Whether it is the hypnotic rhythm of a pulsating tribal drum beat, the refined stringency of a classical symphony or the croon of a soul singer pleading for help, song is an encoded yet direct channel of communication between the conscious and the subconscious. It can elicit emotions, changes in mood and even desires and identity. It can soothe a heartache, inspire action or just bring a smile to one’s face. Song is a magical talisman that works its magic through rhythmic repetitions, harmonies and melody.
A song is a combination of two distinct elements: the music (melody) and the lyrics. They can be performed individually or together and are typically protected by copyright: the melody as a musical work and the lyrics as a literary work.
There are a wide variety of song genres including popular songs, folk songs and art songs. A classic example is a love ballad. Another common genre of song is a folk ballad that tells a story. These stories are typically based on events in history or contemporary life.
In terms of storytelling, research shows that song demonstrates a systematic Arc of Narrative. In other words, song lyrics give context and set the stage initially then introduce people, places and relationships to build cognitive tension which peaks in the middle of the song then decreases towards the end. This arc of narrative is captured through the frequency of function words such as pronouns, negations, conjunctions and auxiliary verbs in a song.