Ambiguity and Allegory

People Are Crazy by Billy Currington

This old man and me, were at the bar and we
Were having us some beers and swappin' I dont cares
Talking politics, blonde and redhead chicks
Old dogs and new tricks, and habits we aint kicked

We talked about Gods grace, and all the hell we raised
Then I heard the ol' man say
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy

He said I fought two wars, been married and divorced
What brings you to Ohio, he said damned if I know
We talked an hour or two, bout every girl we knew
What all we put them through, like two old boys will do

We pondered life and death, he lit a cigarette
Said these damn things will kill me yet
But God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy

Last call is two am, I said goodbye to him
I never talked to him again

Then one sunny day, I saw the old mans face
Front page obituary, he was a millionaree
He left his fortune to, some guy he barely knew
His kids were mad as hell, but me, Im doing well
And I dropped by today, to just say thanks and pray
And I left a six-pack right there on his grave
And i said, God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy

God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy

God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy

This song shows ambiguity because the singer says "people are crazy." It does not refer to a specific person, group of people, or anyone specific. The "people" is very ambiguous and can be anyone that is crazy or is thought to be crazy.


She's Everything by Brad Paisley

She's a yellow pair of running shoes
A holey pair of jeans
She looks great in cheap sunglasses
She looks great in anything
She's I want a piece of chocolate
Take me to a movie
She's I can't find a thing to wear
Now and then she's moody

She's a Saturn with a sunroof
With her brown hair a-blowing
She's a soft place to land
And a good feeling knowing
She's a warm conversation
That I wouldn't miss for nothing
She's a fighter when she's mad
And she's a lover when she's loving

[Chorus]
And she's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
I talk about her, I go on and on and on
'Cause she's everything to me

She's a Saturday out on the town
And a church girl on Sunday
She's a cross around her neck
And a cuss word 'cause its Monday
She's a bubble bath and candles
Baby come and kiss me
She's a one glass of wine
And she's feeling kinda tipsy

She's the giver I wish I could be
And the stealer of the covers
She's a picture in my wallet
Of my unborn children's mother
She's the hand that I'm holding
When I'm on my knees and praying
She's the answer to my prayer
And she's the song that I'm playing

[Repeat chorus]

She's the voice I love to hear
Someday when I'm ninety
She's that wooden rocking chair
I want rocking right beside me
Everyday that passes
I only love her more
Yeah, she's the one
That I'd lay down my own life for

And she's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
She's everything to me
Yeah she's everything to me

Everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
She's everything to me

This song uses allegory because the artist says the girl he is in love with is all of these different things, like a pair of running shoes, but she actually isn't a pair of shoes, he is using objects to describe a personality trait that she has that he loves about her.

Paradox Song

Breathe by Taylor Swift

I see your face in my mind as I drive away,
Cause none of us thought it was gonna end that way.
People are people,
And sometimes we change our minds.
But it’s killing me to see you go after all this time.

Mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm

Music starts playin’ like the end of a sad movie,
It’s the kinda ending you don’t really wanna see.
Cause it’s tragedy and it’ll only bring you down,
Now I don’t know what to be without you around.

And we know it’s never simple,
Never easy.
Never a clean break, noone here to save me.
You’re the only thing I know like the back of my hand,
And I can’t,
Breathe,
Without you,
But I have to,
Breathe,
Without you,
But I have to.

Never wanted this, never wanna see you hurt.
Every little bump in the road I tried to swerve.
But people are people,
And sometimes it doesn’t work out,
Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fall out.

And we know it’s never simple,
Never easy.
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.
You’re the only thing I know like the back of my hand,
And I can’t,
Breathe,
Without you,
But I have to,
Breathe,
Without you,
But I have to.

It’s two a.m.
Feelin' like I just lost a friend.
Hope you know it’s not easy,
Easy for me.
It’s two a.m.
Feelin’ like I just lost a friend.
Hope you know this ain’t easy,
Easy for me.

And we know it’s never simple,
Never easy.
Never a clean break, noone here to save me.

Ohhh

I can’t,
Breathe,
Without you,
But I have to,
Breathe,
Without you,
But I have to.

Sorry (oh) Sorry (mmm)
Sorry (eh eh) Sorry (mmm)
Sorry (eh eh) Sorry (mmm)
Sorry

This song shows paradox because Taylor Swift says she can't breathe without him but she has to to live. By saying she can't breathe without him but then saying she has to breathe without him contradicts herself, resulting in a paradox.