If I Die Young The Band Perry By: Thuy-An Mai and Catherine Warrick

If I die young, bury me in satin Lay me down on a bed of roses Sink me in the river at dawn Send me away with the words of a love song Uh oh, uh oh

Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh, And life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no Ain't even grey, but she buries her baby

The sharp knife of a short life, oh well I've had just enough time If I die young, bury me in satin Lay me down on a bed of roses Sink me in the river at dawn Send me away with the words of a love song

The sharp knife of a short life, oh well I've had just enough time

And I'll be wearing white, when I come into your kingdom I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger, I've never known the lovin' of a man But it sure felt nice when he was holdin' my hand, There's a boy here in town, says he'll love me forever, Who would have thought forever could be severed by...

the sharp knife of a short life, oh well ...the sharp knife of a short life, oh well? I've had just enough time So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls What I never did is done

A penny for my thoughts, oh, no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar They're worth so much more after I'm a goner And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin' Funny when you're dead how people start listenin'

If I die young, bury me in satin Lay me down on a bed of roses Sink me in the river at dawn Send me away with the words of a love song

Uh oh (uh, oh) The ballad of a dove (oh, uh) Go with peace and love Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket Save 'em for a time when you're really gonna need 'em, oh

The sharp knife of a short life, oh well I've had just enough time So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls.

“Bed of roses” Allusion- The example above is an allusion because it references to something mythological that the author assumes the reader will recognize. It is alluding to the Greek goddess Venus who is the goddess of love, and also considered the source of life. In the event of a death, the body would be placed on a bed of roses hoping to be taken back by the goddess and could lead to rebirth. The reason why the author uses this allusion is to add more depth to the tragic lyrical song.

“Sink me in the river at dawn” Allusion- The example above is an allusion because it references to something mythological that the author assumes the reader will recognize. It is alluding to the five rivers of the underworld, each of which the dead cross. The rivers is a symbol for a path to heaven and washing away sins and sadness. The reason why the author uses this allusion is to show that if she is sunk in the river, she will have a pure pathway to heaven.

“And life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no” Colloquialism- The quote above is an example of colloquialism because there is use of informal words or expressions that is not usually excepted in formal writing. The use of “ain’t” and “ought to be” are informal. The author uses colloquialism to show the country side to the song. By using these words, the listener is able to inference the setting of where the song might take place.

“The sharp knife of a short life” Assonance- The quote above is an example of an assonance because of the repetition of accented vowel sounds in a series or words. The “I” sound in “knife” and “life” provide the listener with the accented vowel sounds. The author uses this assonance to provide the listener with a smoothing sound that helps the song move along.

“Send me away with the words of a love song” Paradox- The example above is a paradox because it is a contradictory statement that contains some truth. The quote is saying to “send me away with the words of a love song”. This is contradicting because normally love songs bring people together, instead of sending them away. The author uses a paradox to make you contradict yourself in knowing the real meaning of that statement.

“wearing white when I come into your kingdom” Alliteration- The quote above is an example of alliteration because of the repetition of the letter “w” at the beginning of the neighboring words “wearing white when”. The reason why the song writer used alliteration here was to create a euphonic effect. The sound of the “w” one after another has a sound that is pleasing to the ear. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Biblical allusion- This quotation is a biblical allusion because “kingdom” refers to heaven, and “wearing white” alludes to angels. Both heaven and angels are concepts of the bible. After dying, one should go to heaven as an angel of God. The reason why the songwriter’s included an allusion into their song was to add something that most people are familiar with, and on some occasions, relate with.

…when I come into your kingdom “as green as the ring on my little cold finger” Simile: The quotation above is simile because it compares the color of the kingdom to the green ring on the finger of the speaker…in this case, the singer. The reason why the author used this type of figurative language in this song was to make the song more interesting and have more of a flow. Instead of saying-The kingdom is green. The ring is green. They are both green.

“I’ve never known the loving of a man But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand” Enjambment: The excerpt above is an example of enjambment because that whole quote is one sentence but the songwriter continued it over a line break. The reason why the author uses enjambment is to reflect the emotion of the singer. If the line was to be two sentences, it would show a very structured tone. Because the line was continued over a break, it shows the emotion of the singer.

“what I never did is done” Paradox- This quote is a paradox because it is a statement that contradicts itself, while at the same time contains some truth. The quote says she didn’t do something, but it is done.  contradicting The reason why this type of figurative language was included in this song was to make the listener more intrigued. This paradox makes you take a second look and think about it.

“I’m a goner” Euphemism- Above is considered euphemism because the songwriter puts the unpleasant idea of death in a less offensive way. Goner is a nicer way of saying dead. The reason why the author uses a euphemism here is to make a point without it being too harsh. She is trying to say she is dead but puts it in an indirect way, so that is easier to hear and soak in.

The End!!! 

MLA Citation- Stewart, Allen, Savannah, Hannah, and Mohamad Swahala. ""If I Die Young" Lyrics." THE BAND PERRY LYRICS. AZ Lyrics, 2000-2014. Web. 02 Feb. 2014. <http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bandperry/ifidieyoung.html>.