Interim 319 - Dr. Dave Pittman
The Psychology of Lyrics: Personality type & brain dominance in songwriting. Goals: 1. Learn about personality types as related to productivity - focusing on creative lyric writing 2. Learn about brain dominance as related to personality and cognitive tasks 3. Learn about the components of successful lyric writing - compose original lyrics
About Me
• Dr. Dave Pittman, Assistant Professor of Psychology • B.S. in psychology from Wofford in 1994 • Ph.D. in neuroscience from the Florida State University in 2001 • How to contact me: – Office: Black Science Annex Room 1 – e-mail: [email protected] – phone: ext. 4644 off-campus: 597-4644
1 Course Requirements
• MANDATORY ATTENDANCE – If you miss a class: • Must contact me prior to missing the class (4644) • Must be excused absence – You can fail this interim for missing class. • Respect your classmates – Give them your full attention – Be supportive • to be a successful lyricist you must be vulnerable – Come to class prepared
Course Grading Criteria
• PASS with HONORS – Beyond the normal expectations • PASS – Based on classroom performance: • Attention, contribution, and quality of work – Based on classmate evaluations within each small group • FAIL – attendance and attitude – do not try me on this one, I will fail you.
2 Weds Evening and Thurs Morning: Guest Artist – Peter Mayer
• Lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band • Joined in 1989 for the Off to See the Lizard recording • Co-wrote Blue Guitar • Wrote 2 songs on Beach House on the Moon • Wrote 6 songs on Banana Wind • Co-wrote 10 songs on Barometer Soup
Weds Evening and Thurs Morning: Guest Artist – Peter Mayer
• Leads independent band: Peter Mayer Group • Born in India - influenced by culture & early rock music such as the Beatles • 10 independent PM Group recordings since 1985 • Piece of Paradise #8 - ‘88 • Taught jazz guitar as a faculty member at Webster University
3 Peter Mayer CD: Romeo’s Garage
Romeo’s Garage Listen to the CD and choose several songs that you would like to do a lyrical analysis of for in- class presentations on Wednesday.
Lyric Fundamentals What makes a good lyric?
4 Lyrics – a special form of writing
• Confusion between poems & lyric: – share features of words, meter, rhyme • Two types of lyrics – pop lyrics and art lyrics • Art lyrics more like poems but less likely to get radio play / become popular mainstream songs • Pop lyrics are very different from a poem • “Poetic” made by used as an accolade for writing quality of lyrics but shouldn’t be confused to mean that good lyrics are the same format or style as poems
Differences in Form and Function Poems Lyrics • Designed to be read • Designed to be put to music, • Readers have an infinite time sung, and heard by the audience to stop, reread, examine, look up definitions, etc. • Songs exist in time and are propelled forward by – Can vary in length from the music one stanza to several – Must be CLEAR and pages ATTENTIVE – Can be complex in – Meaning must be clear language – Words should be – Contain complex or easily understood and foreign words easily sung – Ambiguous in meaning
5 Content and Style
• Content can be similar between poems and lyrics, it is the style of presenting the content that differs • Who, what, when, where, & relation to feelings Poems Lyrics STYLE: STYLE: • Must be personal and • Can be abstract and conversational philosophical • 2 requirements of successful lyrics • Relate the song to singer and/or the audience
Who, what, when, where, & relation to feelings Edwin Arlington Robinson - Richard Cory - Paul Simon They say that Richard Cory owns ½ of this whole town Whenever Richard Cory went downtown, With political connections to spread his wealth around, We people on the pavement looked at him: Born into society a banker’s only child He was a gentleman from sole to crown, He had ev’rything a man could want: Power, grace, and style. Clean favored, and imperially slim. But I work in his factory and I curse the life I’m livin’ And he was always quietly arrayed, And I curse my poverty–and I wish that I could be, And he was always human when he talked; Oh, I wish that I could be, But still he fluttered pulses when he said, Oh, I wish that I could be Richard Cory “Good morning,” and he glittered when he The papers print his picture almost ev’rywhere he goes walked. Richard Cory at the op’ra – Richard Cory at the show And the rumor of his parties and the orgies on his yacht! And he was rich-yes, richer than a king- Oh, he surely must be `happy with ev’rything he’s got. And admirably schooled in every grace; In fine, we thought that he was everything But I work in his factory and I curse the life I’m livin’ And I curse my poverty–and I wish that I could be, To make us wish that we were in his place. Oh, I wish that I could be, So on we worked, and waited for the light, Oh, I wish that I could be Richard Cory And went without the meat, and cursed the He freely gave to charity, he had the common touch bread; And they were grateful for his patronage and they And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, thanked him very much Went home and put a bullet through his So my mind was filled with wonder when the evening headlines read head. “Richard Cory went home last night and put a bullet through his head.”
6 Essential Features of a Winning Lyric
There are always exceptions to the rules but in general, successful lyrics have all of the following: • Identifiable / Universal Theme – strike a common chord, understood by all, axioms • Memorable Title – marketability of the lyric both to a producer, singer, company and the audience • Strong Start – must grab the audience and make them want to hear the rest of the song • Payoff / Conclusion –lyrics should go somewhere and evoke an emotion in your audience at the end • Appropriate Form – subtle, almost subliminal analysis of a song requires a familiar format
Identifiable / Universal Theme
• Axioms – universal truths – clichés • Sources for universal themes: – Newspapers – Social / Economic Climate – Current Events / Settings – Books – Real People – Own life experiences
7 Memorable Title
• This is what will get your lyrics noticed! First impressions are important • Antonyms – “You’re so good when you’re bad.” • Alliteration – “Bump, Bump, Bump” • Conversation / Colloquialisms – “Now or Never” “Sooner or Later” “Your Place or Mine” • Maxims, Adages – “Easy Come, Easy Go” ”Don’t Mess with My Man” • Paradigms – “Hurts so Good” • One word– “Beautiful” “Landslide” “Mesmerize”
Strong Start – 1st line
• Question – “Do you know the way to San Jose?” • Suggestion / request – “Come, stop your crying” • Time Frame – “It’s 9 o’clock on a Saturday” • Provocative statement – “I’ve been alive forever and I wrote the very first song” • Situation – “My bags are packed and I’m ready to go” “My child arrived just the other day” • Setting - “On a train bound for nowhere” • Visual Image – “All the leaves are brown & the sky is gray” • Occupation – “I make my livin’ off the evening news” “
8 Strong Start – 1st Verse
• Establish the Who, What, When, & Where • If possible include the character in the first line or if not as soon as possible (can be a pronoun – you, I, me, her, him) • Within 2 lines there should be a desire to continue in the lyrics – intrigue, wonderment
Payoff / Conclusion
• Tension – build up to a climax then resolve • Conflict – heartbreak, society •Question– “Who stole my heart away?” “No one but you” • Turnabout – final line reverses the title/start “I got lost in his arms” “but look what I found” •Twist– Richard Cory example • Coming full circle – Desperado – warns of “riding fences” at the end says “come down from those fences before it’s too late”
9 Appropriate Form
• Related to changes in the melody • Can be related to changes in point of view or emotional content • Verse / Chorus – most pop songs – allows repetition and stressing of the chorus • AABA – Verse, Verse, Bridge, Verse • Bridge = contrast to other components – different melody & additional information • AAA – Verse, Verse, Verse • Verse – 4 or 8 lines Chorus – 4 lines
Successful Lyrics
• Within each song, you should be able to tell: –Who – What – When – Where – Relation to feelings / emotion • Most of these should be identifiable – although it may not be necessary to have all.
10 Analyzing lyrics - Format
• Have lyrics typed out on a paper for the presenter or on a power point file AND make copies for the class (free - see me) Identify each Essential Feature: • Identifiable / Universal Theme • Memorable Title • Strong Start • Payoff / Conclusion • Appropriate Form
Top Ten Writing Principles
• Simplicity: 1 idea, no subplots •Clarity: include pronouns to identify parts, use transitional lines if change in time or setting • Compression: eliminate unnecessary words • Emphasis: short, strong words, end with lines with important words and active verbs • Consistency: maintain tone & language (figurative or literal meanings) • Coherence: precede reactions or effects with a cause or reason – songs moves forward
11 Top Ten Writing Principles
• Specificity: use particulars versus generals; concrete instead of abstract; show emotion rather than tell it • Repetition: allows emphasis, encourages memory, keeps it simple •Unity: components should be given the appropriate length in the song – be aware of how much of the lyrics are devoted to parts • Genuine Feeling: write what you know
Analyzing lyrics - Format
Use guide sheet for each component • Identifiable / Universal Theme • Memorable Title • Strong Start • Payoff / Conclusion • Appropriate Form • Point out use of Top 10 Principles Group Exercise – Lyric Analysis
12 Key Decisions in Writing Your Lyrics
• Choose the gender: • Select viewpoint: • Decide on voice: • Define time frame: • Set the scene: • Identify the tone: • Pick the diction: • Determine the form: • Awareness of character / audience connection:
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