The song "Kiss the Flame" contains a lyric that goes, "There are nightmares on the sidewalks, the are jokes on TV, there are people selling thoughtlessness with such casualty." The real meaning of casualty is a victim of war.
Actually, a casualty also means "a thing badly harmed or damaged" according to Mr. Webster. Could Jewel not have been inferring that thoughtlessness causes damage in some way?
Even though it doesn't particularly fit well in the metre, 'casualty' is a perfectly credible word within the context of the part of the poem that was quoted, as another person has remarked.Criticism of the use of casualty for the reasons given seems tunnel-visioned.
I always thought that poetry expressed things in a different way and made people think a little more; this seems no different.
Remember that not every poet writes in the style of someone you have already read.
Casualty can be used to describe a person who has suffered because of something. Ever heard of a casualty of a road accident or a casualty of love? If anyone wants an explanation, try this:
People can suffer everywhere, even in jokes on TV. So many people suffer because others encourage us to not think about the effect our actions and words might have on other people". Far from needing help, Jewel has showed how all of us might need it, and why. A pity that some cannot see it.
I know what a casualty is, a resultant death. But the word's appearance as well as pronunciation is similar to casual. Hence, I could pretty much figure out that she meant casualness. Of course she could be trying to say 'casuality', while a made up word would, have that extra i in it, giving it a different meaning and the one she was looking for.
Does the guy/gal who runs this website ever do any research or give any thought about context?! I've spotted just about a dozen incorrect quotes and some that weren't even quotes but recalled from memory, and so far and I'm not even up the the "T's" yet.
Hello? Artistic License? Give me a break! "Oh, let me just artistically use the word "conversate" because it just fits better in the prose..."
If we start creating new rules for grammar just to allow for "artistic licensure" then you're not breaking through the same artistic barrier - you're off in la-la land with your own set of rules.