Dorothy P. Martins - Contemporary Lyricism

T h e o r e t i c a l L y r i c i s m:C o n t e mp o r a r y L y r i c s Na r r a t i v e,E x p e r i me n t a l a n d A b s t r a c t i o n

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Do r o t h y P.Ma r t i n s

Na r r a t i v e L y r i c i s m

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Dorothy : Contemporary Lyrics Here, lyricism refers to the ignored, underground, but existing study of song lyrics. This does not include lyrics of musicals and operas, as those are more developed fields of study. Instead, we will be focusing on the lyrics to all popularized songs. We are not dealing with the rhythmic structure of a lyrical poem, nor are we referring to the genre of the musical composition. Here, we study the pisions of lyrical content structures, or what story and purpose is it trying to convey. In the following paragraphs, you are invited to explore with me, a few, shall we say, “shady” areas of contemporary lyrics, those that exists, but no one ever mentions them consciously, or purposefully. For example, the different types of Narrative Lyrics, Lyrical Experimentalism, and Lyrical Abstraction.

Narrative lyrics

First, Narrative Lyrics in itself is a broad stroke; it includes so many possible, and expanding branches, that we can only pick and examine a few fruits from this growing tree.

In narrative structure, there is Full Linear Narrative Lyrics, and Fragmental Narrative Lyrics.

Full linear, of course it is your average common storyline driven lyric that follows the structure of a story, whether short or not.

As for Fragmental, it is lyric with a linear or non-linear fragmented

Dorothy : Contemporary Lyrics selections of a story, that even if put together in the right order, one will not be able to find a purposeful storyline.

Keeping that in mind, we will head to a more common, and, we can even say, popular story genre, the Autobiography, and Biography. We have all heard of songs telling the story of someone's life, or paying homages to a passed legend, e.g. Don McLean’s famed “Vincent,” the Starry Starry Night. However, strictly speaking, in Narrative Lyrics, Biographical lyrics, in parts or in whole, tells the full story in the poem itself, ideally with the whole package, the dates, the different persons involved, locations, and events. It should not rely on the support of the musical composition, or a short film style music video to present the story. The lyric itself is the story, is the person's life tale.

In both full and fragmental narrative structures, there can be Fictional and Non-Fictional Narrative. Fictional: stories that a certain author created, that does not exist in real life, and Non-Fiction, that which does exist in real life.

Within Fictional Narrative, there is Original and Borrowed. Original springs from the creativity of the Lyrical Poet, who ever writes the lyric creates the plot. Borrowed, simply refers to fictional storyline and plot borrowed from other mediums, whether it is novels, films, or folklore.

A more common way of looking at lyrical pision is by Genres, as there are innumerable genres of books and film, there are just as many in lyrics. Here, we will mention three among the vast persity as only a show of examples. I chose:

Dorothy : Contemporary Lyrics Noir, Epic, and Fairytale Fictional Narrative Lyrics.

Noir, just as in films, is the typical dark, cigar smoking imagery of violent violet crime story love tales and poems carrying plot keywords like, the Femme Fatale, Night, Betrayal, and Lethal Love.

Epic, the heroic poem of a Monomyth, a hero's journey.

And finally, the Fairytale, usually lightly grim, mysterious, and sometimes serene full or fragmental lyrics with the nostalgic fairytale storyline.

From here, and before we go into Abstract Lyricism, or Lyrical Abstraction, we will be stopping by, fleetingly at what is called Experimental Lyricism.

Experimental Lyricism

Experimental lyrics are lyrics written in a relatively new and relatively never-before-seen style, with the pure intend to test public reaction, or to test popularity before mass popularizing a certain song or genre.

This can be:

1.Lyrics with a hidden message.

2.Lyrics that tackles a politically sensitive area of discussion.

3.Lyrics written with the intention of testing the public's preference.

And so on.

With this, we move on to Abstract Lyricism, or Lyrical Abstraction.

Dorothy : Contemporary Lyrics

Abstract Lyricism, or Lyrical Abstraction

Like any other form of art, especially Fine or Visual Art, lyrics for contemporary songs can be abstract. This does not mean abstraction by means of musical composition or as previously mentioned, by means of a convincing, and delivering music video. This is art in the lyric itself.

As this is only a field in its cornerstones, only, again, three examples will be discussed. Here we have, Sound Poems, Lyrical Surrealism, and Lyrical Abstract Expressionism.

Sound poems refers to rhythmic, yet gibberish array of invented words that forms a lyrical poem like structure. Listeners get meaning only by the ups and downs of the word soundings, not by the narrative or content of the lyrics. This does not include songs written with known and translatable artificial languages like Klingon and Esperanto.

Lyrical Surrealism, is not full, but highly fragmented narrative lyrics that in its vague storyline, gives a clear sense of a Freudian Dream.

Last, but certainly, not the least, Lyrical Abstract Expressionism refers to the use of, again, fragmental narrative and visually vibrant writing style to convey to the reader or listener an opaque, yet sensationally comprehensible expressive emotion, whether it is anger, joy, etc. This can be for example, using imageries like “a yellow ribbon floating through the blue river” to present to the audience, a

Dorothy : Contemporary Lyrics sense of light freedom and hoping joy.

As said in the beginning of our learning journey, these pisions and branches are only a few of the countless nurturing fruits in an only just maturing tree. These are developing fields, but also fields of neglected care; what we, as lyricists have to do is to explore and utilize them efficiently and creatively. These fields are fields of great artistic potential that only when used carefully and intelligently will they be righteously beneficial to the public, and as Lyrical Poets, we have that power, and responsibility.

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