LYRIC CHEAT SHEET (LCS)
Lesson 3: Metaphorical Magic
Action Points:
The most of important goal of lyric writing is building a connection with your audience. It's writing lyrics that have impact and get understood. And there is one technique that will achieve this goal.
The Metaphor.
These are literally false statements that make abstract ideas relatable. A tool that creates a connection between you and your audience. And it's only with this connection that your lyrics will be truly impactful.
So make sure to use them!
One metaphor per song goes a long way.
One per song section will drive the point home!
Songs That Use This Concept:
Red Wine Supernova by Chappell Roan
[Verse 1]
She was a playboy, Brigitte Bardot
She showed me things I didn't know
She did it right there out on the deck
Put her canine teeth in the side of my neck…
Explanation
These lines go bold and direct, using vivid imagery and charged verbs to dramatize emotions and experiences. They amplify feelings and visuals to 200%
Heathens by Twenty One Pilots
[Verse 1]
Welcome to the room of people who have rooms of people
That they loved one day, locked away
Just because we check the guns at the door
Doesn't mean our brains will change from hand grenades
You'll never know the psychopath sitting next to you
You'll never know the murderer sitting next to you
You'll think, "How'd I get here, sitting next to you?"
But after all I've said, please don't forget
Explanation
This verse uses vivid imagery (“brains will change from hand grenades,” “psychopath sitting next to you”) and intense, dramatic language to capture the dangerous, unsettling atmosphere. The songwriter goes beyond subtle hints and makes emotions and scenarios feel immediate and bold, charging every line with tension and fear
Attention Attention by Shinedown
[Verse 1]
Attention, attention
Get down on the floor
Don't reach for your pockets
Don't run for the door
The tension, the tension
It's urgent, it's real
The cameras are rolling
The envelope's sealed
Explanation
These lines go bold and direct, immediately throwing the listener into a high-stakes, urgent scenario using commands and vivid words like “get down on the floor” and “don’t run for the door.” The repetition of “the tension, the tension” and phrases like “the cameras are rolling, the envelope’s sealed” dramatize the intensity and heighten the emotional impact.
Last Resort by Papa Roach
[Verse 1]
Cut my life into pieces
This is my last resort
Suffocation, no breathing
Don't give a f*** if I cut my arm, bleeding
This is my last resort
Cut my life into pieces
I've reached my last resort
….
Explanation
These lines are bold and direct, using intense imagery and charged, emotional language (“cut my life into pieces,” “suffocation, no breathing”) to capture a sense of desperation. The lyrics do not hold back; instead, they amplify the pain and emotional crisis to the absolute maximum. By dramatizing the feelings with raw honesty and vivid details, they push the emotion to 200%.
Work Song by Hoizer
[Verse 1]
Boys workin' on empty
Is that the kinda way to face the burnin' heat?
I just think about my baby
I'm so full of love, I could barely eat
There's nothin' sweeter than my baby
I'd never want once from the cherry tree
'Cause my baby's sweet as can be
She'd give me toothaches just from kissin' me
Explanation
These lines use vivid, sensory images (“full of love, I could barely eat,” “she’d give me toothaches just from kissin’ me”) and charged verbs to paint a powerful emotional picture. The lyrics go straight to the heart, making the love feel intense and overwhelming, even against the backdrop of exhaustion and hard work. By amplifying everyday feelings and actions to near-mythic levels, Hozier pushes emotion and imagery to 200%.
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