Side-scrollers??

Hey, can you guys help me with something? I came up with a little tune last week that reminds me of the kind of recurring music that you'd hear in video games. I want to write a song that's a metaphor for life as a side-scroller. Problem is I haven't played any in many many years, and barely did even then. So this would not be a case of "write what you know." I have the broad metaphor stuff in mind, but what I need are some references about terms, concepts and details that are typically found in side-scrollers, or even in specific side-scrollers.

I'll ask it this way...

If you heard a song about side-scrollers, what kinds of references would you expect to be in there, and also, what kinds of references would be like ahhhh, that was kind of obscure but it was cool that it was worked in there?

You cant move the screen back to the left. Anything back there is lost.

Forced scrolling that continuously pushes you farther (further?) right. Straight off a cliff.

Sometimes life makes you want to roll up into a ball and drop bombs.

Sometimes you just run and hope for the best.
If there should be a platform there, go for it, it might just be invisible.
Trust your instincts, but plan ahead.
You can only get to some places by squishing your enemies
If there's an item you can carry, you probably have to carry it at some point.
Sometimes it's better on your own (looking at you NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII)
Check behind every waterfall (in every block, in every door, above every ceiling, &c)

You can go fast or you can go slow, but you're still going to keep moving forward.