I think good lyrics and great lyrics can be separated by the poetry involved, having a basic but not necessarily textbook understanding of euphony and diaphony as well as feet and meter so that the words flow in combination with the music so as not to butcher the pronounciation of a word simply to fit it into the beat. Also being able to write lyrics so that the inherent fluctuations in tone of the language are present makes the lyric/music combination more cohesive. As for subject matter that is really up to the person, so long as the lyrics aren't so vague that all intended messages in the song, if any, are lost to the listener then I don't find anything wrong with them. But I hate songs that repeat lines over and over again, except for "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics. which by the way I think had a total of 8 lines, because that was eighties music and all rules for good music shouldn't apply to that decade.

Whoops...mind slip, I meant to write "cacophony" in place of "diaphony" otherwise it makes no sense, but you know what I meant, right?

I agree with you, Remo. But I don't think lyrics ALWAYS have to have a poetic flare, it's all up to what the artist's intentions are. As long as the artist's intentions are met, then what more do you really want?

imho a good chorus hook (something you can pick up on the first listen) and clever verses/bridge (that provide depth/longevity and really support the chorus hook) are most important.

tag: of course the main idea/point of the song should connect with your audience too.

mah 2 cents.



there has to be a line between being too vague and being too specific don't you think? i can see really vague lyrics possibly working over great music but i think lyrics should be able to stand on their own - without music.

yes...maybe i ment to say that

It's quite good to have a part of the song that is so rememberable everyone will catch themselves singing it in the shower.

Most all songs that are classed as good have a very catchy tune somewhere in it.

And, well, technically if you have great lyrics you can have a simple tune (like 'I Stopped To Fill My Car Up' by the Stereophonics).

It's very hard. Like most people said it's probably just about getting your emotions across and telling a story in some way.

I think all of your opinions are great, they make a lot of sense, and they all answer part of the question. But I find that you can't classify or break down what good lyrics are. If you could, someone would write a book on it and millions of artists could just 'follow the equation,' earning success by following steps. Granted, lyrics aren't the only thing that makes a specific song/album good, it's just a major piece of it, like the drums, the guitar, etc.

But, if everyone did that, if everyone followed that formula, we would all be so sick of what we were listening to we would have to break the cycle. We would need to come up with something original , something new . I think that has a great deal to do with what good lyrics are, the simpleness of how original it is. If every band sounded like someone else, the next innovative band, whatever it was, would strike at least a few listeners as being "good." That's getting into what you were saying before, nationalchamp, with the 'hook.'

I also think good lyrics need to associate with a specific or broad group of people, mainly just a group of people. Without that group who can relate to what one is saying, the message will be lost. I'm not saying that good lyrics are completely dependent on the populous (even though in many ways they are ), and I'm not saying one should modify the message to fit the group, but I am saying lyrics need to be presented in a way that a group or groups can understand or relate to the message.

It all has to do with how the people interpret the message. They can either like it or hate it, and, conversely, the song can either pass or fail, in their eyes. It just goes to prove that how 'good' or 'bad' a set of lyrics are can't really be determined until the artist's target group hears the words.

I think that lyrics that flow well with the music are important, as well. Whenever I picture writing a song, I imagine first that my voice is just another instrument in the band. The inflection, notes, speed, and emotion of the lyrics need to fit the song's mood or atmosphere, and the message needs to work with the way it's spoken. Picture Coolio singing Gangster's Paradise to a solo by Garth Brooks (oh, wait, Weird Al already did something similar...). How the lyrics are presented to the audience is a major factor as well.

All of this jibba-jabba means that many, many, many factors determine which songs are remembered and emulated, and which ones are found in the garbage.

What makes a song great is the flow of the lyrics. what makes lyrics great is message and use of metaphore.

I've alwyas thought that the more thought you put into the song, and the more opportunities you give the listener to interpret the lyrics into their own way, while maintaining a firm foundation of what you hope they reflect, then you're doing something right.

A lyric can be considered good when someone who listening to the words of the lyrics feel within their heart what you're trying to say and can relate to its meaning.