We’ve all been there, listening to a nice song then suddenly thinking this sick tune is something you can rock out to. Then you take a minute to listen to the lyrics and realize what you’re hearing is some of the saddest lyrics.
You just listened to an example of lyrical dissonance, when the lyrics of a song betray the mood of its bouncy upbeat tunes. It’s a writing style that isn’t restricted to any one genre, and one that seems to resonate with people.
This isn’t a new fad that’s only coming out recently – it’s been out for about as far as music has been made. For instance a really old example of it can be found in Mozart’s “Batti, Batti o bel Masetto” (Beat me, oh lovely Masetto) in which, as the name suggests, is about a woman asking her lover to beat her is sung in a bright and happy way.
A more popular example is “Copacabana” by Barry Manilow, in which a girl’s lover is killed and the bar she works in is changed to a discotheque. She lives the rest of her life depressed up until the point she chooses to end it. This whole sad biography is sung to a disco song with a tropical vibe, fitting of 70s pop culture.
There’s also Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” another classic in which you would least expect it to be melancholic. The happy folk rock song is actually about a pianist talking about a bar’s regulars whose shattered hopes and dreams are constantly told.
For a more recent example we have “Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People.” An indie pop hit that everyone knows for its cheery melody and catchy chorus. You’d be forgiven for not realizing that the song is about something as dark as school shootings – a song talking about kids who experience homicidal thoughts.
These days we have Post Malone who releases songs like Circles or Sunflower, upbeat party songs that are actually about heartbreak. Taylor Swift also releases songs with lyrical dissonance, Blank Space especially comes to mind.
Lyrical dissonance is a highly appreciated songwriting technique. It makes it so you can enjoy the song on any occasion. As the saying goes, when you’re happy you enjoy the music, and when you’re sad you understand the lyrics.
POP! Creator Community/Viking Ulanday
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