Posted in: Musicouching by ANDY N on April 5th, 2008 | 6 Comments
Do lyrics have to be a certain style to be great? Can playful lyrics or cryptic lyrics be in a great song?
Obviously there many factors that go into great lyrics. And I realize that some of it is very subjective. Also there has been many helpful tips and exercises to help create effective lyrics. Is it more than cohesion and rhymes? Does it have to have a profound meaning or can it be frivolous and yet still be enjoyed as a great lyric?
Honestly there are some who stick to a “rule of thumb” approach they have learned or developed. One common critique I have seen and heard is those who believe that lyrics can be too veiled or cryptic. “If I don’t get the message than the words are not good”. They say that although the writer knows the message the lyrics need to be explicit, concise and/or specific or the words are not efficacious.
Why there may or may not be merit to that I have a few questions. Doesn’t the age of video kind of take care of that obstacle? Why not all videos are made to explain the song, there certainly is the option of doing just that. I mean often songs from a soundtrack mean more if you saw the movie.
In fact I tend to like songs that stop short of spelling it out. With the exception of it being an experience or story of course. What I am saying is why does it matter either way? Isn’t the expression coming from the writer and not the hearer? Whether we understand the intended meaning or not doesn’t mean we can’t love a song does it? Maybe there really wasn’t a significant point to begin with. Not all art is neatly wrapped in it’s presentation.
Then again although I consider myself a very good lyricist and have written songs both specific and somewhat ambiguous, I relate to the music before I listen closely to the words. Even my own songs if the music isn’t happening I don’t care how awesome the lyrics are.
So what do you think? Do you have to have unequivocal definitive lyrics to consider the lyrics great or do you believe a philosophical style lyric can be just as effective and enjoyable?
For example is “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” have bad lyrics cause it really has no inherent meaning? Or do you consider say “Before He Cheats” a better lyric because it has a specific point?
Personally I find them both great lyrics.
Cara Boynton April 8th, 2008 at 7:19 am
Good article, and very interesting. I always like to listen to the words and personally like the ones that have meaning.
Ed Moore April 9th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Wow, this was a fun read and a great, unanswered question. I am a lyric writer, so of course my reaction is to say the lyrics must be great all the time, but The Beatles proved otherwise with Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, eh? So I suppose the answer is that lyrics and music = song, and like a good marraige, one can support the other in a song, but you can’t have the song without them both. So you can have what some would say are “bad” lyrics and still have an excellent song because the music makes up for it, but you can also have excellent lyrics and lousy music, and still have a great song, as in “Let It Be.” Anyway, that’s how I tend to look at it.
Andy-N April 9th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Thank you both.
I think it depends on if you are a music first or lyric first listener also.
I am one who can listen to instrumentals and enjoy it. The melody can be an instrument instead of a voice.
Bill May 6th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Isn’t “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” describing Julian Lennon’s drawing he gave to his father? I would not consider them bad lyrics at all. Its not your broken heart story but it is quit descriptive and has meaning. Just not what most people first think.
Michael July 31st, 2008 at 8:25 am
Why do people like lyrics? A recent UK survey gave a partial answer to that, while lambasting most lyric sites. But it’s obvious that no matter how good lyrics might be, they must be tied to a great melody as well, IMHO.
Still, the phrase “song lyrics” is frequently amongst the most used in search engines.
You’ll find the whole article on
http://www.a-lyric.com/archives/lyrics-provide-significant-backdrop-to-our-lives/
K Kristie November 19th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
I’m a music first listener. I used to dream about writing songs. But I just don’t have the talent to make it possible. I can sing though.