Music tells stories, it makes lyrics as the body with bone, blood and fresh, while the theme, shown through melody, as spirit. Without spirit, the body is only a zombie; With spirit, the music is alive.
There are still a variety of music forms that have no lyrics, they are played by different instruments in plentiful ways, even humming can be one of them. Because humming has a melody, the atmosphere the humming created can convey feelings to listeners. All of these attribute to that music have themes.
If lyrics portray the emotions in songs, the themes picture the listeners’ actions (like smiling, weeping) through melody. Themes have a critical effect on guiding melody and creating the atmosphere of the whole song. It’s the only bond that connects melody, lyrics and emotions, and it can be felt everywhere in the song.
The common themes in popular songs:
Friendship
Whether how old you are, you always need someone to be your accompany. That’s friendship.
Friends are a group of people who will be there for you all the time. No matter what you encountered, how terrible your life is, whatever you want to do, they will support you, accompany you because you always do these for each other. The old famous song “I’ll be there for you” by The Rembrandts speaks the best for friendship in the lyrics.
“I’ll be there for you
when the rain starts to pour.
I’ll be there for you
like I’ve been there before.
I’ll be there for you
’cause you’re there for me too.”
It’s the theme music of Friends. When the familiar prelude coming out, we can not help to miss the old good times with our friends. I bet everyone knows a song about friends, so we can see how common the themes is!
Love Lost
Lose the people, who could be your friends, your families or your lovers, that you love may be the most heart-broken things in the world. The theme “love lost” included being apart but alive and being apart because of death. Being Apart but alive usually means a relationship broken, while being apart because of death that can’t change with anything.
Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” is the theme music of Titanic. At the end of the movie, Jack gave the only chance to survive to Rose. He was willing to sacrifice his life because he loved rose. It’s not a happy ending through Rose was saved, she lost her lover. When the music ringing, the audience feels the pain of losing the loved one as Rose due to the sad melody and lyrics.
“You’re here,
there’s nothing I fear.
And I know that my heart will go on
we’ll stay forever this way.
You are safe in my heart,
and my heart will go on and on…”
Coming of Age (Growing Up)
We always think that time passes too slowly at a young age. In a twinkling of an eye, we grow up and found that time files. We begin to hope that time goes more slowly because life s short from born to death. “7 Years” by Lukas Graham is a great example to show the theme that time goes too fast.
“Once I was seven years old…”
“Once I was eleven years old…”
“Once I was 20 years old my story got told…”
“Soon we’ll be 30 years old our songs have been sold…”
“Soon I’ll be 60 years old will I think the world is cold”
Fight for Life, Fight for Dream
Growing up is probably a lifelong process of self-exploration, self-doubt, being rejected, be affirmed, making changes, and repeating until taking the things as they were. But on the way, we’ll never stop fighting for life, and finally, we’ll be strong. We can hear it in “Break Away” by Kelly Clarkson.
“ I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly
I’ll do what it takes til’ I touch the sky
I’ll make a wish
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway…”And the powerful melody in “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten is a good exemplification.
“Can you hear my voice?
This time this is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My powers turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong”
How to Consider the themes for Songs?
Based on the analysis of a large number of songs, we can simply categorize the themes according to different perspectives as follows.
We divide themes in Songs from four angles:
Songs usually express feelings like joy, anger, sadness and disappointment.
Songs usually express emotions such as love, hate, miss and regret.
Songs usually express the pressure, injustice, frustration and disillusionment in personal and social life.
Songs usually express relationships between families, friends, lovers and enemies.
Take “Dance with My Father” by Luther Vandross as an example. We can tell from the song title that the relationship between the characters in this song is about families. And what we know from the lyrics that the singer misses and loves his father. Regrettably, his father was already in heaven.
“If I could get another chance
another walk
another dance with him
I’d play a song that would never, ever end
How I’d love, love, love
To dance with my father again…”
So whether the song lyrics or the melody makes listeners feel sad.
When I am listening to it, I couldn’t help to think of my parents. And I am afraid that I spend too little time with them because of the deep miss and regret from the lyrics touch the softness in the heart.
Take “Someone Like You” by Adele for example. Even we have no information about the background story of this song, we can still feel the complex emotions in it. This is Adele’s story. A couple of lovers broke up, and one of them got married. What she was thinking when she heard the news. We can feel the singer’s moods changes that
the sadness when hearing the news
“I heard that you’re settled down
That you found a girl and you’re married now
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn’t give to you”,
the envy that another girl occupied your rest life
“I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited”,
the helpless that nothing I can do
“But I couldn’t stay away, I couldn’t fight it”,
the miss of the good times we’ve spent
“Only yesterday was the time of our lives
We were born and raised in a summer haze
Bound by the surprise of our glory days”,
the fear that you’ll forget me
“Don’t forget me, I beg, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead”,
the blessing that you’ll be happy
“I wish nothing but the best for you”,
the regret, loneliness…
So when we consider the song themes, we can give it a vague skeleton using the above categories firstly, like the characters, the moods, the sentiments in the stories that you’ll tell with music.
And then, subclassify your song themes to a specific subject.
For example, you heard a story that a teenager chases after his dream of being a singer.
You can start from a perspective that the frustrations he met on the way of chasing a dream or you can begin with what he got in the process. If you concentrate on the frustrations, the song may be sad, depressive, and hopeless when listening. But if you concentrate on the gain, the song may be joyful, bright, and hopeful.
When there is a focus in the story, there is a specific theme in your song.
Last, write the lyrics and compose the music around the theme.
Later, we’ll share tips about how to rhyme lyrics. If you find it interesting, welcome to share it with your friends who may need it.
