Lyrics Part Deux

Hey,
Welcome back to second installment of the new series I'm starting on lyrics! Last week, I compared Mutemath and Katy Perry and the depth of their lyrics and this week, I am going to explore the songwriting phenomenon of good songwriting versus good line writing.

Now, what exactly do I mean by that?

In essence, some songs are well written while others have one stand-out line with a bunch of meaningless lines. I do not, by any means, expect all artists to make every single line of every single song the most amazing things ever. I'm being realistic.

Do you remember a couple of years ago when "Airplanes" by B.O.B ft. Hayley Williams came out? Every single thirteen year old drama queen and her best friend would change their facebook status to "Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky/are like shooting stars/I could really use a wish right now." Yes, I admit that is a pretty creative line; I'm impressed. However, the rest of the song is just about B.O.B whining about trying to be discovered and gain notoriety and blah-blah-blah. It's crap. Especially compared to that one line.

That is a prime example of good line writing.

Next, let's look at an example of good songwriting, "But It's Better If You Do" By Panic! At The Disco. This band is known partially for the fact that all of their songs are freaking amazing and partially because their lyrics kick some major butt. Ryan Ross, who wrote this song and eventually left the band, is a relative lyric genius, maybe one of the great songwriters of the 2000's. Still, Brendon Urie filled his role after he left and is doing a brilliant job. I digress.

"Now I'm of consenting age to be forgetting you in a cabaret
Somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen may even ask my name
As she sheds her skin on stage
I'm seated and sweating to a dance song on the club's P.A.
The strip joint veteran sits two away
Smirking between dignified sips of his dignified peach and lime daiquiri

And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety

Oh, but I'm afraid that I
Well, I may of faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place."

Well, it may not take a genius to figure out that this song is about a guy trying to forget about a girl and looks for pleasure in a strip club. It's one of Panic's more risque songs and I was hesitant to use it on here, but it's one of my favorite songs in a lyrical sense. In this song, all of the lines pack a punch of some kind. It's narrative, telling a story of a guy's experience, not just physically and emotionally and mentally. All of lines contribute to the overall tone--regret, remorse, and contemplation. Where B.O.B's track switches between Hayley's wishful tone and his bragging, swaggering, tone, it just does not flow. It's one great line smushed in between the other bad lines. With Panic's, it's a bunch of fantastic lines all put together, so that the song flows, without any unnecessary dissonance. Dissonance is a strong literary device, but B.O.B's song just contradicts.

Another example of fine line-writing is the chorus of Britney Spears' "Gasoline."
"Spark and it's like gasoline
I start burning like a machine
My heart only runs on supreme
So hot, give me your gasoline"

 Terribly sexual in nature, it's honestly just another example of someone being crafty with euphemisms. Anyways, I still see it as "good" because it's rather creative. Not to say if Panic! came out with this song I'd call it good; I'd be pretty disappointed because I know they're better that that. But, this is Britney, the woman who sings about how toxic some dude is and how she's in love with criminals (my butt, you are). So, considering this is Britney (and I don't actually think she wrote this :D), it's passable.
So, this guy is making her cray-cray and she wants his "gasoline." Hmm, whatever could that be? :)

Well, that wraps it up for this week. Next week, I will talk about the use of repetition in lyrics and try to pick some less disturbing songs.

Until then,
Bella

Lyrics Part One

Hey,

Sorry for the lack of a post last night, but I had to take the SAT at a school this morning that's about fifty minutes away from here, so I had to go to bed super early to get there on time.

Anyways, this week, I've decided to start a little series on lyrics. Love 'em, hate 'em, disregard 'em or appreciate 'em, they're a major component of music. Sometimes the lyrics are funny, sometimes they evoke an emotional response, sometimes they are sheer fluff and other times, the lyrics are the key component of a song.

This week I want to focus on the actual writers of these songs.

Songs are written by teams of people, as opposed to artists thinking and creating for themselves. Granted, some people are not able to create beautiful lyrics and melodies; some have talents in one area and not both. Fine, I understand that. But, explain why it took 6 writers and 4 producers to come up with this crap. I'm perfectly fine with bands/artists reaching out for a little help, but why does it all sound repetitious and pathetic?

Take, Katy Perry, for example. Her album "Teenage Dream" had nine producers and the title track had five writers. Contrasting directly with one of my favorite bands, MuteMath, and their newest album "Odd Soul" which had three producers (the band members) and their title track had three writers (the three members of the band). Both artists' title tracks are similar, in that they are narrative in style (story-telling) but that is the only similarity they share.

 Let's directly compare lyrics.

Teenage Dream
"You think I'm pretty without any make-up on
You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong
I know you get me, so I let my walls come down, down
Before you met me, I was a wreck
But things were kinda heavy, you brought me to life
Now every February you'll be my valentine, valentine
Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I, we'll be young forever
You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream
The way you turn me on, I can't sleep
Let's runaway and don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
My heart stops when you look at me
Just one touch, now baby I believe
This is real, so take a chance
And don't ever look back, don't ever look back
We drove to Cali and got drunk on the beach
Got a motel and built a fort  out of sheets
I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece
I'm complete..."

Odd Soul
"I was once a son
Now I'm on my own
Wade through every rut
And I've got myself to show

And the trials and tribulations
Seem to always track me down
I'll ride off into the sunset
And try me another town

I'm an odd soul, oh yes, an odd soul
Walking side roads
'Cause that's the only way I know
I'm an odd soul, oh yes, an odd soul

Watch for who you know
Careful what you try
Everywhere I go
I still got myself to fight

And one day my child
Ever wonders what is wrong
I won't bat an eye when
I tell her, "Daddy don't belong"

I'm an odd soul, oh yes, an odd soul
Walking side roads
'Cause that's the only way I know
I'm an odd soul, oh yes, an odd soul

One of God's own
Just trying to find a place called home."

See the differences? I know I do. Katy and her gazillion other writers detail a stereotypical fling that escalates to much more, they'll be together forever, he makes her feel younger (she's only in her twenties, what the heck is wrong with her?) and he completes her. No set rhyme scheme, no real diction I mean, yes, they chose words, but obviously not strategically, and there is too much filler repetition. (I didn't copy all the lyrics because it essentially repeats all over again). In Mutemath's song, they present a personal anecdote of trying to find themselves and their purposes on Earth. Certainly, it's quite a bit deeper than "going all the way tonight" like Katy. They actually utilize some rhymes (down/town, etc) and I absolutely adore the phrase "wade through every rut," as it shows they know how to use dark diction and careful syntax to get their ideas across.

In conclusion, though both songs are narrative, in essence, one clearly outshines the other. MM tells a deep story of looking for meaning, both relating to God and life in general, while Katy discusses a fling with a guy who makes her feel like an irresponsible teenager. Overall, it is easy to see the discrepancies between the two.

Next week, for the second part of this series, I will break down the notion of good songwriting versus good "line-writing."

Until then,
Bella

Halloween Songs

Hey,

In honor of Halloween next week, I decided to do a Halloween playlist. Now, I realize all of these songs are Disney-related, save for the last track, but honestly, unless you wanted an Avenged Sevenfold playlist, there’s really not a fantastic selection of Halloween music. So, in an effort to be creative, this is what I’ve come up with. J Enjoy! J

This is Halloween by Panic! At the Disco- The only serious musician(s) on this playlist, TIH is a cover from the Tim Burton movie Nightmare From Halloween that I was honestly too scared to watch until high school. Pathetic, I know. J Anyways, Panic brings the creepiness and makes their cover quite a bit scarier than the original. Brendon’s vocals are strong, tapping into that frightening persona he knows and sometimes we love and the instrumentation in the background complements his voice nicely. A good track to get in the spirit of Halloween, or in my case, get pumped to hear little kids’ jokes and hand out candy. I’m kidding; I love it. Last year, everyone pretty much had the same joke though: “How do you wake up Lady Gaga?...Poke her face.” Creative.

Grim Grinning Ghosts by The Mellomen- This song was scary and still is. I know I sound like a wimp and I’m okay with that. To be honest, I have no problems with excessive violence and movies where a lot of bad stuff happens, but anything that even resembles a horror movie, I freak out. I can’t handle it. I love vampires, werewolves, and lots of sci-fi stuff, but anything with spirits and dead people, count me out. Back to the song…I am rambling really badly tonight. I really hope there aren’t any socializing ghosts anywhere near me…but, the Mellowmen and Betty Taylor’s sounds all meld together nicely, creating a perfect Halloween song that really does take me back to when I was a little kid and trick-or-treating was the highlight of my year. J It also reminds me of this old Disney Land VHS we had and they did this song and I used to torment by easily scared sister with it...those were the days. :)

I Put a Spell On You by Bette Midler from Hocus Pocus-

This movie has been a Halloween tradition in my house for years. We love the off-beat humor, creative story line, and above all else, the music. Bette Midler, for those of you who don’t know, is a pretty famous singer and the filmmakers decided to utilize her talent to create this memorable scene. She, along with Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker, brought her characters to life and made one of the best kid-friendly Halloween movies. J

Heffalumps and Woozles from Pooh Bear- My childhood! Oh, how I miss it. Sorry, nostalgic episode. Granted, this is hardly Halloween, but I remember when I was eight years old and I hated whenever this song came on my super cool VHS tape of the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. As weird as it is, I actually kind of miss VHS tapes; we used to think we were so cool…lol Anyways, considering this is a kid’s horror movie of sorts, at least it felt like that to me at the time, the animators did an incredible job bringing this song to life. I’d be freaked out if I found Heffalumps and Woozles in my house.

Thriller by Michael Jackson- What kind of a Halloween playlist would it be if I didn't include Thriller? It has to be on here! Between the creepy lyrics, fitting music video, and the unforgettable dance, Thriller has become a bit of a Halloween staple. :)

Now, this is not a Halloween song, but I have a great deal of respect for people who put this much time and effort into their lights. We don’t put Halloween lights, though we do Christmas, but my family’s proud if we have a strand of lights and some bush lights; this puts us to shame. Amazing!  

Next week, I’ll get back to actual, new music, but I wanted to do something different.

Have a safe, happy Halloween!

Until next week,

Bella