"I'm Like A Bird" lyric analysis

Lyrics to “I’m Like A Bird” by Nelly Furtado:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nellyfurtado/imlikeabird.html

You're beautiful, that's for sure

You'll never ever fade

You're lovely but it's not for sure

That I won't ever change

And though my love is rare

Though my love is true

[Chorus:]

I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away

I don't know where my soul is, I don't know where my home is  

(and baby all I need for you to know is)

I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away

I don't know where my soul is , I don't know where my home is

All I need for you to know is

Your faith in me brings me to tears

Even after all these years

And it pains me so much to tell

That you don't know me that well

And though my love is rare

Though my love is true

[Chorus]

It's not that I wanna say goodbye

It's just that every time you try to tell me that you love me

Each and every single day I know

I'm going to have to eventually give you away

And though my love is rare

And though my love is true

Hey I'm just scared

That we may fall through

[Chorus x3]

            In this song, there is a lot of repetition. There is repetition in the first verse with “you” being the first word on three lines. “For sure” and “my love” are both repeated twice in the first paragraph as well. These repetitions provide better fluency. In the chorus, there is a simile saying, “I’m like a bird.” “Know” is repeated a lot in the chorus, and each line either ends with “is” or “away.” This brings each line to a sort of abrupt stop. Other than repetition, there is also rhyming. The ends of the first four lines in verse two, each have a rhyming pair. Tears and years rhyme, and tell and well rhyme. So, the techniques used in this song were metaphor, rhyme, and repetition.

            Along with these techniques, there is also imagery. In the chorus, you can picture someone always traveling from place to place and not ever settling down anywhere or loving anyone. In the second verse, you can imagine someone crying since it says, “brings me to tears.” The last form of imagery is in verse three where she says “fall through.” That sounds very scary and dark, so I imagine someone falling in darkness.