Song Types
As in any other art form, there are certain thematic motifs that run throughout popular music. Since we are all music consumers, we are aware of how often ideas are re-examined in our chosen medium. I believe that it helps to classify certain types of songs so that we, as listeners, can be aware of what we're consuming and so that we, as writers, can make intentional choices about the types of songs we want to write. Although there are many categories of song, today we'll be examining three in particular: the autobiographical song, the observational song, and the protest song.
The Autobiographical Song. Songwriters have continually mined their own traumas, tribulations, and triumphs for decades. We are excellent at spinning our personal lives into words and melodies. When we do this, we are creating autobiographical songs. Autobiographical songs are emotionally potent because they tell the stories of our real lived experiences. Through song, we tackle the minutiae of everyday life: love & heartbreak, growing up, family drama, joyous occasions, and one million other themes and stories that are true to our experiences. Songwriters who have mastered this form include Sara Bareilles, Taylor Swift, Alec Benjamin, and SZA.
The Observational Song. While autobiographical songwriting looks inward toward our emotional center, observational songwriting turns the gaze outward. Observational writing can examine small town life, characters central to the songwriter's life, characters who might be totally unrelated to the songwriter's life, social movements, politics, and the natural world around us. These types of songs address topics beyond a songwriters own lived experiences and can open up a songwriter's ability to address themes, topics, places, and people outside of themselves. These songs allow us to examine a larger world beyond ourself. Songwriters that have mastered this form include Kacey Musgraves, Kendrick Lamar, Ashley McBryde, Billy Joel, and Childish Gambino.
The Protest song. Some songs are meant to galvanize us toward action. These songs often reflect and respond to the times in which they are created. Some of them are timeless, but they are truly meant fot their time. They address issues like civil rights, poverty, homelessness, racial injustice, environmental injustice, and a myriad of economic woes. Protest songs are meant to inspire folks into action in very specific ways. Historically, we see protest songs become popular in times of social unrest. Songwriters who have mastered this form include Nina Simone, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Marley.
