Long term songwriter, Dino F Elefante, and John Elefante wrote the song titled Fight Fire with fire. published in 2002, performed by the band Kansas. The point he was trying to make in his music was being in such a messed up society, a runaway world of confusion we all need to start from somewhere and no matter what life throws at us (fire) we will always throw it back and push through the incline battle. We will Fight Fire with fire. Elefante’s purpose is to inspire the new generation and confront the way our society is. in order for us (the listener) to take ahold of our crazy society. They adopt an inspiring tone for the fans of Kansas and other people lost in this world to find there way in our runaway society.

The writers of the song primarily use pathos and emotions, as it is a song by nature. It’s almost poetic in their way of presenting their point of view on society. They claim that this world is run away and that it throws obstacles in front of people one after another, he uses the word “fire” in the song to represent the struggle and tries to relate that to the listener. They also claim we as a society fight fires with fire. Meaning that we are throwing what life throughs at us back at itself. The tone of the singer when they say this is filled with a sort of sorrow full tone. As if they are ashamed of the world that they created. In a way, he is trying to use his hate and sorrow to persuade the next generation into doing better into inspiring them to do better than he could.

The songwriters had been using primarily emotionally filled language when writing and singing the song to push their point and message across. For example when Kansas and songwriters used the lyrics “Oh there is nothing to lose/ ‘Cause it’s already lost/ In a runaway world Of confusion/ I’m gonna take it” they are using the emotional point of that the world is lost and nothing to get back it’s confused and distraught. This appeals to how the past generations have corrupted and changed the world and tore it to pieces. It then one bar later says “That’s why I Fight Fire with Fire/ Oh I’m burning inside and my heart is a-crying’” trying to give hope to the next generation in the form of changing what has already been done. They talk about fighting fire with fire, the fire representing two things one the person’s willingness to succeed and the other life’s challenges and adversity that that person is going to have to go through. Kansas is trying to inspire the next generation to do better with these words. 

The writers and Kansas also use very vivid descriptions of the world trying to point out what damages the past generation has caused. When Kansas calls society “a runaway world”  they are trying to point out the confusion in society and it’s systematic failures. Within the music video, you get images of working-class people in poor living conditions and a tortured lifestyle. With the round the clock working in a mine. Which I believe to be a powerful symbolization of the way the wealthy treat the working class. Also within the official music video for the song performed by kansas we see the imagery of a poor-looking man in rags trying for more, but being confronted by two men who look wealthy and clean. The infamous line “Fight Fire with fire” plays as the rugged man in rags starts to fight back. This vivid imagery is supposed to represent how society treats the poor or working class. It’s showing the listener how unjust the world we live in is.  

Kansas Performance in the official music video uses really emotional imagery as it tries to show us what kind of society we live in. within the music video, we are shown an image of an empty desert as there are a dozen or so men in rags piled huddled up in a circle, being pushed together. This imagery I believe to represent the fight and struggle the working class is going through fighting one another for something they do not have. It also shows us a scene of a man faced off against 2 people who look rather wealthy. During this image we see a poorly CGI   flying at the two wealthy men. As the words “Fight Fire with fire” plays. This scene represented how when life and the messed-up world puts obstacles in your way to knock them down. That being said, it also shows the world that the past generations left the next. How the world has already set walls for them to face. 

For the older generation, the emotional tone and figurative language sends what have we done to this world message. They have been struggling through there own creation. As early 2000’s songs go this one I believe to target more of the millennial generation and the older listeners.  Rather then the old baby boomers, the song has two messages within it. 

With the younger listener, the emotional language will give them more of a hopeful and motivational tone. They will look forward to making a change in society to try and change the runaway world that the previous generations have caused. Every generation has that song telling the world to be better than what the past has caused and change for the better. But this emotion of sorrow and hope isn’t enough to change what the world has cause and in my personal opinion, it is too late. We are set in our ways and unless something drastic comes into play with the next generation the generation Z will follow in the footsteps of the millennials and the millennials in the steps of the baby boomer. 

The Song “Fight Fire with fire”, written by the  Elfante’s, and performed by Kansas used a lot of emotional and vivid description about how our society is controlled and managed. Kansas has two different messages in this song. One how chaotic and messed up our reality of living is and how bad and tormented we have left it. But also they want us to not give up on trying to fight back with everything we got when life put that wall up. Kansas used quite a bit of emotion (pathos) within the song, but as well as ethos. It may not seem like it but as the writers and band have lived through most of their life they do have some experience living in this world they have depicted.