Dance Little Liar Metaphors

The song Dance Little Liar by Arctic Monkeys offers a depiction of an unravelling relationship, and a peek into the mind of the lying partner whom the narrator centres their story around. With the use of metaphors, imagery, and repetition in third-person perspective, the reader is able to relive the emotional turmoil and conflict induced by none other than the liar’s own duplicity, as well as the constant performance of lies they must put on in order to maintain the crumbling veil over their infidelity.

The speaker establishes a clear tone of guilt felt by the unfaithful partner due to the lies they tell by employing several metaphors to set the stage for this internal conflict. The first line in the text states, “I heard the truth was built

This concept is developed further in the next line as it uses another metaphor to compare lying to a tool that will allow them to avoid their guilt, signifying that the liar is likely lying to someone they care about and do not wish to intentionally hurt through their deception. Essentially, in order to avoid the regret the liar feels on account of their actions and to spare the feelings of the other party, it is implied that they choose to lie and contort the truth. The speaker uses the aforementioned metaphor to narrate the liar’s thought process alongside the words “But still / You’ve got to dance little liar” to demonstrate the way in which this individual is scrambling to avoid the trouble their lies may cause, and it is also made evident through the narrator’s insinuations that the liar is likely aware that their deceit will eventually be their undoing. Furthermore, the use of metaphors also acts as another medium through which the liar, despite their shame, cannot help but continue to actively dodge their guilt and the consequences that are foreseen to arise. The reason behind this is because the actual lies that are implied to have been told by the liar are not addressed directly in the lyrics, but rather danced around through this system of wordplay, representing the way in which

The word “and” in particular is repeated constantly throughout the lyrics, written in such a manner that adapts the form of an anaphora to represent the many lies that have been told as they have slowly piled up and eventually reached a point of no return. The stylistic decision to implement repetition of this and other specific phrases in the lyrics also aids in creating a cynical and almost hypnotic effect that is able to transport the reader into the mindset of the liar in all of their desperation to escape what they have