A bit of Fun (lyrics) - experiment

[Tiger the Lion]

I wonder if lyrics without music can even be absorbed properly. The best singers can turn 1 syllable into 5 and 5 syllables into 1 just as easily. I wrote this little section for a rapper buddy of mine and it sounds great with the beat, though it doesn't necessarily stand alone as much of anything. The premise (loosely) was about police interaction with people with mental health issues. 


First ya slap em in cuffs
                                           no one really fits in.
 
Then you poke em just enough
                                                        for his fight or flee to really kick in.
 
Who’d have thunk this little punk’d be resisting?
                                                                                      Arrest him now, on at least three counts of existing.

da da da da da da da...

[CRNDLSM]

Mentioning it as rap I can read it in a beat, it makes sense. I really like the last two lines and the format is visually appealing

[Tiger the Lion]

Mentioning it as rap I can read it in a beat, it makes sense.  I really like the last two lines and the format is visually appealing

The format was an attempt to direct where the bass drum lands.

[Wjames]

I personally don't think lyrics can be absorbed or judged properly without hearing them together with the music.

[dukealien]

I personally don't think lyrics can be absorbed or judged properly without hearing them together with the music.

With the caveat that if the lyrics are to an accompaniment you remember, the music plays in your head and you can even concentrate better on the words.  Sometimes.

[crow]

This was my edit. It sucks:

Text-only lyrics default to 4 bars of 4-4 time per line. So if you have four words per line break, they take a whole note each.

(I mean . . . Who the fuck knows. Until we decide what the protocol is, there is no protocol.)

Also, it’s pretty clear that rap songs require empty feet for breath. You have a clunky way of indicating where the breathing goes: lots of white space. What if it were just a triple space?

Rap tends to have fourteen syllables that include two empty feet for breath. That would be written like this if it’s 4/4

First ya slap em in cuffs. No one really fits in.
Then [out:you] poke em just enough, for his fight or flee to [out:really] kick in.

Who’d have thunk this little punk, arrest him now,
on at least three counts of existing.

I have no idea if this is true, but it seems right that gospel music gets four words per line break. As a waltz, it’s six. As a polka, it’s nine. Rap should have fourteen syllables per line break, with two triple spaces for breathing.

By the way—thank you for posting this. I can’t figure this stuff out alone. You’re giving me useful progress on how to write lyrics.

So, do you want slow, R&B rap or quick trap rap?

And, how should rap text indicate breath lines? A tab is jarring? What about a triple space?

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We just have to figure out how to edit lyrics, I think.

[Bunx]

singing is freedom trying to yeah just sing
watch percussion but count

1212-1212-1212-12
1000-----1---00--0-
145787-141145-----
()()()()()()()()()()()(

1212-1212-1212-12
1000-----1---00--0-
145787-141145-----
/////////////////////////////
0000000000
145787-141145-----

i love
i am
meEE
ahgain

EYEEEEEEE OH O

lahhhhhhhdluhhhh

we
are
we
be
long
norm--
al
po
em

EyE
bun------x
(buuuuuuuuuuuu)
OHHHH

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try recording anonymous audio
ill post a youtube answer

[Bunx]

any takers i have this recorded