An interesting article which explores that question.
Are pop lyrics getting more repetitive?
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Musings on the byways of popular culture
Musings on the byways of popular culture
An interesting article which explores that question.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Someone has an awful lot of time on their hands
Still an interesting read though
No no, no-no no no, no-no no no….
Yeah yeah yeah
Da Da Da for our continental contingent.
The banal has always been an easier sell than than the profound, when it comes to popular music.
That article is a fascinating read. I trust that in future AW contributors will be using the Lempel-Ziv algorithm !
How do Classical composers fare when confronted with it?
I agree with you about banality, Mike. But at the same time, simplicity and banality are not the same thing. And verbosity should not be confused with profundity.
I cite Tales from the Tobleronic Oceans, M’Lud.
Yep.
Agreed about simplicity vs. banality, verbosity vs. profundity.
How many times to they repeat Allelulia in the Allelulia Chorus?
If that´s the case, well then that´s another field where The Beatles showed the way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTE8qB91Lv0
It probably all started with blues music.
e.g. woke up this morning with the blues running around in my head
woke up this morning with the blues running around in my head
I was listening to a Big Bill Broonzy album the other day, and he said that back in the day, lines were repeated because often the audience(on the farms) didn’t speak English very well. Repeating the line gave them a better chance of picking up the lyric.
I would think old folk songs predate the blues.
Something like Green Grow The Rushes, O is suitably repetitive and is probably a lot older than than blues songs.
With respect to the blues, one of its derivations is from ‘field hollers’ which were by their very nature repetitive.
Lero lero lillibullero, lillibullero bullen a la, lero lero lero lero, lillibullero bullen a la.
Snappily put out there a LONG time before the blues.
Way, haul away, I’ll sing to you of Nancy
Way, haul away, we’ll haul away, Joe!
Way, haul away, she’s just my cut and fancy
Way, haul away, we’ll haul away, Joe!
Way, haul away, we’ll haul for better weather
Way, haul away, we’ll haul away, Joe!
Way haul away, we’ll haul away together
Way, haul away, we’ll haul away, Joe!
Pass the rum, there’s another anchor on the port side.