What's a song to you?

frobisher

Is it the words with melody? Is it the backing music and chords even without vocals?

I guess for me it's about the words and melodic line combined with the chords following as poor cousins in the songwriting credit department.

Gaspode

I guess its really the whole lot combined before its truly a song.
I might write a set of lyrics that I could call a song, but until I have a melody and a basic chrod progression its actualyy more like a poem or piece of prose.

oleras

For me, a great song has a start a middle and an end, like a story, glose your eyes and actually see it played out, basically if it can be made into a movie i think its the perfect song. eg. Black Diamond bay by Mr.dylan.

rcaz

A song can be anything, it depends what sort of song it's supposed to be. Some songs emphasize the words, some the bass, some the beat, some the incomprehensible noise. Anything we can hear has the potential to be a song, in my opinion.

peanutroad

I suppose, strictly speaking, a song can be just a melody with nothing else. Instrumental pieces are sometimes called songs, no?

But for me, a song is words and melody. Anything else, chord progressions, riffs, what have you, are arrangements. If I were to sing a piece a capella, it would still be the same song as if it had an arrangement behind it.

Steve_o

I believe a song should convey a message that people can understand, a sort of glimpse into the mind of the writer, the style of music, in my view, should reflect the idea of the lyrics, be it a song of Triumph over Sadness (i.e. Positively 4th Street by Bob Dylan), a song of Resignation (i.e. Tom Trauberts Blues by Tom Waits) and so on....

*tOpLaSs

To me, a great song has a few elements.
A catchy tune is usually a must have.
Lyrics are a big thing, they have to be clever, or easy for me to relate to. They can't be just a load of random rhyming crap flung down onto a page (like most of RHCP's stuff imho..)
Songs that make me feel something (ie. sorrow, happiness) or that remind me of something or someone good are my favourites I guess.