The country song lyrics that create history are the ones that emerge straight from the heart, for they successfully touch the listeners’ mind and soul. It is not easy to reach out to people and keep their attention or senses engrossed through songs. In order to do that the music must be extraordinarily good and the lyrics, perfect. It has been comparatively simpler for country songs to leave a lasting mark on the public through the sheer magic they weave. Their smooth, narrative quality, fascinating sentimentality, soft, flowing music, restorative verve and punctilious spirit add up to place country song lyrics on a higher pedestal than others.
A fine blend of traditional and contemporary music styles, country song lyrics have their roots in the southern United States. There is distinctiveness that does not require writing them any specialized skill. Composing the lyrics is an art that can be mastered by any good story teller who will eventually do even better if he bears a few tips in mind:
· There is a haunting beauty about such lyrics. The reason is quite obvious. Every country song is basically a heart stirring story set to music using the very fundamental chords of a guitar, a piano or even the age-old banjo! The absence of jarring drum beats or other noisy accompaniments does much for the country song lyrics.
· The conflating of irenic tone and the modest rendering are furthered by easy-to-understand language. Words are from common every-day-use vocabulary that need no conscientious efforts to grasp, remember or sung along. By varying the timbre the writer can spell-bind the audience.
· A little bit of imagination, ability to empathize, practice and perseverance is enough for the writer of country song lyrics to etch out pieces of pure delight. A country song on the anvil must be structured well. Generally the verses are interspersed with ‘catchy’ chorus having often repeated hooks to make them even more endearing.
· Probably the most crucial aspect is the selection of the subject of the lyric. Choose just one main topic per song and lay it bare through few appropriate words that convey a lot of meaning. Looking down the annals of history, we can clearly see the most widely used topics for the best loved country song lyric were the ones that dealt with human emotions or experience. The central idea is to connect with the listeners emotionally. Some of the most sung about themes include:
Morose – death, divorce, separation, betrayal, down-in-the-dumps mood, night, tears, failure, snow and cold, pain
Joyous – bells, marriage, friends, birth, dance, going gallivanting, cowboys, warmth, parents, items of food
Romantic – spouse, girl/boy friend, love, moon, wine, attire, candlelight, relationships, heart
Nature – flora and fauna, river, sky, sun, stars, fire, hillside, lake, barn, water
God – Jesus, church, angels, soul, gospel, miracles
Patriotism – country, state, nation, heroism of a soldier, flag
These are just the tip of the ice-berg. There is no stopping the imagination or the writer from trying out new realms.