Why
would ripping a song apart help our writing? Most songs don’t have time for much of an
arc, if any. They do have time for pathos or an emotion we can identify with. Better
songs have a clear meaning as veneer, with undercurrents to satisfy the most
intellectual listener. A writer of prose can accomplish this through showing mixed with
dialogue and a pinch of dissonance.
There
are many great examples of songs that just get to the listeners at a gut level,
and they hardly know why. They just know they love the song. One such song,
poorly named, Sukiyaki, was a huge
hit long ago. It’s lyrics and lyrical quality are matched by the vocalist’s efforts. “Let’s look up
as we walk, so that the tears don’t spill.”
Justin
Timberlake’s, Can’t Stop the Feeling
is more complex but just as elemental. In the song, he sings that his dance
partner knows what he’s going through because she is feeling it too. Yet he is
not 100% certain she understands what is happening to them so he asks her to
break it down. It need not be a dance or a trip to the supermarket. It's everyman anywhere. They’re in
love, they know it and they can’t stop their feelings. Why would they want to?
Well, herein lies the intrigue. Is it a case of forbidden love? Or is their
love too soon for a commitment? Or is it just human nature? We the listener decide how to interpret it. One
thing many know of this hit. They can’t stop loving this song. The same applies
to our writing, right?
Layer your writing. If you think Justin doesn't realize he's going deep, it's possible. He may be an unconscious competent. That's creative talent, well practiced.
Justin Timberlake, Can't Stop the Feeling, 2016
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