A Stylistic Analysis of Taylor Swift’s

Evermore
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT….………..………………………………………………………………………….2
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION….…………………………………………………………….3
1.1 Background..……..………………………………………………………………………….3
1.2 Objectives of the study…..………………………………………………………………….4
1.3 Scope of the study……………………..……………………………………………………4
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE…………………………………………………...5
2.1 Concept of Stylistics Analysis……………………………………………………………...5
2.2 Framework of Stylistics Analysis…………………………………………………………..6
2.2.1 Figurative Language ………………………………………………………………………..6
2.2.2 Rhyme……………………………………………………………………………………….8
2.2.3 Repetition…………………………………………………………………………………....8
2.2.4 Clitics………………....…………………………………………………………………....9
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY………………………………………………10
3.1 Data and Materials…....……..……………………………………………………………..10
3.2 Research Design…………..………………………………………………………………...10
3.3 Results……………………...………………………………………………………………..10
CHAPTER 4 BACKGROUND OF THE SELECTED SONGS AND THEIR ANALYSIS.11
4.1 Willow……………………………………………………………………………………….11
4.2 Champagne Problems……………………………………………………………………....14
4.3 Gold Rush………..………….………………………………………………………………17
4.4 ’Tis The Damn Season……..……………………………………………………………….20
4.5 Tolerate It………..………………………………………………………………………….23
4.6 No Body, No Crime (ft. Haim)…………………………………………………………….25
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND REFERENCES…...……………………………………28
5.1 Conclusion….……………………………………………………………………………….28
5.2 References…………………………………………………………………….……………..28
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ABSTRACT

Stylistics is that branch of study that deals with the study of style in literary texts. A linguistic
stylistic analysis is executed upon the lyrics of Taylor Swift’s new album Evermore. It was released
on December 11, 2020 through Republic Records, less than five months after Taylor’s eight studio
album, Folklore (2020). The album Evermore has been described as a sequel or companion record
to Folklore. The first and foremost approach is to study the stylistic devices that have been
implemented on the lyrics of the songs. Background, situation, circumstances and other interviews
about selected singles and featuring artists have been taken into account for a vivid picture of the
meaning of the lines. The portrayed songs are: Willow; Champagne Problems; Gold Rush;‘Tis the
Damn Season; Tolerate it; No Body, No Crime. These songs are widespread and the album has
topped Billboard 200 making Taylor swift, the conqueror, twice in a row in 2020. Results show a
wide range of stylistic devices to describe the meaning in different notions, namely- simile,
metaphor, alliteration, rhyme, repetition, etc. Swift drifted towards a direction of escapism and
romanticism in terms of her songwriting and it is prevalent in this particular album as well. We
see a notable application of stylistic devices that has been echoed in the verses of the lines which
speaks a lot about the writer of the analysed songs.

Keywords: Taylor Swift, swifties, stylistic analysis, figurative language, rhyme, repetition,
alliteration, song lyrics, linguistics
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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND
The American music industry has been one of the most influential music markets in the entire
world. American pop music has a variety of genres and the easy approach and accessibility makes
it even more demanding. They have persuaded the entire world with their lyrics, content, language
use, style and idea. Turner (2009) said that songwriters use linguistic devices in a way that excels
and moulds language through rhyme, symbol, imagery, metaphor, etc. In consequence, we see that
songwriters use language in a poetic style- with rhythm, stylistic devices and captivating words.

Taylor Swift during the shoot of “Evermore” (Image Source: Wikipedia)

The student selected Taylor Swift’s ninth album Evermore (2020), as she is a fangirl(swiftie) of
Taylor Swift and she has tried to investigate the stylistic devices used in the lyrics of some of the
songs in that particular album. We see that many genres and songs have been studied by the
linguists but Evermore has not been analysed yet. The main objective is to explore the varieties of
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stylistic devices used in the language to portray the exact meaning of the lyrics and how they
interact to make the lyrics come to mean what they mean. The album Evermore is an alternate rock
and chamber rock piece characterized by an emphasis on melody and texture. The New York Times
in 1989 stated that “alternative rock” is “guitar music first of all, with guitars that blastout power
chords, pick out chiming riffs, buzz with fuzztone and squeal in feedback”. This genre lean towards
social concern, such as drug use, depression, suicide and environmentalism. This attitude towards
music developed an image of the social and economic strains in the United States and United
Kingdom during the 1980s and 1990s. “Chamber rock” or “chamber pop” is a style of rock music
illustrated by giving weight on melody and texture. During the 90s, chamber rock developed as a
subgenre of indie rock or indie pop in which the musicians combatted towards alternate or modern
rock elements such as distorted guitars, lo-fi aesthetic, etc.

1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objective of this study is to analyze the use of stylistic devices, focused on figurative
languages, rhyme, smile, metaphor, repetition, hyperbole, that were activated in the lyrics of the
songs, in order to specify the verses created by the songwriter which could be the chief aspects
behind the people’s attraction towards the artist.

1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is focused on the stylistic analysis in selected lyrics of Taylor Swift’s 2020 album
Evermore. Song lyrics are chosen from six popular songs of the album which made their place in
the Billboards 200. The songs- Willow; Champagne Problems; Gold Rush;‘Tis the Damn Season;
Tolerate it; No Body, No Crime have been taken from Swift’s youtube account TaylorSwift for the
research. The songs in the album do not display the entire American music genres, however
‘alternate rock’ and ‘chamber rock/pop’ are an important part of the music industry and they give
us a gist of the stylistic devices that have been employed in the lyrics of the genres.
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 CONCEPT OF STYLISTIC ANALYSIS

Stylistics is that branch of linguistics which study the style of language. A persuasive question that
attacks a linguist’s mind is “Why was this form of expression chosen in the context of use?”.
Riffaterre (1959) says “..understood as an emphasis (expressive, affective or aesthetic) added to
the information conveyed by the linguistic structure, without alteration of meaning”. Stylistics has
never ceased to disappoint the linguists and it has changed over the years and it plays a pivotal role
in today’s linguistic world. Simpson (1997) says, “Stylistics is a method of applied language study
which uses textual analysis to make discoveries about the structure and function of language”.

Stylistics help readers from any community to have various interpretations in an effective way
because it does not limit the reader’s knowledge to one single interpretation. Simpson (1997) also
gave, “Any interpretation of a piece of language is conditioned by three key factors. The first is to
do with what’s in the language itself, the second with what’s in the context of communication,
while the third is to do with what’s in your head (that is, the assumptions knowledge you bring to
a text)”.

Although many songs and genres of Beatles and Oasis have been analysed by many researchers
before, Taylor Swift’s Evermore has not been analysed yet.

The student has chosen two major attributes, specifically ‘figurative language’ and phonetics, in
terms of ‘rhyme and repetition.’ Figurative language is picked to determine and study the use of
similes, metaphors, irony, idioms, etc. Moreover, rhyme and repetition is chosen so as to see how
the lyrics sound so captivating.
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2.2 FRAMEWORK OF STYLISTIC ANALYSIS

2.2.1 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Figurative language denotes the way in which word strays from the traditional way,
resulting in a picturesque view created by the creator. It speaks of something usual but
without stating it straightforwardly.

There are different types of figurative speech and it has become a part of our daily life.
Some of them are discussed below:

2.2.1.1 SIMILE

A simile is that figure of speech which compares two totally different things and joins
them together using ‘like’ or ‘as.’ It is made with the purpose of making a spark in the
reader’s mind.
Examples:
She is as cold as ice.
That girl is trying to walk like a peacock.

2.2.1.2 METAPHOR
Metaphors are somewhat similar to simile as they also compare two things. But here they
do not use the terms ‘like’ and ‘as’. It is a more complex phenomenon compared to simile
as the reader has to have a prior knowledge of the terms being mentioned.

Examples:
Love is a battlefield.
You are my sunshine.
Time is money.

2.2.1.3 HYPERBOLE

‘I have told you a million times to clean the table’. By reading this sentence, we know
that it is not possible for someone to say ‘million times’ to clean the table. This type of
figurative language deals with the extreme use of exaggeration. The use of this type of
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words is frequent and we use it without even knowing it. These are called hyperbole.
Examples:
You are so thin you can pass through the gaps of rainfall.
I would die for you.
That man is as tall as a tree.

2.2.1.4 PERSONIFICATION

Personification is a type of figurative language in which a non-living thing is given the

traits of a human form. It is a branch of metaphor that deals with the human elements and
feelings by comparing it with inanimate things.

Examples:
My alarm yelled at me this morning.
The door stared at me.
The car stopped with a groaning complaint.
My hostel room must be missing me.

2.2.1.5 ONOMATOPOEIA

Onomatopoeic words add reality to the meaning. They are the imitation of the words that
are mentioned. There are two types of onomatopoeic words- lexical and non-lexical.

Examples:
The door cracked. (lexical)
Cow moos. (non-lexical)
Ssssh! Quiet. (non-lexical)

2.2.1.6 ALLITERATION

Alliteration is a figurative language which is concerned with the initial consonants of

neighboring syllables or sounds. The consonant sounds of two or more neighboring
words are repeated.
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Examples :
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Green grass.
Dunkin’ Donuts.

2.2.1.7 IMAGERIES

Imageries are use of words which depict the original picture vividly. They help in the
formation of mental images which gives birth to attachment towards the picture.

Examples :
The girl is as pretty as a flower.
The lake was left shivering by the touch of the morning wind.

2.2.2 RHYME

Rhyme is a literary device and it is found mostly in poetry and songs. It can be denoted by
the final syllables of words, where the syllables are in a rhyming pattern. It is quite
dominant in songs and poetry and keeps the audience attracted and it makes the lines more
beautiful. Butler and Newman (2008) suggested that, “Rhyme is when two or more lines
of lyrics or poetry end with the same corresponding sound, which enables the singers or
listeners to remember the words more easily”. A variety of rhyme schemes can be seen in
poetry and songs. Some of the prominent ones are couplet AA, BB, CC or ABBA, triplet
AAA, monorhyme (where all lines have the same rhyme end). And there are also some
complex rhyme schemes like Terza Rima ABA, BCB, CDC, Keats ABABCDECDE,
Shakespearean sonnet scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, and so on and so forth. A number
of other rhyme schemes are also there-namely-masculine rhyme, feminine rhyme, perfect
rhyme, forced rhyme, alliteration, etc.

2.2.3 REPETITION

Repetition is a major phonetic device in song lyrics. It makes poems songs appealing with
its rhythmic sense. Repetition does not only mean a copy of the same words, it can also be
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seen as a rhetorical device - where words are given emphasis. It is done so that the audience
can see how the creator has given more weight to those words, as if he is making requests-
which makes it even more tempting. The prime aim is not how many times the event has
occurred, but how it has affected the creator’s life which shows a series of sensations.
Repetition can also be found in the chorus section of songs and it is basically called as the
lyrical ‘hook’ since it keeps lingering in our heads and thus ends up ‘hooking’ us up to the
song.

2.2.4 CLITICS

Clitics are the words or parts of a word which are dependent on the neighboring word to
convey its meaning. There are two types of clitics, proclitic and enclitic. Enclitics are the
ones which follow the word such as ’ll in I’ll. Proclitics are the conjoined letters at the
beginning. We see enclitic far more than proclitic in print form.

Examples :

Is not it ?- isn’t it? (enclitic)

He is, She is - He’s, she’s (enclitic)
It is - ‘Tis (proclitic)
It would - ‘Twould (proclitic)
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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 DATA AND MATERIALS

The data of this study are the six songs of the album Evermore. It was released in the month of
December in 2020. The artist was selected because the student is a fangirl and the songs of this
album were a hit, lifting the heavy hearts of the crowd from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
(2020). All of the data were taken from the artist’s youtube channel TaylorSwift and the lyrics were
retrieved from her youtube channel and some from Musixmatch (online surf). The selected singles
are willow, champagne problems, gold rush, ‘tis the damn season, tolerate it and no body, no crime
(ft. Haim).
Since the objective was to study the stylistic devices that are employed in the songs, the lyrics have
been directly taken from the internet. The songs have outstanding stylistic devices which were
analyzed in this research, figurative language, rhyme and repetition.

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN

Descriptive approach is taken in this research. Discourse analysis is also taken into account which
portrays the important features that are getting pictured in the verses.

3.3 RESULTS
This research was done to study the stylistic devices that are depicted in this album of the 21st
century. The student has followed the methodology that has been discussed in Chapter 2. The study
was done based on the lyrics in a verbal manner and it excludes accent and sound effects.
After analyzing the mentioned songs, the following features have been mainly spotted out :
● Figurative language (simile, antonym, metaphor, hyperbole)
● Rhyme
● Repetition
A less commonly featured characteristic include imageries.
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CHAPTER 4
BACKGROUND OF THE SELECTED SONGS AND THEIR ANALYSIS

A special research is done on the background of the artist and also the circumstances under which
the songs are written. The stories that are portrayed are seen through the eyes of the researcher and
any other interpretation is also highly encouraged. The student has chosen different colors to
represent different figurative languages, such as dark cornflower blue 3 for simile, dark purple 1
for metaphor, grey for clitics, dark red 2 for hyperbole, dark magenta 1 for alliteration, black
for imagery, dark yellow 3 for antonym, dark yellow 2 for onomatopoeic words and bold letters
are used for the rhyme schemes and cornflower blue for repetition.

4.1 WILLOW

The song is filled with lots of surprises. However, there is a golden string that keeps Swift attached
to her dear one which she follows till the end to find her beloved. It is a love song driven by picked
guitars and it is coupled with glockenspiel (an instrument). The song is solely based on casting a
love spell and it begins with a metaphor - comparing life to a willow tree.

(Image : Wikipedia)
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[Verse 1]
I'm like the water when your ship rolled in that night
Rough on the surface, but you cut through like a knife
And if it was an open-shut case
I never would have known from the look on your face
Lost in your current like a priceless wine

As can be seen above, the lyricist (Swift) has used simile in these two lines. She has compared
herself to ‘water’. The narrator has used a metaphor ‘your ship’, which denotes her lover. And she
has continued the metaphor by terming him as ‘rough’ and she has converted it to simile by
comparing the lover to a ‘knife’ which cuts the ‘water’(her) smoothly.
Here, she has used an antonym ‘open-shut’, which means it is a case which can be easily solved.
We can see one more simile here- where she has compared the existence of her lover to a
‘priceless wine.’ A couplet AA is seen in ‘face’ and ‘case’.

[Verse 2]
Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind
Head on the pillow, I can feel you sneakin' in
As if you were a mythical thing
Like you were a trophy or a champion ring
And there was one prize I'd cheat to win

She begins with a metaphor by associating life to a willow tree. She says that her life was like a
willow tree and that tree had been bending to her lover’s side. She has also used a clitic - sneakin’.
Taylor has compared her lover to a mythical thing, a trophy and a champion ring- which is giving
us a sense of hyperbole. Rhyme scheme: AABBA.

[Verse 3]
Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark
Show me the places where the others gave you scars
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Now this is an open-shut case

Guess I should've known from the look on your face
Every bait and switch was a work of art

The antonym ‘open-shut’ has been used again in Verse 3. The narrator has used two metaphors
by saying ‘show me the places where the other gave you scars’. It does not really mean ‘scars’.
She wants to take revenge on the people who have hurt her lover. She has also compared ‘bait
and switch’ to art. Repetition of the rhyme scheme AA is seen in this verse, case and face.

[Chorus]
The more that you say the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man
You know that my train can take you home
Anywhere else is hollow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man

John Lennon once said, “The more I see, the less I know”. Example - The better someone
understands physics, the more they understand how much is yet to be understood about our
universe. In this scenario, Swift has said that the more the lover tells her about things, the less she
will know because she knows that there are things yet to be discovered. Swift has used another
hyperbole in this verse. She said that only her train could take him to a safe place and every other
place other than hers is depressing and valueless. There is an interesting rhyme scheme going on
in here- a triplet AAA hand, plans, man and it occurs in repetition.
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4.2 CHAMPAGNE PROBLEMS

Champagne Problems is a story of a complicated girlfriend who turns down her lover’s marriage
proposal. It is the second track of her album, Evermore. The song was written by Swift and Joe
Alwyn and produced by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner. The song tells us a story of longtime
college sweethearts who had life-changing plans for the night. One wants to end it and the other
wants to propose for a marriage.

[Verse 1]

You booked the night train for a reason

So you could sit there in this hurt
Bustling crowds or silent sleepers
You're not sure which is worse

Here, the plot is how her lover has booked a train to propose to her. He knew that he would be
rejected still he sat there with her. She has used the onomatopoeic word ‘bustling’ to refer to the
busy crowd and she is not sure whether it is the crowd or the ‘alliteration’ silent sleeper which is
disturbing her lover. Another alliteration ‘which is worse’ has also been used.
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[Chorus]

Because I dropped your hand while dancing

Left you out there standing
Crestfallen on the landing
Champagne problems
Your mom's ring in your pocket
My picture in your wallet
Your heart was glass, I dropped it
Champagne problems

A rejected proposal! That is what we see in this chorus. The first line carries a double meaning.
The storyteller neither held the man’s hand while dancing nor took his hand for marriage and that
left him with a ring and a broken heart. Triplet AAA can be seen in the first three lines and another
triplet is seen in AAA (pocket, wallet, it). And there is a repetition of “champagne problems” in
line 4 and 8. A metaphor can also be seen in this chorus. The narrator has compared her lover’s
heart to a glass which she broke by rejecting him.

[Verse 2]

You told your family for a reason

You couldn't keep it in
Your sister splashed out on the bottle
Now no one's celebrating

The first verse suggests that the lover knew that he would be rejected. Even then he told his
family about her, which made the scenario worse. Repetition ‘you’ can be seen in the first two
lines. An alliteration ‘sister splashed’ is being used which shows the situation that is going on in
the lover’s family.
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[Chorus]

Dom Pérignon, you brought it

No crowd of friends applauded
Your hometown skeptics called it
Champagne problems
You had a speech, you're speechless
Love slipped beyond your reaches
And I couldn't give a reason
Champagne problems

Dom Pérignon is a very popular, expensive brand of champagne, definitely a "big name." In this
chorus, we can see a rhyme scheme triplet AAA and a couplet AA. The title of the song has been
repeated in this chorus again ‘champagne problems.’ Her lover prepared a speech for her which
he could never express. The man’s friends and hometown people booed at him for getting rejected
and the narrator could not give a reason behind this nonchalant behavior
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4.3 GOLD RUSH

The song is about a man who is very good looking and wanted by lots of women. She nurtured her
feelings only to know that the relationship was not possible in real life. Taylor said: “Which takes
place inside a single daydream where you get lost in thought for a minute and then snap out of it”
in a youtube live session.

[Intro]
Gleaming, twinkling
Eyes like sinking
Ships on waters
So inviting I almost jump in

The narrator is talking about a guy that she has fallen in love with. She has used adjectives like
gleaming and twinkling to describe the man. She has used a simile where she has compared his
beloved’s eyes to sinking water. A rhyme scheme AAA (triplet) can be seen in the first two lines.
Figurative language metaphor has also been used in the intro. The narrator has compared the man
to ships on waters and it is so captivating that she wants to jump in, which by all means is a
hyperbole.
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[Chorus]
I don’t like a gold rush, gold rush
I don’t like anticipating my face in a red flush
I don’t like that anyone would die to feel your touch
Everybody wants you
Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you
Walk past, quick brush
I don’t like slow motion, double vision in rose blush
I don’t like that falling feels like flying till the bone crush
Everybody wants you
But I don’t like a gold rush

Figure. Harry Styles

The narrator Taylor Swift is rumored to have narrated this song to her ex-lover, Harry Styles. We
see a repetition of ‘gold rush’ in this chorus and a rhyme scheme AA AB BA AA BA. An
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interesting hyperbole is featured in this chorus ‘die to feel your touch’ which we all know is not
possible.

[Verse 1]
What must it be like to grow up that beautiful?
With your hair falling into place like dominos
I see me padding across your wooden floors
With my Eagles t-shirt hanging from the door

She asks the question “What must it feel like to be born so beautiful?”, which is a repetition and it
is also in the second verse. She has used a simile by comparing his hair to dominos. Also a couplet
is being used in this verse ‘floors’ and ‘door.’

[Verse 2]
What must it be like to grow up that beautiful?
With your hair falling into place like dominos
My mind turns your life into folklore
I can’t dare to dream about you anymore
At dinner parties I won’t call you out on your contrarian shit
And the coastal town we never found will never see a love as pure as it
‘Cause it fades into the gray of my day old tea
‘Cause it will never be

The narrator has ended the second verse with a repetition of the first two lines from the previous
verse. A metaphor ‘turn your life into folklore’ is used which means that the narrator has turned
her beloved’s life into a story from the past. And ‘folklore’ is also the name of Taylor Swift’s
previous album. She has also used the simile ‘love as pure’ and a rhyme scheme of couplet
AABBCC can also be seen vividly. Repetition ‘cause it’ can also be seen in the last two lines.
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4.4 ’TIS THE DAMN SEASON

The album ‘Evermore’ was released during the Christmas season. And the song ‘tis the damn damn
season is a beautifully created piece which talks about people leaving their hometown and coming
back for Christmas. This song begins with a clitic ‘it is’ and it is a story about Dorothea, a small
town girl who leaves her people to chase Hollywood dreams and rediscovers an old flame when
she comes back. Rumors suggest that Dorothea may be Taylor Swift herself while she was growing
up or it may also portray Selena Gomez, her friend. This truth behind this song is yet to be
confirmed.

[Verse 1]
If I wanted to know who you were hanging with
While I was gone, I would have asked you
It's the kind of cold, fogs up windshield glass
But I felt it when I passed you
There's an ache in you, put there by the ache in me
 21

But if it's all the same to you

It's the same to me

Here, the narrator is telling about her childhood friend. She told him that she would have asked
him if she wanted to know who he was hanging out with. A perfect use of imagery can be seen in
this verse ‘fogs up windshield glass’. We can see a complex use of challenges faced by humans in
life. The narrator is speaking about the pains and struggles that her friend is going through, which
she understands. A rhyme scheme AABAB is going on in the last four lines.

[Chorus]
So we could call it even
You could call me "babe" for the weekend
'Tis the damn season, write this down
I'm stayin' at my parents' house
And the road not taken looks real good now
And it always leads to you in my hometown

The chorus begins with a couplet rhyme scheme AA and a range of clitics it is, stayin’ and parents’
are used. We all have read “Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and it speaks about how the road
which is deep and dark is rarely visited by people. It can be implicated in real life as well, where
people tend to take the easier routes to achieve success in life. It is used as a metaphor in this
chorus. People do not take the scary path as they fear failure. Here, Taylor Swift says that the road
which was dark and scary once once looks fine now and it will always lead to a warm place - a
place like home and it is a hyperbole because she has used the term ‘in my hometown’. She wants
her lover to end up in her hometown.

[Verse 2]
I parkеd my car right between the Methodist
And thе school that used to be ours
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The holidays linger like bad perfume

You can run, but only so far
I escaped it too, remember how you watched me leave
But if it's okay with you, it's okay with me

Pennsylvania Swifties (swift fans) have confirmed that there is a place called Methodist. A simile
can be seen in this verse ‘holidays linger like bad perfume’. You love your home place whether it
be a bad or a good perfume. There is a repetition in the last line “it’s okay with”. The verse suggests
that if her hometown lover is happy with her leaving the town, the narrator also finds satisfaction
in his happiness.
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4.5 TOLERATE IT
“I feel like there are so many of my loved ones and friends and fans who, they’re in the LGBTQ
community and they have to go through life either being verbally or vocally judged and criticized,”
Swift said. “Or wondering if the people around them are silently judging them. Or wondering if
the people around them are just tolerating the way that they are. And I think that’s really unfair.”
(CheatSheet)
Also, there are some other parts which may picture a romantic tale or a family relationship.

(Image:Wikipedia)
[Verse 1]
I sit and watch you reading with your head low
I wake and watch you breathing with your eyes closed
I sit and watch you
I notice everything you do or don’t do
You’re so much older and wiser and I

In the first verse, we see a repetition in the first three lines ‘sit and watch you’ and ‘wake and watch
you’. A charming metaphor ‘breathing with your eyes’ is used, we all know we do not breathe
with our ours. But the narrator is living her life with her eyes. She has also used an antonym to
decide whether to do it or not after noticing everything.
 24

[Chorus]
I wait by the door like I’m just a kid
Use my best colors for your portrait
Lay the table with the fancy shit
And watch you tolerate it
If it’s all in my head tell me now
Tell me I’ve got it wrong somehow
I know my love should be celebrated
But you tolerate it

The narrator has used a simile by comparing herself to a little kid. She has used some mesmerizing
imageries of portrait and a fancy table cloth. A rhyme scheme is also seen in the pattern
AAAABBAA.

[Verse 2]
I greet you with a battle hero’s welcome
I take your indiscretions all in good fun
I sit and listеn I polish plates until they gleam and glistеn
You’re so much older and wiser and I

The addressor is giving her addressee a battle hero’s welcome, which is a metaphor. Alliteration
‘gleam’ and ‘glisten’ is used to make the line more captivating. The narrator keeps on repeating
how older and wiser the addressee is in the entire song which plays the role of a repetition.
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4.6 NO BODY, NO CRIME (ft. HAIM)

The song was written and recorded by TS (Taylor Swift) herself, with the help of Aaron Dessner,
who is the producer of Evermore. We can hear guest vocals of the American rock band Haim. The
song tells an interesting macabre. It tells about the narrator’s friend, Este, who is suspected to be
murdered by her husband in favour of his mistress. To take revenge, the narrator murders the
husband and drops his body in the lake framing the mistress. Este is named after Este Haim.

[Intro]
He did it
He did it

The song begins with a repetition ‘he did it’.

[Verse 1]

Este’s a friend of mine

Who need a bed every Tuesday night for dinner and a glass of wine
 26

Este’s been losin’ sleep

Her husband’s been actin’ different, and it smells like infidelity
She says, “That ain’t my merlot on his mouth”
That ain’t my jewelry on our joint account
No, there ain’t no doubt
I think I’m gonna call him out

The narrator denotes that her friend, Este needs a bed every Tuesday night for dinner and a glass
of wine. The narrator has repeated ‘Este’ once again by saying that she has been losing sleep due
to her husband. Este thinks that her husband is cheating on her because the merlot (a black wine)
that he had been drinking is not Este's. Este also knew about the jewelry that was in their joint
account and she was hoping to call him out. Here, we see repetition ‘Este’, clitics losin’ and actin’,
alliteration merlot and mouth, and jewelry and joint. In the first two lines, we see a couplet AA
and in the last three a triplet BBB.

[Chorus]
She says, “I think he did it, but I just can’t prove it”
I think he did it, but I just can’t prove it
I think he did it, but I just can’t prove it
I think he did it, but I just can’t prove it
No, no body, no crime
But I ain’t lettin’ up until the day I die

The narrator says that Este knew about the jewelry and everything that was going on with her
husband but she did not have the evidence to prove it. Rhyme scheme: AA AAA. We see the use
of clitics in this chorus as well, ain’t and lettin’.
[Post-Chorus]
No, no
I think he did it
No, no
He did it
 27

In this chorus, the narrator has used repetition no and he did it, and a rhyme scheme ABAB.

[Verse 2]
Este wasn’t there, doozy night at Olivе Garden
Not a job around anyway
He reports as missin’, why?
And I noticе when I pass his house
His truck got some new tires
And his mistress moved in
Sleeps in Este’s bed and everything
Ooh, there ain’t no doubt
Somebody’s gonna catch him out, ’cause

In this verse, we see the story of Este getting murdered by her husband. Este’s husband filed a
missing report that his wife was missing. But that very night, the mistress moved in and slept in
Este’s bed. The narrator knew that her friend was killed by her husband and now she has to do
something. Olive Garden was the place where Este was supposed to be. The environment was
‘doozy’ which is an onomatopoeia. Clitics missin’ and ain’t and two couplets AA BB can be seen
in this verse.

[Verse 3]
Good thing my daddy made me get a boat and licence when I was fifteen
And I’ve cleaned enough houses to cover up a scene
Good thing Este’s gonna swear she was with me
Good thing his mistress took out a big life insurance policy

This verse is about how the narrator is taking revenge on the husband. Repetition ‘good thing’ and
rhyme scheme AA is used in this verse.
 28

[Chorus]
They think she did it, but they just can’t prove it
They think she did it, but they just can’t prove it
She think I did it, but she just can’t prove it
No, no body, no crime
I wasn’t lettin’ up until the day he
No, no body, no crime
I wasn’t lettin’ up until the day he
No, no body, no crime
I wasn’t lettin’ up until the day he died

This chorus is filled with repetition and rhyme scheme. Everyone thinks that the mistress killed
the husband but they cannot prove it. But the mistress knew that the narrator did the plot. Clitics
wasn’t and lettin’, rhyme scheme AAAA in the first two lines. The last verses are the same two
lines in repetition.
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CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION & REFERENCES

5.1 CONCLUSION
The purpose of the research was to study the figurative language, rhyme and repetition that is being
pictured by the lyricist. By examining the songs it is seen that:
1. The results depict a high range of figurative speech, especially metaphor.
2. The contents were based on her family, friend, lover, murder mystery, a difficult girl,
christmas season and LGBTQ too.
3. Phonetic devices rhyme and repetition were pictured in such a way that it helped in the
gathering of the audience.
4. The overall result suggests that it can be a great advantage for the people who want to learn
the English language.

Finally, despite the circumstances that go into painting a hit song, the use of stylistic devices -
figurative language especially metaphor, rhyme, repetition - were very effective tools for the
songwriting of Taylor Swift. That is the reason why her fans keep increasing. This small-scale
study can be carried on further by increasing the number of song lyrics and conducting more
comparisons with other genres of music, and also extending the number of years in chronological
order in order to contribute richer findings.
The research findings would help researchers who are into the field of Stylistics to
investigate English song lyrics or further related topics.

5.2 REFERENCES

1. Turner, H. (Ed.). (2009). The (R)evolutionary lyrics of The Beatles: A Stylistic Exploration
into the Evolution of The Beatles' British Singles. Critical Commentary: The Student
Journal of Newman University College, 2, 70. Retrieved from
http://www.newman.ac.uk/files/w3/research/pdf/Critical%20Commentary%20Vol2%20
No1%20-%20Spring%202009.pdf
 30

2. Riffaterre, M. (1959). Criteria for Style Analysis. WORD, 15(1), 154-174.

doi:10.1080/00437956.1959.11659690
3. Simpson, P. (1997). Language Through Literature: An Introduction. London, EC4P 4EE:
Routledge.
4. Butler, A., & Newman, A. (2008). The effects of using music and rhyme to increase
retention. (Master of Education), Kennesaw State University, Georgia.
5. Image Source : Wikipedia
6. Lyrics : Youtube and Musixmatch, genius.com.