Page 89 - Song Maps - A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics - Simon Hawkins

Map 7 - Literal/Figurative
Our final Map is Literal/Figurative, which is also a great Map for telling stories.
Literal/Figurative is fascinating because, although it's one of the most challenging to get right, it is potentially one of the most powerful Maps.
If you think back to the stories that your remember from your childhood–Aesop's fables, the parables of Jesus in the Bible, CS Lewis–these are all works that have stood the test of time. And the same techniques that gave these works their longevity are available to us today.
I say it's among the most challenging Song Maps to get right because it really does need an effective, rock- solid, watertight metaphor or simile to make it work. The risk you run, therefore, is that if the chosen figurative language proves not to be effective, your lyric could fall down. But it's all totally doable.
So I'd encourage you to give this a try because, while it might be a bit more challenging, the rewards are so great. Once you have mastered this Map, the quality of your writing will go up exponentially.
Just to remind us:
Literal language uses words or phrases to state facts as they are. It paints a picture of the physical or emotional place the singer is singing from.
Figurative language uses words or phrases to mean something different from their literal meaning and includes metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, or symbolism.
Given its ability to paint wonderful pictures, Literal/Figurative can be used in all genres of music. However, some of the best examples can be found in Country, Southern Gospel, Pop and Musicals and Jazz.
What does Literal/Figurative look like?
The exact pattern of Literal/Figurative can take a variety of forms. Of course, figurative language is an essential part of the lyricist's tool kit and can appear as a thread throughout all songs. The difference here is that Literal/Figurative is used to assign ideas to entire song sections at a time.
Literal/Figurative can be represented as follows: