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A "lyrics person" is also a "music person," otherwise they would just be a "poetry person." Something about setting lyrics to music can give an intense power to
by allturtles 2y ago
A "lyrics person" is also a "music person," otherwise they would just be a "poetry person." Something about setting lyrics to music can give an intense power to words that would be merely passable as "plain" poetry.
e.g. here's a verse from "All This Time" by Sting:
> Teachers told us the Romans built this place \
They built a wall and a temple \
And an edge of the empire garrison town \
They lived and they died \
They prayed to their gods \
But the stone gods did not make a sound \
And their empire crumbled till all that was left \
Were the stones the workmen found
> All this time \
The river flowed \
In the falling light \
Of a northern sun
Just reading this does nothing for me. It's certainly not great poetry. But hearing it sung to music for me evokes the feeling of the inevitablity of decay and the simultaneous glory of human achivement and the pathos of human mortality. [0]
[0]: https://youtu.be/4LdUme7QZLY?si=eE6CtAaU6DOOVlQj&t=192 https://youtu.be/4LdUme7QZLY?si=eE6CtAaU6DOOVlQj&t=192