# Lyric form The structure of your lyric dictates its motion, and motion creates emotion.[^1] The five elements of lyric structure are number of lines, [[Line length]], rhythm of lines (see [[Prosody]] for more on this), [[Rhyme schemes|Rhyme scheme]], and [[Rhymes|Rhyme type]].[^1] Lyric structure, all by itself, can create anticipation, slow us down, draw attention to a specific word (see [[Power positions]]), resolve, or leave us hanging.[^4] Lyric structure can support the meaning of the words or contrast against them, creating productive tensions.[^5] Regular rhythms create stable motion, whereas irregular rhythms create less stable motion.[^6] An odd number of lines is unstable (as opposed to an even line length).[^3] It can create a sense of discomfort or lean forward toward the next section.[^7] Extending from four lines to six feels only slightly unstable, yet still balanced. It can be used to create a sense of center or movement to the next section.[^2] Look out for ways your structure can hint at what comes next, like making use of unrhymed lines to set up a chorus.[^13] To denote lyric forms, we can use a single letter to reflect both line length and rhyme. Some select lyric forms are: - AAAA (as stable as they come, not much motion, useful for title as first as last line)[^8] - ABAB ([[Common meter]] is an example of this, but ABAB does not always have to be common meter) - AAAB (variation on [[Couplets]] with a surprise at the end) - ABAA (great way to call extra attention to the final line)[^9] - XXAA (pretty unstable, no expectation after line two or three, with a surprise at the end)[^10] - AABA (fools us at the end)[^11] - ABBA (listen to James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James")[^12] - There exist variations on these with 3- and 5-line verses. - ABCABC (Pat Pattison calls this the 6-line version of [[Common meter]])[^14] - AABAAB (a favorite of Leonard Cohen, less momentum as ABCABC because of the couplet)[^15] Different sections of your song do well to have different structures.[^16] A little instability in your lyric can grab listener attention. Pat Pattison likens this to a high-wire act. Learn to keep or lose balance in the right places.[^17] This device can spotlight important ideas (see [[Power positions]]), push one section forward to another, contrast one section with another, or set up the need for a balancing section or line.[^18] Using an odd number of lines is very effective for this.[^19] [^1]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 302 [^2]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 266 [^3]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 303 [^4]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 318 [^5]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 321 [^6]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 322 [^7]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 326 [^8]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 341-342 [^9]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 345 [^10]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 348 [^11]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 352 [^12]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 356 [^13]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 360 [^14]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 388 [^15]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 390 [^16]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 401 [^17]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 413 [^18]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 415 [^19]: [[Writing Better Lyrics]] pg. 425