4. Trouble
A spider web it’s tangled
up with me tangled
up involved with
someone who usually causes
trouble or involved in
something that is
difficult to get out of
Cambridge Dictionary of
American Idioms 2003
5. Lost
You might be a big fish in a
little pond a big
fish in a little
pond the most
important people in a
small group of
organization who would
have much less power
and importance if
they were part of larger
group or organization
Cambridge Idioms
Dictionary 2006
2. Live Metaphor
Live metaphor is a new figurative language which is made in a certain occasion and is able to be understood without any further
information. A live metaphor is made by the author in order to teach or to give illustration of an expression. As a live metaphor is made freely
without any bond to certain familiar expressions, it is often used to create readers or listeners’ imagination in reading poems or listening to
music. Live metaphors, on the other hand, are those which are constructed on the spot by the author or speaker to teach or illustrate
Larson, 1998: 274.
Live metaphor also takes role in song lyrics which mostly similar to poems. In this study, live metaphor exists in song lyrics in order to
create listeners’ imagination about the song’s meaning by related it to the context of the songs. A live metaphor, on the other hand, is one
which is understood only after paying special attention to the comparison which is being made Larson, 1998: 274.
The live metaphor which are existed in the data are:
No. Song Title Song Lyrics
Metaphoric expression
Meaning Source
1. Magic
Youre such a precious
jewel precious
jewel beautiful and
worth The Penguin
Dictionary of Symbols
1982
2. A Sky Full
of Stars You’re such
a heavenly view
heavenly view
beautiful view
The Penguin Dictionary
of Symbols 1982
3. A Sky Full
of Stars Cause you’re
a sky full of stars
sky full of stars
beautiful The Penguin
Dictionary of Symbols
1982
4. A Message
And I’m on fire for you
on fire feels excited
or enthusiast The Penguin
Dictionary of Symbols
1982
5. A Message
The fire would
sparkle in your eyes
fire sparkle in your eyes
enthusiasm seen in your
eyes The Penguin
Dictionary of Symbols
1982
6. True Love
When I was yours and
you were blind
blind not
recognizing the bad side
of something The Penguin
Dictionary of Symbols
1982
7. Warning
Sign And you
were an island to
discover island to
discover get someone
who has been dreaming of
The Penguin Dictionary
of Symbols 1982
8. Clocks
You’re home where I
wanted to go home
a person as permanent
destination American
Heritage Dictionary
of the English
Language 2011
9. Sparks
My heart is yours
heart emotional
term where love
belongs The Penguin
Dictionary of Symbols
1982
10. Christmas Lights
Tears, we cried a flood
flood tears in huge
amount Oxford
Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary 2010
11. Christmas Lights
Got all kinds of poison in
my blood poison in
my blood feeling
sadness all over the body
Oxford Advanced
Learner’s Dictionary
2010
12. Yes Yeah, we
were dying of frustration
dying of frustration
surrender from the
sadness Oxford
Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary 2010
13. Miracles I blossom
and die blossom
happy Oxford
Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary 2010
14. Us Against the World
In my heart, she left a
hole hole
emptiness Oxford
Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary 2010
B. The Meaning of the Metaphoric Expressions
As what have been analyzed in the previous part, two classifications of metaphors, dead metaphor and live metaphor certainly have roles in
determining the metaphorical meaning of metaphoric expression. Dead
