Songs as Poetry
Choose one of the songs below. Before you read the lyrics, watch the music video. Answer the questions about your song.
- What is the song about?
- How does the singer feel? How do you know?
- How does it make you feel? Why?
- Find examples of simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole.
- Choose one line or verse that you enjoy or that you think is interesting or important. Explain why you chose it.
- What or who does this song make you think about?
- How do the visuals in the music video connect to the lyrics? Do you think they match well?
- Draw or find a picture that represents either the song’s ideas or the song’s mood.
- After listening to this song, what would the average person do? How would it change their life?
- Consider what the topic or theme of this song is. Using what you now know about how to write poetic devices, write a 5-8 line poem about the same topic.
Rolling in the Deep
Performed by Adele
Songwriters: Adele Laurie Blue Adkins / Paul Richard Epworth 2010
There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch, it's bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your ship bare
See how I'll leave with every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things that I will do
There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark
The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling
We could've had it all (you're gonna wish you)
(Never had met me)
Rolling in the deep (tears are gonna fall)
(Rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside (you're gonna wish you)
Of your hands (never had met me)
And you played it (tears are gonna fall)
To the beat (rolling in the deep)
Baby, I have no story to be told
But I've heard one on you, now I'm gonna make your head burn
Think of me in the depths of your despair
Make a home down there, as mine sure won't be shared
The scars of your love (never had met me)
Remind me of us (tears are gonna fall)
They keep me thinking (rolling in the deep)
That we almost had it all (you're gonna wish you)
The scars of your love (never had met me)
They leave me breathless (tears are gonna fall)
I can't help feeling (rolling in the deep)
We could've had it all (you're gonna wish you)
(Never had met me)
Rolling in the deep (tears are gonna fall)
(Rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside (you're gonna wish you)
Of your hands (never had met me)
And you played it (tears are gonna fall)
To the beat (rolling in the deep)
We could've had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hand
But you played it with a beating
Throw your soul through every open door (whoa)
Count your blessings to find what you look for (whoa)
Turn my sorrow into treasured gold (whoa)
You pay me back in kind and reap just what you've sown
We could've had it all (tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
We could've had it all (you're gonna wish you never had met me)
It all, it all, it all (tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
We could've had it all (you're gonna wish you)
(Never had met me)
Rolling in the deep (tears are gonna fall)
(Rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside (you're gonna wish you)
Of your hands (never had met me)
And you played it (tears are gonna fall)
To the beat (rolling in the deep)
Could've had it all (you're gonna wish you)
(Never had met me)
Rolling in the deep (tears are gonna fall)
(Rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside (you're gonna wish you)
Of your hands (never had met me)
But you played it, you played it, you played it
You played it to the beat
Happy
Singer: Pharell Williams
It might seem crazy what I am 'bout to say
Sunshine, she's here you can take a break
I'ma hot air balloon that could go to space, huh
With the air, like I don't care, baby, by the way, huh
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do
Here come bad news, talking this and that (talk, yeah)
Well, give me all you got and don't hold back (yeah)
Well, I should probably warn you, I'll be just fine (yeah)
No offense to you, don't waste your time, here's why
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do (hey, c'mon, uh)
bring me down, can't nothin'
(Happy) bring me down, my level's too high
(Happy) to bring me down, can't nothin' (huh)
(Happy) bring me down, I said (let me tell you now), uh
can't nothin', uh
(Happy, happy), bring me down (happy, happy), my level's too high
(Happy, happy) to bring me down (happy, happy), can't nothin'
(Happy, happy) bring me down, I said
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like (uh) that's what you wanna do (hey, c'mon, uh)
, can't nothin'
(Happy, happy) uh, bring me down (happy, happy) my level's too high
(Happy, happy) to bring me down (happy, happy), can't nothin'
(Happy, happy) bring me down, I said
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you, ay, ay, ay
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you (hey)
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do
Huh-huh, come on
Songwriters: Pharrell L. Williams
Happy lyrics © Emi April Music Inc., More Water From Nazareth, Universal Pictures Global Music
A Thousand Years
Singer: Christina Perri
Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
I have died every day waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath, every hour has come to this
One step closer
I have died every day waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
One step closer
One step closer
I have died every day waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: David Hodges / Christina Judith Perri
A Thousand Years lyrics © Hipgnosis Sfh I Limited, Hifi Music Ip Issuer L.p.
Blank Space
Singer: Taylor Swift
Nice to meet you, where you been?
I could show you incredible things
Magic, madness, heaven, sin
Saw you there and I thought
"Oh, my God, look at that face
You look like my next mistake
Love's a game, wanna play?" Ay
New money, suit and tie
I can read you like a magazine
Ain't it funny? Rumors fly
And I know you heard about me
So hey, let's be friends
I'm dying to see how this one ends
Grab your passport and my hand
I can make the bad guys good for a weekend
So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it's over, mm
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
'Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game
'Cause we're young, and we're reckless
We'll take this way too far
It'll leave you breathless, mm
Or with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
But I've got a blank space, baby
And I'll write your name
Cherry lips, crystal skies
I could show you incredible things
Stolen kisses, pretty lies
You're the King, baby, I'm your Queen
Find out what you want
Be that girl for a month
Wait, the worst is yet to come, oh, no
Screaming, crying, perfect storms
I can make all the tables turn
Rose garden filled with thorns
Keep you second guessing like
"Oh, my God, who is she?"
I get drunk on jealousy
But you'll come back each time you leave
'Cause, darling, I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream
So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it's over, mm
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
'Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game
'Cause we're young, and we're reckless (oh)
We'll take this way too far
It'll leave you breathless, mm (oh)
Or with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane (insane)
But I've got a blank space, baby
And I'll write your name
Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't, say I didn't warn ya
Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't, say I didn't warn ya
So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it's over (over)
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane (I'm insane)
'Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game
'Cause we're young, and we're reckless
We'll take this way too far (ooh)
It'll leave you breathless, mm
Or with a nasty scar (leave a nasty scar)
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
But I've got a blank space, baby
And I'll write your name
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Taylor Swift / Shellback / Martin Max
Blank Space lyrics © Sony/atv Tree Publishing, Taylor Swift Music, Mxm Music