The month of April is National Poetry Month. Music often begins as poetry and many musicians are also poets. Many of my favorite songs have rich language and poetic devices that are worth a closer look.
These lyrics are from Metaphors and Similies in Hip Hop
by, Flocaburlary "Hip Hop in the Classroom"
Flocabulary is also on Facebook
"Wes Jackson had the vision, and brought it to fruition with a little hard work, perseverance and intuition."
- Aheru on "Soon Come," Soon Come...
"Me without a mic is like a beat without a snare...
I'm sweet like licorice, dangerous like syphilis."
- Lauryn Hill on "How Many Mics," The Score
"See, I drop the greats like clumsy waiters drop plates."
- Mr. Man on "Fortified Live," Fortified Live
These Hip Hop lyrics include similes, metaphors, and descriptive words. What are some of the things you notice?
What other lyrics do you know that also have figurative language?
Here's a way Personification is used in one of the "Graduation Songs" Ms. Gamble has introduced:
ReplyDeleteAnother turning point;
A fork stuck in the road.
Time grabs you by the wrist;
Directs you where to go
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/g/green_day/#share
I love how beautiful messages are evident in music today. I agree with you Mr. Hull that the songs choices in our graduation options do have figurative language which makes it compelling, emotional songs.
ReplyDelete"I've fallen harder than a landslide." -All In by Lifehouse (Alternative Rock)
"You're going to catch a cold from the ice inside your soul." -Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri
"Like a shock to my heart when I saw you tonight. Like a dream come alive for the very first time." -The Sky's The Limit by Jason Derulo
I love to compliment the questioning strategies in some songs that really grip you to the end. Sometimes depending on the mood of the song, you can become less optimistic just due to the questions that sound so accusing. :) For example; Who do you think you are? Running around leaving scars? Collecting your jar of hearts and tearing love apart? ((I perceived it as three questions...))
In many ways, it arguable that most songs are poetry with music added on. I mean I am not making a bold statement of siding with that but the most common factors of a general poem anre rhyming words with a related topic. So It is my thoughts that it is true that 'In most cases nowdays' everything is about the poetry of the words and instruments.
ReplyDeletewell for example BREAK AWAY ; "i'll spread my wings and i will learn how to fly i'll do anything till i touch the sky....." i think that it stands for being able to be free and let everything out that you have been holding all toose years.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you mr hull and brenda songs are supposed to semd a message to people on what they are talking about I have grown up listening to nickelback and I think that nikckelback is the kindof band that is sending emotional messages
ReplyDeletefor example;"I wish you'd unclench your fists
And unpack your suitcase
Lately there's been too much of this
Dont think its too late"
in my opinion i like how you are able to express what you are feeling at the moment of your life time."one step at a time by jordin sparks"is one of my favorites, i like the part where she has sang "its your faith that makes you stronger the only way you get there is one step at a time "and i think that this means that we accomplish things when we take small steps and to get what we want in life accomplished.
ReplyDeleteOne of the song thta I know that have figurative language is "Blackbird" by the Beatles.
ReplyDelete"Take a broken wings and learn to fly"
basically thta mean like broken wings is like there a pain that have on your life like someone thta pass away that are really important to you and learn to fly is mean that you have to let it go and know that they are will be always there for you some where that inspired you on your life
Ricky your right also chris all songs have a message to them . sometimes it may not be clear but the message is there .like ricky said in the song " Break away" like the part " out of the darkness and into the sun but i won't forget all the ones that i love" its saying that even though you are free you will always remember the ones that were with you and the ones that love you.
ReplyDeleteI love to hear the smooth sound of the poetry with all the different kind of figurative language. I notice the poetry’s writers use similes, and metaphors. For example "Me without a mic is like a beat without a snare...
ReplyDeleteI'm sweet like licorice, dangerous like syphilis."
- Lauryn Hill on "How Many Mics," The Score
This poem has similes and its comparing a mic to a beat without a snare.
-Elizabeth
I actually like one of brenda's examples-the sky's the limit"-jason derulo..that really does have nice figurative language in it and some other songs out there do send a lot of emotional messages to listeners like us.
ReplyDelete-->"me against enemies, me against friends
somehow they both seem to become one
A sea full of sharks and they all smell blood
they start coming and I start rising
must be surprising, I'm just summising..I win,thrive,soar,higher,higher, more fire"--(nicki minaj and rihanna)"fly"
I think this is a metaphor and it basically means even when your enemies(sharks) are coming at you in every way, it just makes you stronger and you start rising and it's obivously suprising to them because they want to bring you down.
for example 'if today was your last day' by nickelback, in their lyrics it says "leave your fears behind.And try to take a path less traveled by.That first step you take is the longest stride" by this it means to not let life scare you and to take your good path in life to get a better future and that you would fall in life but always get up and fight for what you want.
ReplyDeleteI noticed how different genras have different ways of expressing their messages. for example you have Metal music which expresses it's message in aggressivness. then you have blues which expresses it's message with a slow and sad type of mood. but hip hop... in hip hop the way the message is shown is in a really great mood, listening to hip hop makes you jumpy and excited. with hip hop you can get creative and make nonsensed things sound like they do have sense. :)i dont know any songs that have figurative language because i listen to techno, house, trance, and rave and in most of the songs that are out there for these types of songs, there are no lyrical verses. so thats my opinion. XD
ReplyDeleteI like songs that gives messages that can inspire you, that relates to your life or things happening in life. Here are some parts of the songs I know that can inspire.
ReplyDeleteBlue Sky - Hale
Like a Prayer
Look it up :3
to me poetry is in tons of songs, because it makes the song amazing. your able to express your feelings or thought in a different way. lyrics tell a story , gives you a picture of what there talking about. Jordan Sparks song one step at a time lyrics "Hurry up and wait so close but so far away. Everything that you've always dreamed of.Close enough for you to taste but you just can't touch" to me that states that you want something to come already , its close but yet its still far away in a sense. its close enough for you taste but you cant touch it quite yet because its not here yet, your still waiting for that time (your) time.
ReplyDeleteI really like this because were GRADUATING and this is an exciting way to express it. But the songs aren't very specific for the gradution we have to make sure it represents that we are graduating . IM SO EXCITED CAN'T WAIT !!!!! But im not going to lie I like a few of the song chocies like...
ReplyDelete"Breakaway" By Kelly Clarkson
"One step at a time" By Jordin Sparks
"Good Ridence" By Green Day
But we should do in my opinion "I made it " by Kevin Rudoff, Jay Sean, Lil Wayne , Birdman but remix it to " We Made it"
"Hurry up and wait
ReplyDeleteSo close, but so far away
Everything that you've always dreamed of
Close enough for you to taste
But you just can't touch" - Jordan Sparks "one step at a time"
I choosen these lyrics because its basically telling us we can be what we want to be. And were leaving but we still have dreams that can be achieved if we put our mind to it.
This very moment I bring
"Put it on everything, that I will retire with the ring,
And I will retire with the crown, Yes!
No I'm not lucky I'm blessed, Yes!"- Nicki minaj " moment for life" . I choosen this one for the same reason i choosen jordan sparks. Its basically saying when its my time to go ,I know i have given my all.
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ReplyDeletefor example i love nicki minaj's lyrics in moment for life when she said
ReplyDelete"I fly with the stars in the skies,
I am no longer trying to survive,
I believe that life is a prize,
But to live doesn't mean you're alive"
thats a very good statement its true if you think about it, life is a prize its either you deserve it and live or you dont deserve it and something tragic happens. when she says "i am no longer trying to survive" to me thats like instead of basing your life just on trying to survive live your life, you only get one life, go all out and live life like its your last day everyday. you never know when its going to be your last,
I really think that no song is complete without having figurative language in it. I strongly believe that figurative language really makes the lyrics of the songs give people a more powerful and strong message in a different kind of way. And if the song has figurative language it is more likely to be a really good song that people would like and that they might find some kind of connection.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion i really agree with everyone that has comment in the blog. I know that I couldn't have put it better myself.
I agree with most of my classmates and my teacher Mr. Hull that the songs choices in our graduation should have figurative language because it gives a more powerful and emotional feeling to the song. Also having figurative language can make more people relate to the song as well.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite songs that has figurative language is Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri one part that shows it is this lyric
"You're going to catch a cold from the ice inside your soul."
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ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't think songs are *like* poetry. In fact, I think that they *are* pieces of poetry! Poetry and song lyrics go hand-in-hand. If you look closely at the lyrics, you can see that they convey a message and have a pattern in its rhythm, too, like a poem.
ReplyDeleteOne song that I am absolutely addicted to has figurative language. It's called 2AM (Breathe) by Anna Nalick. I even put it in my Young Authors! (With credit given to the artist, of course). My favorite lines in that song are "'Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable; And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table." I think that those lines are very powerful because it shows what the singer thinks about life and the way that she looks at it. Plus, using those similes are simply genius because who would have ever though to use cable cars to compare with our life? When artists, like songwriters and poets, are incorporating writing methods into their works, it makes their pieces shine and adds a bit of fun, too!
If you are making or singing a song it cannot and will not sound right without metaphors,similes,and descriptive words.It is the base of the music and to really make music you must not only talk but incorparate those methods in order to better express your creativity and and show the shire depth of the music.Such as "I'm unstoppeble, incredible Hulk your trapped in my medicine vault"[Eminiem]
ReplyDelete- MUYI