what makes a text a suitable lyric?

[maxit]

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=13029.0

In this topic, I suggested a lyric that could be a poem itself, and a poem that could 'fit to sing' to quote mr. P. Ochs. But the aim was to ask you what are the characteristic of a lyric that is good to you? Now I ask you directly

[SdC]

That's like a painter asking what subject is suitable for a painting!

[64Guitars]

Personally, I like a lyric that tells a story or says something, as opposed to a collection of independent phrases that mean nothing as a whole. But that's just me. To each his own.

[T.C. Elliott]

Yeah, well. There is no one answer. If a composer likes through composed pieces I would imagine 'the wasteland' (in part or in whole) could possibly be put to music. That being said, I'll share what makes or breaks a lyric for me.

Rhythm. Not necessarily counting syllables per line (although it helps immensely if a lyric sticks to a pattern.) Imagine getting a really good lyric and you write the verse chords and melody and even can hear the arrangement in your head. Then you go to put the second verse to the same chord/melody and suddenly there are problems. There are three extra syllables or, more often and harder to fix, the emphasis that fit perfect on the chord changes in the first verse are all over the place in the second verse. You can't fix it without changing the lyric and unless you are just adding or subtracting contractions you're probably gonna change the meaning. And if you were looking for a lyric in the first place this is exactly the work or craft part of lyric writing you were trying to avoid.

Cool turns of phrase. I love a cool turn of phrase. This could be simply an interesting combination of adjectives or a combination of adjectives and nouns. I was just reading a blog in which it was mentioned that good descriptors make the cliche' turn into inspiration. Consider ' a red rose'.  Now consider 'a cold rose' or the band 'the stone roses.'  Using a red rose is pretty cliche and it might work but no-one is gonna consider it creative. But a cold rose. Or a stone rose. Or a bloody rose. All of those things are creative or interesting or at least new. I like new or different ways of saying the same things. There aren't too many new things to say, but there are lots of new ways to say them.
This can be bad as well. A cool turn of phrase that is completely out of place or that creates an image or emotion that doesn't fit with the rest of the song can kill it for me. Doesn't matter what else is good, if it is confusing then it won't work for me. It doesn't mean it has to be clear. I like songs that are less opaque, that make me think, or that evoke an emotion rather than is clear.

Interesting subjects. I don't wanna write another love song (although I'll probably write a crap load more as that is all that ever comes out it seems.) I will if it's written really well or if it says something in a new or interesting way. But if it's the same ol' i want you, i need you then I'll probably pass.

A lyric that tries to be art and fails. If it's too artsy fartsy (yeah, I said it) then it turns me off i a minute. I'd much rather have a lyric that is straight forward and works (I call them blue collar lyrics) then one that tries to be deep. If it is trying to be deep it isn't being deep and it's obvious and I don't like it.

A poem. Setting a poem to music generally takes a lot of work, especially in the editing department. See "Richard Cory" by E.A. Robinson and the song by Simon and Garfunkel. I really like that song, btw. But basically the poem was inspiration for the song. There wasn't that much that worked straight ahead. Even though poems usually fit structure much better than lyrics from beginning lyricists.

I also won't use a lyric by someone that knows what they want in terms of music but can't express it appropriately. I like some direction but I want to be able to take it the way the lyric seems to tell me to go as well.  Giving me a direction to begin our conversation about the song is great. But it might change. Sometimes a lyricist will tell me it should be one thing and the lyric tells me it should be something else. The lyric usually wins. And that's okay as long as there is open and clear communication between the lyricist and the composer. If it doesn't work then it doesn't work. No biggie. We'll try to collab another time.

I know of one person who had a lyric and was really happy with the music that their cowriter came up with. Then they posted it on a site like musemuse and got all this feedback about how to make it more commercial. So she went and told the composer she'd like a bunch of changes. This went on for a while and eventually the changes were completed. But the song lost some of it's magic. It fit the formula and it made all the 'corrections' that was suggested but it surely didn't end up a better song, imo. Sometimes expectations change and that's not fair to the other party.

And the simple answer is... I know it when I read it. Sometimes just reading a lyric will give me ideas. And sometimes just reading a lyric will let me know that I would rather pull my own teeth out than try to put music to it. And sometimes that lyric that is like pulling teeth will end up being a great song with someone else. It's not always the lyric at fault, sometimes it just doesn't work.

[maxit]

Rhythm. - you see Nick Drake, that I love, was amazing fine with exact number of syllabes in each verse - the results is really magic, and you make me think that this may be a 'secret' about his charming.

Interesting subjects. "I don't wanna write another love song" - that's exactly the same words of Randy Newman ;-) yea (but I feel that's not mandatory , too)!

avoid a lyric that tries to be art and fails. - this is one point I was missing, but I feel is the most important!

these points sum up in my mind to the good advice by 64 guitars to 'tell a story', so well that I 've nothing to add by my side ;-)

[OsCKilO]

For me the answer is:

The camber and weight of the words, when considered in relation to the subject you are writing about. This applies with or without music I'd say.

[FuzzFace]

My rule is:  Each line adds something to the song.  Each line is an idea that in itself could be spun off into another song.

Jim Morrison's rule:  Each line has more than 1 meaning.

[Oldrottenhead]

it's a mystery.

[Oldrottenhead]

and i just heard leonard cohen's new cd, he makes the deepest of songs from the simplest of words,  tho it apparently takes him years to write one song. he sculpts with words and not one out of place.

when i write obvious words folk, read more into them than i intended, when i try to write deep profound words, people read more into them than i intended. so it doesn't matter what you write as long as you are happy with it, because everyone will get from them something else entirely or nothing at all.

it's a mystery.

[Hook]

If it can be thought or said it can be sung.