When Shakespeare penned ‘if music be the food of love play on’ in Twelfth Night, he was demonstrating just how, even in 1602, music is used to inspire strong emotions – powerful enough to cure the Duke Orsino of his obsession of Countess Olivia and the fruitless frustrations of trying to woo her. Music is one of the oldest and most loved rituals that has united people no matter which culture they are part of, and the lyrics that accompany it is a form of storytelling that is used to document the culture of the society for which it is written.
Why do we love music?
Music has been found to activate the same areas of the brain that react to other euphoric stimuli – food, sex and drugs – as the blood flow to the brain increases and feelings of reward, emotion and arousal or triggered within us. It is interesting to note how food, sex and drugs are now considered commonplace addictions, but it takes a step to understanding why we have such strong emotional attachment to certain songs, especially from our youth.
Lyrics matter
Successful songs are more than music alone, they also include lyrics, and it is the lyrics that turn a good melody into a powerful and remarkable song. Essentially there are two crucial ingredients to making a great song, no matter what genre you are writing for.
- They connect with the audience
The great songs have lyrics that the audience can connect with, the lyrics resonate with them and are relatable. Verse lyrics set the scene, describe characters and situations, and the chorus lyrics offer solution, or the emotions raised in the verses. This is not to say that songs like the Kings of Leon’s ‘Soft’ suggest visiting www.penisenlargementreviews.org for resolution for erectile dysfunction, but rather the verse paints the scene, and the chorus replies with the emotional consequence.
If you think back to the 1980s, the trio of songwriters Stock Aitken and Waterman, achieved worldwide success with numerous artists. It was the first time that songs had been written for a young teen audience, and because the songs were so relatable; however, by 1988 their songs had become formulaic and were seen to lack sincerity.
- They are genuine
Great songs are constructed with lyrics that have been written from the heart, from life’s experiences of real-life events and traumas. With vulnerability comes creation, and some of the best songs have been born from artists opening up their innermost thoughts to pen though provoking lyrics. Bob Dylan is the master of this, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his literary merits as his lyrics challenged the mainstream politically and musically – his lyrics are an authentic and now historic reflection of his emotions and thoughts about society and culture.
Great songs give the listener an opportunity to articulate their emotions; think of the way that people choose the song for the first dance at their wedding, and people associate their emotions with that song. A song can reach out to you personally, and it will leave a lasting impression on you: love, retribution, or solace and comfort.