A Semantic Analysis of Lexical Relations in the Song "A Sky Full of Stars" by Coldplay

Abstract

This study investigates the semantic dimensions of lexical relations in the song "A Sky Full of Stars" by Coldplay, released in 2014 as part of the album Ghost Stories. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Lyons (1977), Cruse (2004), and Palmer (1976), the analysis systematically identifies and examines five major categories of lexical relations: synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, polysemy, and metaphorical meaning. Adopting a qualitative descriptive research design, the study treats the song lyrics as a primary text and subjects them to close semantic reading. The findings reveal that the lyrics are rich in metaphorical constructions particularly the central metaphor of the beloved as a "sky full of stars" which function to elevate emotional intensity and encode relational meaning. Antonymy (e.g., lighter/dark) and polysemy (e.g., heart, light, die) further enrich the semantic texture of the text. The study concludes that popular song lyrics constitute a productive site for semantic inquiry, particularly in the domain of lexical relations and cognitive metaphor. These findings carry implications for English language teaching and the use of literary texts in semantics instruction.