Vocabulary

A few weeks ago I scratched the surface of problems that can occur with lyrics, specifically using time references with the song Heat of the Moment. Something else you have to watch for is vocabulary which can, with time or location, become a problem.

In 1972, David Bowie released his superb album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, considered one of the best albums of all time. On it there’s a song called Starman which has the following lyrics:

Some cat was layin’ down some rock’n’roll ‘lotta soul, he said

In the early seventies, calling people “cats” was a cool thing. Today, it would only raise an eyebrow. I’m happy to say I was too young at the time to remember people using this expression… But I’ve heard it in other songs and certain films. Still, the first time I heard Starman, I had to research it.

About ten years ago I was taking a very boring course on finances in the government (I was ignoring work like any good government employee…). The instructor, a man in his late forties, was trying very hard to be cool. One way he wasn’t being so was by using that expression all the time: “So I told those cats that we should operate this way”, “Those cats were impressed”, etc. Very annoying after the first couple of hours.

Expressions come and go. Especially with the English language. This is not a critique of the English language, but a fact. French and Spanish, for example, have Academies which regulate the changes and the usage of their respective language. English does not. And as it’s the international business language, more and more people from different cultures use it and modify it according to their own backgrounds. So expressions in particular are constantly changing.

Which means that you have to be careful when you use them.

The expression you’re using today, may not be understood tomorrow. Or it can drop out of use only to come back into use at a later time.

It’s not so bad if you have a recording deal and the song will be out in six months. Odds are the expression will still be around. But not necessarily. If it isn’t, you’ll give the impression to the listeners that you’re out of it and you’ll be ignored by the general public.

Another factor is regionalism. If you are from the Bronx, for example, and you use street language, odds are that people outside the Bronx will not understand you. Who is your music for? There’s a huge difference between the way Americans speak English and the way the British do. Or the Aussies, or the Canadians, or…

If you’re looking for international recognition, you do best to avoid regionalisms and use a more “standard” form of the language. This is not only true of English, but of many other languages that are spoken in various countries as well. There’s a big difference between the way they speak French in France and the way they do so in Canada. Or in Belgium. There’s a huge difference between the way the Spanish speak their language and the way Mexicans do.

The best way to illustrate this is to listen to rap music.

American black rappers tend to use street language. Moreover, it tends to be a language they invent as they go along. They like to differentiate themselves by the use of different words and expressions.

Not being a black American, I find their lyrics very difficult to understand at times. And I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Suppose your band is from New York and you use a lot of New York street talk. What happens if you get an offer to play a few gigs in L.A.? If you use the same expressions in L.A. and that there happens to be a record company exec in the room when you’re playing, you can be sure he’ll walk out. But first he’ll take the time to write down the name of your band. To make sure he never listens to a demo from you. And the crowd won’t like you. And you won’t be invited again.

But sometimes even using the proper language can become a problem. I’ve heard some songs from Bing Crosby and Nat “King” Cole (don’t ask me for the titles, I have no idea) that use the word “gay”. As in “Everybody was gay”. Back in those days, gay meant happy. Technically, and according to the dictionary, it still does. But no-one will interpret it that way today. But this is neither Crosby’s nor Cole’s fault.

All this to say that there is no sure way that your song won’t become out-of-date at some point. But there are things you can do to help. First, avoid local expressions. Second, avoid the newer expressions that are in vogue, even if internationally, as they may become obsolete soon.

Dictionary and Thesaurus

Keep a dictionary close by. Don’t be afraid to open it up and look for definitions. Also look for words you’ve never heard before. Find out what they mean and how you can use them. When you hear a new word or read one in a book, look it up. See how you can use it.

Now that most people have access to computers, most word processors have built-in thesauruses. Even Microsoft products! When you type up your lyrics, don’t be afraid to use the thesaurus and find synonyms or different ways of saying something.

Being too cool breeds a lot of “flash-and-the-pans” (having a sudden hit: “flash,” then never being heard from again: the pan) while being more conservative (in language only) breeds classics.

And if the listener occasionally has to take out the dictionary to understand you, he’ll only admire you more (I hear the emails coming…).