Songwriters are like poets in a lot of ways. While sometimes a straightforward “don’t beat around the bush” type of song can be effective, most of the time good songwriters get creative with their words to paint a broader picture of what’s going on.

Many good songwriters have mastered the use of a good metaphor

Have you ever spent much time writing creative metaphors?

I did a quick google search online about great metaphors in songs, and I came across a WikiAnswers page that had a pretty good list of them. Here’s a few:

• Friendship is “Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water” in the song with this title by Simon and Garfunkel.
• “She lived her life “like a candle in the wind” from Elton John’s song with this titile- The lyric is referring to Marilyn Monroe.
• Bon Jovi says, “Your love is like bad medicine” in the song, “Bad Medicine”.
• Michael Jackson describes Billy Jean in the song “Billie Jean” as “a beauty queen from a movie scene”

To read the rest, click HERE

One time, The Fresh Prince (Will Smith) described himself in a song as “Rough like sandpaper, hard like algebra.” Not a songwriter, but Muhammad Ali said that he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”.

Metaphors are a good way to really drive home a point in a creative and poetic way.

A metaphor is described by dictionary.com as “something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol.” Usually when you see them in a song it will be a sentence using the words “like” or “as” when describing something.

So let’s practice writing a few. Take a minute and write down 10 metaphors. You don’t have to spend a lot of time on it. Just set aside 5 minutes and start writing (or typing) whatever comes to mind. The idea is mental exercise… they don’t have to be perfect, and they don’t have to be Top 40 song inspiring… in fact, let yourself be a little goofy. Let yourself express a playful and imaginative side. Write some metaphors that you might never use in a song because they’re so off the wall.

If you’re really feeling brave, post your 10 metaphors as a comment to this article so other readers can see them.

I’ll write 10 right now.

1. As strong as a cup of Starbucks coffee
2. They’re jamming like Bob Marley
3. As hungry as the Olsen Twins
4. Disguising like Hannah Montana
5. I want you like Chris Farley wants a pork sausage
6. Delivering like Mr. McFeeley
7. Sticky like a spider web
8. Sporting the shades like Jim McMahon
9. Spending the dollars like The Donald himself
10. Kicking it like Pele

Push yourself, even if they seem a little ridiculous, to try to think outside the box.  What can you come up with?

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