Gail Marten: Blog

As a vocalist and lyricist, I have been surprised to learn how many of my musician associates are completely oblivious to the words that I’m singing. When listening to and playing music, many instrumentalists tend to hear the orchestration, the harmonics, the rhythmic patterns, the quality of playing, the tonality, etc.  They hear the singer’s intonation, timbre, pitch, expressiveness and phrasing—everything but the words—because they are musicians?

Though many musicians may not hear the words, most listeners do, and they also may feel the pain and joy associated with those words. Vivid memories, impressions and intense emotions are readily evoked from the meanings of lyrics.

Ellis Larkins On The Lyric

I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting and singing with the brilliant pianist and sensitive accompanist Ellis Larkin, who, at age fifteen, had been the first black student admitted to Baltimore's prestigious Peabody Conservatory of Music. During his career, Ellis accompanied many famous vocalists, including Herb Jeffries, Joe Williams, Eartha Kitt, Chris Connor, Mildred Bailey, and most notably, the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald. 

One summer afternoon in the mid ‘90’s, rehearsing with Ellis at his Baltimore home for an upcoming recording project, he emphasized how important it is for an accompanist to know all of the lyrics to the music he played. He explained the symbiosis of music and lyrics — that knowing the lyrics was essential to understanding and interpreting the song.  Ellis didn’t think much of scatting. “Why would a vocalist want to scat when there are such wonderful words to sing?” He also stressed the significance of the lyric to intelligent phrasing for the vocalist and musician.

Sound Advice

Sound engineer Dave Moulton advises musicians and engineers: “Always have a lead sheet with lyrics on it standing by when you mix or are preparing to mix a song…memorize the lyrics…spend some time thinking about those lyrics, wallowing in them. You should make every attempt to go inside the lyrics the way you go inside the music. Let the lyrics resonate inside you. Become one with their images, feelings and associations. Once you have internalized the lyrics, you will be better able to approach the task of mixing the song in which they reside.”

The Grammy Winner’s Belief

In the summer 2008 issue of Playback, Grammy-winning songwriter Desmond Child emphatically states, "Music is a slave to the lyric... the music is the score to the script...the lyric indicates the orchestration. It dictates the style. It dictates everything."

Dexter’s Take

In an interview, Dexter Gordon had this to say about ballads. "When you know the lyrics to a tune...you have some kind of insight as to it's composition...if you don't understand what it's about, your're depriving yourself of being really able to communicate this poem." (Richard V. Duffy) 

Another Jazz Musician’s View 

The imaginative British jazz saxophonist Ian Ballamy reveals that when he improvises on a familiar song, he likes to bear the lyrics in mind, and to avoid sax-phrasing that scrambles the meanings, or the way the words would have been sung.

The Rocker’s Process

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones proposes: “Lyrics are best when they're mysterious – like listening in to someone else's phone conversation when the telephone wires have crossed. You don't know the history or context. You don't understand the references. So it draws you in even deeper, trying to understand. If you're too obvious and explain everything in your lyrics, you don't get that mystery. So what I do is this: Write out everything I'm thinking, everything I want to say, but then cross out every other line, and write the song using only what's left, even though it doesn't make total sense.”

(Hmm…I can’t help but wonder what Alan and Marilyn Bergman would have to say about that…and do you suppose that Cole Porter, Ira Gershwin and Johnny Mercer would concur?)

A Lyricist’s Approach

Some of my lyrics evolve from a question, some tell a story and others employ humor. I often utilize conflict, tension and resolution. Now and then my intention is to intrigue with a seductive enigma.

 I begin with a theme and let the lyric unfold. Reflection, imagination, empathy and visualization come into play. I seek the sensual, hoping to involve the listener. “Swim with shiny, silver dolphins through Tahiti’s blue lagoons, warmed by orchid-scented breezes…”( excerpt from my lyric “Dream With Me”©).

I then sift through what I have written with a fine-tooth comb, refining, revising, enhancing, replacing a word here and there until I am happy with the result. 

When the listener is touched, inspired or amused in some manner by my lyrics, I have accomplished my purpose.  Occasionally I am fortunate enough to receive an award for my efforts.