Placing Narrative and Metaphor in the Flow of Contemporary Music: PJ Harvey’s Community of Hope

Narratives run through the lyrics of popular songs and the lyrics are replete with visual and semantic metaphors, often anchored in ideas of place. In this chapter, we examine ways in which the conscious narratives of a song’s storyline can be complemented by its musical structures and sounds. These latter components provide an affective dimension to the narrative and ultimately contribute to what we have called the ‘soundscapes of well-being’. …