By Maki
Symmetry in music, both lyrical and structural, contributes to its inherent catchiness. Repetition of phrases, uniform stanza lengths, and mirrored melodic patterns create a sense of balance that appeals to listeners. This symmetry is particularly effective in the chorus, which is designed to be the most memorable part of a song. For example, pop songs frequently rely on the repetition and inversion of a single phrase – such as “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” – to drive home the emotional and thematic core of the track. Lyrical symmetry also makes music easier to learn and sing along to.
It would appear that very often we are looking for this symmetry as we listen and subconsciously supply it when it’s not actually there. More than one of us mentioned the case of David Bowie’s Changes in this sense and Severin’s recounting of John Walters’ reflections on The Eagles’ Take it to The Limit explored and explained this phenomenon perfectly.
If Walters was suggesting that the words were less important than the setting, many would disagree. Certain artists are renowned for the quality of their lyrics, the mischievousness of their wordplay and their ability to surprise and delight with a deft turn of phrase. Elvis Costello could probably have a supplied an A-list all on his own. I’ve gone with Possession for the simple, yet ingenious symmetry in the lines: “You lack lust, You’re so lacklustre.”
Another wordsmith extraordinaire is Dessa, in Dixon’s Girl the circular lyrical structure starts where it finishes but in a very different place. The predominately monsyllabic lyrics throw in an occasional two or three syllablle word that acts as a hinge for the rest of the words to swing on and the effect is mesmerising.
Dessa has been very upfront about the risks of sounding like some sort of pastiche when using song forms (rap, hip hop) that are not too obviously connected with her culture and backgroung (white, Midwest). I was surprised at how little rap was suggested this week. But what was suggested was well worth it.
I’m not sure that Joyner Lucas’ Backwords – where the challenge he sets himself is to to rap something, then rap it "backwards" – really fits our rubric because the lyrical symmetry is questionable. The phonetic symmetry is impressive, however and in it goes!
I may be the only person hereabouts who is not familiar with the musical Hamilton. Part of the joy of guruing is that you get to listen to everything at least once and unearth new gems or rabbit-holes to disappear down. My Shot is lyrically inventive and this challenge is more than it seems when there’s a story to be told and the lyrics have to make sense within a greater narrative. The phrase Are we a nation of states? What's the state of our nation? May not be the most impressive wordplay on offer this week but it is just one drop in an ocean of quality rhyming and verbal dexterity.
I have no real love for the palindrome and find most of the sentences that you find on different social media pages forced and often annoyingly meaningless but I also recognise that this is just an opinion and one that makes me a particularly poor judge of what should and shouldn’t be on this list. Kew Rhone is on the list because it deserves to be and because it was nominated with enthusiasm, justified and seconded by many. Reasons more than sufficient to overrule a grumpy old man’s foibles.
If you’re going to nick your wordplay, you may as well nick it from a 17th-century philosopher, which is what Piranhas did in Getting Beaten Up. “What is mind? No matter. What is matter? Never mind” ends up as “What is mind it doesn't matter, what is matter, never mind”. My mind boggles at the thought processes that drive an artist to shoe-horn 17th-century theological philosophy into a song about drunken fighting but I truly appreciate it happening!
Isn't it strange?
How people can change
From strangers to friends
Friends into lovers
And strangers again
The inevitable, sad symmetry expressed in Celeste’s Strange is breathtakingly beautiful.
Neil Young’s Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) has a lyrical and structural symmetry that kicked the door down, demanded entry and refused to leave. Who am I to challenge that?
And to end, a trip to Abergavenny for one of our regulars. Pop music is is often inventive, witty and can surprise us with simple but powerfully expressed ideas. But at others it is crass, simplistic and guilty of dressing up the meaningless as earth-shatteringly profound, and no one did this better than the Osmonds with Love Me for A Reason.
Love me for a reason
Let the reason be love
Er, OK lads…
Answering Expression A-List Playlist:
Boyzone – When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going
The Eagles – Take It To The Limit
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Possession
Dessa – Dixon’s Girl
Joyner Lucas – Backwords
Lin-Manuel Miranda – My Shot
John Greaves (w/ Peter Blegvad / Lisa Herman) — Kew Rhone
The Piranhas – Getting Beaten Up
Celeste – Strange
Neil Young – Hey Hey, My My, (Into the Black)
The Osmonds – Love Me For A Reason
Balancing Phrase B-List Playlist:
Elliot Smith - Pictures of Me
Billy Bragg - Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted
The Stylistics - You Are Everything
H20 - Dream To Sleep
Jah Wobble - Tyger Tyger
Andy Williams - Music to Watch Girls By
Leonard Cohen - So Long, Marriane
Supertramp - Dreamer
Anais Mitchell - Now You Know
David Bowie - Soul Love
Guru’s Wildcard Pick:
Mala Rodríguez - Yo No Mato El Tiempo
The internal rhymes are her usual quality and the symmetry or juxtaposition is more in what she leaves unsaid than the lyrics themselves.
Día que nace, día que estreno
Dos días menos pá morir
Ay yo no mato el tiempo, oh
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Let's face: songs with lyrical symmetry. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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