Songs without words

[Benjamin Barrett]

On Apr 24, 2010, at 2:48 AM, Michael Covarrubias wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Michael Covarrubias <mcovarru at PURDUE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Songs without words
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>
> On Apr24, 2010, at 5:07 AM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
>
>> For "song," the AHD4 has "a brief composition written or adapted for singing."
>>
>> I personally use the word "song" to mean a musical composition without words, such as Pachelbel's Canon in D even though I have a sense that songs should have sung lyrics.
>>
>> The AHD4 meaning therefore seems prescriptive in a way that does not reflect common usage.
>
> are you saying that you use 'song' to specify, and indicate a musical composition that doesn't have lyrics?
>
> in my experience this is counter to the usual specification. the general pattern i've noted is that in common use, it is a vague term. any composition of music can be a song. 'pachelbel's canon in d' and 'happy birthday' both.

What I mean is that "song" is used for both, even though there is a sense (that perhaps not all people have) that a song should have words.

>
> among more specialized musical circles, a 'song' has lyrics while a 'piece' doesn't. is purely instrumental. among people who use the words this way, i've heard complaining about those who use them interchangeably. ("'pachelbel's canon is *not* a SONG! it's a PIECE'! they might say.") the principle of 'eliminate vagueness/ambiguity' i suppose.

Yes! (One of the problems is there is no good word for a musical composition that is not a song. A piece???)

>
>> Although someone subjective, my Mac dictionary does well at walking this thin line with an additional definition: a musical composition suggestive of a song.
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>
> the mac dictionary offering looks like a nod to the second specifying pattern, apparent for instance in the title given to a collection of Mendelssohn's piano compositions, "songs without words" typically described as having a lyrical quality -- tho they're instrumental.
>

This Mac definition goes not only to the second pattern, but to the sense that some people have that it's an iffy case.
BB

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