Utilizing Good Grammar
Until you might have an excellent purpose to stray from the standard guidelines of grammar, you in all probability should not. There are a couple of songs I can consider with grammar so unhealthy it makes the lyrics laborious to take heed to.
A type of songs is “Extra Than Phrases,” by Excessive. The tune opens with the road “Saying ‘I really like you’ will not be the phrases I wish to hear from you.” If you happen to had written that sentence in a highschool paper, your English instructor would nonetheless be slapping you to at the present time… and rightfully so. One thing like “‘I really like you’ is not what I wish to hear from you” would have made way more sense, from a grammatical standpoint, particularly since it is the opening line of the tune and is setting a typical for what’s to return.
What comes after that does not get a lot better. One other line inside that verse states “Greater than phrases is all you must do to make it actual.” I am not even positive the right way to repair that one. However you may see the way it makes for a tough pay attention.
I do not imply to beat up on Excessive, as a result of I do love the tune “Extra Than Phrases.” Nevertheless, higher grammar would have been a pleasant contact right here, since there isn’t any purpose for the poor grammar aside from merely not figuring out any higher.
Utilizing Dangerous Grammar
Studying what I simply wrote might make you assume it is by no means okay to remain from the foundations of grammar when writing a tune, however that is not the case in any respect.
As a singer, you are basically a personality in your personal story. Completely different characters communicate in several methods. For instance, in Amy Winehouse’s tune, “Rehab,” she sings the road “I ain’t obtained the time and if my daddy thinks I am nice.” Clearly, utilizing the phrase “ain’t” is not thought-about grammatically acceptable, however within the context of this tune, it is nice. It suits the Amy Winehouse “character” on this tune. She’s gritty and tough across the edges so after all she’d use the phrase “ain’t” when she does not wish to do one thing. It is smart.
An analogous factor occurs within the title line of Winehouse’s tune “Me and Mr. Jones.” Positive, from a grammatical standpoint, the road is inaccurate. Nevertheless, placing “me” first is a typical mistake that Winehouse’s character would in all probability use. Plus, had she used appropriate grammar, the tune would have been referred to as “Mr. Jones and Me,” and Counting Crows already had an enormous hit with that line.
That is to not say that Winehouse does not have her share of grammatical points throughout different strains in her songs, in the identical method we noticed within the Excessive instance. Nevertheless, within the situations we talked about right here, it does not trouble me, as a result of it is simply how her character would communicate.
The identical concept applies to strains like “I am unable to get no satisfaction.” Positive, that line is a grammatical nightmare, however it’s okay as a result of it suits Mick Jagger’s edgy character. We count on his character to talk that method. In the identical method, I would not count on Eminem to make use of correct grammar in his songs.
For that purpose, you should not be going by all your songs making an attempt to rewrite any strains you might have that use made up phrases like “gonna,” or “wanna,” as a result of individuals DO really say these issues in North American English. It is okay. Many of the occasions lyrics are supposed to sound conversational, as these “faux” phrases do. In a variety of instances it will really sound weirder to listen to “I’ll” that it will to listen to “I am gonna” as a result of that morphed phrase has turn out to be such frequent place. Singing is an exaggerated type of speech, so ideally you’d wish to sing your concepts in the identical method you’ll say your concepts.
Additionally, figuring out the distinction between “your,” “you are,” “there,” “they’re,” “their,” and so on., could be smart too, however since we solely hear songs this one will not even come up for you when writing lyrics, except somebody’s taking a look at your written out phrases. In that case it will be useful to know when to make use of every of those, so that you appear like you recognize what you are speaking about.
Final Word
As you may see, unhealthy grammar can often be okay to make use of whenever you’re writing songs (however do not inform your English instructor I informed you that!). If you end up twisting the standard guidelines of grammar simply to make one in all your rhymes work, you are utilizing unhealthy grammar for the unsuitable purpose. If you happen to’re doing it as a result of it is how your character would communicate to somebody, then it is in all probability okay.