The dialogical principle in song lyrics

  • Thread starter Deleted member 28602
  • Start date
D

Deleted member 28602

Guest
This is a thread in honour of the dialogical principle in song lyrics.



The beauty of the dialogical principle in song lyrics derives from the integrative and unifying power of the song itself.

Songs have the power to reunite voices that have been driven apart by fear- and hatemongering, by ideology and lies, like in the cat stevens example.

Song lyrics which make use of the dialogical principle can highlight the absurdity of human communication, the reality and brutality of underlying power relations and exploitation, and they can bring together voices that in reality would've never met. Sometimes they are the only way to ease the longing by reenacting a long goodbye...



The possibilities are endless, with the dialogical principle working best when sung by only one singer.

So, what are your favouite "dialogical songs"?

PS: there is also going to be a thread about the beauty of solipsism in song writing, but more of that later.

 


Sometimes it's easier talkin' to the devil than apologizin' to your wife.

The diabolical principle.
 
These songs are as rare as exotic orchids, it seems. But surprisingly, I've found another example...which was covered by Jimmy Hendrix.



the dialogic principle serves to evoke some random slice-of-life atmosphere. It's a brief Q&A situation, funny bc of its immorality, and powerful bc the revenge has actually, and for a change, been realized. So, it's also quite satisfying emotionally, despite its transient nature.
 
Bob Dylan has a number of these. "You've got a lot of nerve to say you are my friend," from "Positively 4th Street" or his biggest hit "Like a Rolling Stone" are a couple of examples f this.



Leonard Cohen has a few of these, too. "Famous Blue Raincoat" is written like it's a letter to someone.

 
Bob Dylan has a number of these. "You've got a lot of nerve to say you are my friend," from "Positively 4th Street" or his biggest hit "Like a Rolling Stone" are a couple of examples f this.



Leonard Cohen has a few of these, too. "Famous Blue Raincoat" is written like it's a letter to someone.


Thanks, yes, Dylan's got some of them. Hard Rains gonna fall is another parent/preacher-son conversation, dealing with the traumata of young folks after having watched the news on television.

I cant listen to music at the moment, so i cannot get into detail here.
 
Dear Prudence
 
Fairytale of New York
 
What I found interesting about Hey Joe is how much of the different guitar parts are in the original. The "walking bass" stuff is already there and it's done in a pretty wild way. I can see how Jimi felt this song was a good fit.
 
Fairytale of New York
I see your point, but this song couldn't be understood at all if it wasn't a duet.

The dialogue has to be discernible even if it is sung by only one singer. Then we have a real one.

At the beginning though, there is the line, "An old man said to me, won't see another one, ...." But instead of replying, the singer just turns his face away. Fool.
If he had worked that out, it would've become a really interesting, dialogical song.
 
What I found interesting about Hey Joe is how much of the different guitar parts are in the original. The "walking bass" stuff is already there and it's done in a pretty wild way. I can see how Jimi felt this song was a good fit.
I thought that too, and it made me wonder how much of an original Hendrix really was. But that's off topic.
 
I thought that too, and it made me wonder how much of an original Hendrix really was. But that's off topic.
I don't want to ruin your thread but it's an interesting point. He has this in common with Jimmy Page who started as a studio player. Hendrix was a sideman for some classic artists like Little Richard and the Isley Brothers and played a lot of different styles of music, Both also, in my opinion, took blues based rock as far as it could go. Hendrix mostly did rock music but was on his way towards becoming more fusion "jazz" when he passed and of course Led Zeppelin didn't stick with blues but had a huge folk influence along with pop and some country. There are lots of videos showing how Led Zeppelin took their songs from others and didn't give credit until they were sued but to me all of this proves the cliche that "great artists steal" because as much of the feel as Hendrix got off of that song, which should have become more well known, his version is the definitive one.

So back on topic, the first song I though of for this thread was "Your Song" by Elton John because it is so directly speaking to the subject.
 


A John song to Paul



This is Paul talking to John but it's more in the references and not so direct so I don't know if it qualifies. It's very pointed but it's more talking about him and letting him overhear instead of saying "you" did this or that.
 


My favorite Depeche Mode song. Martin could have been a singer songwriter if synthesizers were not invented.
 
Back
Top Bottom