That connection between the stars and fate is used as an extended metaphor in the musical The Greatest Showman. For example, Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Burns, compared his love to both a rose and a song in the 18th Century: Metaphors and the other literary device of comparison, the simile, are common in everyday speech, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and music. A teenager (14-year-old Mary) set up a Twitter account to pester the band into covering the song. The following contemporary songs all include similes: "Africa," a top chart hit from the band Toto in 1983, has returned in a remake by the band Weezer. Another example is Elvis Presley's (1956) song, "Hound Dog," which includes the following lyrics: Here there is the unflattering comparison to a former lover as a hound dog! Songs include: This article features eight songs that can be used as models  or mini-lessons. Brooks makes this point quite eloquently in the second stanza of the song: In U2's song, "One," the band sings about love and forgiveness. The song begins with a simile, comparing how the singer remembers how she felt returning to an ex-boyfriend.

Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading between the Lines. The difference between the two is that only a simile uses the words "like" and "as" in making a direct comparison. A refrain in the song is sung alternately by Cooper and Gaga: Songwriters:  Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt.

According to Thomas Foster in his book, How to Read Literature Like Professor: Foster argues that writers employ lakes and water as a symbol of rebirth for the character, "if the character survives that is" (155). The examples of metaphors in the lyrics are already analyzed for use in class. If students will be allowed to share songs and lyrics in class, they must be prepared to share only those verses that are appropriate for use in class.

That should certainly serve as an interesting starting point for a classroom discussion. The song was first recorded by Big Mama Thornton in 1952, fully four years before Elvis recorded his version. Whether the angel is Juliet or the woman in the song, an angel is "Perfect. Then, ask students to explore other songs, literary and historical works in search of metaphors and similes. A final example, the title of the song, "Your Love is a Song," by Switchfoot is, itself, a metaphor, but there are also other examples of this figure of speech in the lyrics: This comparison of love to music is chronicled throughout history, as poets and bards have often compared love to various forms of music or beautiful objects.

Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson responded to her, and soon the band covered the song. A possible lesson would be to ask students to research instances of this kind of metaphor in songs and poems. King and Bassett started writing the song as a joke, but when King's label (RCA) heard it, they pegged it as the hit single. Here, the woman is described as having power because of the references to the implied ability she has to strike with the force of lightning...and get everyone's attention as well: Lightning is a symbol of power, as also seen in Emma Lazarus's poem "The New Colossus" which begins: The reference to the imprisoned lightning in the flame of the Statue of Liberty implies her power as an ally to those who come to the shores of America. Throughout the 19th century, the term big apple meant something regarded as the most significant of its kind; as an object of desire and ambition. Songwriting: Rami Yacoub, Carl Falk, Savan Kotecha. If a teacher wants to teach similes and call attention to the characteristic comparison word "like", there is probably nothing more iconic then the song Like a Rolling Stone, the 1965 folk rock anthem by Nobel laureate Bob Dylan. The musical's libretto incorporates many different genres of music, including hip-hop, R&B, pop, soul, and traditional-style show tunes. Dependable? Was it possible they heard not?" Songwriters: Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell,  Shane McAnally,  Josh Osborne, This song began its ascent onto the charts in June 2015. The lyrics are available with Weezer on this video link. "‘Well, this guy’s mad at me, and I was really mean to this guy, and this guy’s a loser but he still calls me," she said. Dependable? A teacher may also want to preview the song's video to make sure that the visual content associated with the song, which could be familiar to the students, is appropriate for the classroom. Walking on Sunshine. The simile also is a​ reference to Olympus, the home of the gods in Greek mythology. The central plot deals with the suicide of a student, Hannah Baker, who leaves a box of cassette recordings detailing why she took her own life. Note: The "shot" is a reference to alcohol, although it could also be to a vaccination: Songwriters: Amy Allen, Parrish Warrington, Micah Premnath, Diederik Van Elsas, and Selena Gomez. He had suffered a serious form of arthritis in 2015: Songwriters (Imagine Dragon):  Ben McKee, Daniel Platzman, Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon,  Justin Tranter,  Mattias Larsson, Robin Fredriksson. Songs include: Teachers still meet the literacy anchor standard in the Common Core for English Language Arts when they use  song lyrics to address metaphors and similes: Finally, using song lyrics is one way teachers can "move away from the worksheet" and show students the importance of metaphors and similes in their everyday lives.

It includes the following lines: There's an interesting history in the notion of comparing love to the law. According to Vocabulary.com  angel is a messenger of God, "characterized as having a human form with wings and a halo." The song opens with a simple comparison of a couple to a "six-string" guitar. Someone can have a "heart of gold" or "speak from the heart." "Just Like Fire" is an empowering song about Pink's own value as a person and as an artist, as her lyrics demonstrate. Lyrics using the comparison keyword "like": The end of the video reveals that the violence in the song lyrics was all part of his imagination, a creative comparison between physical hurt and emotional pain. The latest remake of the film A Star is Born stars Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. In an interview, lead vocal Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons explained that the song Believer, "... is about overcoming emotional and physical pain to arrive at a place of peace and self-confidence." Sonwriters:  Alecia Moore (Pink), Max MartinKarl, Johan Schuster, Oscar Holter. The song has also been recorded as a duet with Beyoncé, and as a symphony with Andre Bocelli. And, according to the website Norse Mythology for Smart People, Thor's main weapon was his hammer, or in the Old Norse language, "mjöllnir," which translates as "lightning." The lyrics are for mature students only as they make a direct comparison of a woman's body to the curves in a back road. The following list features songs with metaphors that can help you create a lesson on the topic.

Plato'sRepublic uses the sun as a metaphor for the source of "illumination".

These metaphors help the listener better understand the relationships in the songs. The simile is in the refrain: Songwriters:  Tyler Hubbard, Brian ​Kelley, Michael Hardy, Mark Holman. Love was also a metaphor for debt and even economics. Additional songs with the word "like" used as a simile in a title include: Another classic song lyric with similes that uses "like" as a direct comparison is Simon & Garfunkel's (1970) "Bridge over Troubled Water." In an interview with Billboard Magazine, Grande explained,  “I’ll never be able to swallow the fact that people feel the need to attach a successful woman to a man when they say her name. That description linking water and survival is important since the metaphor in the song "In the Shallows" describes the ups and downs in their relationship. The reason? Happy? The sunshine in the pocket in the song "Can't Stop the Feeling"- by Justin Timberlake is a metaphor used to describe the happiness felt when the singer sees his lover dance. Print. Shawn Mendes is quoted as explaining, "The whole video is me getting beaten up by this thing that you can't see...". Songwriters: ​Danny Parker,​ Teddy Geiger, This R&B track song offers a self-empowerment message. And, now that Dylan is a Nobel Prize Laureate, the song—and the singer—can be a great jumping-off point for a class discussion of similes, the very meaning of literature and more. A more contemporary song example is  Let It Go from the Disney film Frozen where the Princess Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) laments that "The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside."

", ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. There is also the play on words with "soul" referencing a kind of dance music and its homonym "sole" for the bottom of a foot: The sun as a metaphor is also seen in the following literary works: Songwriters: Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, Johan Schuster. Students should not confuse simile with another figure of speech called a metaphor. The song "Simple" by Florida Georgia Line is just that, a simple retelling of an uncomplicated relationship. In the end, the protagonist could not ignore the beating of his heart -- and it led him to prison. There are several song lyrics that are explicit in their use of improper language, vulgarity, or profanity. Caution: There are some vulgarities in the lyrics. The song features not only a guitar but also a banjo, a five-stringed instrument. This song uses a simile to describe how friendship is an emotional bridge when there are problems: Finally, Elton John composed an ode to Marilyn Monroe, "Candle in the Wind" (1973).