Music has inspired countless people to innovate how they construct it. A critical part to a composition is how the lyrics are arranged over the underlying sounds. I had many listens to ATS that helped add variety to how I write words over a melody or no melody. Let's go over some unconventional song structures and add to the pot to help inspire lyricists and musicians alike: 1. Roleplaying (i.e. Interview Style - think interplay involving characters admits a heated argument - can you say Dr. Dre!?) 2. No repeating lines 3. All Choruses 4. No Chorus Lyrics 5. Instrumental Chorus (i.e. what Halo from LPUX could be) 6. Story structure (beginning, middle, and end) 7. Multiple Part Song (i.e. Pendulum's The Island Part 1 and 2) 8. Verse - Chorus - Verse - Instrumental Piece - Chorus (change key) - Instrumental ending 9. Intro - PreChorus - Chorus - Short Solo - Verse - Pre-Chorus - Chorus - Post-Chorus - Verse - Pre-Chorus - Bridge -Post-Chorus - Solo - Chorus - Solo Explore the possibilities, and post your song if you'd like! Here's one of mine: "When You Look Up" - This song dwells deep into the conscious of a widow at war when time slows down during an enemy attack. She is faced with the decision to kill or not to kill the enemy in front of her in order to save herself and her colleagues. The chorus unravels throughout the song and is complete just before the end. Some of the words in the verses change while others stay the same. When you look up Do you imagine he’s looking down? Do you see his face? Somewhere up there Somewhere in the cosmos Floating in a rupture of time and space He would want you do it He would want you to be happy Til the day that you’re done Shoot Til the day that you’re done He would want you to be that way Even with someone new Imagine he’s smiling down on you He would want you to be that way Til the end of our time Lines Shoot Shoot It’s the right thing to do He would want you to Go forward like you Now look up he’s there Soaring amidst the energy Of infinite tomorrows He wants you to be happy Even after he’s gone Shoot Shoot Shoot To Kill Shoot When you look up Do you imagine he’s looking down Do you see his face Somewhere up there Somewhere in the cosmos Floating in a rupture of time and space He would want you do it He would want you to be happy Til’ the day that you’re done Now Shoot Shoot Shoot To Kill Shoot Now Til’ the day that you’re done He would want you to be that way Even with someone new Imagine he’s smiling down on you He would want you to be that way Til we reach the end of our Lives Explore the possibilities, and post your song if you'd like!
Here's a song I wrote that has the following structure: Verse - 1/4 Verse (no repeating lines) ABCDEFG HIJKLMNOP QRS TUV WX Y and Z Now I know my ABCs Next time won't you sing with me ----- I have a feeling that despite the unconventional structure, it could make it big. So big that parents of future generations will sing it to their children.
Luckily I have a lot of both. I have one or two that may fit the bill, but as I'm at work I won't be able to post them until I get home, if that.
Here's one of my songs I recently kind of finished up. Structure is pretty weird if you look at it as a whole. If you look at it like a 4 part song and break each part up into structure, it would be a little easier to describe. I had vocals recorded for a good portion of it, but thought it sounded more impactful as mainly an instrumental. Make sure you free up some time lol. It's over 10 minutes long. I'll discuss the structure if people actually listen to it and feel like talking about it. http://soundcloud.com/travz21/medium-demo
A large amount of the songs my old band wrote didn't have choruses and were just narratives. That or the chorus instrumental stayed the same but the lyrics were altered slightly, if not completely.
here is one ...which i wrote a month or two back...and..d song starts slow..and ders pick up in later half..while d final lines end slow...hope one can read it dat way./. Change... There is just nothing left now, but to look into the past... To visit the memories, not knowing they were the last... I dont know what it is, or is it just me..? Who has succumbed to loneliness, jealousy and envy... I've gone through a change... Its something entirely new, so stupid and so strange... I've spent these sleepless nights,thinking it all was a game... But the fact I've become a hypocrite,just drives me insane... Do you kno how it feels..to lose your self-belief...? Dragging yourself down the road,till you jump of the cliff... I know these wounds,they don't heal.. Its only scars, which I cannot feel... But its all over now,and not the same dress again... Cause now I know whats in me,that will overcome the pain... Its gonna take time,more than a blink of your eye... Surely now,I'll be reaching for the sky...