Do You Love a List? "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys

Part 1: Do You Love a List?

"Wouldn't it Be Nice" by the Beach Boys is a great example of logical, linear lyric writing.  I think it will be helpful to look at the first half of this song as a sequential list of wants.  It starts with "Wouldn't it be nice to be together…"  and the list of desires continues from there in a sequential manner through the different times of the day.  It's a list of the literal that ends with the poetical.  Here's the list:

Wouldn't it be nice...

1) to be older and not have to wait to be together

2) to live together

3) to sleep together

4) to wake up together

5) to spend the day together

6) and then hold each other at night again

7) to kiss forever.  This is the ultimate poetical idea following the list of literal activities to do together.  The list of literal activities, sleeping, waking, spending the day, and then sleeping again, is trumped or topped off finally by the poetic hyperbole of a kiss that lasts forever.  Of course, you would save this image for a key moment.  You wouldn't put it in the middle of the list above.  It's that final, emotional punch meant to deeply effect the listener.

Imagine coming up with the song title/idea, "Wouldn't it Be Nice."  Now, try to imagine the next step in your songwriting process.  The next step might be to come up with a list of things that would be nice to have happen.  Then, you start brainstorming–"Wouldn't it be nice to…1)…2)…3)…etc…"  There's more than that to coming up with good song lyrics, but at least we can see one useful method that might have led to this classic pop song.

Part 2:  There and Back Again

At the heart of most great art is a story of departure and return.  Songwriting is no exception, and in this second half of the song, the lyrics take us on a couple of small departures which ultimately serve as a clever way to bring us back to the title.

"Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true

Baby then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do

We could be married

And then we'd be happy

Wouldn't it be nice"

In the first two lines of the above bridge section, the singer is thinking out loud of a way to attain the above listed desires.  That's a great alternative perspective on the main theme.  Simply listing the wants the way that we examined in Part 1 might get boring for an entire song, so we need to find another source of tension which will still be related to the song idea.  In this case, the new source of tension is to ask, "HOW can I get what I want?"  Thinking about the how question naturally gives way to thinking again about the wants, and therefore, the bridge is finished off with another longing glimpse into the desired future: "We could be married, and then we'd be happy."  Finally, the button to tie it all together is the title of the song which fits perfectly at the end of that bridge.

The last stanza similarly has a departure and return structure.  The songwriter notices another source of tension to start this stanza, which is, the more we talk about it, the more I want it.  Talking about what he wants makes the longing worse, like an itch that gets worse the more it is scratched.  It's illogical to keep talking about something you can't have if it just drives you crazy.  It's a bit masochistic.  It's shortsighted and passion based thinking, but that's also why it's romantic and compelling.

"You know it seems the more we talk about it

It only makes it worse to live without it,

But let's talk about it

Wouldn't it be nice."

And there's that title again.  This time the title is sung as the logical indulgence of the singer.  He has given up on trying to not talk about what he wants even if those things are unattainable.  Finding a clever and compelling way to return to the title is always considered songwriting gold.

Good luck, and may the songwriting gods be with you.

Your Smiling Face by James Taylor: A Refreshing, Simple Song Structure

A really lovely song; short and sweet with a simple structure; but dense with chords and lyrics.  Not an easy song to write I would imagine, but totally do-able and refreshingly different from standard formulas.

Here's the most basic overview of the structure:

-V1

(key change)

-V2

(two quick key changes)

-Breakdown

-Refrain to fade out

So let's call that three formal sections with the first two (V1 and V2) being, musically, a repeat only with different lyrics, and the last section starting with the breakdown but evolving into a continually building repetition of a 4 bar phrase extracted from earlier in the song.

Here's the first verse broken into two sections:

V1

section a

     "Whenever I see your smiling face, I have to smile myself 

     Because I love you, yes, I do. (here's where that awesome guitar riff happens)

     And when you give me that pretty little pout, It turns me inside out.

     There's something about you, baby, (again that guitar riff happens here)

     I don't know.

section b

     Isn't it amazing a man like me     (melody goes higher here, kinda like most pre-

     Can feel this way,                     choruses in most songs, but is this a chorus?)

     Tell me how much longer, 

     It could grow stronger every day. 

     Oh, how much longer?"      (here, there's a smooth transition back into the intro riff that
                                             hurls us forward into a key change and the second verse)

So, the next thing we hear is V2, but usually there is a chorus before V2.  Where is the chorus?  I don't hear a traditional chorus with the song title and main message of the song, do you?  So, look back at V1 and find the spots you find most memorable.  For me, it's the second and fourth line of the first section of the verse (the guitar riff I keep pointing out. Notice that it's also a change of feel).

V2

section a

     "I thought I was in love a couple of times before with the girl next door,

     But that was long before I met you, (guitar riff)

     Now I'm sure that I won't forget you.

     And, I thank my lucky stars that you are who you are,        

     And not just another lovely lady (guitar riff)

     Set out to break my heart.

section b

     Isn't it amazing a man like me (varies the melody slightly here)

     Can feel this way,

     Tell me how much longer, 

     It could grow stronger every day."

Ok, so, section b is exactly the same in V1 and in V2, but for me, it's still not a proper chorus.  It's memorable and we here it at the end of each verse, but we don't hear it again after the upcoming breakdown.  To me, it's just the end or second half of the verse.  The song up to this point is strophic; a lot like "Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel (see past post for insights from that song).  Each verse has a strong, arched structure with the high note in the middle and memorable melodies and chord progressions throughout, but that's it.  That isn't to say it's easy to do; it's actually extremely difficult.  Sometimes a cool, big, or dramatic chorus can be a crutch for a boring verse.  In this song, every line is memorable and cohesive with the line before and after it.

…again with the intro riff, two key changes this time, and we come into the...

Breakdown and Refrain

-The chords are from earlier (this is key for keeping the song cohesive)

-The melody is very similar to a couple parts of the verse but not exactly the same

-The lyrics are new but they also contain the title of the song in some form or variation (in bold below).

     "No one can tell me that I'm doing wrong today, whenever I see you smile at me.

     No one can tell me that I'm doing wrong today (my favorite guitar riff back in)

     Whenever I see your smiling face my way.

     No one can tell me that I'm doing it wrong today.

     No one can tell me that I'm doing it wrong today."

That continues until the fade out.  Once again, look at the basic structure:

-V1

(key change)

-V2

(two quick key changes)

-Breakdown

-Refrain to fade out

The secret is making each verse memorable the whole way through (strong, arched structure with the high note in the middle and memorable melodies and chord progressions throughout).

What are the most hook-like or memorable parts of the verse TO YOU?  The answer to that question will help you write your own songs that you will be proud of and that will sound unique to your own voice and style.

Happy songwriting!

-Jonathan

Green Garden by Laura Mvula

http://www.lauramvula.com/

Let's take a look at these lyrics line by line.

Take me outside, sit in the green garden 

Beseeching someone.  We get a mental image immediately of a lush place where she is with another person.

Nobody out there, but it's okay now, 

There's no one there now, but maybe there used to be.  Also she's ok with there not being anybody there now, but maybe she had to get over her feeling for someone who used to be there.

bathe in the sunlight, don't mind if rain falls,

taking it in, showing us the environment, giving us an idea about her feelings toward the world; she doesn't care if the rain falls. 

take me outside, sit in the green garden, 

Apparently we've heard all we need to hear about the green garden for now.  She simply repeats and reinforces the initial plea to the unknown listener whom we all assume is an ex-lover.

ooh ah, ooh ah oh, 

ooh ah, ooh ah oh

And I'll fly on the wings of a butterfly 

Keeping with the garden environment for this second verse, she is identifying with nature, beautiful things that reside in the garden.

high as a tree top and down again

up and down, has metaphorical implications about moods.

putting my bag down, taking my shoes off 

another mental image of her in the garden, all we know is that she is there, she came from somewhere else, but here, she is relaxed, shoeless, connecting with and reveling in natural beauty.

walk in the carpet of green velvet

Dance in my garden like we used to, 

Finally, we get a strong suggestion that she is longing.  Longing for an experience she used to have with the ex-lover.  This line is given importance and emotional charge by being separated and divided by "ooohhs" etc.

ooh ah, ooh ah oh

Dance in my garden like we used to, 

ooh ah, ooh ah oh

Take me outside, sit in the green garden 

nobody out there, but it's okay now, 

bathe in the sunlight, don't mind if rain falls, 

take me outside in the green garden

At this point we are reveling in the song.  We hear the first verse with some new chords and other musical elements, but still just rehearing her initial plea and description of this green garden

I'll go, wherever you go, wherever you take me, I'll go 

I'll go, wherever you go, wherever you take me, I'll go 

Here's something new right after we have a repeat of the first verse.  We are well established in the idea, lyrics, and vibe of the song.  It's the appropriate place for a "C" section or bridge.  The lyric idea is compelling, but basically generic.  It could fit into any song.  There are a lot of logical weaknesses with this line; we had no idea we were following anyone all over the place literally or metaphorically (in fact we were asking someone to take us into a garden), the only place she has gone within the garden is up the tree and back down again, she wanted to dance in her garden not leave it.  It's basically just saying,"I like you a lot, and would do anything to be with you."  But, that sentiment is not really part of the heart of the rest of the song, which by all evidence is a reminiscence of love gone by.

Take me outside, sit in the green garden. 

Take me outside, sit in the green garden.

And I'll fly on the wings of a butterfly 

highs of tree top and down again 

putting my bag down, taking my shoes off 

walk in the carpet of green velvet 

Dance in my garden like we used to, 

the dance. 

Dance in my garden like we used to.. 

Take me outside, take me outside, 

take me outside, sit in the green garden. 

I'll go, wherever you go, wherever you take me, I'll go 

I'll go, wherever you go, wherever you take me, I'll go 

I'll go, wherever you go, wherever you take me, I'll go 

I'll go, wherever you go, wherever you take me, I'll go 

I'll go, wherever you go, wherever you take me, I'll go.