Can song lyrics ever be literature?

[gvopedz]

"Perhaps the real difference is that a song lyric has neither the narrative responsibilities of drama or prose, nor poetry’s duty to precision. Lines that seem crass, pretentious or entirely incomprehensible written down can thrill a stadium."

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/02/from-dylan-to-ishiguro-can-song-lyrics-ever-be-literature

 

[felser]

I treat at least parts of some song lyrics as poetry or, less often, prose.  I own Dylan lyrics 1962-1985 book and the Springsteen lyrics book. Dylan's "My Back Pages", "Chimes of Freedom", those are poetry to me.  Something like Norman Whitfield's "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Cloud Nine" and Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billy Joe" and Mann/Weil's "On Broadway" and Springsteen's "The River" and "Thunder Road" and "Racing in the Streets" are prose to me.

Edited March 4, 2024 by felser

[danasgoodstuff]

They are always literature IMHO.  Not always great or even good literature, but that's an entirely different question.  I don't think of them as poetry or prose, they're lyrics, their own kind of literature.

[mikeweil]

12 hours ago, felser said:

I treat at least parts of some song lyrics as poetry or, less often, prose.  I own Dylan lyrics 1962-1985 book and the Springsteen lyrics book. Dylan's "My Back Pages", "Chimes of Freedom", those are poetry to me.  Something like Norman Whitfield's "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Cloud Nine" and Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billy Joe" and Mann/Weil's "On Broadway" and Springsteen's "The River" and "Thunder Road" and "Racing in the Streets" are prose to me.

It's hard for me to imagine some of your examples without the meoldy they are sung to. So I would say it depends. I know a lot of excellent poetry that could not be sung. In classical music, composers chose the song lyrics according to their potential as songs. But these were not written with that in mind, which may be the main distinction to song/sung lyrics.

Edited March 4, 2024 by mikeweil