Sing It.
The ancient Greeks would use a type of lyrical expression while accompanying verse with a lyre. The lyre is an early 4 stringed instrument that consists of some type of sound box and a neck that extends for the strings to follow and provide a means to alter the pitch by pressing them down. While verses have long been used to describe segments of story and poetry, this terminology’s deviations to refer musical context evolved along with the development of song structure and form. The etymology of the word “lyric” is the adjective form of the Greek “lyre”. These early examples of language used to convey melody bring up interesting paths of its deviation. The use of language to communicate poetry and music have an interesting intertwining path.
This concept started to interest me as I thought more about how some poetry doesn’t function well as lyrics and vice-versa. The artistic intent behind poetry is not tied to melody or particularly “musical” in nature. I also noticed that many lyrics are often clunky or awkward if presented without music. The function and intent of language for the use of lyrics, while sometimes associated with or even called “lyrical poetry”, doesn’t always work well as a poem all by itself. This noteworthy similarity between these two types of literature, poetry, and lyrics, is an interesting exploration into how language can be expressive by different means.
Poetry is typically read. Lyrics are typically sung. The spoken word verses the language tied to music is complicated. Christopher Small in his dissertations about the term “musicking” brings to light many examples of how the lines are grey when we try to pin down a definition for what music is and what it isn’t. Prayer, acts of nature, and computer compositions are some of the more controversial examples that come to mind, and when debated, there are strong reasons for understanding how all of this fits into the realm of musical expression. Psalms and Verses form religious texts are great examples of the evolutions of our modern conceptions of “verses”, or song lyrics. Gregorian Chant and the development of modal systems, numes (early versions of notation) and, concepts of harmony are built upon what we today might equate more with ceremony than performance, although both qualify as commonly excepted forms of “music”.
A librettist and a playwright have vastly distinct modes of telling a story, and they often do not overlap. The use of language for musical expression during the birth of opera and its deviations from the narrative epic and the lyrical play from antiquity brought a different method of communicating ideas to the public sphere. One might consider the extremity of musical communication of story the program music of Berlioz, Vivaldi, or Richard Strauss. Without words, we can categorically separate this to communication beyond the spoken. However, using language to communicate that which cannot be said otherwise is relegated to the lyricist. Merging harmony with rhythm, meter, and tempo create a vast new way to understand ideas.
The term “lyrical poetry” is not necessarily referring to song lyrics or musical in content. This term is broad, and as Jackie Craven describes in her article, “Lyric Poetry: Expressing Emotion Through Verse”, “Of the three main categories of poetry—narrative, dramatic, and lyric—lyric is the most common, and also the most difficult to classify. Narrative poems tell stories. Dramatic poetry is a play written in verse. Lyric poetry, however, encompasses a wide range of forms and approaches.” If we are talking about poetry specifically though, the intent is to convey ideas through the mechanics of language and the (often) written word. Many songs use lyrical poetry for their music, however, they don’t always work the other way around.
This whole concept of the difference between poetry, (even lyrical poetry), and musical lyrics is connected to the cultural evolutions of music practices that utilize notation as a primary means of transmission instead of rote. Another connection exists in the concepts of memory and interpretation. One of music’s primary beneficial properties to early churches in medieval Europe was its ability to help the peasantry remember scripture. In early America, it was more common to hear information through popular folk songs then from a pamphlet, especially considering literacy rates among common citizens. In these instances, they didn’t simply sing a flyer. I lyricist was necessary to craft language into music that would connect to the memory of the person hearing it.
There seems to be a lot of language barriers, and lack of understanding when it comes to the pleas of empathy in our world today. Is it possible this roadblock exists in correlation with our familiarity with popular songs, our ability to remember their message, and the effectiveness of their content? Perhaps it is associated with the means of transmission. Whatever the case, the poetry of song lyrics hold and interesting deviation from their literary origins, and ideas that can be complicated to get across with a carefully crafted Facebook post may sometimes connect more effectively through a song.
Nina said it best.
I wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free:
I wish I knew how
It would feel to be free
I wish I could break
All the chains holding me
I wish I could say
All the things that I should say
Say 'em loud, say 'em clear
For the whole round world to hear
I wish I could share
All the love that's in my heart
Remove all the bars
That keep us apart
I wish you could know
What it means to be me
Then you'd see and agree
That every man should be free
I wish I could give
All I'm longin' to give
I wish I could live
Like I'm longin' to live
I wish I could do
All the things that I can do
And though I'm way over due
I'd be starting anew
Well I wish I could be
Like a bird in the sky
How sweet it would be
If I found I could fly
Oh I'd soar to the sun
And look down at the sea
Then I'd sing 'cause I know, yea
Then I'd sing 'cause I know, yea
Then I'd sing 'cause I know
I'd know how it feels
Oh I know how it feels to be free
Yea yea! Oh, I know how it feels
Yes I know, oh, I know
How it feels
How it feels
To be free, Lord, Lord, Lord