I wanna devour your personality
And hope to make it a part of me.
I'll be swimming in your idealogies
When your mentality allows it to be
For me.
But, for now,
I'm drowning in your shallow comments,
Wading in the vast blue sea that is
Your dark mystery. I'm saying
"Hold your breath as we dive
Under the surface of our lives."
We search for hidden treasure,
We search for hidden treasure,
We search for hidden treasure,
On our introspective deep-ocean dive.
I summon Poseidon's trident
To launch a three-pronged attack
To get these fears off your back.
I'm tempted to
Bring this concept of fire
To all of mankind
Just to see your smile
Light up your face.
But, for now,
I'm drowning in your shallow comments,
Waiting in the vast blue sea that is
Your hypocrisy. I'm saying
"Hold your breath as we dive
Under the surface of our lives."
We search for hidden meanings,
We search for hidden meanings,
We search for hidden meanings,
On our introspective deep-ocean dive.
Tank's running out, air's running low.
I cannot shout, though you're floating
Away from me.
Stupidly, I nearly drown,
When I scream 'til I'm
Blue in the face, I say
"For what it is worth, I would balance the earth
Upon my back to see you through
All of this mess and I'd think it'd be best
For you to relax and immerse yourself on our
Introspective deep-ocean dive."
***
I'm still allowed to write teenage drama into my songs for another three months; then I won't be a teenager anymore.
Your lyrics are really good. I'd argue with your use of "ideologies" because I don't like the sound of that word, but other than that, 5 stars.
ReplyDeleteSuper emo lyrics. I'm a fan. Make the most of those three months.
ReplyDelete-Amber
Thanks.
ReplyDeleteLyrics are a strange thing for me. When they're separated from the flow of the melody and the power of the music, one can analyze them based on their own descriptive merit or sophistication. Usually written in first person, they seem to be more personal than most poetry, but can be more abstract than a narrative (telling a story among friends, for example).
Thus, are lyrics in a song meant to stand on their own and be analyzed for their literary merit, or are they, on the base level, simply meant to compliment the music and sound good?
You have the lyrical stanzas and end rhymes associated with pop music, and the "repetitive" rhyming of rap, and spoken word stuff in between (Cake)- so, what's the key?
I, myself, do not immediately analyze the lyrics to my favorite songs, albums, bands... I don't know why, they just seem unimportant to the musical landscape. But then comes, for me, the second level of appreciation of the song and art form, when I realize the things that are being said compliment (or.. don't compliment) the music so well.
When I listen to a new band, I don't listen to what they're saying, but what they're playing. I try to hone my lyrics into something "more sophisticated" at times, but am afraid if I "try too hard at it" it will not retain the spirit or the feel of the music that's beneath it.
And then... are messages important in lyrics? Should the listener take away life lessons (both Streets albums)? Should the connection be more than just a listener sympathizing or identifying with the pain, love, hate, suffering, depression, anger of the lyricist?
So many approaches...
What it boils down to is a song is neither poetry or music, just like a cake is not eggs or flour. It can be worthwhile to separate the elements of song and study them, but ultimately it is the presentation of both words and music together that determines the quality of a song.
ReplyDeleteThis encompasses all of your questions: lyrics do not have to stand on their own. Their only purpose is to complement the music, but that does not mean simply "sounding good". That is just one element. They have to make sense on some level, in some way; otherwise, they will distract the listener rather than immersing them in the world of the song.
I think the key lies in matching lyrical ideology with musical ideology. Punk music is hard and fast, rebelling against established music just as the lyrics tore down the ideals of an earlier generation.
It has come to the point for me that I will write the lyric that feels the best. I am willing to let go of some of the restraints that I have placed on myself - the ones that dictated that a lyric had to "make sense" and be as conversational as possible. These limitations didn't give me enough freedom to do what I wanted. So now, I have lyrics, and I look them over and try to determine what feels wrong. Sometimes you have to change words for the sake of the line. That is the compromise that makes songwriting unique. Many times this will even refine the idea I'm trying to communicate, or illustrate a different side of it. It keeps me from using the same old ideas over and over.
Whatever ideology a song is proposing, I think the ultimate goal is to give the listener some perspective. Do you need to take to heart the politics or advice you hear in songs? No, but when you discover that your favorite song has a political or social message, you have to wonder about the circumstances surrounding it, and why the songwriter would choose to express themselves that way. It's not a judgemental process so much as it is an inquisitive one, and ideally it should not discriminate against any musical style or opinion.
I see.
ReplyDelete