8. What are the different types of lyric forms?
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This article is from the Songwriting FAQ, by Greg Skinner gds@best.com.
8. What are the different types of lyric forms?
There are several types of lyric forms, and variations on those types.
Three of the most common forms are AAA, AABA, and verse-chorus.
An AAA lyric form generally consists of repeating sections. Each
section may have a refrain, which is a line or two that is repeated
in each section.
"Michael (Row the Boat Ashore" is a simple example of AAA:
Michael, row the boat ashore,
Hallelujah!
Michael, row the boat ashore,
Hallelujah!
Sister, help to trim the sail,
Hallelujah!
Sister, help, to trim the sail,
Hallelujah!
An AABA lyric form differs from AAA as it features a bridge (B) section
that contrasts from the A sections. Some AABA songs feature separate
verses, with the AABA form appearing in the chorus.
In "The Man on the Flying Trapeze", note how the B section differs
from the A sections:
(A)
Oh once I was happy but now I'm forlorn,
Like an old coat that is tattered and torn.
I'm left in this wide world to fret and to mourn,
Betrayed by a maid in her teens.
(B)
Oh this girl that I loved she was handsome,
And I tried all I knew her to please,
But I never could please her a quarter as well --
As the man on the flying trapeze, Oh!
(A)
He floats thru the air with the greatest of ease,
The daring young man on the flying trapeze,
His actions are graceful, all girls he does please,
And my love he has stolen away.
A verse-chorus song generally consists of alternating verse and chorus
sections. The chorus often contains the title phrase (often
referred to as the "hook").
There are several variations on the verse-chorus lyric form. Some
verse-chorus songs feature a "pre-chorus" (a section of the verse that
leads, or "climbs", to the chorus. Some also feature a bridge between
sections.
"Yankee Doodle" is a simple example of a verse-chorus song where the
hook appears in the chorus:
(Verse)
Father and I went down to camp,
Along with Captain Goodin',
And there we saw the men and boys,
As thick as hasty puddin'
(Chorus)
Yankee Doodle keep it up,
Yankee Doodle dandy,
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy.
This subject is treated extensively in Sheila Davis' _The Craft of
Lyric Writing_.
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