song analysis essay examples

Song Meanings and Facts

• How To Analyze A Song

How to Write a Song Analysis

by SMF · Published January 8, 2023 · Updated January 12, 2023

English class can be boring sometimes, even for those of us who actually enjoy reading and writing. But occasionally or at least ideally, we will be given assignments that are actually exciting and interesting to work on. One of those can be in the form of analyzing a song.

One of the cool things about songs, as compared to other pieces of literature, is that first of all they tend to be relatively short. Secondly, there is usually a type of universal interest in song meanings (depending on the artist). And third, both classics and contemporary pieces can be enjoyable to research.

For instance, there’s a good possibility that with a song you’re already familiar with, even if it’s one of your favorites, there’s something about its history and composition that you will not be aware of until actually researching it. And yes, research is an important part of song analysis, which is something we will get to later.

Contemporary pieces may not be as historically-rich, but they can be more stimulating to work on since they tend to deal with trending topics, ideas and musicians. Moreover, if your teacher were to assign you a contemporary piece, chances are it’ll be via one of the more-profound artists out there. So in such cases, there can be a lot more to dissect than you initially take for granted. Or in any event, the writing should go smoother since you’re likely already dealing with a celebrity you’re already familiar with.

So with all of that said, here are some proven tips when it comes to successfully writing a song analysis for English class.

1. ADHERE TO THE PRESCRIBED GUIDELINES

You may have heard the old adage about the student who wrote the perfect paper but still received an F because he or she didn’t properly follow the teacher’s guidelines. 

Musicians are amongst the freest artists out there, and when analyzing their works we may be compelled to emulate their carefree styles. But if you are in fact analyzing a song for a class project, then there will inevitably be certain rules to follow in the process. As a formal author, you should remain mindful of these throughout. Your failure to do so, may end up in your penning of a really-dope analysis but one that has to be rewritten or even rejected due to not following the necessary procedure.

2.  CHOOSING THE RIGHT SONG

Perhaps your English teacher is liberal enough to allow you to choose the song of your choice to analyze. It would of course be tempting to work on one by your favorite musician, i.e. an artist you’re already familiar with and have a sound understanding of what their lyrics mean. 

But doing so may not always be the best choice, especially if you have an affinity for musicians who tend to harp on trivial and/or redundant concepts or are under pressure to have the analysis comply to an intimidating word minimum.

In other words, even if you do decide to go with your favorite artist, try to choose one of their deeper, more-substantive tracks to work on. Or even better yet, you may opt to go with certain acts, such as U2 or Nas for instance, whose works are known to be more profound than that of their peers.

Another option is going with a really-popular historical musician whose song may not necessarily be profound per se but has an interesting history behind it. 

“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin”

One track that comes to mind in that regard is the likes of Michael Jackson’s “ Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin “. On the surface it may not really sound like much is going on, but in reality or at least in theory its lyrics are based on serious familial beef the Jacksons were going through at the time. Moreover, since there’s so much historical information available about Michael himself, that type of info can also be used to flesh the analysis out.

That said, you wouldn’t necessarily want to choose a song that’s too complicated. For instance, you may have a hair-pulling experience attempting to make sense out of a Bob Dylan track, as classic as it may be. And if your teacher assigns you one of such songs by force, that’s something we will get to a bit later.

3.  RESEARCH

One of the biggest mistakes a person can make when analyzing a song is failing to conduct adequate research. Even if the song is by an artist you know like the back of your hand, not taking the time to research it is a big mistake. Research! More Research! Research is one of the main keys.

In some instances, especially when dealing with tracks by less-popular artists or songs that are not considered classics or fan favorites, there may not be any pertinent information out there to be had to begin with. But in many cases, you’d be surprised what can be discovered or theorized about a song if you’re willing to do some digging.

4.  HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ANALYTICAL SKILLS

In other instances, such as with the aforementioned Bob Dylan, you may find yourself in a situation where there isn’t any pertinent information – or sometimes even theories – to fall back on. There can be other analysts and scholars out there who have speculated on the meaning of the same song, though with none of those ideas having been verified by the artist or other authoritative sources. This may even happen with a track you’re already quite familiar with. 

You go into the analysis thinking you already have the meaning figured out but come out surprised to discover that there’s nothing verifiable out there to back up your conclusions.

Under such circumstances, the analysis must be written nonetheless. This is what we may sometimes refer to as “going out on a limb”. In other words, your understanding of the song, lack of a verifiable meaning considered, may be a little far out and/or such that some people will not agree with your conclusion. 

But then again, so it often is with the artists who write these songs. Therefore, so long as you can form a concise argument, you shouldn’t be afraid to put your own ideas, as unorthodox as it may be, out there, unless the artist or some other authoritative source has stated otherwise. That is to say that in the world of song analyses, the artist’s own explanation always trumps all other interpretations.

5.  SEARCH OUT A NARRATIVE

Not all songs have a distinguishable storyline, but many do, especially when it comes to certain genres, such as country music. And sometimes, even confusing pieces can be made understandable if you are able to detect a narrative that permeates throughout the lyrics – even if not consistently so – and then focus on that particular aspect of the song.

6.  CONTEXT

This goes back to actually researching the background of a track. Oftentimes, there will be a particular event, person, reality or what you that inspired the songwriter(s) to pen the piece. And if you are able to ascertain the context in which the song was written, that will undoubtedly grant you a better understanding of the lyrics’ meaning.

7.  SONG STRUCTURE

Not all parts of a song are equal. Or rather, let’s say that different parts also serve their own respective purposes. Therefore, it is important to be able to differentiate between the likes of the following:

For instance, the main point of a song is usually relayed through its chorus. And if, via the chorus, you are still unable to ascertain exactly what the track is about, it is in the bridge where you usually find the thesis sentiment reiterated in some way, shape or form.

If you’re tasked with analyzing songs regularly, i.e. if the entire class is based on such assignments, then as time progresses you should be able to distinguish the different parts yourself (if you don’t know how to already). If not, then it is a good idea to resort to websites such as Genius which usually name the different segments.

8.  MAKE SENSE OF POETIC DEVICES

Musicians of all genres (though some more than others) rely quite heavily on metaphors, allegories, abstractions, symbolisms – so on and so forth. Most of the songs out there revolve around topics, such as being in love, which musicians/poets had already worn out even before most of us were born. 

So the challenge of today’s artists isn’t necessarily to say anything new as it is to relay the same old ideas in refreshing ways.

That would be the logical reason why they rely so heavily on poetic lingo as opposed to just stating their sentiments forthrightly. And sometimes, making sense out of these metaphors can be the most-challenging aspect of song analysis, though one that has to be taken seriously rather than ignored or neglected.

8.  ONLY FOCUS ON THE INSTRUMENTAL IF NECESSARY

When it comes to ascertaining a song’s actual meaning, of course the lyrics tend to be exponentially more important than the instrumental. In fact these days, artists are increasingly using this strategy in which for instance they’d drop melancholic wording against an upbeat music.

So perhaps if you have a minimum-word requirement which hasn’t been met after analyzing the lyrics, you may decide to harp on the instrumentals also. Or in some (rare) cases, it may actually be that the music noticeably contributes to the overall meaning, thus necessitating granting the instrumental its appropriate attention.

It is also imperative, at the very least, to make note of the track’s producer. Yes, the instrumental is important to the sound and overall success of the song. But analysts should not make the mistake of thinking that it is on par with the lyrics in terms of understanding what’s being put forth.

Analyzing songs can be one of the more exciting activities you engage in as an English student or perhaps as a writer in general. Music is an art we all have an affinity for, and popular musicians rank amongst the best-known celebrities in the world. So this is a topic that everyone tends to be interested in.

But on the flipside of that equation is the acknowledgement that with universal interest in music comes respective individuals with their own understandings and takes of different artists and songs. 

In fact these days, even the musicians themselves aren’t safe from incessant critiques. So analyzing tracks, as cool as it may be, requires serious research and hard thinking nonetheless. 

Songs may be such that we usually listen to them for entertainment or to take a load off. But making sense of them and presenting our conclusions in an analysis that will be subject to criticism (and grading) can be a weighty scholarly endeavor.

Example of a Song Analysis: “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica

It has been put forth that “Nothing Else Matters” was originally penned with the addressee being a girlfriend of James Hetfield. But James himself has described it as being “about missing friends at home, being out [on tour] for such a long time”. 

With that in mind, the lyrics of this piece are quite tender, to the point where he further went on to explain that he never meant for them to be made public. But the rest of Metallica was feeling the tune and urged him to record and drop Nothing Else Matters, which proved to be sound advice, considering that this is arguably the biggest hit single in their catalog.

But the easiest way to understand what’s being put forth is to presume that the addressee is a romantic interest. So maybe when Hetfield was missing his people back home, at the top of the list was someone whom he had that type of relationship with.

So the first verse, to some degree, sounds as if he’s missing someone in general, as if their relationship can be one of a number of different types. But the vocalist closes out the passage by saying “forever trusting who we are”, which isn’t necessarily the kind of statement one would make to their mother for instance.  But still, it’s like what he’s generally speaking to is their association being such that it cannot be destroyed by distance.

The second verse maybe can be taken the same way, as in having a general applicability. The vocalist comes off as someone who, up until now, was never able to fully express how he feels about the addressee. And again, making a statement like “[I] never opened myself this way” may not be the type you’d make towards a parent for instance. But that would depend on what type of relationship you had with them beforehand.

In the third verse, James speaks to how edifying his association with the addressee is. In this particular instance, he doesn’t allude to the two of them being separated or anything like that. And again, there isn’t anything like overt-romantic lingo utilized. But with Hetfield dropping lines like “trust I seek, and I find in you”, and “every day for us something new”, it would be hard to imagine that he’s like singing to his bestie.

And with all of that said, it’s really the refrain and chorus which drive home the postulation that this piece may be romantic in nature. In terms of his relationship with the addressee, the vocalist puts forth that “nothing else matters” and goes on to further expound that he “never cared for what they say” or “games they play”. And those are definitely the types of assertions that we most commonly come across in love songs.

In Conclusion

To note, Lars Ulrich is also credited as a writer of this track. So it may very well be that in its original incarnation, “Nothing Else Matters” did speak more to the idea of missing loved ones in general. But a common phenomenon we come across in the music industry is a piece being universal upon conception, but by the time the final product comes out, it does so more as a love song. And that may well be what transpired here, because half of the lyrics read as if the addressee could fall into one of a number of relationship categories and is someone whom the vocalist is missing due to their absence.  Indeed,  Hetfield was surprised  to discover that some people have even this as a bereavement song, with both the mourners and the deceased being males.

Part of aforenoted Hetfield’s astonishment was due to the fact that he even understands that this song is usually interpreted as being about the singer ‘missing his chick’. And as for the actual thesis being relayed, it’s as if the relationship between the vocalist and addressee is a persecuted one, with the former resolving to stay committed regardless (and with no allusions to their being distance between them). That is the type of storyline you will more commonly come across in a romance-based piece.

Top Songs with Deep Meanings

Below is a handful of songs with very deep meanings. These tracks also happen to be members of the list of the most-analyzed songs in history.

• Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”
• Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone”
• Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel”
• Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’Mine”
• John Lennon’s “Imagine”
• Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On”
• Michael Jean’s “Billie Jeans”
• Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
• Oasis’ “Live Forever”
• Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”
• Radiohead’s “Creep”
• Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”
• Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen”
• Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
• The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations”
• The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”
• Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry”
• The Beatles’ “Yesterday”
• The Clash’ “London Calling”
• Prince’s “When Doves Cry”
• The Eagles’ “Hotel California”
• Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say”
• Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing”
• The Who’s “My Generation”
• System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!”
• Sia’s “Chandelier”
• Semisonic’s “Closing Time”
• Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”
• The Beatles’ “Let It Be”
• The Beatles’ “Blackbird”
• Green Day’s “American Idiot”
• Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”
• Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff”
• The Smiths’ “There is a Light That Never Goes Out”
• Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life”
• Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”
• ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”
• 2Pac’s “Changes”
• Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”
• Eminem’s “The Way I Am”
• The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now”
• Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart”

It is important to state that there are literally thousands of more songs equally as deep or even deeper than the ones mentioned above. The list is therefore not exhaustive.

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Wide Open Spaces Song Analysis

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Published: Mar 19, 2024

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Central theme: freedom and pursuit of dreams, musical structure, poetic and metaphorical language, repetition and emotional impact, impact on country music landscape.

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Analyzing a Song – So Simple Every Student Can Do It

December 13, 2022 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   2 Comments

Sharing is caring!

English teachers, teaching your students how to analyze song lyrics needs to be a “go-to” strategy, a step toward deeper analysis of more complex texts .

Whether you’re teaching poetry, persuasive essays, or some other writing unit, analyzing song lyrics will give your students an opportunity to look at the different ways that language can be used to capture emotions and tell stories .

This close reading process will also help improve their vocabulary and grammar skills while they are having fun!

Here are some tips on how to teach students to analyze song lyrics so that they can gain valuable writing knowledge through a familiar medium they love!

Analysis of Song Lyrics

Taylor Swift makes analyzing song lyrics in the classroom easy peasy. Like her or not, you can count on her to write songs that tell a story, are layered in deep meaning, and littered with Easter eggs that are fun to try and collect (even for the non-Swifties). 

Taylor Swift’s “ Anti Hero” is a fun student-friendly song to bring into the classroom to practice analysis skills.

With callbacks to songs on other albums in lines like “I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser,” you can challenge students to analyze the development of a theme across multiple texts (helloooo higher level DOK and those really tricky to meet standards!).

Lyrics like “I’m the problem; it’s me” coupled with the title setup an opportunity to teach the concept of anti-hero (I especially like the idea of teaching about anti-heroes after teaching about the hero’s journey) and challenging students to analyze how Swift herself could be seen as this archetype by analyzing other songs and conducting online research.

“Anti Hero” also has what appear to be two references to pop culture ( 30 Rock and Knives Out ) that had even the swiftest of Swifties stumped online. These references are an accessible way to introduce the idea of allegory. 

Taylor has really teed up the song analysis practice in English classrooms to be endless with so many rabbit holes to go down at every turn! 

Song Meaning “Hallelujah”

Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” has a deep meaning making it a popular choice for teaching song analysis.  The meaning of Hallelujah is about someone who was deeply in love and is mourning the guilt of the loss of that love .

The song can teach students how to analyze lyrics by pointing out that even though it doesn’t say so explicitly, this is a song about a break-up .

They can also learn other aspects of reading literature, like examining tone and form. Analyzing song lyrics enables students to apply what they’ve learned as they read other texts or songs.

After reading a poem or listening to a song’s lyrics, students should be able to answer questions like: 

• Who is speaking? 
• How do you know? 
• What do you think the speaker’s feelings are?
•  What does this tell you about their personality? 
• Do these feelings make sense for the situation?

Good Songs to Analyze

When choosing good songs to analyze remember these three things:

• Choose a song that tells a story
• A song with a deep meaning or theme that challenges students’ inferential thinking skills works best
• Pick songs that students will know and be excited to listen to (that means that while “We Didn’t Start the Fire” is technically a great song for analysis, it might not be the most engaging for your students)

Here are some songs for teaching song analysis that will not only help you teach important analysis skills but also engage and delight your students:

• “ Pray for Me ” by the Weeknd ft. Kendrick Lamar
• “ Thunder ” by Imagine Dragons 
• “ Bohemian Rhapsody ” by Queen (this one is suitable for older students)
• “ Born This Way ” by Lady Gaga
• “ Getting Older ” by Billie Eilish 
• “ Drivers License ” by Olivia Rodrigo 
• “ This is America ” by Childish Gambino/Donald Glover
• “ Matilda ” by Harry Styles
• “ Victoria’s Secret ” by Jax (does have some profanity – I’ve linked the “clean” version)
• “ Vacation ” by The Dirty Heads (does say “shit”)

How to Analyze a Song

Teaching students how to analyze a song is similar to teaching poetry or literary analysis, but using songs disguises the learning as a fun activity making it really engaging and accessible for all learners.

Start by having students listen to their song twice .

• Instruct them to listen through for the first time just for enjoyment and to follow along with the printed lyrics (or digital if you have a way for students to access the lyrics online).
• Then have them listen a second time but this time have them highlight and circle words and phrases that they think are important and interesting. 

Challenge students to consider the following questions during their second time listening and to annotate the lyrics as they go:

• Who’s telling the story? What’s their perspective? How do they feel? What’s making them feel that way?
• What’s the mood of the song? Do the lyrics or the music contribute more to the mood?
• What figurative language do you notice in the lyrics? Why might the songwriter have chosen to include that figurative language?
• What could the songwriter be saying about human nature or society through their lyrics? How could you write a theme statement about these lyrics?

Once you’ve gotten your students started with the analysis process, make sure to involve your students. Ask them what they notice and use their insights to build discussion. Have them write a summary of the song or write a detailed analysis or work on a more creative, visual response.

Song & Poem Analysis Paired Text Lesson Plans

Make close reading, textual analysis and literary analysis of songs (and poems)  less intimidating  with these detailed, CCSS-aligned  close reading song analysis lesson plans for paired texts . Integrated close reading, text-based writing, speaking, listening, and inquiry skills, make these lessons both  engaging and worthwhile.

To help you save prep time, I’ve put together some awesome lessons for you HERE , including:

• Carrie Underwood’s song “Cry Pretty” & Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ song “Growing Up”
• William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus” & Imagine Dragons’ song “Whatever it Takes”
• Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise” and Tupac’s song “Still I Rise”
• Stephen Dobyns’ poem “Loud Music” and Incubus’ song “Dig”
• “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
• “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day and “Brick by Boring Brick” by Paramore
• “Hotel California” by the Eagles and “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
• Protest Songs
• “Mad World” by Tears for Fears and “A Million Dreams” sung by Pink / The Greatest Showman

Wrapping Up

When students analyze songs, they think about its overall impact.

What makes this song great, and why do you like it? What is it about this song that makes it stand out?

Thinking through these ideas with easily-accessible texts makes transferring their skills and knowledge to literature (ya know, the kind with the capital L ) easier.

They’ll have practice analyzing craft moves like figurative language and allegory, but they’ll also have practice with those more complex reading strategies like making inferences and connections .

Have a song you think would be perfect to analyze in the classroom? I’d love to hear about it! Drop me a comment below to share! 

Hey, if you loved this post, you’ll want to download a  FREE copy of my guide to streamlined grading .

I know how hard it is to do all the things as an English teacher, so I’m excited to share some of my best strategies for reducing the grading overwhelm. 

About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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How to Write a Song Analysis for English Class

Listening to your favorite music might be an enjoyable pastime, but analyzing a song lets you apply what you're learning in English class to a favorite composition. Figurative language, tone and theme are just a few literary devices you can practice identifying as you write about music. By analyzing these elements, you can gain an greater appreciation for the practical application of the tools of English to songwriting.

Select an original, meaningful song for your paper topic. Consider the emotional depth of the lyrics, the themes and issues it introduces and its creative use of language as you choose a song to write about. For example, "Imagine" by John Lennon, which speculates about what a world full of peace would look like, presents a strong message about countering the effects of violence and spiritual conflict in the world.

Listen to the song with the lyrics in front of you. As you play the song, underline or highlight important lines and phrases that contribute to its meaning, as well as any personal thoughts or responses that come to mind. These reactions can help you shape the analysis of your song when you begin to write.

Introduce your song in the essay by giving some historical background about it, including the songwriter, year and any events that that shaped its creation. For example, "The Rising" by Bruce Springsteen showcases the resiliency of Americans after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Describing this context would be a good way to introduce readers to the song and its theme of survival.

Analyze the lyrics by examining figurative language, phrases that describe something by comparing it to something else. In "The Sound of Silence," for example, Simon and Garfunkel use personification, which gives emotional characteristics to an object, animal or idea. By addressing the song to the "darkness" of nighttime, they emphasize the song's themes of loneliness and isolation. You can also write about the use of rhyme, repetition and other sound devices. In "Bleeding Me" by Metallica, the speaker uses repeated lines such as "I'm digging my way" and "This thorn in my side" to show his struggle in breaking away from addiction.

Analyze the song's use of musical arrangements. Think about how the song's choice of a major or minor key, dominant instruments and texture relate to the lyrics and theme and create a specific mood. For example, the minor piano chords and driving drumbeats of Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" illustrate the speaker's desolation after the end of a bitter relationship.

Write a conclusion that emphasizes the main theme of the song. If you're writing about Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful," for example, you might say that the song encourages people who have been bullied to recognize and celebrate their uniqueness rather than let people's words hurt them. Draw your paper together in a way that shows how the song's lyrical and musical elements illustrate this message.

Things You'll Need

• Milton District High School: Lyric/Song Writing and Analysis

Kori Morgan holds a Bachelor of Arts in professional writing and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and has been crafting online and print educational materials since 2006. She taught creative writing and composition at West Virginia University and the University of Akron and her fiction, poetry and essays have appeared in numerous literary journals.