Singing Lyrics to Life: Melody and Lyrical Meaning in Recent Indie Music
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Date
2024-08-07
Authors
Fulton, Hannah
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Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
In popular song genres (and across song genres), melody plays a vital role in delivery of sung lyrics; it contributes an essential aspect of lyrics’ affect and meaning. Scholars in the field of popular music have historically preferred to focus on other aspects of lyrics’ relationship to its musical setting, such as rhythm, phonetics, and syntax, paying less attention to lyrics’ relationship to one of its primary components: melody. In this thesis, I explore the relationship between melodic contour and lyrics’ speech intonation (with regards to pitch), syntax, and affect to show how melody inflects lyrical meaning and expression. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship from music theorists Allan Moore, Kofi Agawu, linguist Maggie Tallerman, cognitive psychologist Aniruddh Patel, and others, I analyze the contours of melody and the intonational contours of speech. My analyses of recent indie music consider the relationship between these contours from single-word to entire song interactions, providing a deeper understanding of the expressive capabilities of language and music.
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Keywords
indie music, lyrics, melody, music theory, popular song, speech intonation