Similies

TheBig3 · 05-19-2011, 12:10 PM

Do similies make songs sound ridiculous? Maybe not one or two, but less say 5+ and/or theres a prominent one featured in the refrain. Does it make a song worse?

Do you think songwriters are lazy when they use them?

Surell · 05-19-2011, 11:26 PM

I personally consider similies to be metaphor's hated step brother, who is so much less talented. But i use them all the time, so their cool.

I'd say it really just depends on how good it is, how it fits, blah blah it depends. But similies are kinda lazy. Slightly abstract or fully abstract allusion or extended symbols are my favorite.

ParadoxQ · 05-20-2011, 02:26 AM

everyone uses them, and I've seen some hefty good stuff with usage of similies. methaphors can still be bad if they're not fittting into the piece as a whole.

~~The Virgin~~ · 05-20-2011, 02:42 AM

dang, i'm like in my highschool days when our teacher used to give us test about similies and stuff. so my answer is yes, similies makes sounds ridiculous. though i kind of forgot now what is a similie.

ParadoxQ · 05-20-2011, 04:27 AM

the thing about similies is that you can make beautiful lines which can suit better with how the text flows. methaphors is nearly always better, but there are always expecations which will suit the "hated stephbrother" better, also there are some fields that similies can do as good as methaphors.

~~The Virgin~~ · 05-20-2011, 04:56 AM

can you give examples of similies from songs?

TheBig3 · 05-20-2011, 06:05 AM

The Virgin - a simile is a comparison using "like" or "as." For example "My love is like the sun."

I feel like I'm getting a lot of "shadow of doubt" answers. Similes can be good. Metaphors aren't always better, but in reality we know those are distant outliers. I think the problem is two-fold:

1. While I'm sure similes can be decent, they're too easy to be lazy with. So you can mail-it-in songwriters throwing them in when they want to be melodramatic.

2. I feel like metaphors necessitate going further. You couldn't say "Your lips are a trigger and your mouths a gun" without giving it further context. But its perfectly acceptable (as said with actions - actions found suitable by the masses) to say "I love you like fire" and we're all supposed to go "oh yeah we get that...next line!"

Obviously its never as cut and dry as examples lay things out to be, but to suggest it isn't gravitating in that direction is probably dishonest.

~~The Virgin~~ · 05-20-2011, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBig3

The Virgin - a simile is a comparison using "like" or "as." For example "My love is like the sun."

I feel like I'm getting a lot of "shadow of doubt" answers. Similes can be good. Metaphors aren't always better, but in reality we know those are distant outliers. I think the problem is two-fold:

1. While I'm sure similes can be decent, they're too easy to be lazy with. So you can mail-it-in songwriters throwing them in when they want to be melodramatic.

2. I feel like metaphors necessitate going further. You couldn't say "Your lips are a trigger and your mouths a gun" without giving it further context. But its perfectly acceptable (as said with actions - actions found suitable by the masses) to say "I love you like fire" and we're all supposed to go "oh yeah we get that...next line!"

Obviously its never as cut and dry as examples lay things out to be, but to suggest it isn't gravitating in that direction is probably dishonest.

ah ok..i see. thanks

ParadoxQ · 05-20-2011, 07:57 AM

nvm this post, will continue looking :P

TheBig3 · 05-20-2011, 08:01 AM

Say what?

05-19-2011, 12:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,172	Similies Do similies make songs sound ridiculous? Maybe not one or two, but less say 5+ and/or theres a prominent one featured in the refrain. Does it make a song worse? Do you think songwriters are lazy when they use them? __________________ I've moved to a new address

05-20-2011, 06:05 AM	#7 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,172	The Virgin - a simile is a comparison using "like" or "as." For example "My love is like the sun." I feel like I'm getting a lot of "shadow of doubt" answers. Similes can be good. Metaphors aren't always better, but in reality we know those are distant outliers. I think the problem is two-fold: 1. While I'm sure similes can be decent, they're too easy to be lazy with. So you can mail-it-in songwriters throwing them in when they want to be melodramatic. 2. I feel like metaphors necessitate going further. You couldn't say "Your lips are a trigger and your mouths a gun" without giving it further context. But its perfectly acceptable (as said with actions - actions found suitable by the masses) to say "I love you like fire" and we're all supposed to go "oh yeah we get that...next line!" Obviously its never as cut and dry as examples lay things out to be, but to suggest it isn't gravitating in that direction is probably dishonest. __________________ I've moved to a new address

05-20-2011, 08:01 AM	#10 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,172	Say what? __________________ I've moved to a new address

05-20-2011, 02:26 AM	#3 (permalink)
ParadoxQ Groupie Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 46	everyone uses them, and I've seen some hefty good stuff with usage of similies. methaphors can still be bad if they're not fittting into the piece as a whole.

05-20-2011, 02:42 AM	#4 (permalink)
~~The Virgin~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Cebu, Philippines Posts: 677	dang, i'm like in my highschool days when our teacher used to give us test about similies and stuff. so my answer is yes, similies makes sounds ridiculous. though i kind of forgot now what is a similie.

05-20-2011, 04:27 AM	#5 (permalink)
ParadoxQ Groupie Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 46	the thing about similies is that you can make beautiful lines which can suit better with how the text flows. methaphors is nearly always better, but there are always expecations which will suit the "hated stephbrother" better, also there are some fields that similies can do as good as methaphors.

05-20-2011, 04:56 AM	#6 (permalink)
~~The Virgin~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Cebu, Philippines Posts: 677	can you give examples of similies from songs?

05-20-2011, 07:57 AM	#9 (permalink)
ParadoxQ Groupie Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 46	nvm this post, will continue looking :P