As for Van Morrison, he begins one lyric found in “Lit Up Inside & Keep ’Er Lit: The Collected Lyrics” with “Rave on, John Donne” and goes on to refer to Kahlil Gibran, Omar Khayyam, Walt Whitman and ...

So, you’re writing a musical. Congratulations! Now you just need three things: a story, songs, and songs that tell the story. Sound intimidating? Worry not: We’ve got tips, tricks, and a full ...

Which song lyrics from 2025 most moved our NPR Music critics?

Who doesn’t want to write better songs? Whether you’re new to the craft, stuck in a rut of writing the same old stuff, or chasing that feeling that comes after we write a song that is better than ...

Lyrics are often compared to poetry. Are they a form of "the poetic art?" Are they less "artistic?" Poetry has a romantic aura to it, whereas lyric writing seems rather plebeian (to borrow a word from ...