A lyricist is an author of song lyrics. Some lyricists are also musical composers, while others team up with composers. There have been many such famous song-writing teams, such as George Gershwin (music) and his brother Ira Gershwin (lyrics). George Gershwin also wrote many of his own lyrics. A song is a relatively short musical composition for the human voice (possibly accompanied by other musical instruments), which features words (lyrics). ... Lyrics are the words in songs. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... George Gershwin photograph by Edward Steichen in 1927. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In many cases, lyricists have written lyrics that have been set to old tunes. One of the best-known examples of this is the Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States, written by Francis Scott Key. He wrote the lyrics strictly as a poem, and it was later set to the tune of an old drinking song. Nicholson took the copy Key gave him to a printer, where it was published as a broadside on September 17 under the title The Defence of Fort McHenry, with an explanatory note explaining the circumstances of its writing. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their official national song. ... Francis Scott Key Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779–January 11, 1843) was an American lawyer and amateur poet who wrote the United States national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner. He is an alumnus of St. ...

Similarly, the Christian Christmas carol, What Child Is This, had its words set to an old English folk tune that formerly was a lover's lament, Greensleeves. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. ... Singing carols: John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together A Christmas carol is a carol (song or hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas, or the winter season in general. ... Greensleeves is a traditional English folk song (or tune), basically a ground of the form called a romanesca; the widely believed legend is that it was composed by English King Henry VIII (1491 - 1547) for his lover and future Queen, Anne Boleyn. ...

Conversely, sometimes poets have written verse that has been later set to music. A good example of this is the Ode to Joy by Friedrich Schiller, who had not intended to be a lyricist but became one when Ludwig von Beethoven used several verses of this work as lyrics for the final movement of his ninth symphony. A poet exists within a cultural and intellectual tradition and usually writes in a specific language, but the qualities of good poetry are to some extent timeless and address issues common to all humanity. ... Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (November 10, 1759 – May 9, 1805), usually known as Friedrich Schiller, was a German poet, philosopher, historian, and dramatist. ... Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 – March 26, 1827) was a German composer of Classical music, the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. ...

See also

• Category:Songwriters