pg. 3 To Whom it May Concern by Creed

Oh, I didn't mean to yell
But sometimes I get beside myself

And oh, I didn't mean to rush you                                   
But time keeps pushing so much
Oh, time keeps pushing so much                               
Your eyes stare at me in the dark
And I hope those eyes
Don't steal my freedom
My freedom
Oh, If I didn't give it all
When I stood you made me crawl
And oh, if you never heard the song
Then I could still hide down behind the wall
Then I could still hide down behind the wall
Your eyes stare at me in the dark
And I hope those eyes
Don't steal my freedom
My freedom
And I hope those eyes
Don't steal my freedom
My freedom
Said eyes, those eyes
I said don't steal my freedom
Your eyes stare at me in the dark
And I hope those eyes
Don't steal my freedom
My freedom
Oh, my freedom
Your eyes stare at me in the dark
And I hope those eyes
Don't steal my freedom
My freedom
Oh, my freedom
Said eyes, those eyes
Said eyes, those eyes
I said don't steal my freedom 

Source: AZLyrics.com

Analysis

“To Whom it May Concern” by Creed is a painful song, and it does not present a clear cut intended audience. The song does however seem to be about the constant pressure of fame and stardom, as one of the lines seems to indicate “And oh, if you never heard the song/Then I could still hid down behind the wall”. The author uses personification to give the human eye the ability to take away his freedom, “And I hope those eyes/Don’t steal my freedom”. That phrase is used numerous times throughout the song to illustrate the fear he holds of the effects of his fame tearing apart his freedom and self-assuredness. The dark tone of the song creates a gloomy and worrisome tone for the listener which reflects on the author’s feelings. The use of repetition of the word “freedom” is incorporated to generate how important freedom is to the author and his fearfulness of one day losing it. The author also repeats a number of lines twice, presumably for the purpose of emphasizing the importance of what those lines say, “But time keeps pushing so much, oh, time keeps pushing so much” is one of three instances where this occurs. The author also speaks directly to the “eyes, those eyes” when he says “I said don’t steal my freedom”. This line is also the final line, leaving the listener and the “eyes” with one final request not to steal the author’s freedom. This is almost an eerie ending to the song, but it is powerful and it leaves the listener with a painful plea for freedom.