Taylor Swift
Lyric: “Love’s a game, wanna play?”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Metaphor
Explanation: Taylor compares love to a game, suggesting risk, chance, and strategy. Love isn’t literally a game, but the metaphor creates meaning.
Lyric: “His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Internal rhyme
Explanation: “Sweaty / heavy” and “weak / knees” rhyme within the same or consecutive lines, creating rhythm and flow.
Lyric: “Yeah, I know that I let you down, / Is it too late to say I’m sorry now?”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Repetition
Explanation: The repeated word “sorry” emphasises regret and makes the hook catchy and memorable.
Lyric: “Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase! Hakuna Matata! Ain’t no passing craze.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Repetition/Rhyme
Explanation: Repeating “Hakuna Matata” makes the phrase catchy and reinforces the carefree, worry-free philosophy of the song. Rhyme also builds rhythm.
Lyric: “Seasons change and our love went cold / Feed the flame ‘cause we can’t let go” (chorus repeats)
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Repetition
Explanation: The repeated lines emphasise the cyclical nature of the relationship and make the chorus catchy.
Lyric: “Her smile’s like a sunrise”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Simile
Explanation: Luke paints a vivid visual picture of the woman he loves, helping listeners “see” her beauty and warmth.
Lyric: “Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Visual Imagery
Explanation: The line paints a vivid picture of falling leaves and links it to memories “falling into place,” helping listeners see the scene.
Lyric: “Skills only supersede to pass the predecessor.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Alliteration
Explanation: The repeated s sound (“skills,” “supersede,” “successor”) gives the line a sharp, fast, almost mechanical rhythm.
Lyric: “I could be your Buzz Lightyear, fly across the globe.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Metaphor
Explanation: He compares himself to Buzz Lightyear to show he can protect and “take you anywhere,” without literally meaning he’s a superhero.
Lyric: “Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Personification
Explanation: The “song” and “tale” are given human qualities (they can “age”), emphasizing the enduring, timeless nature of the story.
Lyric: “You’re a sunflower, I think your love would be too much”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Metaphor
Explanation: The sunflower image evokes brightness and fragility, helping listeners see the beauty and challenge of the relationship.
Lyric: “And I can’t go on, and I can’t go home”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Repetition
Explanation: Repeating lines emphasises the overwhelming feeling of loss and keeps the emotional intensity consistent throughout the song.
Lyric: “Loving him was red, like burning red.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Simile
Explanation: She uses like to compare love to the intensity of red fire, highlighting strong emotion.
Lyric: “There’s a million of us just like me.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Hyperbole
Explanation: He exaggerates (“a million”) to emphasise how many people identify with his rebellious persona.
Lyric: “Fighting to create a light like a solar power panel.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Simile
Explanation: Uses “like” to compare their relationship to something that generates power, showing strength and resilience.
Lyric: “Maestro, play your tune, curtains, roar!”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Onomatopoeia
Explanation: Words like “roar” mimic real sounds, creating a lively, immersive atmosphere in the song.
Lyric: “I dreamed it all ever since I was young”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Hyperbole
Explanation: Malone exaggerates his lifelong ambition and persistence to emphasise achievement and success, making it feel larger-than-life.
Lyric: “I’ll be the shoulder you can lean on”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Metaphor
Explanation: He compares himself to a shoulder, symbolising support and comfort, emphasising his commitment even in absence.
Lyric: “You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Allusion
Explanation: She references Romeo and Juliet and fairytale tropes, connecting her modern love story to classic literature.
Lyric: “I shoot for the moon like I’m running from the cops.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Simile
Explanation: Using like compares striving for success to someone sprinting hard to escape, emphasising urgency.
Lyric:
“And I didn’t wanna write a song.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Alliteration
Explanation: The repeated w sound in “wanna” and “write” gives the lyric a soft, flowing rhythm.
Lyric: “You’ve got a friend in me / You’ve got a friend in me”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Rhyme / End Rhyme
Explanation: The repeated rhyming sounds at the end of lines create a catchy, memorable tune and reinforce the theme of friendship.
Lyric: “Seasons change and our love went cold”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Symbolism
Explanation: “Seasons” symbolise the passage of time and changing phases of a relationship, emphasising the inevitability of drift and decay.
Lyric: “I’m just one number away from being with you”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Symbolism
Explanation: The phone number represents a barrier that “stands between” them as if it has agency, giving emotional weight to the distance.
Lyric: “The song in my heart.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Personification
Explanation: Emotions are described as if they can “sing” or act like a person, giving feelings human qualities.
Lyric: “The morning rain clouds up my window.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Metaphor
Explanation: The gloomy weather is a metaphor for the emotional state, showing depression through imagery rather than directly stating it.
Lyric: “You’re my one love, my one heart, my one life for sure.”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Hyperbole
Explanation: He exaggerates to emphasise devotion — no one person literally defines all love, heart, and life, but the hyperbole shows deep affection.
Lyric: “Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Imagery
Explanation: The lyrics paint a vivid picture of life on land, helping listeners visualize Ariel’s longing and curiosity.
Lyric: “You’re the sunshine in my sky”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Metaphor
Explanation: Compares a loved one to sunshine, symbolising happiness and warmth without literally meaning they are the sun.
Lyric: “She’s like a puzzle I can’t quite figure out”
Identify the language feature (points) and it's meaning (for double points).
Feature: Simile
Explanation: Uses “like” to compare the woman’s complexity to a puzzle, showing intrigue and fascination.