Although people have different tastes in various music genres, they all listen to music frequently. As in the statement, ‘music is my life’, music is inextricably linked with our life. Usually, when people listen to music the first time, they say the song is good because they are attracted to the melody. However, the songs that people repeatedly listen to have a special feature, which is the lyric. Lyrics may receive little attention at first, but in the end they are what arouses listener’s sympathy. How are the lyrics composed? I would like to introduce some useful and required techniques when writing lyrics through Kim Ea-Na`s book, “How to write lyrics”
Chapter 1: Verbal Expression of Emotion, Life of a Lyricist, Basic Skills of Lyric Making
1) Always talking about love? Keen Competition between Characters at Every Second
People say that today’s songs always talk about love, but this is not always true. Those people just don’t have the same attraction to other lyrics in music. Feelings of love and sadness are both emotions that people have in common, but songs eventually succeed only when there are many people listening to it. Many people listen to the song if it prompts a common emotion like “love”.
2) Professional words used when writing lyrics.
"Demo” is a stage where the song has a raw sound, and can also mean that it is not a completed song. “Guide” is the sound source, which tells the producer where the vocal melody is coming from. “Rhyme” gives the song its rhythm. “Yama” is the attractiveness of the lyrics and is when the lyricist gives their best effort to. When you listen to music, this is the part where you feel an impact.
Chapter 2. Best Singer’s Life Remains in their Songs_ Communication and Observation Records.
The best songs show multiple sides of the singer’s real life is in the lyrics. The reason is that they already reflect images that people recognize. They are already so-called ‘Living Legends’, so their image is the best character base for them. Cho Yong-Pil`s <Walking Alone>, Lee Sun Hee`s <Meet Him Among Them>, Yim Jae Beum`s <Someday To You> and <Road>, all have the singer’s lives in the lyrics.
Chapter 3. There is no explainable farewell_ How can one sing, “The love”?
Repeated love and farewell stories can be changed only by the narrator who actually is familiar with the situation. For example, Buddhist people may think all the mistakes are their’s, cursed types blame their old flames, and Mangbuseok types are always waiting for their lovers. The Buddhist type is not used by singers with strong characters because it can’t effectively arouse sympathy. The cursed type in the song, <Abracadabra> by Brown-Eyed Girls, is a fierce and sharp tempered lady who shares her innermost never-before-revealed feelings. The Mangbuseok type is easily seen in ballads. They always say that they will wait forever. It is most commonly used because many people have the same or similar hearts.
Chapter 4. Your delusion and fantasy are important: where do I get my ideas?
Do you know that your traumas and dreams can be lyrics? Don`t worry about whether it has personal emotions. You can write realistic lyrics because you are using your story and true emotions. Also, a reversed fairy story can be good material. “Are they really happy?” People say that this type of thinking is meaningless because of the happy ending stories listened to in their youth. These images remain in their mind unconsciously. People think a reverse fairy tale can’t be material for lyrics because of these remaining, unconscious thoughts.
I think I look at or listen to lyrics in a different way after reading this book. ‘Wow that boy. I saw him the other day. I think it is right. He never changes. Oh, my heart, what are you doing now? I know how you feel, but it’s time that you must stop.’ These lyrics are written before I read this book. This has only an expression of surprise. It doesn`t have any impact in the lyrics. ‘What should I wear today? Go to the closet and open the door. Next, I think for a long time. Wear a coat over a shirt for a change? A boyfriend look that attracts love? No, I should just choose a common casual look!’ It seems like nothing’s changed, but it rhymes and creates the shy situation for the boy and it looks so lovely.
The music that we frequently listen to has some interesting behind-the-scenes stories and a lot of creative use of technology in the lyrics. I recommend this book to those of you who dream of being a lyricist and who have an interest in lyrics. Someday, you will feel the difference. There is one thing that I want you to do. “Next time you listen to a song, how about focusing on the lyrics rather than the melody?”
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