The song lyric occupies little space in academia, where it is less studied, less appreciated, and perceived as less-than other kinds of writing. Despite music’s ubiquitous cultural presence, the song lyric—as creative work—suffers from what renown songwriter Jimmy Webb calls a “status problem”: songwriters do not enjoy the same standing as writers of other kinds of traditionally studied literature. The most common way that song lyrics have earned scholarly attention is by conflating the form with the poem. Goldstein’s (1969) The Poetry of Rock is one of the first books to attend to lyrics as poetry. Additionally, Eckstein’s (2010) Reading Song Lyrics examines the form through the perspectives of performance, cultural, and genre studies rather than literary studies, while Charlotte Pence’s (2012) essay collection, The Poetics of American Song Lyrics, considers literature’s poetic traditions and techniques that also apply to song lyrics. While these texts grant attention to the work of songwriters, they all depend on the premise that song lyrics need a connection to poetry to justify their value.

Dylan’s Nobel Prize for Literature “dramatically redefined the boundaries of literature, setting off a debate about whether song lyrics have the same artistic value as poetry or novels” (Sisario, Alter, and Chan, “Bob Dylan Wins Nobel Prize”). This debate about what defines Literature will endure, for there will always be finely-written and not-so-finely-written poems, as there will also be finely-written and not-so-finely-written lyrics. However, as Alison Robey comments in her essay “Lyrics as Literature,” “today’s poets do not reach anywhere near the popularity and esteem of today’s musical artists.” There is no denying the aesthetic, emotional, and commercial hold that music wields in our culture. Those of us who admire, study, and teach the craft of writing should be writing about the work of songwriters the way we write about other kinds of literature.

Like any other literature, song lyrics have craft, intent, conventions, and form that are used to effect meaning. Lyrics are most expertly discussed in lyric writing texts such as  Pattison’s Writing Better Song Lyrics, Stolpe’s Popular Lyric Writing, and Webb’s Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting.  Without such analysis, music lovers can still tap their feet and get lost in a song, but my aim is to make the inner workings of lyrics and songs accessible to both literature-lovers and music-lovers. I want listeners to savor all the nuanced craft that is less obvious to the average listener. That’s why this book is necessary: it’s time to give songwriters the attention they deserve as writers, and to treat lyrics as literature.

This project is an edited collection of essays that would encourage literature and music lovers alike to see what more there is to love about a great song by looking more deeply at the craft of lyric writing. Such inspection can uncover the artistic moves that might have been missed but deserve to be illuminated and appreciated. Each of the essays in this collection is a response to this writing prompt:

Choose a song lyric you consider to be one of the best examples of songwriting craft and explain how it meets that standard. The focus here is on lyric writing—as a unique form of creative writing—with the emphasis on the craft issues and language used to communicate meaning (e.g., the effects of song form and development of the verse, chorus, pre-chorus, bridge, etc; the use of sound devices to emphasize the message; allusion and metaphor to deepen meaning). Because songs are a hybrid art form, the music cannot be ignored, so references to how the musical elements complement the linguistic art are welcomed and perhaps even necessary. The quality and craft of the lyric is the essay’s main focus. Other factors like genre, time period, commercial success, and critical acclaim are immaterial. Variety and scope will enhance the collection.

Queries and Submissions:

Please send queries and abstracts (no more than 350 words) for proposed chapters and a one-page CV to talhelmm1@southernct.edu. If scholars have chapter ideas for multiple songs, they are encouraged to send multiple abstracts. Proposals should be submitted no later than October 1, 2025. Selected contributors will be notified by November 1, 2025. Initial drafts of 2500-4000 words (including notes and works cited in MLA form) will be due May 5, 2026. I am currently finalizing the book proposal to submit to publishers interested in the collection. The publisher and I will work out limitations and regulations on quoting artist’s lyrics; each contributor will likely need to secure separate permission through the song’s music publisher. Further style details will be given upon selection.