Young Writers Society

I was wondering, what does everyone think about musicians as poets. The lyrics they write, is it just another kind of poetry? I was just thinking, because in every genre I've noticed some brilliant 'poeticness'.

From rap, (lil wayne) -
"flow sick put a straight jacket on my words , so sick they think that somethings in the herb, they think I'm gone but i am fine like a womans curves"/

'I said I do, but I really don't,
Because it's you that I really want,
and we can do what you really want,
Girl we grown,
and if he ain't gon' treat you right,
Then I ain't gon' treat you wrong,
thats my word, she heard so many lies
she don't know what's true or not,
Shawty like a vallet service, I said she been through a lot,
But I put her car in park and never let her cry alone,
I listen to her heart beat because it plays my favorite song.'

To rock, (Kings of leon)-
'I never ever cried when I was feeling down
I've always been scared of the sound,
Jesus don't love, me no-one ever carried my load
I'm too young to feel this old.'

What are your thoughts on this?

I think that songs have a lot of elements that are much like poems. But it's the lyricism that is the connection, some poems have a lyrical way about them that just hits as song.

In the case of many lyrics, though, they're not anything like poetry. In the case of the first song... I see it as lyrics, not as poetry. I am, I can admit, more of a traditional poet than contemporary in that I dislike poems that I feel make no sense, that have no "poetry" in them. I can see their importance, their use, their meaning, but I dislike them all the same. I like my poems to have beauty and depth and meaning.

In the Kings of Leon lyrics I can see more poetry, but obviously you'd need more - I would need more - to call it a poem.

I think the main difference between the two is the feeling you get from reading them. Some poems cannot be lyrics because they just don't translate, the same can be said for lyrics into poems. The matter is similar to prose, there are some prose pieces that are amazingly poetic but are still prose.

So, in the end, I think some musicians(or lyricists) are poets while some are not. ^^

*Hearts* Le Penguin.

I do think songs are lyrics not poetry - BUT there is the whole concept of Slam Poetry. A lot of the time it sounds like rapping, and music can be involved, like beatboxing and the like. It's recited poetry meant to sound pleasing to the air and to be impressive upon presentation - so maybe that's something you could look into! I'm involved with it, and it is really very funny.

Listen to some Leonard Cohen or Mountain Goats (John Darnielle). Or Bob Dylan. Seriously.