Backstory
Missing Piece is an Alternative/Indie song that was released in 2021 to encourage people that they’ll reconnect with their loved ones during the pandemic as long as they have faith in themselves. It has close to 50 million streams globally with about 3 million coming from the creator himself. Vance Joy (James Gabriel Keogh), the song’s creator, is a 34 year old Australian singer and songwriter. He started writing the original piece in Melbourne in 2020 during the first original lockdown as a way of coping with his feelings. While Missing Piece was arguably his greatest hit, he also signed a huge deal with Atlantic Records in 2013, and his song “Riptide” is very popular on Spotify.
Overall Meaning
The speaker is reminiscing and hanging onto his hope that even if he is separated from his lover due to an unknown cause (although it is inferred to be quarantining), he believes that he will be okay and he will be reunited with his loved one again. The theme of this song is no matter the distance or situation that separates you from your loved one, you will be with them again. His song was originally meant for his girlfriend in Spain who was separated from him while he was in Australia during the first round of lockdowns in 2020.
Song Structure
The song starts off with the speaker saying how he can’t wait for his loved one to return to him and how he appears to be losing hope because “it gets hard to take these days”. He also feels that his lover is changing, and their relationship is deteriorating. However, he remains firm in belief that they’ll be together again. The shift from the first stanza and arguably the rest of the song is a shift from sadness and loss to hope and reminiscing. After he conveys his faith in the second stanza, he continues to show how strong their relationship is and how much he loves his special person. Then, he reminisces all the moments he’s had with his loved one, both the good and the bad to show how much he truly misses his person and how much they mean to him. Then, the song repeats a few stanzas until the second to last one. He states how when they’re together again, he’ll cherish every last moment of it and never let go. The song ends with a repetition of a previous stanza that radiates happiness and hope, empowering the listener/reader and making them believe that everything will be okay as long as they keep on believing in themselves.
Why “Missing Piece”?
I have several reasons for naming this song my favorite. First and foremost, I am in the situation the song was intended for. I’m currently quarantining, and I feel as if I’m separated from my loved ones and friends. I feel like I’ve disconnected with everyone in such a short time, and I’ve become so distant. However, I also realize that everyone is waiting for me to return. My friends, especially, know that I can make it out stronger than ever, even if I’m fighting a literal virus that’s killed thousands. Next, I feel that I’ve slightly lost myself this year during the college application process. I’ve been so distant and disconnected from people I care about because I’m so fixated on college (it’s kind of sad). However, I have hope in myself that I’ll mentally and emotionally realize that there are more worthwhile and meaningful things for me right now than dwelling over this process. So, I feel like a part of myself is waiting for another part of me to collect myself again to find my “missing piece” and make myself whole again. Besides how I relate to the song, I usually enjoy happy music because I believe that music influences the brain to such a degree that most people don’t even realize it. Upbeat music boosts my mood, and I feel hopeful and happy when I listen to “Missing Piece”. It was my #1 most listened to song on Spotify last year, and I listened to it at least 1,333 times. For my generation and society as a whole, I believe this song shows and explains how we will all be with our loved ones again, no matter how long the pandemic lasts. Everything will work out in our favor as long as we remain hopeful.