The Gears Index of Songwriting Terms is gradually growing. Big gears, little gears… here are a few new additions that I found inspiring. Enjoy!
Answer Song
Given that personal values inform the composition and the perception of any given song’s lyric and presentation, it’s no surprise that songwriters will sometimes differ dramatically. Sometimes these disagreements take the form of complaints and open letters set to music.
Archaism
Be careful with archaisms, especially if you don’t have a clear reason for using them. Unnecessary archaisms are often the mark of pretention.
Cumulative Song
A cumulative song is a specially structured song that stacks its verses. Each new verse is followed by the repetition of all previous verses. Famous examples include “Old McDonald Had a Farm”, “The Green Grass Grew All Around”, and “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, which is also contains a countdown.
Countdown
In some songs, a countdown is used to mark time. Time doesn’t necessarily have to be measured in minutes or hours in this case; instead, time can be marked by the dwindling of any measurable thing.
List Song
A list song is exactly what it sounds like: a song that contains a list.
Reprise
In a track listing or live setlist, a reprise is the reappearance of an earlier song or melodic theme. Typically the reprise is not exactly like the original, but transformed in some significant way.