September 10, 2016 | I'm a word girl. I listen to the words. They're important to me. They're not so important to my husband. The notes speak directly to his soul. Apparently, I need some basic translation.
My husband listens to all genres of music. He loves the beat. He loves the melodies. He loves it all. He is a baritone in a large choir, performing beautiful arrangements of sacred music filled with joy and rich in spirit, so it's kind of weird when he plays me his newest discovery and I'm shocked by the words.
"Uh, Honey? Are you listening to the lyrics?"
"Not really. Why?" he questions me, tapping his foot to the catchy rhythm.
He has the ability to ignore the drug connotations and the sexual innuendo, easily separating them from the lilting cadences and syncopated beat. It isn't quite that easy for me. It isn't the hook or the bridge that draws me in . . . it's the lyrics.
I'm a word girl. I listen to the words. They're important to me. They're not so important to my husband. Maybe it's because he's so musical that the notes speak directly to his soul and he doesn't need the words to translate the meaning for him. Apparently, I need some basic translation. So, I listen to the words.
Lyrics are an interesting form of written expression. Some are blatantly in-your-face obvious. Others are poetry, to be interpreted by each individual listener. Some are nonsensical gibberish, like a two-year-old stringing together every word in their vocabulary and then repeating them . . . repeatedly. Some lyrics tell a story. Others weave between the notes of the music to entice, or seduce, or enchant.
When combined with the heady power of music, lyrics can evoke any human emotion from its listener. With one chorus, we understand why she took a baseball bat to his headlights. We sympathize while he drives the night, the white stripes blurring to ease his mind. Our hearts beat faster when he notices the way she looks tonight. We shed a tear when the good die young. Our anticipation builds when they could have danced all night. We roll our eyes at what the fox said. We feel remorse. We beg for forgiveness. We wonder who let the dogs out. We guess at who could've been so vain. We fill with righteous indignation when Hamilton throws away his shot. We bow our heads and join in praise for blessings realized. We walk through fields of gold. We stand on top of the world. We walk on sunshine. We look up at the sky full of stars. We clap along because we're happy.
The melding of melody and lyrics speaks to our souls and embeds in our memories. Once we hear, we will not forget.
When I was in junior high school, someone at a party played Stairway to Heaven backwards on the turntable, and we all fell witness to the evil cunning of subliminal messages. To this day, a shudder runs down my spine when I hear the first strains of Jimmy Page's guitar intro. Oh. I just shuddered. It seems even the mere memory of the intro causes me to shudder. Dang subliminal messages. I know you're in there.
So, to all of you lyricists out there, know that there are those of us in the world who are paying attention to your words. Don't choose them simply because they rhyme, or because they hold the same number of syllables you need to fill the measure, because if I listen to your song, I'm going to notice the words, and I'm going to remember them. Don't make me wish I could forget.
Ahem. I'm now stepping off my soapbox. I realize that last paragraph sounded a bit bossy, especially since we all know songwriters can write whatever the heck they want to write . . . just like I can write whatever the heck I want to write. I wouldn't dream of messing with their freedom of speech. However, I do have the ability to choose the lyrics I let into my memory, so I'll continue listening to the lyrics. Fair warning, songwriters, fair warning.
I often notice lyrics that relate to my own current life situation, but is it weird that sometimes lyrics remind me of one of my character's life situations? Probably weird. However, I noticed a song on the radio recently, and had to download it immediately, because it reminded me of one of my characters when she says, "Who came up with the word goodbye, anyway? There's never anything good about it."
Check out these song lyrics from The Script's song "No Good in Goodbye" and you'll see what I mean. It's not that weird that I'd feel a connection with the song.
All the things that we've lost
Breaking up comes at a cost
I know I'll "miss" this "mistake"
Every word I try to choose
Either way I'm gonna lose
Can't take the "ache" from "heartbreak".
Oh, but as you walk away
You don't hear me say
Where's the "good" in "goodbye"?
Where's the "nice" in "nice try"?
Where's the "us" in "trust" gone?
Where's the "soul" in "soldier on"?
Now I'm the "low" in "lonely"
'Cause I don't "own" you "only"
I can "take" this "mistake"
But I can't take the "ache" from "heartbreak".
No matter how it falls apart
There's an "art" in "breaking hearts"
But there's no "fair" in "farewell". No.
And when I see you in the street
I pray to God you don't see
The silent "hell" in "I wish you well".
See? Catchy. Clever. Word play for me. Melody for my husband. Validation for my character. Two thumbs up to the composer, The Script's Danny O'Donoghue. As far as lyrics are concerned, he, indeed, managed to find the "good" in "goodbye". Well done, Mr. O'Donoghue. Please tell me there aren't any subliminal messages in there, because I'm listening.
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