Formulas in Songwritting

Written Analysis- 4
Due: March 20, 2016

            Just like with movies and television shows, songs have formulas to them as well. Taylor Swift has been quoted in an interview with NBC’s Today Show as saying “I think I’ve always had this basic formula that if I continue to write songs about my life any my life is always changing then my music will always be changing” (Digital Spy, 2010). Her music has definitely changed over the years, from country to pop, but the meanings behind her songs have stayed the same.

            Taylor’s equation seems to be the same each time she writes songs for her albums. She writes about her past experiences with friends, haters, and relationships. Adding lyrics about problems with love and problems keeping or finding love everyone can relate to seems to be hit makers. Forming a bond with your fans by relating to them and touching their lives with lyrics can be a formula for a hit song by itself. Attach a catchy phrase and beat sums up her song formula. Taylor inserts catchy lyrics such as, “Shake it off” and “We are never, ever, ever, getting back together” to make her songs fun to sing along to and easy to get embedded into our brains (Metrolytics, 2016). Combine that with a catchy beat or melody and you can “Name that Tune” to any one of her songs.

            Taylor Swift, like most pop singers follow the A/A/B/A structure of a song- the A’s are the verses and the B is the bridge (Song Secrets, 2008).  Her songs begin with an introduction that flow into the verse. Her verses tell a story broken up into small sections separated by a lift and chorus. The lift help make the song more exciting because it “lifts the song into the chorus section” (Song Secrets, 2008). In her song “We Are Never Getting Back Together” the lift is “Oh we called it off again last night, but oh, this time I’m telling you, I’m telling you” (Metrolyrics, 2016). That is not part of the chorus, because it has different chords than the chorus, so this is called the pre-chorus. Her chorus states the title of the song, which most songs typically do, and contains the catchiest part of the song as described above. This sung over and over again throughout the song helps people remember the song. Her songs then move into the bridge which also known as a break and typically the beat or melody is changed up a bit. The bridge can contain lyrics but they are lyrics that do not state the song title or this can be an instrumental solo. In the same song, the bridge is:

“I used to think that we were forever ever, ever and I used to say, never say never.
Huh, so he calls me up and he's like, I still love you, and I'm like I just I mean this is exhausting, you know. Like, we are never getting back together like, ever” (Metrolyrics, 2016).

Her songs then end with a big finish. She usually gets really into her singing at the ends of her songs or emotional. I believe this to be her formula for her songs and I feel that it is working. She has multiple albums that have gone platinum and gold, so she can prove that her formula works. If more singers and song writers would start taking notes on Taylor Swift’s songs, they may one day be able to hang with her.

References

Digital Spy. (2010, December 9). Taylor Swift has basic formula for songs. http://www.digitalspy.com/music/news/a292306/taylor-swift-has-basic-formula-for-songs/

Metrolyrics. (2016, March 16). Taylor Swift lyrics. http://www.metrolyrics.com/we-are-never-ever-getting-back-together-lyrics-taylor-swift.html

Song Secrets. (2008, July 18). Hit song parts and selections. http://song-secrets.com/songparts.html