Creating Songs From Poems

Poetry and songs have always shared a close relationship. For example, poetry was originally believed to have been sung, memorized, and passed on by oral tradition. Similarly, music has retained its notoriety by being passed on from musician to musician. This is particularly true of genres like Folk music and the Blues. Songs are even passed on with such great frequency that it’s difficult to even trace their origins.

Famous Songs From Poems

The Star Spangled Banner

Considered one of the most popular examples of poems that have become songs, is The Star Spangled Banner, which was written by Francis Scott Key. This song has been sung by countless musicians, in various arrangements. It’s survived as a national anthem, and it has become a melody that inspires crowds every year at celebrations, serving as a reminder of America’s heritage.

Auld Lang Syne

Another poem that became song is Auld Lang Syne, originally written by Robert Burns, which was also inspired by the oral tradition. To be more accurate it was collected by Robert Burns, the poem turned song had long been a part of Scottish heritage, and it had become a staple of the folk songs of the day. You can often hear this tune being sung at celebrations like New Years Day, among others. You can hear a version of the song at The Library of Congress Jukebox, which contains many other songs from the folk tradition. Once you hear the opening lines, you’ll recognize it instantly.

Under the Greenwood Tree

Donovan a well-known folk musician with several notable albums under his belt, as well as years of performances, took William Shakespeare as his muse for the song known as Under the Greenwood Tree. My favorite line is when he says, “come hither,” over and over again. It’s a catchy song indeed, and it seems that Donovan and I may have similar tastes in literature and music.

Neruda

Brazilian songstress Luciana Souza created an entire album of Jazz arrangements in tribute to well-known Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. It’s impressive enough to hear one song inspired by a poem, but a whole album devoted to a poet is quite an extraordinary feat. Enjoy a quick video below of Luciana in the recording studio.

Keane has A Bad Dream, and a Big Hit

It seems that the inclination to use material from poems as songwriting material is not exclusive to traditional tunes, or folk music. Keane, a well-known rock act, has hit the top of the charts with their song “A Bad Dream,” which was inspired by a William Butler Yeats poem entitled,  “An Irish Airman Foresees his Death.” The outcome is a brilliant song with all the emotion of a Yeats poem. Yeats would have been pleased.

Video of Keane’s A Bad Dream

A Quick Guide to Creating Songs from Poems

I took it upon myself to try writing a song based on a poem as well. After writing a blog post about Lord Alfred Tennyson, I took the words from his poem, “The Miller’s Daughter,” and I arranged it for guitar. It was a fun and creative experience, which allowed me to connect with the poem in a different way than I’m used to. I will close with these tips for our readers who’d like to attempt this themselves.

1. Pick a song with a set meter and stanzas. This makes it much simpler to compose your music in the traditional verse/chorus method of arrangement.

2. Don’t be afraid to change the words a little to make them fit better with the timing of the song. Folk singers often sung the same songs with different lyrics to tell their stories, giving them a uniqueness all their own.

3. Give credit where credit is due. We all know you borrowed those awesome lyrics from somewhere. There’s no shame in admitting it.

Whatever you do have fun. Writing songs with poetic material is a great way to pass on the meaning behind the words, by sharing them in a new form. Find your inspiration wherever you like, but be sure to keep your eyes open, it may just be in one of your favorite books on the shelf.