Figurative Language in Music

Rock Music

100

In Nirvana's song, "Smells Like Teen Spirit", he sings: "I found it hard, it was hard to find Oh well, whatever, never mind". what kind of figurative language is used in this lyrics?

rhyming (specifically, end rhyming. the words at the end of each line, "find" and "mind" rhyme).

200

In the song, "Boom, Boom, Pow" by the Black-Eyed Peas, she sings: "I got that boom boom pow! How the beat bang, boom boom pow!". What kind of figurative language can be found in this lyric?

onomatopoeia (the words "boom boom pow" and "bang" are imitating the beat or the bass of the music).

300

In the song, "Wish You Were Here" by Incubus, he sings: "The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds strewn across a blue blanket." What kind of figurative language can be found in this lyric?

simile (the singer is comparing the way the ocean shimmers to diamonds on a blue blanket using the word "like").

400

In Aerosmith's song, "Can't stop loving you", he sings: "I fell from holy Moses mountain, where love’s a slippery slope". What kind of figurative language can be found in this lyrics?

alliteration ("Moses mountain" and "Slippery Slope" Are two sets of words that are close to each other that have the same beginning consonant sound. AND metaphor: "love's a slippery slope" means love is dangerous or tricky.)

500

In the Journey song, "Wheel in the Sky", he sings: "The morning sun is rising; it's kissing the day". what kind of figurative language is being used in this lyric?

metaphor ("the sun kissing the day" is a metaphor for the sunrise).

Rap Music

100

In 2Pac's song, "Me Against the world", he says: "Constantly movin' while makin' millions". What kind of figurative language can be found in this lyric?

alliteration. ("movin'", "makin'", and "millions" are all words that are near each other and start with the same "m" sound).

200

In Eminem's song, "Sing for the Moment", he says: "Like whatever they say has no bearing; it's so scary in a house that allows no swearing to see him walking around with his headphones blaring". What kind of figurative language is being used in this lyric?

rhyming (specifically end rhyming. The words at the end of each line, "bearing", "swearing", and "blaring", rhyme).

300

In Blackalicious' song, "Alphabet Aerobics", he says: "Broken barriers bounded by the bomb beat Buildings are broken, basically I'm bombarding". What kind of figurative language is used in this lyric?

alliteration (This is a perfect example! the consonant "B" is being used repeatedly throughout the lyric).

400

In Missy Elliot's song, "The Rain", she says: "Beep beep, who got the keys to the Jeep?" What kind of figurative language is being used in this lyric?

Onomatopoeia ("beep beep" is imitating the sound of a car horn).

500

In Jay-Z's song, "So Ambitious", he says: "I had to lace up my boots even harder" Whatkind of figurative language is used in this lyric?

metaphor ("lace up my boots even harder" is a metaphor for trying harder and persevering).

Country Music

100

In Carrie Underwood's song, "See You Again", she sings: "In a place far away where the water meets the sky". What kind of figurative language is being used in this lyric?

metaphor ("where the water meets the sky" is a metaphor for the horizon).

200

In the song, "Roll Away Your Stone" by Mumford and Sons, he sings: "I won't give them up to you this time around; And so I'll be found with my stake stuck in the ground". What kind of figurative language is being used in this lyric?

rhyming (specifically end rhyming. The words "around", "found", and "ground" rhyme. AND metaphor ("with my stake stuck in the ground" is a metaphor for being persistent/standing your ground)

300

In the song, "Summertime" by Faith Hill, she sings: "We've got classic colas and ice cold Coronas." What kind of figurative language is being used in this lyric?

alliteration ("classic", "colas", "cold", and "Coronas" are all words that are near each other and start with the same consonant sound- "C").

400

In Keith Urban's song, "Standing Right in Front of You", he sings: "As you get closer I swear I feel my heart start racing". What kind of figurative language can be found in this lyric?

personification ("my heart RACING".... To race is something a living thing might do.)

500

In Tim McGraw's song, "Halo", he sings: "I'll take it like a circus lion, silent in my cage." What kind of figurative language is he using in this lyric?

simile (the word "like" is being used to compare himself to a circus lion who is trapped, silent in his cage. Although this could be mistaken for a metaphor, the word "LIKE" makes it a simile!)

Pop Music

100

In Katy Perry's song, "Firework", she sings: "Boom, boom, boom, even brighter than the moon, moon, moon". What kind of figurative language is she using?

onomatopoeia ("Boom" imitates the sound that a firework makes).

200

In her song "Super Bass", Nicki Minaj sings: "Boy you got my heartbeat runnin' away". What kind of figurative language can be found in this lyrics?

personification. (a heartbeat can not actually run away. To run away is an action performed by a living thing).

300

In Rihanna's song, "Diamonds", she sings: "Shining bright like a diamond; We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky". What kind of figurative language is she using?

simile ("bright LIKE a diamond" and "beautiful LIKE diamonds in the sky" are both examples as two things are being compared using the word "like").

400

In Taylor Swift's song, "I Knew You Were Trouble", she sings: "...pretend he doesn't know that he's the reason why you're drowning". What type of figurative language can be found in this lyric?

metaphor ("drowning" is used as a metaphor for crying a lot).

500

In Calvin Harris' song, "Sweet Nothing", Florence Welsch sings: "every whisper, it's the worst, emptied out by a single word". What kind of figurative language can be found in this lyric?

alliteration. ("whisper", "worst", and "word" are all words that are near each other and start with the "w" sound).

Alternative Music

100

In the song, "Dog Days are Over" by Florence and the Machine, she sings: "Happiness hit her like a train on a track". What kind of figurative language is she using?

simile (the way happiness "hit" her is being compared, using the word "like", to the way a train on a track may hit something).

200

In the My Chemical Romance song, "The Sharpest Lives", he sings: "So bright the sun is ashamed to rise". what kind of figurative language can be found in this lyric?

personification (To be "ashamed" is a human emotion).

300

In Alanis Morissette's song, "All I Really Want", she sings: "There I go jumping before the gunshot has gone off". What kind of figurative language can be found in this lyric?

metaphor (she is using a metaphor to describe how she is always too quick to react/respond to things).

400

In Green Day's song, "Good Riddance", he sings: "Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go". What kind of figurative language is used in this lyric?

personification (time can not actually "grab" something. To grab is an action of a living thing).

500

In the of Monster and Men song, "Little Talks", they sing: "'Cause though the truth may vary This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore". What kind of figurative language is being used in this lyric?

metaphor ("this ship will carry our bodies safe to shore" is a metaphor that means that everything will be alright in the end. AND alliteration: "safe" and "shore" are two words that are close to each other and start with the "s" sound).