50 Songs with Figurative Language, from Similes to Personification

What is figurative language in songs?

Figurative language means using words in a way that goes beyond their literal meaning to create a picture or a feeling. A songwriter who calls life a highway does not mean it is made of asphalt: they mean life is a long journey with turns and choices. Many famous songs put a figure of speech right in the title, which makes them perfect examples for students. The examples below are grouped by type, and each note explains the device in plain words.

Songs with similes

A simile compares two things using "like" or "as".

1. "Like a Rolling Stone", Bob Dylan, 1965: compares a person's aimless life to a stone rolling downhill.
2. "Like a Rock", Bob Seger, 1986: compares strength and steadiness to a rock.
3. "Like a Prayer", Madonna, 1989: compares love to the feeling of prayer.
4. "Cold as Ice", Foreigner, 1977: compares an unfeeling person to ice.
5. "Free as a Bird", the Beatles, 1995: compares freedom to a bird in flight.
6. "Like a Hurricane", Neil Young, 1977: compares overwhelming love to a storm.

Songs with metaphors

A metaphor says one thing is another, without "like" or "as".

7. "Life Is a Highway", Tom Cochrane, 1991: life is a long road to travel.
8. "Love Is a Battlefield", Pat Benatar, 1983: love is a fight both people have to survive.
9. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", Stevie Wonder, 1973: a loved one is the sunshine that brightens every day.
10. "Heart of Glass", Blondie, 1979: a heart that is fragile and easily broken.
11. "Firework", Katy Perry, 2010: compares a person's hidden potential to a firework, an extended metaphor across the whole song.
12. "Titanium", David Guetta featuring Sia, 2011: a person is a metal that cannot be broken.
13. "Bridge over Troubled Water", Simon and Garfunkel, 1970: a friend is a bridge that carries you over hard times.
14. "Hound Dog", Elvis Presley, 1956: a no-good partner is called a hound dog.

Songs using personification

Personification gives human qualities to something that is not human.

15. "Mr. Blue Sky", Electric Light Orchestra, 1977: the sky is greeted like a cheerful person.
16. "Mr. Sandman", the Chordettes, 1954: the sleep-bringer of folklore becomes a man you can talk to.
17. "The Wind Cries Mary", Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1967: the wind is given a voice that can cry.
18. "Ol' Man River", Show Boat, 1927: the Mississippi River becomes an old man who has seen everything.
19. "Luck Be a Lady", Guys and Dolls, 1950: luck is a woman the gambler pleads with.

Songs with hyperbole

Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration for effect.

20. "Eight Days a Week", the Beatles, 1964: loving someone more days than a week has.
21. "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", the Proclaimers, 1988: a distance in the title so huge it can only mean devotion.
22. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, 1967: no obstacle in the world could keep two people apart.
23. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", Frankie Valli, 1967: being so in love you cannot look away.
24. "Walking on Sunshine", Katrina and the Waves, 1985: happiness so big it feels like walking on sunlight.

Songs with onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates a sound.

25. "Boom Boom Pow", the Black Eyed Peas, 2009.
26. "Boom Clap", Charli XCX, 2014.
27. "TiK ToK", Kesha, 2009.
28. "Bang Bang", Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, 2014.
29. "Sh-Boom", the Chords, 1954.

Songs with alliteration

Alliteration repeats the same first sound in nearby words.

30. "Bad Blood", Taylor Swift, 2014.
31. "Blue Bayou", Roy Orbison, 1963.
32. "The Purple People Eater", Sheb Wooley, 1958.
33. "Mamma Mia", ABBA, 1975.

Songs with idioms

An idiom is a common phrase whose meaning is different from its literal words.

34. "Another One Bites the Dust", Queen, 1980: "bite the dust" means to be defeated.
35. "Hit the Road Jack", Ray Charles, 1961: "hit the road" means to leave.
36. "Cry Me a River", Justin Timberlake, 2002: a sarcastic way of saying your tears do not impress me.
37. "Piece of My Heart", Big Brother and the Holding Company, 1968: giving someone a piece of your heart means giving your love.
38. "Don't Rain on My Parade", Funny Girl, 1964: do not spoil my plans or my happiness.

Songs with imagery

Imagery uses vivid details that appeal to the senses.

39. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", the Beatles, 1967: a dreamlike world of bright colors.
40. "Strawberry Fields Forever", the Beatles, 1967: a hazy childhood place.
41. "Waterloo Sunset", the Kinks, 1967: a London river at dusk.
42. "Here Comes the Sun", the Beatles, 1969: the warmth of spring after a long winter.

Songs with oxymorons

An oxymoron puts two opposite ideas side by side.

43. "The Sound of Silence", Simon and Garfunkel, 1965: silence that can be heard.
44. "Cruel to Be Kind", Nick Lowe, 1979: being harsh as a way of being caring.
45. "Bitter Sweet Symphony", the Verve, 1997: a life that is both bitter and sweet.
46. "Alone Together", Fall Out Boy, 2013: being alone and together at once.

Songs with allusions

An allusion is a reference to a famous person, place, story or work of art.

47. "Love Story", Taylor Swift, 2008: alludes to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
48. "Romeo and Juliet", Dire Straits, 1981: borrows Shakespeare's lovers for a modern story.
49. "Vincent", Don McLean, 1971: a tribute to the painter Vincent van Gogh and his painting The Starry Night.
50. "Wuthering Heights", Kate Bush, 1978: retells Emily Brontë's novel.

Why songs are great for teaching figurative language

Students already know and love music, so a song is a natural way into a lesson that can feel abstract on the page. Songs are short, they repeat their key lines, and the melody helps the language stick. Hearing a figure of speech in a song students recognize also shows them that figurative language is not just something in old poems: it is how people talk about love, struggle and joy every day.

Classroom activities with figurative language songs

• Title detective: give students a list of song titles and ask them to label the device in each.
• Literal versus figurative: ask students to draw what a title would mean literally, then explain what it really means.
• Find the device: play a clean song and have students note each simile, metaphor or example of personification they hear.
• Write your own: students write a short verse about a person or place using at least three different devices.
• Compare two songs: pair two songs with the same device, such as two similes, and discuss how each works.

Before class, check the lyrics of any song you plan to play to make sure the whole song suits your students' age. For more classroom ideas, see our songs for teachers.

Figurative language vs literal language

Literal language means exactly what the words say: a week has seven days, and that is a fact. Figurative language bends the meaning to express a feeling: when the Beatles called a song "Eight Days a Week", they meant a love so strong that ordinary time is not enough for it. Learning to spot the difference helps students read poetry, understand jokes and idioms, and become stronger writers.

How songwriters use figurative language

Songwriters lean on figurative language because a song has only a few minutes to make you feel something. A single strong metaphor or simile can sum up a whole relationship, and hyperbole and imagery make emotions feel bigger and more vivid. If you want to try it yourself, see our guide to how to write a song, which covers lyrics, rhyme and structure.

Songs with figurative language for middle school and high school

For younger students, "Firework", "Walking on Sunshine", "Mr. Blue Sky", "Eight Days a Week" and "Here Comes the Sun" are clean, upbeat and easy to discuss. Older students can dig into "The Sound of Silence", "Vincent", "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Bridge over Troubled Water", which reward a closer look at every line.

A song full of figurative language, about someone you love

A personalized song uses the same tools: a metaphor for how someone lights up your life, imagery from your favorite places together, and maybe a little hyperbole about how much you love them. It makes a thoughtful gift for a teacher at the end of the year, a parent or a partner.

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