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Reviewing Lyrics



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Tue Jun 27, 2017 3:59 am
rosette says...



I see there are quite a lot of tips here and there for reviewing stories, novels, poetry and prose. But I haven't found anything for lyrics. Which is kind of something I need help on.

I don't want to jump into a review for a song, and be like, "this sounds awkward, and that doesn't look right, and you should fix that line", because it's not poetry. It can look one way, and be sung an entirely different way, but still sound amazing.
When I read the lyrics of some songs I love, they can look pretty funky. But add the music, and the beat... It's a masterpiece.

Sooo, exactly how am I supposed to go about reviewing lyrics? I don't know what it sounds like with the music; I'm just reading the words here.
Anyway.
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!
:D
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Tue Jun 27, 2017 4:51 am
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Holysocks says...



You can still focus on the content! With poetry, you have the added bonus of being able to critique formatting and all that jazz, as you mentioned, but with lyrics it can be weird. But the message doesn't change all that much from musicless to musicfilled; focus on the content. What is the writing/singer trying to say? Did they say it effectively? How could they say it more effectively if they haven't already? How does it make you feel? What impressions do you get from the lyrics?

And aside from the content, you can also zero-in on the rhythm/beat/flow. Songs tend to need to follow patterns, which means lyrics have to have a certain amount of fluidity about them. If that makes sense. There's probably someone that can explain this WAY clearer, but basically, that's another thing you can keep an eye out for. Does one line have five syllables, and the next has eight? And then in the next verse, they're matching?
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Wed Jun 28, 2017 7:38 pm
rosette says...



@Holysocks - Thanks for the input! (: I do focus more on the content when reviewing lyrics, but I never thought about it following a pattern... I'll need to check that out.
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Tue Jul 04, 2017 5:58 pm
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Vervain says...



Yo! I was pointed to this thread by a helping hand. Figured I'd give you my two cents.

Like Holy said, you can focus a lot on content. And not just on the actual literary content -- words, phrases, metaphors, etc. -- but on what makes up the words and phrases themselves.

Tip! I recommend reading lyrics out loud when reviewing them. Not necessarily to a beat, but reading them like a poem and noting down the awkward spots and whatnot that you notice.

Now, a few things you can look at:

1: Rhyme. Not necessary for a song, but can be used to great effect. Do the lyrics try to rhyme too much? Is there an accidental rhyme that doesn't sound good when you say it out loud? You don't need to know the music of the piece to recognize when words sound awkward next to each other.

One bad rhyme can make or break a song for a listener. (I LOVE Lady Antebellum but their song "Bartender" rhymes "easy" with "DJ" -- pronounced "deejee". I can't listen to it. Ever.)

2: Consonants. Ah, consonants, approximately two-thirds of any given word. They're really, really important. If you have a lot of similar sounds close to one another, it can get awkward to read it out -- or it can get awesome. Hard consonants (k, t, p, etc) and soft consonants (f, m, d, etc) can create a pretty cool contrast in words. This is also where you might get a hint of the piece's intended genre -- hip-hop and rap tend to include a lot of hard consonants for a plosive (and explosive) performance, whereas soft rock and alternative songs tend to have a mix of hard and soft. Of course, all songs vary depending on the writer, so when in doubt, ask!

3: Genre. Kind of touched on this up there, but for another point. Always, always tell a lyricist what their song comes across as in writing -- it may not be what was intended. A lyricist, looking at their piece, hears it in their head -- you, looking at their piece, may hear it differently or not at all. It's helpful when you point out that their glam rock ballad reads more like a hip hop diss track.

Speaking of -- 4: Purpose. Why was this song written? What message and intent are you getting from the lyrics? Telling the lyricist what you perceive of their piece is one of the biggest favors you can do for them. What is the perceived purpose, and what is the actual purpose?

As with everything -- ask questions! Ask lots and lots of questions if you need to. Most lyricists will be willing to answer, and will be glad to start a dialogue with you about their piece. If you see something differently than they do, it could convince them to change their genre, or it could open your eyes to a whole new part of songwriting you never knew existed.

Best wishes, and happy reviewing!
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Wed Jul 05, 2017 7:47 pm
rosette says...



Thank you so much for the helpful tips!
I will certainly use them when reviewing lyrics again. :)
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Deal with the faults of others as gently as with your own.
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