An opportunity has come up where I'm supposed to write Song Lyrics for two to three tunes. How hard is it, especially after years of writing Poetry? Of course, I don't expect objective answers. Some tips would do just fine too.
Well, I managed to put together something: Here's the lyric and the tune: http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/DineshThePoet/1176743/
5 ft 7 Texas Heaven
Favorite Answer
Good morning,
It might greatly be defined by the genre you're writing in, such as modern day pop music uses words and lines very repetitively. Of course the idea behind that is to get listeners to sing along, remember the song, much as a young child might learn to memorize a nursery rhyme.
Some music, such as country, is as designed to tell a story of sorts, but often only repeats lyrics in 2 or 3 choruses.
There are other examples I can go into, but the motive behind the lyrics is often the melody, and/or a beat, such as in RAP, which is recalled perhaps with a bit more ease.
Certainly many songs are poetic, with expected rhyme in them somewhere, but in my opinion knowing or picking the genre first, goes a long way toward picking a theme, a message.
Then too of course are the producers of the song, the company who's goal is numbers and dollars.
Consider the popular music of today. I said popular, not strictly worthy. Singers such as Katy Perry, who's music I don't strictly care for, made 40 million $ plus within the last two years. I can't know how that equates to the profit the record company made, but of course much of that was from concerts, etc.
I also don't know what freedom, what latitude you'll be allowed, which might matter, either to who wants the song, what standing your credibility will or will not attain. A song writer is most often like a backup singer or musician, heard, but not strictly enjoying the benefit of having others know their name, their abilities beyond being in some others shadow.
Forgive my rambling, but in not knowing your goal, or the goal of those who asked, I hope, if you accept, there is either some satisfaction gained in whatever level of notoriety, or in just doing it as a test,self contained.
Lapiz Dominoes.
Here it`s a silly hour and I`m c-c.` between night-stuff
and cannot recall my password to you log-in so have not heard your lyric
but want to get this tip to you before you close your Q, Dinesh.
As of said I`m more lyricist & writer than poet really, so
a tip I learned very long ago when writing my 1st lyrics
at a time (the late 50`s) when the music industry is one you can test by thinking
of a few lyrics which go around and around in your mind!
If you want a lyric to have commercial success, as well as a
topical emotional theme (the zeitgeist changes), here is the most proven method..
When known you can omit it, if that`s your path,
Or do it after you have made a niche, perhaps?
Make the very fist line of the song-lyric,
or the first two lines...identical, and the melody so, as well.
Thus, if it`s a good lyric with good instrumentals or/ and vocal artiste,
when the listener reaches the end,
a loop to the third beginning line, occurs in the listener`s mind
and the lyric `catches on` and stays in the listener`s mind!.
Even chorus-like starts, endings which are identical do this ; -
think, "da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron.", which
has slight line-variations at the start and finish but demonstrate
the `circular` repetition which with a good lyric...sells!
`You were meant for me`....&
`If I fell in Love with You`. .The Beatles.
`Only love can break your heart`, Crosby, Stills & Nash`.
`I`m sorry, I`m sorry, I`m sorry` ..Tracy Chapman.
`Power To the People`.
`We don`t need no education`..The Pink Floyd ..slight variation only
yet over time of enormous deserved interest/ popularity
if one hears, we find that
many of the instrumentals incorporate riffs from their other albums..
their audiences including me!) smitten by the complex circular subtle repetitions,.
`the Dark Side of the Moon` too, ends similarly to its` opening lyric/ bars.
Your poetry is often subtly complex so it might be a challenge INITIALLY
to simplify some..but you just might think of / listen to
some of Clapton/ Derek & The Dominoes
`Layla`
`You look wonderful tonight` ; -the guitar solo at the end, matches the opening solo.
`The Caterpillar Song`.. the Incredible String Band`.
Any number of earlier The Beatles Songs ..perhaps 1/ 3, lean upon that lyrical
circularity which, I think is..instinctive. to musicians when jamming together.
.`It is the evening of the day`.. Mary Hopkins..
`I can`t get no satisfaction`.. The Stones.
My first-ever guitar/ lyric composition was totally hokey (I was14)..
a four chord 3/3 hoedown rhythm/ song,
and I inadvertently did that circular compo,
from listening all my life to family/ friends` weekend
get-togethers to sing (my dad was a musician)
before the dominance of television,
and it was @
20 years later I learned that that`s an `in` lyricists` tip,
from Mike Oldfield somehow.. I scarcely knew him
as I was teming cutting in a studio, but musically..
....poetry-in-music dynamite..
Children`s poetry does this often = `
`Twinkle, twinkle, Little Star`.
The aforementioned examples are popluar and some profound, some less so
but you will recall some more, to your taste, from your own memory, I`m sure.
Have only had time to read a few c-c.`s here.
Those I have read seem really thought-through and useful
So good luck!
You cannot lose your deeper, near-classical understanding -
I promise you so.. don`t worry abut that...k?
:)
Anonymous
The major difference is audience. Lyrics are written for a mass audience of people with disposable cash. Poetry is written for an audience that understands literature. Obviously one is much larger than the other. Because of that initial difference, lyrics often times depend on cliche and less grammatically correct language in order to keep the beat. I poetry cliche is frowned upon as being lazy and grammatically incorrect language is laughed at UNLESS it is cleverly deliberate and is a device to make a point.
?
Song lyrics have an added hardship over poetry in that they have to sound natural when sung.
My love is like a red red rose... makes a lousy lyric
but
...picked up the rice at a wedding where no one has been...
is better musically than as verse. (although don't try telling every high school English teacher in America that.)
Poetry can be elevated language, but in a song, elevated language means a hoity-toity character, hence it reflects on the speaker in a way poetry doesn't do - as much.
Good luck with the song(s).
william w
You have to have a strong "hook" or chorus to catch the fish(ears), and keep them wanting to come back to it. As you know "The Gambler" by Don Schlitz has a great hook. But you also need a strong "bridge" that will break up the repetition of the other parts of the song--but still continue to further the song along in a natural progression to a conclusion. I've written a lot of song lyrics, but I try to stay away from continually repeating the same words, like a lot of todays whatever it is. I think that kind of writing is pure laziness, and just robs the listener(the fish)------------william