The Establishing Lyric

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine

Frequent establishing shot from TV's Seinfeld

At the beginning of any story, the first thing the audience wants to know is what's going on.  Those first few sentences have a duty to satisfy that curiosity by identifying some sense of who, what, when and where. In a song or poem, where much has to be conveyed in even fewer words, it's especially appreciated when the scene is set up front.

Just like the establishing shot in a movie, a good opening lyric gives the listener an instant understanding of the current state of affairs so that they feel caught up on whatever they need to know to jump right in with us.

Consider the opening lines of these hit songs from various genres.  In each of the following examples, they provide an establishing setup, if not a backstory, for what will be the closing line of the song:

"Yesterday" (The Beatles)
     First line: Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
     Last line: Oh, I believe in yesterday.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (from The Wizard of Oz)
     First line: Somewhere over the rainbow,way up high
     Last line: Why, oh why can't I?

"All By Myself" (Eric Carmen)
     First line: When I was young, I never needed anyone
     Last line: Don't wanna live all by myself anymore.

"Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" (Otis Redding)
     First line: Sittin' in the mornin' sun, I'll be sittin' till the evening's done
     Last line: Sittin' on the dock of the bay, wastin' time.

"Heartbreak Hotel" (Elvis Presley)
     First line: Well, since my baby left me, I found a new place to dwell
     Last line: I get so lonely, I could die.

"Sunshine of Your Love" (Cream)
     First line: It's getting near dawn
     Last line: I've been waiting so long to be where I'm going, in the sunshine of your love.

"By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (Glen Campbell)
     First line: By the time I get to Phoenix she'll be rising
     Last line: She just didn't know I would really go.
 
"New York New York" (Frank Sinatra)
     First line: Start spreading the news, I'm leavin' today
     Last line: It's up to you, New York, New York.

Full circle is very satisfying, and a correspondence between the opening and closing lines offers that sense of fulfillment. But even more important is providing the listener with that helpful briefing up front. Giving them an easy invitation to follow along and not waste time sorting out what the song is about is music to their ears.

The Gift of Music

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director

Music lover that I am, my ears perked up last week when I overheard this question on Family Feud: “Name a song that everyone knows.”

I began a Google search through the Wikipedia of my mind. First I remembered that “Yesterday” is the most successful song of all time, recorded by over 1,600 artists. Somehow I still couldn’t imagine that being the top answer. What other songs had we all heard a million times? Could it be “Louie Louie”...”New York, New York”…the theme from “The Addams Family”?

The top TV answer turned out to be “The Star-Spangled Banner”. Well, I dispute that. If Christina Aguilera and Michael Bolton can’t remember it, what hope is there for the rest of us? Myself, I get lost somewhere in the ramparts.

With a little help from a friend, I’ve come up with an even better answer: “Happy Birthday”. You only have to remember six words (as long as you know the name of the person you’re singing to).

Right now, however, and for an entire month each year, we’re gifted to countless songs everyone really does know, not just because we’ve heard them every December since we’ve been born, but because they have been the soundtrack for all our treasured Christmas memories. The twinkle of tinsel and the smell of cinnamon candles nicely herald the season, but for me nothing does it better than the sound of Andy Williams, Nat King Cole and Burl Ives.

What makes a song a classic, they say, is when it can stand the test of time. My favorite Christmas pop song certainly has. It’s "Little Saint Nick", recorded by the Beach Boys in 1963. My favorite religious carol is "Silent Night", which I think has been around even longer. What songs are your Christmas favorites? 

At a party I attended this weekend, the highlight for all was playing a holiday version of Name That Tune. This was followed by another game in which we had to decipher cryptic versions of Christmas song titles (like “Loyal Followers Advance” = “O Come All Ye Faithful”). The joyous enthusiasm with which everyone proudly shouted out their answers as favorite songs registered made for a roomful of merry gentlemen and ladies.

For our own Southern Writers Christmas party this month, I couldn’t resist coming up with a variation of one of my favorite holiday tunes, a tongue-in-cheek commemoration of our first year as a magazine. My publishing cohorts have been adamant about me recording it and putting it online, so for those who like a little parody with their poinsettia, kindly click here to listen.

As in years past, I’ll spend Christmas Eve wrapping presents on my pool table to the tune of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s annual holiday concert on TV. I’ll look up from my paperwork regularly to take in the pleasure of seeing 70 musicians celebrating the season in song, dressed in their black concert finery as befitting the importance of this night. 

And upon that highly-anticipated moment when trumpeter Scott Moore recreates the famous horse whinny at the end of “Sleigh Ride”, I will suddenly feel like I’m ready for Christmas.

May you and yours have your best Christmas ever. And God bless us, every one.