The song “I Don’t Want to Be” by Gavin DeGraw is an upbeat song also featured as the opening theme song to the popular teen series One Tree Hill. It tells the story of a young teen going through an identity crisis. The song opens with “I want to be anything other than a prison guard’s son,” “a specialist’s son,” or “the birth of two souls in one.” These are the labels the singer receives at birth based off his parents’ occupations. He is proud being labeled as the son of his mother and father, and he is content knowing others see him as a prison guard and specialist’s son. The verse ends with “part of where I’m going is knowing where I’m coming from.” He is stating here that his future is dependent on knowing how, where, and by whom he was raised. These all create labels for him and allow him a greater understanding of who he is and who he is supposed to be. He also labels those around him as liars and imposters and asks, “am I the only one who’s learned?” He is trying to say that he is careful with who he trusts as he has learned from the lies of others.
The writer uses pathos when singing about how he is affected by these labels. This song answers the question “What Is Identity?” by demonstrating the aspect of self-perception and how labels can change a person’s identity negatively and/or positively. The most repeated line in the song is “I don’t want to be anything other than me.” He is tired of trying to fit everyone else’s idea of who he should be and the labels that others have attached to him. The singer solely believes one’s identity is what they want it to be and nothing else should matter to them.
Mocca. “Gavin Degraw – I Don’t Wanna Be (Lyrics).” YouTube, 25 Sept. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4DvQZbdeE0&feature=youtu.be.