The term lyrics comes from the Greek word ‘lyricos’, and refers to any words that are included in songs.  The vast majority of popular music includes lyrics, as do many other genres of modern and traditional music.  Lyrics are used to carry the melody of a song, and are what many people relate to most strongly when they are listening to music.  While vocal harmony groups do exist that use lyrics as a way to form harmonic structure, it is primarily the melody of a song that is either followed or driven by the lyrics.  Song lyrics are often printed on recording sleeves and reprinted on websites, with the very best examples even given the same reverence as poetry or literature.

The word lyric was first defined and recorded in 1830 meaning the words of a popular song.  The common usage of the word lyrics as a plural is dominant in contemporary usage, although the singular form of ‘lyric’ without the ’s’ is still acceptable in most situations.  Modern music would not be what it is without the wonderful lyrics that have been written by many artists around the world.  Love songs and political songs over the years are especially noteworthy as being good examples of great lyrically driven pieces of music.

A lyricist is a person who writes song lyrics, and is either a member of a band, a musician in their own right, or is employed by musicians to write a customised song.  Lyricists are often contrasted with singer-songwriters, the former of whom write lyrics without any specific music in mind, and the later of whom write a piece of music and the accompanying lyrics together.  Often, the lyrics in a song are written by one person and the music provided by another, although this relationship is dependent on the musicians involved and the roles that they play within a band.

Lyrics are an essential part of modern music, and often provide the most memorable experiences associated with listening to music.  The lyrics to a song are often remembered long after the music and the melody has been forgotten.  When lyrics are combined with music in a song format, they often have the power to create memorable and emotional experiences for listeners, with many lyrics over the years providing some of the best examples of rich and powerful modern cultural experiences.