Anklebiter’s Societal Effect
“Anklebiters” an informal term used to describe children of a young age takes on a new meaning in the same titled song by the alternative band Paramore. The opening lines of the song begin with a question stating simply “why do you care what people think? Are you hooked up to their leash? You know anklebiters” (Williams1-3). The term anklebiters refers to society and the pressure to fit in with everyone. Williams, however, denotes this connotation questioning why a person would devote himself or herself to a selfish and unfulfilling task just to fit in with others. Just like children these “anklebiters” have no real impact on the choices a person makes and are insignificant and bothersome. The band tries to appeal to a person who is afraid to be themself; a person who feels as though straying from social norms will make them an outcast. In order to convey their message Paramore uses metaphors, repetition, and rhetorical questions to show the listener why being a follower leaves a person alone and miserable.
Though the song is short, lasting a mere two minutes and seventeen seconds, the impact on the writer and singer is profound. Hayley Williams, the lead singer and writer, said that this song came from “a period of deep introspection and its subject matter helped frame the entire Paramore album” (MTV News). The inspiration for this song and all the others on this self titled album stems from the band’s need to “grow up” and become independent from the world around them.
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In 2010 the Paramore members Josh and Zac Farro abruptly left the group, leaving Hayley Williams all alone (Anderson 1). Therefore, the music phenomenon ceased to exist until guitarist Taylor York and bassist Jeremy Davis were invited to join the band. This left Hayley Williams and the new band members with a lot of catching up to do, since the bands last album release in 2009. The new members therefore got to work on their fourth album, Paramore.
The new album’s self title and consequent song list stemmed from the new image of Paramore and the member’s strive to forget about the past and ride into the future.
The song, Anklebiters, came from the new band’s need to leave their old image behind and the negativity the old members had instilled in Hayley Williams. Hayley while writing these lyrics realized that with her new found independence she could “fall in love with [herself]”, because she now is the only one she has to rely on when it comes to her career (Williams 9-10). Hayley Williams wrote these lyrics not only for herself, but also for her listeners. She has worked herself “to death” by working since she was 16 years old (Williams 15). Now Williams, realizes that even though she is on her own, without her original band members to rely on, she does not have to “please the world” only herself through her music (Williams 14). Through this revelation Williams writes the song Anklebiters, in order to be a positive role model of someone who does not follow the crowd and thinks for themself.
The listener in the beginning of the song is asked a rhetorical question about being “hooked up” to the leash of the “anklebiters”. Most things that are hooked up to leashes are either animals or small children. This image further reiterates the original meaning of “anklebiters”, small children or pets. Through the image of the leash Williams denotes that the
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“anklebiters” control all aspects of the listener’s life, mainly their social choices. Also, by allowing themself to be influenced by society their personality has been “[eaten] up” (Williams 4). Williams then goes on to urge the listener to “try to remember how it felt, to just make up
[their] own steps” (Williams5-6). By doing this the listener can become their own person and therefore happy with themself. Once the listener becomes an independent thinker the
“[anklebiters will] chew up, [and] spit out someone else” (Williams 8).
Through escaping the grasp of social norms the listener can focus what is truly important, the ability to “fall in love with [themself]” (Williams 9). Williams urges this because eventually these “anklebiters” will abandon a person and the listener will be “the only one [they have to rely on]” (Williams 11). Williams does not understand why a person would choose to harm themself in order to please the world either through starvation, fashion, or general interests. Again Williams reiterates the urgent message that the only person the listener has to rely on is themself. Similarly, Williams compares a “broken [mirror’s reflection]” and what society reflects upon a person as a “false perception” of the listener’s true personality and worth (Williams17-19).
Williams also questions the band’s whole intention of reiterating their message and “[defending the listener’s] ignorance” because of the “state [the listener is] in” does not allow a person to think for themself (Williams 20-23). When asked to go against social norms, a person may have hesitations which Williams recognizes yet is understandably frustrated, conveying this irritation into the lyrics. Again the repetition of the chorus begins telling the listener that they are the only one they will have to rely on. If the listener does not begin to “fall in love with [themself]” they will truly begin to be alone; thus creating depression, self-loathing, and hatred
Ward 3 in the world (Williams 26). The last line of the song repeats the word anklebiters in order to remind the listener, that those who “bully” others into conforming to social norms are the cause of their misery and hatred. Without these social pressures a person is left with self-acceptance and love.