Writing a song is not an easy task, even though some people make it look very easy. Very often, we hear how simple a good song is, we often get the impression that we could have written that song or a song just like that one. However there is a reason why most people have never written a song during their entire life time. That is because song writing is a difficult task, and to write a song that will be loved is not guarantee to anyone.
One must remember that Calypso writing and singing is not an instrumental rendition. However, it is a properly orated composition presented as a vocal discourse in a particular style; that is common within the West Indies (Caribbean) Using, a defined set of rhythm, tempo and melody. It is also important to note that the rhythm, tempo and melody have nothing to do with the accompaniment that is only there to enhance the quality of the presentation.; but should be embedded within the lyrics and the way the lyrics are structured and presented.
Rhythm is a strong, regular, pattern of the song that is repeated or the flow of the song. Tempo is simple the speed of the song, and melody the pattern and the manner in which words are presented: pronounced, stress and or orated in a particular part of the song. It is therefore important that words consistently meets the same favor in each verse. In other words the verses must be alike or very similar in the structure of the song: the uniformity of the verses. This gives the song a unique quality, that should be synonymous with every good song, simplicity.
It matters not the complexity of the subject one is addressing, or the complexity of the accompanying arrangement, a sound should be simple and uniform in its structure. This complex skill is and can be simplified when a person has a large vocabulary, which is obtained by being widely read. Simplicity in structure provides some real benefits. It takes less time to learn by the performers, it lessen the chances of the performer making a error while preforming the song and makes it easy for the audience to remember the song; which is or should be the goal of every song writer, to write a song that everyone can remember and sing or sing along to or with.
Another thing a song writer must look for in a song apart from uniformity of the verses is the connectivity of the verses to the chorus and the simplicity of the chorus. The song must have easy transition from the verses to the Chorus and in like manner from the chorus to the verses. Another thing I must touch on before I move on is the selection of the subject or the vehicle in which the topics are presented to the public. Although a subject is not necessary it can improve a song tremendously. Some popular subjects are, dreams, conversations, arguments and eavesdropping. A subject may pose a barrier to some writer.
A calypso do not need to have subject to be a good song. Many classics are songs without a subject, but a subject may be what is needed to properly convey a message and transform a good song into a better song. On the issue of topics, a writer may have dificulity writing on a particular topic, and that maybe because of a problem with the persons knowledge on the topic. Knowing of a topic and some elements of the topic do not mean you are knowledgeable about the topic or understands or comprehend the topic. The lack of knowledge. is the biggest cause in fragments, jumbled, and poorly constructed song.
Let us qualify this by taking a look at the rap industry. The most used topic in rap music are: drugs, money, sex and crime basically fighting and shooting. Do you know why that is? That is so because the knowledge base of the writers are very limited and the thing that they truly know anything about is the life style they live, which is bases of their composition. In other words their working knowledge or their general understanding and their comprehension about other things is very limited. In other words song writing is not as easy as most none writers will like to believe it is and as most prolific song writers make it out to be.
There is also the storytelling aspect of song writing. The most memorable songs tell a story rather than push popular slogan. While a slogan may have a particular meaning to one generation, a group, or a locality that may lose its popularity, meaning and usage with the passage of time, a story has the ability to stand the test of time. So story telling is always the best approach to song writing.
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