Melody is *everything* - lyrics expendable. I rest my case.

[UTUSN]

Last edited Thu Mar 26, 2020, 11:48 PM - Edit history (2)

There's a thread in GD featuring "Bohemian Rhapsody" (the music) with the lyrics substituted with buzzwords from COVID-19: "flatten the curve ... wash your hands ... social isolation ... " and on and on. This called "Coronavirus Rhapsody."

As noted before, Lennie BERNSTEIN demonstrated in a Young People's Concert that music/melody is its own thing, that whatever piece of music can have lyrics or not, that the most wonderful song can have its lyrics removed and replaced with random others or nonsense words and the music is STILL THERE. SHUBERT's "Ave Maria" or LENNON's "Imagine" can have whatever replacement of lyrics and the beauty of the music is STILL THERE. Porn words, blasphemous words, grunts or farts.

So I didn't post into that thread because I try not to Debbie Downer where people are having fun or ecstasy or whatever. The message of "mortality" in this thing sounds precious in a self-indulgent way to me, but some clearly find it profound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=8KPbJ0-DxTc&feature=emb_logo

[ZZenith]

1. Would that song have been a huge it with these new words had it originally released with them?

Methinks not.

[UTUSN]

2. The *music/melody* by itself would be, no?

Being consistent with my conviction that MUSIC is primary, I couldn't admit that *lyrics* would be decisive in ruining a melody either.

Regarding this re-do, the performing of instruments and voices is fine.

[ZZenith]

3. I agree that the musical content is paramount

but Bohemian Rhapsody worked so well back in the day because it’s harmonic, rhythmic and melodic content so perfectly reinforced its lyrical content.

I used to downplay the importance of lyrics until I tried to write some good ones. Much, much harder than I assumed, and no matter how good my melodies were I would lose people if the words didn’t resonate with them.

[UTUSN]

6. The rest of what I claim is that lyrics can be great, but are made to FIT THE MUSIC.

I fully realize that one way of doing things is to use lyrics written first or for a composer to find a text he wants to use and then write the music for it.

But I say that when there is a wonderful melody, it makes the composer and his lyricist want the lyrics to be fittingly wonderful, too. I mean, HAMMERSTEIN or SONDHEIM words do wonders for fitting the music, but the music can do without anything.

I mean, for the purposes of an opera or a musical or for religion or secular propaganda, the lyrics can make or break something but a killer melody will live by itself.

I don't mean that lyrics are easy. Even a great "message" song like Imagine can be made ridiculous, just yesterday when a bunch of elite movie stars went online singing "Imagine" as some kind of statement about COVID-19, and some comedian ragged them to pieces about how spoiled and superficial and self-important they were to sing that song to feel good about themselves while something deadly is happening. So the lyrics don't even have to be changed to do some damage to the music.

[ZZenith]

9. We don't disagree on anything, really.

I just can’t go quite as far as “expendable.” Some songs have “meh” melodies but the poetic quality and philosophical content of the lyrics carries the day (I’m looking at you, Robert Zimmerman!)

If I hear an instrumental version of “Yesterday” I might find the melody pleasing but if I didn’t know the original lyrics it probably wouldn’t have the same emotional impact on me.

[Kaleva]

4. My hearing is such that I can't understand the lyrics to many songs.

But there are many songs I enjoy listing to even though I may not understand what's being said. The singing is just another musical instrument.

[UTUSN]

7. Thank you. Yesterday I heard "Dance Monkey" - exactly what you describe:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181336694

[Ptah]

5. Hmm

[UTUSN]

8. I'll take Scat as proving my point. Doesn't have to be words, grunts, farts, or (ad infinitum)