SONGS
What Is a Song? At its most basic, a song is a short piece of music, usually with words. It combines melody and vocals, although some composers have written instrumental pieces , or musical works without words, that mimic the quality of a singing voice. The words of a song are called lyrics . Lyrics can include a series of verses , the longer sections of the song that tell the story, and a refrain , a short phrase repeated at the end of every verse. Songs can have a simple structure of one or two verses, or a more complex one with multiple verses and refrains. Songs usually have a meter or beat. Whether you sing or speak the lyrics, you can feel a pattern or pulse in the way the words move the song forward. The word 'song' has been around for a very long time, and it connects back to Old English and Old Norse languages. As such a history suggests, songs are used for many purposes: to tell stories, express emotions, or convey a bel...