Dissecting a hit

[Casey H]

First, I have to say that hindsight is wonderful. It is easy to see now why "Since You've Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson was such a hit song. I was reading the lyric sheet and thought, "Wow! Of course!!" The lyrics (mainly) read like conversation as they often say lyrics should -and- they are conversational in very modern terms as to how young people talk today. Particularly, this is true where she sings, "Here's the thing" and "I'm so over you".SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONEHere's the thing we started off friendsIt was cool but it was all pretendYeah yeahSince you've been goneYou dedicated you took the timeWasn't long till I called you mineYeah YeahSince you've been goneAnd all you'd ever hear me say Is how I pictured me with youThat's all you'd ever hear me sayBut since you've been goneI can breathe for the first timeI'm so movin' on Yeah yeahThanks to youNow I getWhat I wantSince you've been goneHow can I put it? you put me onI even fell for that stupid love songYeah yeahSince you've been goneHow come I never hear you sayI just wanna be with youI guess you never felt that wayBut since you've been goneI can breathe for the first timeI'm so movin' onYeah yeahThanks to youNow I get I get what I wantSince you've been goneYou had your chance you blew itOut of sight, out of mindShut your mouth I just can't take itAgain and again and again and againSince you've been goneI can breathe for the first timeI'm so movin' onYeah yeahThanks to you (thanks to you)Now I getI get what I wantI can breathe for the first timeI'm so movin' onYeah yeahThanks to you (thanks to you)Now I get (I get)You should know (you should know)That I get I get what I wantSince you've been goneSince you've been goneSince you've been goneComments? Casey

[arkjack]

The other element is the repetition of the title hook as a pre chorus at the end of each verse, fisrt and last line of the chorus..... However, to be honest, I can't remember the melody of this song one bit... not even from latent passive listening....ArkJack

[sgs4u]

Quote:However, to be honest, I can't remember the melody of this song one bit... not even from latent passive listening....ArkJack I gotta say, you guys have to take into consideration just how awesome a singer Kelly Clarkson is. She could sing names out of the phone book and make it a hit. Of course, if her team chose to release a tune with only names in it, her career might stall. The urgency of that song and the tension in it isn't only coming from the lyrics. I saw a youtube video of her a couple of weeks ago, sitting in with some rock band somewhere. She was very drunk, and thoroughly entertaining. I'll post a link when I find it.

[Casey H]

I agree totally with what's been said following my post. I'm amazed at Kelly's vocal range and her vocal on that song! So, I shouldn't have implied that the lyric only was the reason it was such a hit. I'm just into lyric discussions lately and I like examples of lyric writing that are helpful to songwriters. When songwriters, like most of us, get feedback from pro-critiques it's good to have examples. Casey

[onoffon]

Oh puh-lease....I've got two words for you..."Saturation marketing"Give me a break...

[Casey H]

Quote:Oh puh-lease....I've got two words for you..."Saturation marketing"Give me a break...Hi ONOFFON Why is this different than what happens with most songs that are heavily marketed as potential "hits"? They get massive amounts of airplay and this has been going on for decades. However, I do think she has great vocal ability and the song is a great one... JMHO... And I would love to be the one that wrote the song and gave it to her!! Casey

[onoffon]

Hey Casey - I don't really find those lyrics to be particularly insightful or meaningful. In fact, I find them rather ordinary. Regardless, it's become a huge hit and that's more than I can say for anything I've ever written. I will also say, however, that if I had the marketing budget behind that song, I know of at least four of our tunes that I could promote to platinum status. But, that's neither here nor there - I'm sure I'll never have the chance to test my theory out... Speaking of hit songs, how about this one? It's actually nominated for a Grammy and will probably win - though I voted against it -"What you gon' do with all that junk?All that junk inside your trunk?I'ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,Get you love drunk off my hump.My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps (Check it out)I drive these brothers crazy,I do it on the daily,They treat me really nicely,They buy me all these ices.Dolce & Gabbana,Fendi and NaDonnaKaran, they be sharin'All their money got me wearin' flyBrother I ain't askin,They say they love my ass ‘n,Seven Jeans, True Religion's,I say no, but they keep givin'So I keep on takin'And no I ain't takenWe can keep on datin'I keep on demonstrating.My love (love), my love, my love, my love (love)You love my lady lumps (love),My hump, my hump, my hump (love),My humps they got you,She's got me spending.(Oh) Spendin' all your money on me and spending time on me.She's got me spendin'.(Oh) Spendin' all your money on me, up on me, on me"I rest my case...

[hookstownbrown]

Good point, ONOFFON, but a production Grammy there... Nothing more or less. Certainly not a craft winner.We'll see many more of these in the furure, bud...

[matto]

Quote:I don't really find those lyrics to be particularly insightful or meaningful. In fact, I find them rather ordinary. Regardless, it's become a huge hit and that's more than I can say for anything I've ever written. I will also say, however, that if I had the marketing budget behind that song, I know of at least four of our tunes that I could promote to platinum status. But, that's neither here nor there - I'm sure I'll never have the chance to test my theory out... Since when do pop hit songs have to have "particularly meaningful and insightful" lyrics?And you know Von I LOVE your music and think it's wonderful...but nothing I've ever heard of yours is a platinum hit song, and no amount of marketing money is gonna change that.IMHO just because you can play rings around probably anybody who's written a hit in the last 25 years and probably know ten times as many chords as most of them...that doesn't mean you can necessarily write a hit song. That's a very specific talent and craft. And when you belittle that...it just comes across as condescending.And that's a pity. matto

[Casey H]

Quote:Quote:I don't really find those lyrics to be particularly insightful or meaningful. In fact, I find them rather ordinary. Regardless, it's become a huge hit and that's more than I can say for anything I've ever written. I will also say, however, that if I had the marketing budget behind that song, I know of at least four of our tunes that I could promote to platinum status. But, that's neither here nor there - I'm sure I'll never have the chance to test my theory out... Since when do pop hit songs have to have "particularly meaningful and insightful" lyrics?And you know Von I LOVE your music and think it's wonderful...but nothing I've ever heard of yours is a platinum hit song, and no amount of marketing money is gonna change that.IMHO just because you can play rings around probably anybody who's written a hit in the last 25 years and probably know ten times as many chords as most of them...that doesn't mean you can necessarily write a hit song. That's a very specific talent and craft. And when you belittle that...it just comes across as condescending.And that's a pity. mattoI think I learned a long time ago that comparing what you've written to hit songs on the radio, from the perspective that you feel yours is better, is a waste of time.Yours might be better by some or even many standards! Being the best isn't what always makes a hit. Having the right song at the right time, one that catches on with the public is what matters. Millions of dollars of marketing can make a song that has the right characteristics do well, but lacking that, the money won't help.I started this thread to mostly point out that the lyrical style of that song has the elements of a pop-hit.... conversational (the way people often talk nowadays), repeats a hook that everyone can identify with, "less is more", etc. Many people join TAXI or come to this board to learn how to write a hit. I think it's at least worth studying the lyrics to that song. Casey