A technique or personal style?

[Pahchisme Plaid]

I’ve noticed a few starkly different styles of songwriting.  While some have smooth, cohesive lyrics, others appear to be fragmented, possibly symbolic in the use of its lyrics and could leave one lingering long in thought over potential meaning, all the while making for a fascinating song.  Tell me, is there an art to this?  Is there a name for it?  Is there a technique for achieving it? I once participated in a song challenge called a word salad and incidentally following the criteria for it, ended up doing such a song.  It’s out of my norm for writing, but I tend to like things that stretch me that way.  I will try to find that song to provide as an example since it illustrates what I mean, while I don’t know the details of what, how, why and whatnot.  

 

 

If you double-click  on the song, it will show the lyrics.

 

[Rudi]

Pretty good experiment. Enjoyed the recording. Double clicking didnt show me any lyrics though.

 

I cant answer your question(s). I'm not aware of what you describe as a song 'type'. Does it matter really?

[Pahchisme Plaid]

The lyrics are on the SoundCloud.  I think you may have to be IN soundcloud and not just opening the track in your browser to see the lyrics.  Sorry about that, @Rudi.   I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the recording.  That makes me happy inside to know others find it enjoyable!  It was done in 2016.  I had some emerging guitar skills then.  

 

Does it matter?  Well, yes and no.  It’s not a critical thing, just a curiosity.  I really, really, really want to know!

[Pahchisme Plaid]

15 hours ago, fasstrack said:

You know that's a quote, right?

 

'How can I be sure?

I really, really want to kno-o-ow...'---geat song by Felix Cavaliere for the Young Rascals...

I did not know that, @fasstrack.  I've been reasonably sheltered, you know.  I'll have to check it out!

[Pahchisme Plaid]

37 minutes ago, fasstrack said:

Here they are:

Now that I've heard it, I know I've heard it before many times, but its not so familiar that I would have picked up on the line, "I really, really, really want to know" out of my head like you did.  Other songs I might be able to pick lines out from, but not this one. 

 

 

[Glammerocity]

The Cocteau Twins famously used words more as sounds than meanings but I don't think it's a technique as such.

 

Bowie's cutup style was a technique used by writers like William Burroughs:

 

 

[Pahchisme Plaid]

2 hours ago, Glammerocity said:

The Cocteau Twins famously used words more as sounds than meanings but I don't think it's a technique as such.

 

Bowie's cutup style was a technique used by writers like William Burroughs:

 

 

Actually, @Glammerocity, I’ve attempted the cut up a few times as a result of a few of the lyric challenges here on Songstuff.  I’ve got a few started in my pile of papers.  I just have to finish them, you know...someday 🙄