By using a song as a medium to interpret The Tempest, Naveen Singh’s “Thought of You” highlights the importance of treating the play as a performance. The lyrics read as a plaintive monologue that allows Caliban the opportunity to express himself more fully. Through song, Singh reveal aspects of Caliban’s psyche that are not immediately apparent in other interpretations. While there are elements of Césaire’s Caliban in the line, “Boy you know I’ve got freedom…You can’t do shit cuz now I’m free,” Singh’s Caliban expresses a complex relationship to both Prospero and to his freedom. By choosing a love song to express hate, Singh draws our attention to the obsessively intimate focus of both emotions. The relationship between Caliban and Prospero comes to resemble that between spouses in an abusive relationship; this song offers not only a new interpretation of The Tempest, but also a cutting commentary on the violent love glorified in some contemporary pop music.

Watch the live performance here.

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