The hard part of a song

There's the age-old question of why writers of Hollywood scripts don't get more credit, or at least nearly as much as the director. What is a movie but its story?

Here's another one. When two people write a song, often one writes the music and the other writes the lyrics.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is way harder to come up with original music than it is to come up with lyrics. There are, of course, exceptions: There are brilliantly written songs, brilliant lines in songs, brilliant poetry, and some fantastic Broadway lyrics that I marvel at.

But like, to come up with music that is original and catchy, and doesn't sound like anyone else? That is the height of talent.

People like songs for the melody, not for the lyrics (usually). If you have great lyrics with a song that isn't pleasing to listen to, your song will go nowhere.

Example: Here's the Black Eyed Peas song that's popular now. It's completely a dance song and a bar mitzvah song for 13-year-olds. But it's on the radio ALL the time and quite popular.

It is NOT popular for its lyrics, which are:

I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night
That tonight’s gonna be a good night
That tonight’s gonna be a good good night

Tonight’s the night night
Let’s live it up
I got my money
Let’s spend it up
Go out and smash it
Like Oh My God
Jump off that sofa
Let’s get get off

I know that we’ll have a ball
If we get down
And go out
And just loose it all
I feel stressed out
I wanna let it go
Lets go way out spaced out
And losing all control

Fill up my cup
Mazel tov
Look at her dancing
Just take it off
Lets paint the town
We’ll shut it down
Let’s burn the roof
And then we’ll do it again

Lets Do it (x5)
And live it up
Lets Do it (x5)
I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night
That tonight’s gonna be a good night
That tonight’s gonna be a good good night
A feeling
That tonight’s gonna be a good night (x2)
That tonight’s gonna be a good good night

Oh God, this song gives me a headache.* But I can see that it can make people get up and bounce around. It's sure not because of the lyrics!

And really, if they took the time, they could have come up with better lyrics. Anyone can come up with good lyrics if they've got a good tune. That's the easy part.

I don't think their intent was to write Shakespeare here; it's to make people dance. And to make people request the song at clubs. It's not "Where is the Love?" (Closer to Let's Get Re...I mean, Let's Get It Started.)

They have succeeded in their intent, and they've done their job. My only point is that it's the song that is the real work - not the words...with a few exceptions.

*(Note to hubby: No, you don't have to turn it off when it comes on in the car. I'll live!!)