Now this song isn’t exactly new, but you have to admit it made an impact on some people. (I’m not a fan but I know many who are.)
One of the things that makes this song so memorable is the hook, “Unbreak My Heart.” That leads us to the idea sparkler for the week. “Change the cliché in a unique way.”
The cliché in this case is a “broken heart”. That phrase is so common place. So the writer of the song took the cliché went a different way with it. You never hear of someone “unbreaking a heart”. So what are some cliché or commonplace things you can change to make unique.
This technique works both lyrically and graphically.
Here are a few clichés to practice with:
- forbidden fruit
- every cloud has a silver lining
- a green thumb
- the tail wagging the dog
- my lips are sealed
- in a pinch
Feel free to share your unique cliché workings in a comment below.
(Thanks to Adam Watts for this concept.)