parable

moral story; a short moral story (often with animal characters)

Heard in 44 songs (34M+ combined views) — most famously in "For Emma" by Bon Iver.

Updated August 4, 2026

Songs Featuring “parable

Bon Iver - For Emma

Time: 0:49

For every life

Forgo the parable

Seek the light

Bon Iver - For Emma

Tool - Parabola

Time: 2:43

Twirling 'round with this familiar parable

Spinning, weaving 'round each new experience

Tool - Parabola

GZA - Living in the World Today

Time: 0:55

MC's bet they best at every

Powerful parable ditties might harm

If tampered with, set off and strike like pipe bombs

GZA - Living in the World Today

Gang Starr - You Know My Steez

Time: 3:38

Yo, them motherfuckers are harrassable

For I be speakin' from my parables, and carry you beyond

The mic's either a magic wand

Gang Starr - You Know My Steez

Cradle of Filth - The Foetus of a New Day Kicking

Time: 0:38

I'm chaos international

The writing on the wall, a Lazarus is parable

A dark and sullen lullaby

Cradle of Filth - The Foetus of a New Day Kicking

Crash Test Dummies - God Shuffled His Feet

Time: 3:31

I'm not quite clear about what you just spoke

Was that a parable, or a very subtle joke?"

God shuffled his feet

Crash Test Dummies - God Shuffled His Feet

Jedi Mind Tricks - When All Light Dies

Time: 1:31

I'm the reason for the Carthage in Hannibal's force

I'm the reason for the carnage in parable's lost

And I'll put the heater right where your lungs at

Jedi Mind Tricks - When All Light Dies

Vybz Kartel - Ever Blessed [Raw]

Time: 0:20

Your pussy coming like bible

A parable of some great sex

From you born till now that stay blessed

Vybz Kartel - Ever Blessed [Raw]

M.I. Abaga - Martell Cypher 2 The Purification

Time: 6:23

I ate from rap and rap still ain't arable yet

I've given you parable

Scoreables plus an animal only dude notable to be

M.I. Abaga - Martell Cypher 2 The Purification

Cordae - Jean-Michel

Time: 0:56

Such a overthinker, I'm so self-reflective

God willing, these parables go and sell some records

Politicians out here lying, tryna sell a message

Cordae - Jean-Michel

Sting - The Book Of Numbers

Time: 1:31

For a place to lay my head

So many parables in the scriptures

But this one I'm doomed to tell

Sting - The  Book Of Numbers

R.E.M. - It Happened Today

Time: 0:04

This is not a parable

This is a terrible

R.E.M. - It Happened Today

Curtis Harding - Hopeful

Time: 0:42

I'm convinced and once I'm convinced then I'll manifest

A catalog of parables that's broke down in a tongue

That's been corrupted no substance to be hidden from

Curtis Harding - Hopeful

Extreme - There Is No God

Time: 2:17

Confused thy talk in parables

Accused thou walk in parallels

Extreme - There Is No God

Jill Scott - To B Honest

Time: 2:02

The pollen is powerful, napkin' in hand to prepare for a sneeze

Parables, passages packed for the read

I'm hoping you see I'm not not what you need

Jill Scott - To B Honest

The Gladiators - Looks Is Deceiving

Time: 0:11

So me give it to ya in a parable:

Old time people them used to say:

The Gladiators - Looks Is Deceiving

Aesop Rock - That is Not a Wizard

Time: 1:45

We let our most irascible design the characters

They only dressing they vendettas up as parables

Promoting privacy and cowardice as parallels

Aesop Rock - That is Not a Wizard

Dennis Brown - Words of Wisdom

Time: 0:10

Woooooah! Woah yeah nah.

I will open my mouth in a parable, and sing the dark sayings of old.

And much wisdom and knowledge stretch forth their hands,

Dennis Brown - Words of Wisdom

Black Thought - Say Peace

Time: 0:54

Knew I had to pull it, the bullet or the ballot

It's like the parable of the story of the talents

Want my people to get paper, with no margin

Black Thought - Say Peace

Steel Pulse - Blasphemy

Time: 5:24

Oo, la, la trod the straight and narrow road

Who prayers, parables and scriptures say

Selah praise aloud for

Steel Pulse - Blasphemy

Bad Religion - Spirit Shine

Time: 0:57

You can fake another cry and compromise your dream, yeah

Cling tight to the parable

Let it dominate your life

Bad Religion - Spirit Shine

The Afghan Whigs - The Lottery

Time: 2:40

A part of me can't let it go

I'll fade to black, a parable

Incognizant, incomparable

The Afghan Whigs - The Lottery

Talib Kweli - Ms. Hill

Time: 1:08

She used to love to buy the books by Octavia Butler

Parable of the Sower, the main character's name was Lauryn

What her album did for black girl self-esteem is so important

Talib Kweli - Ms. Hill

LL Cool J - Can't Think

Time: 2:18

Get the money and run, dodge the devil and his son

Spit powerful parables like a sermon has begun

Fuck the turntables up, leave the DJ awestruck

LL Cool J - Can't Think

The Stupendium - A Proper End

Time: 1:42

This should make our story shine

The Stanley Parable Adventure Line!

Now the plot is much more clear

The Stupendium - A Proper End

Ras Kass - On Earth as It Is...

Time: 3:36

Instead I arrive the Golden Child, every knee shall bow

When the divine styler is speaking in parables

Like old baptist churches I'm getting old bitches hysterical

Ras Kass - On Earth as It Is...

Saba - 2012

Time: 1:49

Yeah, my niggas that had each other back in a world against 'em

From a poverty-stricken parable that our hearts had written (uh-huh)

We come from fifty-cent bags of candy and penny pitchin' (uh)

Saba - 2012

NOFX - Generation Z

Time: 3:06

The bible has been replaced with a survival guide (The end of history)

That uses perishables instead of parables

Because there's no stories left to preach (We don't wanna be)

NOFX - Generation Z

Envy on the Coast - If God Smokes Cheap Cigars

Time: 1:09

If seeing is believing

This parable's misleading

You've got your shotgun

Envy on the Coast - If God Smokes Cheap Cigars

Jethro Tull - When Jesus Came to Play

Time: 3:13

No girls were moving on the floor

Those parables, they were merciless

Yeah, and the tables overturned

Jethro Tull - When Jesus Came to Play

Wu-Tang Clan - Reunited

Time: 0:21

Struck a match to the underground, industry ignited

From metaphorical parables to fertilize the Earth

Wicked niggas come, try to burglarize the turf

Wu-Tang Clan - Reunited

Royce da 5'9" - Thou Shall

Time: 0:04

Or a pair of them gator Mauris

Please hold your applause for these parables and stories

Give all praise to Allah, to God be the glory

Royce da 5'9" - Thou Shall

Thievery Corporation - Letter To The Editor

Time: 1:24

Karma pan Di ones and twos yes it turn the tables

Had enough a you with your parable and fables

Jamaican bad gal queen and revolutionary

Thievery Corporation - Letter To The Editor

Nickel Creek - Goddamned Saint

Time: 1:52

Of changing one another

I recited parables and he listened with an openness

I heard as clear as any words

Nickel Creek - Goddamned Saint

Cursive - Hymns for the Heathen

Time: 1:41

I am a chapel, this the prayer book, these are the parables

God forgive us, this is our business, absolving sins of all these heathens

Cursive - Hymns for the Heathen

Emeterians - Fly with Me

Time: 0:40

With faith all things are possible (overcome the obstacles)

With faith we'll know them parables

When i give thanks fe life

Emeterians - Fly with Me

Paul Westerberg - Hide N Seeking

Time: 1:34

Hide N seekin', Father, Son and holy me

You speak in parables, you're looking terrible tonight

Hide N seekin', I wonder if you need a light

Paul Westerberg - Hide N Seeking

New Model Army - Someone Like Jesus

Time: 2:01

and I drove into the night looking for something to burn

One of those little parables that I never cared to learn

And I don't know what this feeling is but it's dripping through me

New Model Army - Someone Like Jesus

Moses Sumney - Bless Me

Time: 0:01

It's so predictable

To farm the parable

From every tête-à-tête

Moses Sumney - Bless Me

The Verve Pipe - Out Like a Lamb

Time: 0:42

and then you ask me for forgiveness

i'll tell you parables of making love

and spreading kindness

The Verve Pipe - Out Like a Lamb

Onyi Moss - Miracle Man

Time: 0:54

See now

I don't believe in the parables that you speak of

Man can lie and nations fall

Onyi Moss - Miracle Man

Raekwon - Can't You See

Time: 2:00

But still some living strenuous, through the struggles are unbearable

To ease the pain and eagerly seek the preacher for parables

To stop the rain and hoping somewhere to bring some sunshine

Raekwon - Can't You See

Alborosie - T.O.P. [Over The Top Version]

Time: 1:41

String to the rainbow

Yo, Kingston, Jamaica, I got 29 parables

My mad fool, yo, call me the spartacus

Alborosie - T.O.P. [Over The Top Version]

Cellus Hamilton - Might As Well (feat. Eshon Burgundy)

Time: 0:20

I represent

These is parables telling you how it is

Sacrificing my every comfort to give

Cellus Hamilton - Might As Well (feat. Eshon Burgundy)