To Meter or Not to Meter

[horacejesse]

Remember those Beatles songs? The first line of the second verse, and every verse following, was accented exactly like the first line of the first verse. The accent patterns of the second line in each verse were the same too. It was true of every line in every verse.This is what I mean when I say metering the lyrics to the music. I don't know if that is what is formally called metering, but I suppose it is close, and it is what I will call it for the time being. I suppose it allows the melody to remain consistent from verse to verse.I have a very strong habit of writing lyrics this way. Recently I have started to relax it a little (actually quite a lot) because I have this fear I could be stuck in an outdated approach. Maybe the habit is anti-conversational as we are all familiar with that term.Obviously, if the accent patterns of the syllables are not the same from verse to verse, the melody will have to bend and adjust to accommodate the variant pattern.How do you feel about this whole idea? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Or maybe an indifferent thing? Could be you feel it does not matter because what works works. But what is the modern trend? If there is one that is different. How is this idea reflected in your own work?Rappers don't write that way and neither does Dylan, and certainly it works.Or is it a stylistic thing--you would never write a rap song this way but for a ballad you might?Maybe it is too predictable for the modern ear.I am having a lot of issues with this right now, and finding it difficult. Please help me out with your own take on the subject.

[gongchime]

I noticed that on some Sting's repeats of the verses, they are widely divergent in spots. I think it would be important to keep the beginnings, endings or both the same as the first verse. I think you can relax a rigid accenting but it would have to be for very good lyrical reasons and should never be due to laziness. Be aware though, that the more you do that, the more difficult it becomes to remember how to sing the song.

[horacejesse]

Good idea about the beginnings and endings.Often that last line is a refrain or chorus the way a lot of songs are set up. So if it is varied and comes out much differently, that could weaken the song via diminshing the echo effect of an important line?Quote:Be aware though, that the more you do that, the more difficult it becomes to remember how to sing the song.And I wonder if that affects the pitchability to particular genres, singers, producers et al?

[jchitty]

Very interesting thread, Horace. I have a tough time with perfect meter. Mainly because I tend to write my melodies and lyrics together....just going with the spontaneous and whatever comes my way. Oddly enough, sometimes it all works out because I think songwriters have an innate sense of meter anyway. I respect that folks who are conscious of meter though....I do try the best I can to write in some sort of structured way, even if my meter isn't perfect.