I wanted to just mention some things that I think make musical lyrics interesting, rather than practice a technique, per se. I read a quote the other day that made me think about this: “Science has a great deal more in common with poetry than most of us realize; both enterprises involve unusual juxtapositions of ideas and a certain romantic vision of the world.”
I thin this idea is what helps make a metaphor or simile effective; that is, an unusual juxtaposition. Many well known metaphors and similes get stale because there is nothing new or thought provoking or interesting about them. But a good one will present an idea in a way that makes you think about it differently.
One reason that I have long enjoyed the band Modest Mouse is because of their use of metaphors and similes. For example, “I saw a friend the other day, opinions were like kittens I was givin’ ‘em away, yeah….” This line makes me think about throwing out my opinions to much or too forcefully in a new light. I also like this lyric quite a bit from Death Cab For Cutie: “Cuz in my head, there’s a greyhound station. Where I send my thoughts, to far off destinations. So they may have a chance of finding a place where they’re far more suited than here.” The idea conveyed in this lyric is cleverly conveyed and does encompass that romantic look at the world mentioned above. Without that cleverness and unique way of phrasing ideas, metaphors and similes often fail to accomplish anything.
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