SONG ANALYSIS “FIREWORK” by KATY PERRY

 

1.      Song Lyrics

 

Firework

Katy Perry

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag

Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin

Like a house of cards, one blow from cavin' in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep?

Six feet under screams, but no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you?

'Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light

And let it shine

Just own the night

Like the Fourth of July

'Cause baby, you're a firework

Come on, show 'em what you're worth

Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh"

As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework

Come on, let your colors burst

Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh"

You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

You don't have to feel like a waste of space

You're original, cannot be replaced

If you only knew what the future holds

After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed

So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road

Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow

And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light

And let it shine

Just own the night

Like the Fourth of July

'Cause baby, you're a firework

Come on, show 'em what you're worth

Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh"

As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework

Come on, let your colors burst

Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh"

You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

Boom, boom, boom

Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

It's always been inside of you, you, you

And now it's time to let it through

'Cause baby, you're a firework

Come on, show 'em what you're worth

Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh"

As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework

Come on, let your colors burst

Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh"

You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

Boom, boom, boom

Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

Boom, boom, boom

Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

 

2.      Figurative Language Analysis

 

a.       Simile

“Do you ever feel like a plastic bag

Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?”

This is a simile because comparing feelings and emotions to what it would feel like to be a plastic bag, getting blow around by the wind. This is mean that sometimes people would feel worthless, having no choices in life, and being moved by the circumstances of life

“Wanting to start again”, refers to the mistakes or regrets that are affecting a person emotionally, or problems life threw at a person that they can’t escape because of the past in order to start off.

“Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?”

This line referring to reality, when so much happened to the person that that become extremely sensitive and emotionally on one small change or disappointment sends them into a breakdown

“Just own the night like the fourth of July”

This simile compares to the fourth of July, that means marks the annual event of Independence Day, that means that there would be most likely fireworks. How a person should pretend that they’re the one of those fireworks. In other words, let the night be yours and do what makes you happy not the other way around

“You don’t have to feel like a waste of space”

This simile compares to how a person would feel worthless and having nothing to offer to the world. It saying how once a person shows their true personality, they won’t feel like a waste of space anymore because they will finally be able to be true to themselves

 

“Like a lighting bolt, your heart will glow”

This simile compares showing one’s personality to the lightning in the sky: your true self will glow as bright as lightning in the sky

 

b.      Metaphor

 

“Baby, you’re a firework”

This is metaphor because its referring to a person as a firework and it isn’t humanely possible to be a firework. It compares how people’s jaws drop in awe when watching a firework, to a person being a “firework” it means that they are unique

“Come on let your colours burst”

This is metaphor comparing colours to the unique, multiple, and bright personality traits of a person

 

c.       Onomatopoeia

 

“Boom, boom, boom”

This is an onomatopoeia as it emphasizes the sudden “explosion” of a person’s true emotions and personality. It shows that once a person shows others their inner beauty, they’ll no longer have to hide their feelings, thoughts and personality and they’ll feel like sudden weight was lifted off their shoulders. Encourages shy and reserved people to break free from the grasp of having no self confidence and meeting new people instead of hiding in the shadows of others

 

d.      Symbolism

 

“Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed

So, you could open one that leads you to the perfect road”

This is symbolism because the door is representing opportunities and choices that occur in life. The road is representing the future, after going through difficulties, having problems and facing it in life, a person may think that there are no opportunities left or they could never reach their goal and they have nowhere left to go. The singer here says that the reason doesn’t want to lead a person astray to other paths and that the perfect road where they want to get to in life will come in the right time

“If you only knew what the future holds

After a hurricane comes a rainbow”

We can’t know exactly what will happen in the future because there are many unpredictable factors, this line is an example of symbolism uses the term of hurricane to symbolize hardships, troubles, and problems. The rainbow is symbolized to hope and happiness. This is telling people who are going through the times and never give up. No matter how terrible the situation is, don’t give up because there are always better times, you may not feel your life will turn around but it will

 

e.       Idiom

 

“Cause there’s a spark in you”

The word “spark” doesn’t mean that your insides are literally going to start on fire, that word means that there’s potential and the word “fire” inside of you that is going and motivate you to stand up for what you believe

 

f.        Personification

 

“If you only knew what the future holds”

Because the future can’t actually hold anything, so it is being given human qualities

 

3.      Tone, Mood, and Theme

 

a.       Tone

 

The tone of this song is motivated, this is shown in how the singer clearly wants people to be happy and have a positive self-image. The tone is shown in how the singer obviously feels motivated to help people see themselves as they really are

 

b.      Mood

 

The mood of this song is determined to make people believe in themselves and also sounds very sure that people are important. This is shown through the theme of throwing self- esteem

 

c.       Theme

 

The theme of this song is that you can throw off your low self- esteem and your doubts about yourself and amaze others with what you can do. The theme of this song is also to make people to always believe in themselves and just be yourself because you are you, which is unique and beautiful. This song tells people to be optimistic because every problem has a solution and one day the closed doors will open

 

4.      Sound Patterns

 

a.       Alliteration

 

“Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?”

Because “wind” and “wanting” both start with the letter “w”

 

 

“Cause baby, you’re a firework

Come on, show ‘em what you’re worth”

Because the words “work”, “what”, and “worth” all begin with the letter “w”

 

 

“Come on, let your colors burst”

The words “come” and “colors” both are start with the letter “c”

 

“Six feet under, Scream, but no one

Seems to hear a thing”

The words “six”, “scream”, “seems” are started with the same repeating “s” sound

 

b.      Assonance

 

“Cause baby, you’re a firework

Come on, show ‘em what you’re worth”

The words “work” and “worth” of the “er” sound

 

“Maybe you’re the reason why all the doors are closed

So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road”

There is assonance in the end of each these lines, the words “closed” and “road” both have the same “o” sound

 

c.       Rhyme

 

“Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin,

Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?”

In the end of each these lines, there is true rhyme because the words “thin” and “in” rhyme

 

“Six feet under screams, but no one seems to hear a thing”

There is an internal rhyme in the words “screams” and “seems”

 

“You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine,

Just own the night like the fourth of July”

An internal rhyme is found in the words “ignite” and “light”. Also, a true rhyme between “light” and “night”

 

“Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow

And when it’s you’ll know”

An end rhyme in the words “blow” and “know” rhyme