loads! Thank you
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Ahh thanks so much!! That’s really exciting to hear!
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Check out my blog if you can! I’m looking for opinion all the time
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I just did! Really interesting post about the similarities between Shakespeare and The Hobbit…definitely up my alley!
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Wow! What a connection! I love Sia & it seems right up her alley to be influenced by Shelley, but even if she wasn’t it seems we are doomed to be afflicted by the same woes century after century.
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Agreed! Also, have you heard “Bird Set Free?” I’m crushing on that song so hard right now haha.
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Yes, love this song!
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Amazing analogy! Sia is an incredible artist. One of my favorites!
~Aishwarya
P.S. The quirkiness of your blog truly inspires me… 🙂
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Thanks! She recently became one of my favorites, too. And thank you so much–that’s awesome to hear! 🙂
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You are brilliant. I just discovered your blog and I’m already hooked. Your post titles alone are making me want to read more and more! Your posts are though provoking with a hint of humor and I love it. Keep up the good work!
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Thank you so much!!! I’ve definitely been having fun with it haha. 🙂
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