The focus for Robyn’s lecture6 this week was on detail and action in lyric writing. I feel that I had already gained somewhat of an understanding of the importance of detail in lyric writing, looking back at past songs that I have written. Here are some lyrics I’d written as an example:
V:
If he loves you let him go
To the forest with the doe
And the bucks that rest their antlers on her hooves
If he loves you let him go
There’s a fox beneath the snow
And he’s making sure there’s room enough for two
Ch:
Yeah you won’t find
Peace of mind
If there’s another mind to choose
Yeah you won’t find
Peace of mind
If there’s another mind to lose
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gdqzlj64ykyyr7q/%25%20Another%20Kind.m4a?dl=0 This is the link to the song – lyrics in question start at 1:09
The first line of each stanza reaffirms the key idea of the verse – that the subject of the song finds love unnatural despite the world around them proving very much otherwise. This strong juxtaposition is enhanced by the imagery of describing specific animals and their actions, rather than simply saying “foxes love each other” or something equally banal. Specificity in songwriting is an important tool, and this week was a good reminder of that.
6 Habel, Robyn. “Detail and Action”. Lecture presented at the course Song Writing and Performance 1B, University of Adelaide, August 26, 2019.
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