By Tauseefuddin Khan
Tune plays very imporatant role in lyrics writing. Most of the lyrics are tuned. The lyrics tend to draw heavy inspiration from the tunes as tune is the one who dictates. if tune is catchy, inspirational, wonderful - the possibility of lyrics being equal to tune is high and if it's not, then there is a possibility that lyrics will also be not upto the mark of high quality.
There are many songs which we hum - because their tunes and lyrics both are responsive and are good. and many which we forget lacks in both. There is no flavour in the tune and lyrics are just plain. There are some cases where a song don't becomes a hit but its lyrics are wonderful. The reason of song not doing well can be blamed to lack of good tune, lack of song promotion and other marketing things. And there are some cases where lyrics are just ordinary but tune lifts it up and it becomes a hit song. merely because of the tune.
It's observed that most people like songs because of music and not because of its lyrics. we often hear - people saying as such 'that album music is very good and not they say that lyrics are also good. but, when people tries to relate songs to their personal taste - they tend to find the appropriate lyrics. for example - people try to collect sad numbers, romantic numbers and funny numbers of hit songs mostly on lyrics lines. And, there are several websites that saw this opportunity that people are looking for lyrics and they came up with lyrics sites - now adays, lyrics of almost all new movies, albums and most of the old hits are at your finger tips. people search because they want to sing it line by line and not just humming the mukhda.
Here is a point - most of us remember only the mukhda of songs and not the antra's etc...and that too fade away with new songs when get added to our memory.
Simple facts about lyrics writing:
Lyrics are usually written to a particular tune – often a music director dictates a ‘tune’ or a track to the lyrics writer to place lines/words on it.
Often lyrics are based on a particular theme and script of the movie/album
A lyrics writer has to use his imagination in relation to the story line and situation on which lyrics are need to be done.
A lyrics writer should be aware of how words can be fit into a particular sound – he should have an interest in music
Some times a music director sets tune to a particular piece of poetry which is already written – it happens when the composer sees good weight in lyrics
Lyrics and music goes complimentary – people like to associate lyrics with music and music with lyrics and hearing both in isolation results in less satisfaction.
Lyrics writers earn quite less than what music directors earn.
Paid or commission lyrics are those lyrics in which you’re paid by the producer to write lyrics
Lyrics are not limited just to movies – even private album demands lyrics. A lyrics writer can lend his lyrics to movies, albums and as well as jingles.
Most of the lyrics writers are Urdu poet also but it’s not necessary that if you’re not a poet you cannot be a lyricist.
One can term himself/herself as a lyricist if he knows how to place appropriate lines to a particular tune.
Other things like a poem should flow in rhythm – the subject should not loose its ground – the lines should be appropriate – and the meaning should be conveyed to the reader clearly.
If your lines lacks some or all of these features even though you’ve set the lines properly to a tune is useless. as it’s necessary that the reader should get it right what the lyrics writer is trying to convey. It should not result in dubious meaning or non-sensical lyrics and should not be difficult to understand.
Lyrics writing are different form of poetry and it’s different from usual poems written by most of the people and it’s entirely a different creature.
Just read some lyrics/songs and then switch your reading to some ghazals/poems/nazms you’ll find the difference.
A lyricist conveys his meaning and facts within a definite meter and rhyme.
A lyricist should have good command over vocabulary – he should not find himself running short of words when situation demands.
It’s possible to write different lyrics to a same tune
There are limitations to the amount of words you one can use for lyrics writing – great lyricist says that you have just 70 words to play with a tune. Previously the number was above 100 but now adays it has come down. The reason for such limitation is that the lyrics are written for a song which is heared by all types of people. And, pathetically the vocabulary of the people has came down drastically and this is the reason why a lyrics writer may not be able to introduce words into a tune which are not heard or the meaning of which is not known to most number of peoples.
Todays lyrics are not intellectually crafted – they are aimed at common man with common reasoning ability. Even though the writer is very intellectual but he/she can’t display that in a song (most of the times) for such philosophically and intellectually sound poems one has to take route of books not songs or other form of poetry
Lyrics tend to draw heavy inspirational amount from the tune. Most good lyrics are written to most good tunes and vice versa.
Most lyricist used to associate with some sort of music directors and that blend continues as long as good results comes.
Most of the times a lyricist writes many lines to a particular musical note or piece of a tune until the line gets its inner nod as well as that of producer and music composer.
A lyricist often goes with what the music directors and producers wants – he tries to blend his art in their colours and not tries them to adjust with his way of writing. But, in some cases a lyricist stop to work if he’s not listened to.
Lyrics are written according to a tune which has a mukhda and two antra’s. usually it takes around 12 lines to write lyrics for a tune. On an average most tunes are designed in that way only – but some tunes may allow the lyrics writer to extend lines as much as the tune needs it.