Lyrical Content

“There are basically three types of songs: loved songs, unloved songs, and transitional songs written by tired people in between the two.” – Ace Boggess

I often hear people say that all songs are about love.  It’s an exaggeration that points to something true about lyrical content.  Love is a common topic.  It’s not the only topic though.

Lyrical content depends on the genre and the time period.  The ancient Greeks and Romans sang poems of war, the gods, and nature.  Bach wrote music for “the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”  Progressive rock bands from the twentieth century wrote about travel, friendship, and famous works of fiction.

Love isn’t the only topic being covered in today’s culture either.  Pop songs cover depression, poverty, racism, drug abuse, happiness, friendship, independence, ambition, and much more.  If you look past Billboard’s Top 100, you’ll find all kinds of new and original lyrical content are still being created.  Musicals, indie artists, and live shows are good sources for new content.

Still, it’s hard to ignore the plethora of love songs in existence.  Love is a universal emotion.  It is powerful and joyous.  It wants to be shared and communicated.  It desires an outlet, and music is a natural and obvious choice.  So it makes sense for love to be a common and popular subject.

Love is not the only subject though, nor should it be.  There is so much material about which to write, to play, to sing.  We should not limit ourselves to one subject in music any more than we should limit ourselves to one type of food or one style of book.  If we do, we’ll find our souls malnourished and wanting for more.

Listen to all kinds of lyrics.  If love songs refresh your spirit, then listen to them.  If they weary you, don’t be afraid to find new content.  Love is great.  Variety is great too.

Let me know what you think.  What kind of lyrical content do you like best?  If you’re an aspiring musician, what kind of things do you like to write about?  I’m looking forward to your responses!

Thanks for reading!