Telling stories...

I've been listening to a lot of new and old Snow Patrol recently, and I was thinking about how a lot of their songs are stories. I think it's really tough to tell a story well in a song. Death Cab for Cutie does a really great job of it. Matt Kearney does not. (I'm hopeful the new Matt Kearney does not have a lot of that spoken word crapola). I know some people have no idea what the words are in songs. Anne once thought the words to that Amy Grant* Wanna Live Like a Believer song were, "Wanna live like Cousin Beaver." Who doesn't, right? Many only listen for the music side of it. I'm the opposite; generally if I can't understand or don't like the words to a song, I don't like the song. Radiohead being the exception to that. (Half the time I can't understand Thom Yorke, but part of the fun there is hearing a song I've heard thousands of times and finally realizing what he's saying.) I think the reason I like lyrics is that I am an English fanatic and generally fascinated by writing. What makes a classic a classic is the English major's eternally debated question. (Coincidentally, I once argued that this, my favorite book of all time, was a classic.) One quality that generally makes a work a classic is having a universal theme that most can relate to. I think the same is true of lyrics. When a songwriter eloquently captures an emotion that I've felt, and maybe even one I thought I alone had experienced, that's good songwriting.

*Keep in mind that my lack of any sort of musical knowledge -- like confusing Billy Joel and Phil Collins -- comes from being raised on mostly Amy Grant. Thanks, Mom.