If you’ve ever written a set of lyrics or a poem, you’ve probably imagined how it might sound as a song. But turning words ...

Poetic allusions makes for the best song lyrics, and these three songs manage to say "I love you" without using the phrase at ...

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

Nonsensical lyrics are everywhere in music. At times, lyrics are simply a meaningless placeholder to bolster the melody. At other times, the songwriter purposefully writes arbitrary words to ...

Music from the 1980s often faced an uphill battle compared to earlier decades like the 1960s. Classics from the '60s, cherished by Baby Boomers, have had decades to embed themselves into the global ...

Behind beautiful melodies and iconic choruses are stories of grief, addiction, death, regret, and loss that often go ...

From tear-jerkers to mic-drops, NPR's music critics share the 2025 lyrics that made them laugh, cry and hit replay.

A new comprehensive analysis suggests that the words embedded in songs do far more than simply provide a narrative for a melody; they actively shape the thoughts, feelings, and actions of listeners.