Music is something most of us deal with literally every single day. But have you ever looked deep inside lyrics as a structure, deep meaning or genre?
I wanted to analyze lyrics as a genre to show that song is not just a text with music but something more. As most of us, I didn’t really think about it that deep before, but I believe lyrics carry more than just words.
If it would not, then why songs mean that much in human life throw decades?
The main reason why i choose this genre is the complication of simple things. Music lyrics is an easy way to show your thoughts, feelings, motivate someone or even protest. I do believe it is important to pay attention on this kind of details in our life that little by little and very seamless affect us on a daily basis.
I decided to pick three absolutely different and quite popular songs to show their similarities and compare them to each other. The first one is «You Are The Reason» by Calum Scott, British singer who started with career as «America’s Got Talent » participant. The second one is a popular hit from 2009 by rapper Eminem called «Beautiful». And the last one but not least «Billionaire» by Bruno Mars and Travie McCoy.
The first similarity that i found is life important meaning. All of them sing about feeling that will never get old fashion. Love, success, life struggling or social protest. All of these things will always be in every person’s life and that is the reason why we love listen to music, we love songs about love, believe and happiness, we love something that we are close too. It is like, who would love listen to song about pizza? Of course only those who love pizza! But these songs speak about feelings that shared by all people all over the world. And that is the first thing that they shared.
The second thing, I found interesting, is the way how lyrics are always mixed to each other and the music by itself. Authors try to combine words to make rhymes or the beat, so all put together would be pleasant to listen. For example, here are a tiny parts from each song:
«I just can’t seem to get out this slump
If I could just get over this hump
But I need something to pull me out this dump
I took my bruises, took my lumps«
— Eminem, «Beautiful»
«There goes my mind racing
And you are the reason
That I’m still breathing
I’m hopeless now»
— Calum Scott, «You Are The Reason»
«I wanna be a billionaire so freakin’ bad
Buy all of the things I never had«
— Bruno Mars, «Billionaire»
See, there are highlighted words at the end of strokes that ‘smoothed’ edges between lines and make it more balanced and easier to listen. Not only words and its meaning but also the way how singers represent their ideas plays an important role in perception. Have you even hear a song where words and the beat and the music all together just incongruous and makes your ears bleed? Well, this song probably won’t be your favourite one, even if the meaning of it is unbelievable.
Another interesting and third common fact about lyrics as a genre is using of a figurative language, as metaphors. I do believe this is what make music one of the most beautiful and interesting writing genre. It is like a poem, more complicated and unusual language is, more interesting it is to pay attention to. For example, in Calum Scott’s song he says: «I claim every mountains and swim every ocean, just to be with you…». The meaning is as same as to say «i love you so much» but because of the figurative meaning and comparison of love importance as big as mountain and deep as ocean makes our mind to percept it on higher, more valuable level. This is how lyrics use language to play with our feelings.
I do believe, this is an important genre for society because it connects with every aspect of our life. A lot of feelings, emotions and perceptions of the world, political situations, global problems and so on can be illustrate in music. Songs is one of the most effective way to show you thoughts without being straight and mostly with no punishment, if the purpose was to show a negative side of the government, for example.
Talking about a research, i think this is really crucial to explore as by song we can conclude about psychological, inner characteristics of the author, as well as the auditory that find this songs attractive to them. Exploration can determine todays relationship to certain problems in a world, etc.
The one thing i found interesting is the fact that authors can not write fully and deep enough if they have never experience this situation or feelings. By looking at all singers mentioned above, i can conclude that all of them went to the scenarios they sing about. And this is what makes good song good, you can not fool listeners.
After studying this genre, i came to conclusion that every simple thing in our world make sense and if you will pay attention and will try to understand, you will find something meaningful, even if, from the first sight it doesn’t seems to have any.
Assiya's life 