About writing! (lyrics, album, AC/DC, reviews, vocalist)

skiesofganymede · 04-20-2006, 06:33 PM

Seeing as this forum is about song writing, I guess it's not inappropriate to veer from reviews and onto some meta-writting topics. I was just wondering what people's personal thoughts on lyric writing were (why you do it? personal aims in writing a song? way you go about it? personal inspirations?), and what kind of music you tend to like or emulate. Just thought it might be an interesting point of discussion, because I imagine it would be wildly varried across writers.

littleknowitall · 04-20-2006, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skiesofganymede

Seeing as this forum is about song writing, I guess it's not inappropriate to veer from reviews and onto some meta-writting topics. I was just wondering what people's personal thoughts on lyric writing were (why you do it? personal aims in writing a song? way you go about it? personal inspirations?), and what kind of music you tend to like or emulate. Just thought it might be an interesting point of discussion, because I imagine it would be wildly varried across writers.

keep it simple, only a few people are good enough to be exceptionally in depth and clever about their lyrics and manage to make them then follow on by sounding good over a song, it's as much an acomplishment to write lyrics with simplistic values but that fit fantastically well over a song, take ac/dc for example, fantastic lyricists and their lyrics weren't very in depth at all.

A_Perfect_Sonnet · 04-20-2006, 07:58 PM

Plenty of songs have lyrics that are incredible and fit over the music well. Just because you make lyrics simple with the excuse that you'll have an easier time putting them over the music does not excuse the fact they are crap.

littleknowitall · 04-20-2006, 08:03 PM

the simplicity of the lyrics shouldn't dictate wether or not you'd define the lyrics as 'incredible', since when did lyrics need to be so in depth? that's poetry, not lyrics. and i'd like to note that i haven't once posted my lyrics on this thing, i was just saying in my opinion there should be more focus on creating lyrics that fit well with a song than lyrics that are overly emotive.

but you can be a **** and jump the gun with the false assumptions and misinterpritations if you wish.

A_Perfect_Sonnet · 04-20-2006, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moley

the simplicity of the lyrics shouldn't dictate wether or not you'd define the lyrics as 'incredible', since when did lyrics need to be so in depth? that's poetry, not lyrics.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dictionary.com

lyr·ic

-Of or relating to a category of poetry that expresses subjective thoughts and feelings, often in a songlike style or form.

-Relating to or constituting a poem in this category, such as a sonnet or an ode.

-Of or relating to a writer of poems in this category.

My mistake.

littleknowitall · 04-21-2006, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A_Perfect_Sonnet

My mistake.

oh im sorry, since when did 'decent' lyrics have to be so in depth is what i meant to say....

TrampInaTux · 04-22-2006, 04:32 AM

I suppose I write the way I do because that is the way I work. I don't think about deep things and the like so it is easier for me to avoid writing in a deep and vague manner. I do it sometimes when I am looking for the challenge, but usually I stick to simple writing because it is what I am best at. Maybe someday those simple lyrics will evolve into more thought provoking ones but at the moment I am comfortable writing the way I do.

DontRunMeOver · 04-23-2006, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A_Perfect_Sonnet

My mistake.

Sorry everybody else, but I quite like the bickering.

Coughlearnhowtouseadictionaryproperlycough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dictionary.com

adj.

1.
a. Of or relating to a category of poetry that expresses subjective thoughts and feelings, often in a songlike style or form.
b.Relating to or constituting a poem in this category, such as a sonnet or an ode.
c. Of or relating to a writer of poems in this category.

2. Lyrical.

3. Music.
a. Having a singing voice of light volume and modest range.
b. Of, relating to, or being musical drama, especially opera: the lyric stage.
c. Having a pleasing succession of sounds; melodious.
d. Of or relating to the lyre or harp.
e. Appropriate for accompaniment by the lyre.

n.
1. A lyric poem.
2. Music. The words of a song. Often used in the plural.

Look at it, they split up the 'lyric poem' and 'music' definitions of the nouns. Why could that be? Maybe because they are different?

The part which you quoted relates to lyric as an ADJECTIVE. Moley mentioned 'poems' and 'lyrics' which in that context were undoubtably the noun forms and you argued back with the definition of the word as an adjective.

Get your act together!

littleknowitall · 04-23-2006, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skiesofganymede

Hobojesus:

And sorry for sounding all narky myself moley. Yeah, I understand. having your opinions antagonized is crapola. You're totally right about the whole ac/dc thing. I mean, they're just the right type of lyrics for their music. Maybe it's easy to be a bit of a lyric snob and dismiss certain songs because their words ain't literature; but expecting every song to be so cerebral, is pretty daft. Plus, what else are we gonna air guitar to? I mean, rock...rocks! \m/

Quote:

Originally Posted by DontRunMeOver

Sorry everybody else, but I quite like the bickering.

Coughlearnhowtouseadictionaryproperlycough.

Look at it, they split up the 'lyric poem' and 'music' definitions of the nouns. Why could that be? Maybe because they are different?

The part which you quoted relates to lyric as an ADJECTIVE. Moley mentioned 'poems' and 'lyrics' which in that context were undoubtably the noun forms and you argued back with the definition of the word as an adjective.

Get your act together!

your both good people

and no need to apologise skiesofganymede, i wasn't pissed off or anything, and your completely right,

skiesofganymede · 04-20-2006, 09:36 PM

Um, guys! The post wasn't meant to inspire bickering. I'm presupposing that people will have different philosophies on lyric writing. I was just trying to tease out those differences and purposes. Like simple lyrics can have different purposes. Maybe they're deceptive in their simplicity (i.e. have alot of subtext), maybe their unashamedly one-dimensional. That's okay. No matter what, they're gonna convey something about the aims of the writer. What they're trying to get out of writing like that...ya know? It's not a competition about what type of writing is best.

And the whole "that's poetry not lyrics"...well, it's kind of interesting you should say that, because artists like Patty Smith actually aimed to meld music with poetry, quite openly. (as I write this I see a_perfect_sonnet has raised the same objection). But, maybe theres a point in that. Maybe being emotive for it's own sake isn't enough. Maybe there are conflicting aims in some peoples songwriting, a sort of inconsistency in the content? I'm not saying one way or the other, but it could be a part of moley's complaints. Actually I'd love to hear you expand on that...cause I get the feeling you're not dismissing all poetic lyrics as a rule, but maybe are eluding to something else.

04-20-2006, 06:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
skiesofganymede Groupie Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 27	About writing! Seeing as this forum is about song writing, I guess it's not inappropriate to veer from reviews and onto some meta-writting topics. I was just wondering what people's personal thoughts on lyric writing were (why you do it? personal aims in writing a song? way you go about it? personal inspirations?), and what kind of music you tend to like or emulate. Just thought it might be an interesting point of discussion, because I imagine it would be wildly varried across writers. __________________ Punk is an ideology, not a haircut.

04-20-2006, 09:36 PM	#10 (permalink)
skiesofganymede Groupie Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 27	Um, guys! The post wasn't meant to inspire bickering. I'm presupposing that people will have different philosophies on lyric writing. I was just trying to tease out those differences and purposes. Like simple lyrics can have different purposes. Maybe they're deceptive in their simplicity (i.e. have alot of subtext), maybe their unashamedly one-dimensional. That's okay. No matter what, they're gonna convey something about the aims of the writer. What they're trying to get out of writing like that...ya know? It's not a competition about what type of writing is best. And the whole "that's poetry not lyrics"...well, it's kind of interesting you should say that, because artists like Patty Smith actually aimed to meld music with poetry, quite openly. (as I write this I see a_perfect_sonnet has raised the same objection). But, maybe theres a point in that. Maybe being emotive for it's own sake isn't enough. Maybe there are conflicting aims in some peoples songwriting, a sort of inconsistency in the content? I'm not saying one way or the other, but it could be a part of moley's complaints. Actually I'd love to hear you expand on that...cause I get the feeling you're not dismissing all poetic lyrics as a rule, but maybe are eluding to something else. __________________ Punk is an ideology, not a haircut.

04-20-2006, 07:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
A_Perfect_Sonnet Dinosaurus Rex!!! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Winchester, VA Posts: 885	Plenty of songs have lyrics that are incredible and fit over the music well. Just because you make lyrics simple with the excuse that you'll have an easier time putting them over the music does not excuse the fact they are crap.

04-20-2006, 08:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
littleknowitall Pow! Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,673	the simplicity of the lyrics shouldn't dictate wether or not you'd define the lyrics as 'incredible', since when did lyrics need to be so in depth? that's poetry, not lyrics. and i'd like to note that i haven't once posted my lyrics on this thing, i was just saying in my opinion there should be more focus on creating lyrics that fit well with a song than lyrics that are overly emotive. but you can be a **** and jump the gun with the false assumptions and misinterpritations if you wish.

04-22-2006, 04:32 AM	#7 (permalink)
TrampInaTux that's my war face. Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,412	I suppose I write the way I do because that is the way I work. I don't think about deep things and the like so it is easier for me to avoid writing in a deep and vague manner. I do it sometimes when I am looking for the challenge, but usually I stick to simple writing because it is what I am best at. Maybe someday those simple lyrics will evolve into more thought provoking ones but at the moment I am comfortable writing the way I do.