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Music vocabulary · Melody, Form and Songwriting

Lyrics

Meaning in music, with examples

/ˈlɪrɪks/nounCore term

In music, lyrics means: The words of a song. The person who writes them is a lyricist, and the words are protected by copyright just like the music.

In Turkish: şarkı sözü, sözler

How it is used

Almost always plural: 'The lyrics are great'. You write, sing, learn or forget the lyrics; streaming apps show synced lyrics. Credits list who wrote the music and who wrote the lyrics. Informally, people also say 'the words'.

Example sentences

  1. She wrote the lyrics, and her guitarist wrote the music.

  2. I forgot the lyrics in the second verse and just hummed the melody.

Common collocations

  • write lyrics
  • song lyrics
  • forget the lyrics
  • lyric sheet
  • lyrics and music
  • verseA section of a song that tells the story or develops the idea. Verses usually share the same melody but have different words each time.
  • chorusThe section of a song that repeats with the same words and melody, usually the catchiest part and the one that contains the song's main message or title.
  • melodyA sequence of single notes that forms a recognisable musical line, often the part that people remember and sing along to.
  • composeTo create an original piece of music, especially instrumental or classical music, film music or music written down in notation.
  • copyrightThe legal right that protects original creative work and lets its owners decide how it is copied, performed, recorded, adapted or shared.

More terms: Melody, Form and Songwriting

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