Antithesis. I think that's what this is called. Whatever it is, it is some shit that I like.
Here's an example: There's this song, a rock song, a ballad, and this song has a chorus (as many rock songs do), and the first line in that chorus says one thing, then the next line of the chorus says the exact opposite, but in a way that doesn't just say the opposite, it recontextualizes that first line of the chorus.
The song is "Just Say When" by the band Nothing More from their 2017 album The Stories We Tell Ourselves. It's an odd song for the band; an acoustic ballad, the only instruments being a guitar and strings.
Anyway, here's the first verse:
We used to dream
We used to name the stars
Tracing futures lying in the dark
They said we'd never last
The brightest flame burns fast
We say words
But we don't talk anymore
The lyrics, the quiet, minor chords on the guitar, and Jonny Hawkins's soft, head voice singing all make it clear things aren't going well for this relationship. Then the chorus comes in with Jonny singing in a fuller, chest voice backed by a major chord and things feel like they're looking up.
The first, hopeful line of the chorus is:
Tonight we're growing closer
Aww, right? He even pauses after that first line, as though he's sung a full sentence. That it's the end of the phrase.
Then the next line:
Closer to the end
Oh.
The first line of the chorus teases that maybe things are turning around in the relationship, then the second line straight-up says "nope." And by starting the second line with the same word that the first line ends with, it makes that pause feel not like the first line was a complete sentence, but that he's almost having to gather his emotions to sing what he's really feeling.
So, yeah, that's it. If you have any other examples of this, feel free to comment. Or if you want to correct me on which poetic device this actually is.
And, because this is the internet after all, if you just want to yell at me for some reason:
I think we'll get along
Long as you fuck right off
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