Writing Song Lyrics: A Creative and Critical Approach

by Glenn Fosbraey, Andrew Melrose

Overview

This book is unique in offering practical advice on writing song lyrics within a critically informed framework. Part I provides the theoretical underpinning, while Part II covers the creative process, pulling together all the best songwriting advice and offering practical exercises.

Fusing creative guidance with rigorous criticism, this is an essential companion for undergraduate and postgraduate students of songwriting, creative writing and music. Lively and accessible, it is a one-stop shop for all aspiring songwriters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350309746
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	03/15/2019
Series:	Approaches to Writing
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	236
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Glenn Fosbraey is Programme Leader of BA Creative Writing at the University of Winchester, and co-wrote the 2nd year module 'Composing Song Lyrics' with Andrew Melrose. He has published various journal articles on the subjects of drama and lyrics, with the most recent being a study of pedagogical approaches to song lyrics, and is currently working on a chapter in the upcoming book on Leonard Cohen (ed. Prof. Peter Billingham). Glenn has been writing and recording songs for almost twenty years, and is currently working on his new album 'In Bloom', a musical re-imagining of Joyce's Ulysses.

Andrew Melrose is Professor of Writing at the University of Winchester, he has around 170 published works in the public domain, including 15 films, 36 books (3 academic with Routledge) , and countless other works including academic articles, chapters, short stories, poetry and songs (on CD and Film). He has been writing and performing songs for over forty years and is currently recording his latest 'album'.
Glenn Fosbraey is Associate Dean for Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Winchester, UK. He is the author of
Reading Eminem (2022), Viva Hate (2022), Coastal Environments in Popular Song (2022), co-author of Exploring the impact of performance on the music and lyrics of The Beatles (2024) and co-editor of Misogyny, toxic masculinity, and heteronormativity in post-2000 popular music (2021).
Andrew Melrose is Professor of Writing at the University of Winchester, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Part I Foundations
1. How important are lyrics in popular music? And who makes them important, the author, or the audience?
2. What should the popular lyric be discussing?
3. Meaning
4. Genre
5. Getting a reaction
6. The extra-verbal elements of music
7. Technology and creativity
Part II Speculations
8. Inspiration/the grind – Getting the ideas
9. Character
10. To rhyme or not to rhyme
11. Chord sequence
12. Marriage between words and music
13. Structure
14. Storytelling
15. Looking beyond.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Writing Song Lyrics is a lively and entertaining meditation on the art of songwriting; a joyous personal riff on a canon of beautiful songs which continue to inspire and colour our lives. – Richard Mills, St Mary’s University, UK

Writing Song Lyrics is a necessary and lively guide for the creative writing classroom. The authors analyze lyrics by legendary artists like the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and many others to illustrate the techniques of matching words to music. – Tami Haaland, Montana State University, USA

Writing Song Lyrics is indispensable for anyone who wants to take lyrics seriously and intelligently. Written in a clear and accessible style, it has good points for discussion, practical advice/exercises for writing, a wide range of reference and is written by experienced lyric writers. – Adrian May, University of Essex, UK

Editorial Reviews

Writing Song Lyrics is a lively and entertaining meditation on the art of songwriting; a joyous personal riff on a canon of beautiful songs which continue to inspire and colour our lives.” —Richard Mills, St Mary's University, UK

“Writing Song Lyrics is a necessary and lively guide for the creative writing classroom. The authors analyze lyrics by legendary artists like the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and many others to illustrate the techniques of matching words to music.” —Tami Haaland, Montana State University, USA

“Writing Song Lyrics is indispensable for anyone who wants to take lyrics seriously and intelligently. Written in a clear and accessible style, it has good points for discussion, practical advice/exercises for writing, a wide range of reference and is written by experienced lyric writers.” —Adrian May, University of Essex, UK

From the Publisher