In “Like Rock &Roll and Radio”, Ray LaMontagne utilizes  perspective allusion,  vivid imagery, and comparative similes in order to explain how some things can change over time and have different outcomes, such as rock and roll and the radio. Ray explains things with few words but plenty of details in order to make a more general touch to the song.

Ray LaMontagne uses perspective allusion to help relate how things can change over time just like they do in history. One of the many allusions that he uses in his song is the Vaudeville show. This was a theatrical genre of a variety of entertainment in the US and in Canada from the 1880’s to the 1930’s. Each show was created by a series of separate, unrelated acts put together on a common thing.  He uses the line, “Are we strangers now? Like the Ziegfeld Gal and the Vaudeville show?”.  Ray uses the Vaudeville show as an allusion in order to show that things over time because the show was popular at one point but is now not in existence anymore. People can be so close at some point and then the next second they could be total strangers and that’s basically what LaMontagne is trying to explain through the use of allusion.

Another tool that Ray LaMontagne uses is vivid imagery to relate to help elucidate that some things can change over time. The use of this imagery may be small but you can see the meaning behind it.  He writes, “Does it deepen over time, like the river that is winding through the Canyon?”. This helps the people listening to visualize water going through a canyon and trying to figure out if it deepens the canyon over time by the weathering away of the canyon itself.  Also it refers back to love and if love can deepen over time. A person can visual compare that and realize it is possible because people end up in marriage and in most cases it’s because people have fallen in love over time, they weren’t born that way. Many things can be changed over time and vivid imagery is an excellent way to have a person visualize this.

Lastly, LaMontagne uses similes in order to compare things to things that can relate but not in the way that would be make sense in the big picture. He writes, “Are we strangers now? Like rock and roll and the radio?”. This is the biggest simile with the most meaning in the entire song because of the meaning behind it. Ray uses this simile to compare rock and roll with the radio, and how rock and roll really doesn’t show up on the radio much anymore. He is also comparing it to strangers because of how rock and roll is becoming a stranger to the radio.  The genre of music played on the radio varies depending upon the station being played. Over time radio stations have changed very much and play a variety of different music. Just like people change over time so do other things, this can be depicted by the similes used through this song.

Throughout the song “Like Rock & Roll and Radio”,  Ray LaMontagne uses perspective allusion, vivid imagery, and comparative similes in order to show the progression or change of things over time. The allusions used help to relate to things from the past and show people how they have become strangers now instead of closely relatable. The imagery in the song helps to show the reader how things change over time and give them a visual aid. The last but not least thing used throughout the song is the similes which help the most to compare things and show how change has occurred over time. All these different tools and devices work together in the song to help piece together the puzzle and for a picture of how things can change over time.