What is an example of irony within a song?

1 Answer
Sep 15, 2016

A lot of songs just have ironic lyrics...

Explanation:

"Dear God" by XTC has ironic lyrics: The singer is telling God why he has become an atheist. A lot of songs employ ironic lyrics..

Other songs have lyrics that tell one story and music that tells another:

  • Donna Fargo's "Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" has sappy, upbeat lyrics and a downbeat melody that sounds almost suicidal. I don't think she's happy.

  • Black 47's song "Funky Ceile" tells the heart-rending story of a man forced to leave Ireland and his beloved pregnant girlfriend, but the upbeat ceile rhythms clue us in that it's the best thing that could ever have happened to him.

  • "Never Ever" by the 90s girl group All Saints tells the story of a
    penitent girl who will do anything to get back into the good graces of the boyfriend she let down, but the music video makes it pretty clear that she's not repentant, she doesn't want him back, and to emphasize the point, she has set his car on fire.