Music and the Fictive Dream: "Who I Am"

The Cast of Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye

Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye is a television show in which a character who is deaf uses her ability to read lips at her new job with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.), and her hearing dog comes along too. The main character, Sue Thomas, is based on a real person of the same name who is also deaf and really did work for the F.B.I. Making its first appearance in 2002, the show itself is loosely based on her time working there.

During the opening credits of each episode, the show's theme song plays. The theme song for Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye is an excerpt of "Who I Am," as sung by Jessica Andrews. "Who I Am," written by Brett James and Troy Verges in America, was released in early 2001. Please click here for the full song.


One musical element of "Who I Am" that I would like to discuss is the lyrics. The lyrics of this song portray a sense of confidence. The type of confidence I'm talking about is a conviction that the singer is going to be okay no matter what happens because nothing can change who she is. Ms. Thomas herself said, as quoted by Abbey Shoemaker in an article for Columbia International University, "My parents instilled in me that I was created in the image of God and that God never made a mistake." Because of the certainty Ms. Thomas has that she was made in God's image and that nothing can change who He made her to be, the lyrics of this song fit very well with the TV show. Of course, not all of the lyrics could be included in the theme. Yet, even the ones that were included show this confidence, especially when Jessica Andrews sings, "I will be just fine 'cause nothin' changes who I am," immediately before the chorus. The lyrics which were included for the television show are part of verse 1 combined with part of verse 2 to make a new verse and the whole chorus. 

 "Who I Am," has a moderately fast tempo which helps to solidify the overall mood of the song. It is just fast enough to make the song feel very positive and confident, but not so fast that it sounds overconfident. As used in Sue Thomas F.B.Eye, it helps the song set the tone for the characters in the show. I found a sheet music version on Musicnotes: Sheet Music Anywhere that lists the tempo marking as "Moderately." Looking at the rhythm that is shown on the sheet music though, I think the rhythm of the song makes it sound slightly faster than the tempo actually is.

This song sets the tone or mood for each episode of the show, and it also has a meaning on its own. The tone it portrays for the show is similar to its own meaning in that they both display confidence, as I already mentioned. However, the song by itself is not talking about the confidence of a specific character on a television show or even the confidence of a specific real person. On its own, the song only has a general message of certainty and encouragement for whoever hears it.

Personally, I like this song even though not all of the lyrics apply to me. For example, I look a lot more like my mom than my dad and my grandmother's name isn't Rosemary, but I still enjoy the song! I really like the lyrics, tempo, and rhythm. It makes a great theme song for an even better TV show. If you are looking for something to watch, I recommend checking it out. Enjoy!

Sources

 Musicnotes: Sheet Music Anywhere. Musicnotes, Inc. Accessed November 18, 2020. https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0039082

Shoemaker, Abbey. "'Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye' Visits CIU" Columbia International University, April 13, 2011. Accessed November 18, 2020. https://www.ciu.edu/newsstory/sue-thomas-fbeye-visits-ciu

Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye. Johnson Brothers Holdings. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://suethomasdvd.com/about/

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