A song is a piece of music sung or accompanied by vocals. It is composed specifically for a human voice, often at distinct and fixed pitches using patterns of sound and silence.
A verse and chorus are the most common song structure. They usually consist of an even number of lines, and allow the lyricist to rhyme.
There are many variations on this song format. Depending on the genre, they can be used to build up towards a climax, like the chorus of a rock song, or to set up an action sequence, such as the verses of a country music song.
The verses of a song generally serve to highlight the main idea of the song. They are usually shorter than the chorus, and often contain a so-called pre-chorus that builds up to the climax.
There are two main types of song: folk songs and art songs. The former include songs that are anonymous in origin and are transmitted orally, such as the well-known American folk song “America the Beautiful”.