Lyrical Language: Figurative Language in Music Lyrics

"You are the thunder, 
and I am the lightning."
~
Selenda Gomez, "Naturally" 

• This simile in these lines shows how much noise these two people make. 
• The metaphor in these lines illustrates how compatible two people are with one another and shows how powerful they are together. 
• The personification in these lines conveys how destructive the pair are when they're together. 
• The onomatopoeia in these lines help the listener understand how loud a storm is.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

"When I met you, girl, 
my heart went 'knock, knock'"
~
Justin Beiber, "One Time"

• The alliteration in these lines convey the sounds of repeated banging on a door.
• The personification in these lines illustrate a heart approaching a door to introduce itself to a girl.
• The onomatopoeia in this line suggests the singer's strong, sudden feelings for the girl he's just met.
• The repetition in these lines help to show the persistent sounds of the singer's heart.

Tags

CCSS.L.3.5A

CCSS.RL.3.4

"They wanna say it's a war outside, bomb in the street
Gun in the hood, mob of police"
~
Kendrick Lamar, "I"

• Their is no figurative language in these lines.
• The simile in these lines compares the street to an explosive device.
• The personification in these lines suggests that a gun is living in a neighborhood.
• The hyperbole in these lines conveys the sense of chaos, urgency, and level of danger in the singer's neighborhood.

Tags

CCSS.L.3.5A

CCSS.RL.3.4

"She's like a song played again and again"
~
Sean Kingston, "Replay"

• The simile in this line is used to show that the singer is interested enough in a particular girl to repeat his experiences with her over and over.
• The metaphor in this line is used to show how repetitive the girl is. 
• The allusion in this line refers to how difficult it is to remember lyrics.
• The irony in this line is that the singer knows his interest in the girl, but the girl does not.

Tags

CCSS.L.7.5A

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

"You try to scream, but terror takes the sound before you make it.
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes; you're paralyzed!"
~
Michael Jackson, "Thriller"

• These lines convey crippling fear and inescapable dread through both hyperbole and personification.
• These lines convey surprise and suspense through both allusion and metaphor.
• These lines convey the effects of low temperatures and physical impairment through literal language.
• These lines convey lonesomeness and futility through irony and alliteration.

Tags

CCSS.L.3.5A

CCSS.RL.3.4

"...little did I know

That you were Romeo.

You were throwing pebbles

And my daddy said 'Stay away from Juliet'"

~

Taylor Swift, "Love Story"

• These lines use only metaphor to convey that the young people are madly in love with one another, even though it was forbidden.

• These lines use both metaphor and allusion to convey that the young people are madly in love with one another, even though it was forbidden.

• These lines use only allusion to convey that the young people are madly in love with one another, even though it was forbidden.

• These lines use dialogue to convey that the young people are madly in love with one another, even though it was forbidden.

"It's too late. It's too soon, or is it?
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, boom!"
~
The Hives, "Tick Tick Boom"

• These lyrics use onomatopoeia to convey the suspenseful passage of time leading up to an explosion.
• These lyrics use a rhetorical question to call attention to the current time. 
• These lyrics use alliteration to show the passage of time.
• These lyrics use hyperbole to convey an explosion.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.RL.2.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

"Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew, when I bit off more than I could chew. But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out."

~

Frank Sinatra, "My Way"

• These lyrics contain an example of a metaphor, where the artist was eating too much, but spit out the extras.

• These lyrics contain examples of alliteration to draw attention to food.

• These lyrics contain an example of a simile that compares his doubt to food.

• These lyrics contain examples of idioms, where the artist felt there were times he was overwhelmed but overcame his difficulties.

Just shoot for the stars if it feels right

And aim for my heart if you feel like it…

Kiss me ’til you’re drunk and I’ll show you all the moves like Jagger

I’ve got the moves like Jagger

Ben Minadeo "Move Like Jagger"

• These lines use a simile and allusion to reference his smoothness on the dance floor and with the ladies like the lead singer of the Rolling Stones.

• These lines use an a metaphor where the artist says he is the lead singer of the Rolling Stones.

• These lines use rhyme to show the connection between two ideas.

• These lines use alliteration to draw attention to the idea of the Rolling Stones.