Lyrics and melodies- how they interact (pt 1)

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Hi guys,

it´s me again! I finally have a little more time at hand, which makes it so much easier to provide you with more posts in the coming weeks! Today´s post is devoted to the power that lies within a thought-through marriage of lyrics and melody.

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A lot of people state that they hardly ever listen to the lyrics of a song at first. It´s often the melody, or say the melodic elements in a song, that catch peoples attention!

And while this may be so, it is undeniable that choruses often get stuck in our heads word by word. This is part of the reason why keeping the chorus lines as pure and simple as possible makes sense! This section is meant to create a highlight in the song and shall be catchy enough for people to remember it!

At the same time though, lyrics should never be boring, especially in such a crucial part of a song.

Think of it that way:

Use the verses to create depth and a certain setting, as well as some deep thoughts that point towards something, that the chorus resolves (kind of). The chorus should add sense to the previews parts. The chorus should therefor hold a little bit of a surprise, but also be easy to memorize and using easy language…no elements, that leave you wondering.

I will give you an example: You could write the verses, somewhat like this:

We´ve come a long way

From being innocent and wild

Life has taught us lessons

We struggled for a while

 

Through the ups and downs

Colours turned around

You left and I have found somebody new

Now I have a family and I learn something new

Day by day and step by step.

 

And then the chorus somewhat like that:

 

But sometimes I wanna set the sails

Leave my life, change my ways

Sometimes I think of how I felt

The first time that we met!

Sometimes I wanna give it all up

Test my courage, test my luck

Find the place where my heart can rest

Oh….
Sometimes I wanna go back!

 

What happend here? Well, let´s analyze! In the verse we kinda draw that picture of a man or a woman reminiscing…

 

We´ve come a long way…that´s a sentence you would usually articulate as a result of thinking about the way…it evokes a reflective mood.

Being innocent and wild This section says that he or she is thinking of a time when they were much younger.

Life has taught us lessons…Kinda makes us wonder if something bad happened. The ease seems to be gone somehow…so now the reflective setting proofs to be very nostalgic (a little melanchonic maybe).

We struggled for a while – still working the melanchonic theme, but giving hope, that after a while things turned better.

Through the ups and downs, colours turned around I´d say things changed (in whichever way) and they were never the same again!

You left and I have found somebody new at some point they moved on

Now I have a family and I learn something new so he/she is in a good (new) place now

Day by day and step by step (life is interesting, a process and also somewhat intense. There´s a little hint, that it´s not easy to be a father or mother. It does´t just come naturally, but is linked to uncertainties and also doubts.)

At this point the listener is wondering: Is he or she ok now? What happened next? Happily ever after?

 

The chorus changes the setting! From a reflective to an emotional state of mind! The truth comes out…just like that (with high speed):

 

But sometimes I wanna set the sails let´s be honest, I don´t wanna lie no more!

Leave my life, change my ways Their life feels like a corset.

Sometimes I think of how I felt, the first time we had met The past still lingers on! It was such a good time!

Sometimes I wanna give it all up There´s much he or she has in her life, but that´s also a chain,

Test my courage, test my luck in the past they somewhere made the choice to follow their reason, not their heart

Find the place where my heart can rest they are unhappy where they are.

Sometimes I wanna go back! There it is! The actual truth- right there! As simple as could be! .

 

Note that “back” rhymes not only with “met”, but also with “step” which is the last word in the verse. That´s how you bring home the theme! Resolving it all!

It can be as simple as that! This is only the lyrics though!

Do you wanna know what role the melody plays in this? I will fill you in in part two of this blog series. Come back here on Sunday 16th and learn how to change angles and add surpise factors to simple lyrics.