All I do is keep the beat and bad company—Mark Knopfler
This is an a example of syllepsis, a fun rhetorical device where you use a word—frequently a verb—in completely different senses…
Ok, that was a crap explanation. Words have different meanings, so naturally this is going to happen.
I’ll try again.
Syllepsis is when this is done in such a way that the incongruity catches your attention.
This is a good lyrical trick, because it tends to make the line memorable.
Here’s another by Sir Michael Phillip Jagger:
She blew my nose, and then she blew my mind.
