Lyricist
A
lyricist is an author of
song lyrics. Some lyricists are also musical
composers, while others team up with composers. There have been many such famous song-writing teams, such as
George Gershwin (music) and his brother
Ira Gershwin (lyrics). George Gershwin also wrote many of his own lyrics.
In many cases, lyricists have written lyrics that have been set to old tunes. One of the best-known examples of this is the
Star-Spangled Banner, the
national anthem of the
United States, written by
Francis Scott Key. He wrote the lyrics strictly as a poem, and it was later set to the tune of an old drinking song.
Similarly, the
Christian Christmas carol,
What Child Is This, had its words set to an old English folk tune that formerly was a lover's lament,
Greensleeves.
Conversely, sometimes
poets have written verse that has been later set to music. A good example of this is the
Ode to Joy by
Friedrich Schiller, who had not intended to be a lyricist but became one when
Ludwig von Beethoven used several verses of this work as lyrics for the final movement of his ninth symphony. Sometimes the complete separation of lyrical and musical writing is intentional;
Bernie Taupin famously writes lyrics for
Elton John, who then sets them to music, with no interaction between the two before or after the moment Taupin hands the lyrics over to John.
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:Category:Songwriters
