[BBC Learning english] Songwriting

Vocabulary

earworm
(informal) a song that you keep hearing in your head, to the point of irritation

irritation: 자극, 흥분

to the point of irritation : 성가실 정도로 , 짜증날 정도로

 

catchy

기억하기 쉬운

 

tune

곡, 곡조, 선율

 

nostalgic streak
affectionate and slightly sad feeling you have for a happy time in the past

affectionate: 다정한, 애정어린

tastemaker
person who influences what is currently popular or fashionable

(go on a) bender
keep drinking a lot of alcohol for an extended period of time

extended period of time : 장기간

lengthy period of time : 오랫 동안

brief period of time : 단기로

same period of time : 같은 시기에

indefinite period of time : 무기한

 

think up (thought up)

생각해내다 , 고안하다

 

chord structure
sequence of musical chords

chord : 화음

give and take
compromise in which you are willing to accept suggestions from another person and give up some ideas of your own

 

 

EXPRESSIONS

(과거부터) 계속 (어떤 상태)인 것을 말할 때 --- "have pp"

[1] I've had this song stuck in my head all day!

(해석) 이 노래가 하루종일 제 머릿속에 계속 멤돌아요(박혀 있어요)

*stuck in my head: 뇌리에 박히다

*had 가 사역동사로 사용됨 ( have + 목적어 +  pp) : (목적어) 가 (pp) 되게 했다

 

언제부터 언제까지 매주 --- "from ~ until" 

[2] Every week from 1964 until it ended in 2006

(해석) 1964년부터 2006년 그 것(방송)이 끝날 때까지 매주

 

과거부터 현재까지 모든 데이터를 포함하여 질문할 때 --- "have pp"

[3] who's had the most number one hit songs in the UK over the years?

(해석) 그 수년 동안 영국에서 누가 가장 많은 1위 히트곡을 갖고 있나요?

*over the years : 수년간, 수년에 걸쳐

 

3,4,5 형식 동사로 모두 사용 가능한 -- "ask" 

[4] Michael Rosen, asked Adam what music he was listening to at the moment.

(해석) 마이클이 아담에게 그 순간(때)에 무엇을 듣고 있었는지 물었다

※ ask

<3형식 동사>

뜻: 묻다/ 요구하다, 목적어로 형용사류 + 명사, to 부정사구, 의문사절 / whether(if)절 만 가능

He asked to have his books delivered to his house

He asked when the next train to Busan would leave

<4형식 동사>

뜻: 묻다/ ~해달라고 요구하다, 직접 목적어로 형용사류 + 명사, that/의문사/whether(if) 절 만 가능

A porter asked me if i was looking for somthing

A boy with red hair asked me why i didn't talk with anyone

You must ask yourself the most important question

<5형식 동사>

뜻: 요청하다, 목적어 보어에 to 부정사구나 pp

His father asked his son to tell what he had done during the day

 

과거에 자주했던 행동을 표현(추억) 할때 -- "would"

**[5] Often Keith Richards would go on one of his historic benders and wake up with a recording device next to him in the morning where he had put the melody down for a song, and had the chord structure and everything in place.

(해석) Keith 는 종종 그의 기억에 남을만한 술자리들 중 하나에 대해 말했는데, 아침에 그의 바로 옆에 놓인 녹음기로 일어는데, 거기엔 그가 노래에 대한 멜로디를 기록해뒀고, 코드 구조같은 것들이 저장되어 있었다.

[6] he might take that to Mick, and Mick would listen through and he would write lyrics

(해석) 그는 그것을 mick에게 가져갔을 것이고, mick 은 들어보고 가사를 쓰곤 했다

 

※ would

다른 의미와 혼동을 피하기 위해 과거를 나타내는 (또는 반복적 행위를 암시하는) 표현과 함께 사용하고, 과거에 반복적으로 했던 행동이므로 동작 동사만 가능.

(e.g)

Every summer we would go camping  (과거 표현 every summer, 동작 동사 go)

My mother and I would always argue about the smallest things ( 반복적 행위 암시 : always, 동작 동사 argue )

 

※ 그 밖의 would 의 쓰임

1) will 의 과거: 특히 주절의 시제가 과거일 때, 종속절 시제를 맞추기 위해 will의 과거형인 would를 사용
I thought it would rain

He said that he would not resign

Yesterday morning, the car wouldn't start

2) 소망: will 이 주어의 의지를 나타낸다면, would 는 그보다는 부드러운 소망, 바램, 의향 등을 나타냄

I wish you would stay

I would like to live here for the rest of my life

He who would do something great must do his best

3) 추측, 가능성 : 확실하지 않은 일에 대해 말할 때 

She would be tired the next day

That would be Lucy calling. I'll answer it

 

※ 과거습관 would 와 used 의 차이

would : "과거에 반복적으로 "~ 하곤 했었다

would 는 과거 반복적인 행동을 추억할 때 쓰일 수 있지만 두가지 제약사항이 있음
1) 과거라는 것을 알 수 있는 표현을 함께 언급 필요 - 그렇지 않으면 바램, 추측 등으로 해석될 수 있음
2) 상태동사는 사용할 수 없음 - 반복적인 행동에 쓰이기 때문

(e.g)

I would live in Busan, but i moved to Seoul 3 years ago (X)

I used to live in Busan, but i moved to Seoul 3 yeas ago (O)

--> would 가 과거행동을 추억할 때 쓰이는 경우는, 특히 반복적인 행동을 의미함(live 는 ~살다 라는 의미로 반복적 동작이 아님)

used to :

자체적으로 과거의 의미를 담고 있고, 과거 동작 뿐 아니라 상태도 나타낼 수 있음

헷갈린다면 used to를 쓰는 것을 권장

(e.g)

Every saturday I used to go swimming

There used to be a factory (공장이 있었다(지금은 없음))

We used to go to the movies on Saturday  

I used to be a vegan (채식주의자 였다 (지금은 아님))

 

[7] he would impose his melodies as a singer on Keith's chord structure. So there would be this give and take, this tension.

(해석) 그는 가수로써의 그의 멜로디를 Keith의 코드 구조에 입히곤 했다. 그래서 거기엔 이러한 분위기의 "give and take" 가 있었던 것 같다 

 

[8] Mick and Keith's legendary friendship has certainly been up and down over the years, and there's no doubt they've written some of the best rock songs ever. 

(해석) Mick 과 Keith의 우정은 확실히 수년간 등락이 있었다. 그리고 그들이 최고의 락 음악을 썼던 것은 의심할 여지가 없다

 

[9] have they been top when it comes to number one hits? 

(해석) 1위곡들에 있어서 그들이 top 이었나요? 

when it comes to : ~ 에 관해선 (뒤에는 ing 또는 명사형태가 와야함), about 과 유사.

 

[10] With twenty-one number one hits, Elvis, the King of rock'n'roll, is the most successful chart-topper, followed by The Beatles with seventeen number ones, and further down the list, The Rolling Stones with eight.

(해석) rocknroll 의 왕 Elvis 가 21번의 1위로 가장 성공한 chart-topper이고 그 뒤를 이어서 17번의 1위인 Beatles, 더 아래로 내려가면

Rolling stones 가 8번 이다.

 

 

[11] A tastemaker is a person that influences what people think is popular or fashionable at the moment.

(해석) tastemake 는 사람들이 생각하기에 그 때 어떤 것이 대중적이고 fashionable 한 것인지 영향을 끼치는 사람이다.

※ what (people think) is popular or fasionalble ~

 

[12] give and take between two people is a compromise in which they are willing to accept suggestions from each another, and give up some of their own ideas.

(해석) 두 사람 간 give and take 는 타협이다 그것은 그들이 기꺼이 상대방의 제안을 받아들이고 자신의 몇가지 아이디어는 포기하는 것이다.

※ in which 

Give and take between two people is a compromise

They are willing to accept suggestions from each another, and give up some of their own ideas in compromise.

※ each another

1. 일반적으로 2명일 경우 each other, 3명 이상일 경우 one another 사용하나, 현대 영어에서는 거의 같은 의미로 사용됨

   단, each other 을 더 흔히 사용함

2. 대명사로 전치사 등과 함께 사용함 (부사 아님)

3. 복수 형태로 사용하지 않음

4. us/ourselves 로 대체할 수 없음

5. 소유격 가능

(e.g)

1. They like each other

1. They all know one another 

2. We're talking to each other (O)

2. We're talking each other (X)

3. They helped each others (X)

4. We've known each other for twelve years (O)

4. We've known us/ourselves for twelve years (X) 

5. They helped to look after each other's children

5. We often stayed in one another's houses

 

※ time + spent

a period of time spent in heavy alcohol drinking and non-stop partying

-> a period of time (one has) spent in ~

-> one has spent a period of time in ~

 

TRANSCRIPT

Neil
[Singing] Du du dum dum! Da-da-da!

Sam
What's that song you're singing, Neil? Is it The Rolling Stones?

Neil
Well, [1] I've had this song stuck in my head all day! It's a real earworm - you know, a song you keep hearing over and over again in your head.

Sam
Well, The Rolling Stones, for example, are famous for their catchy songs. But writing a memorable song isn't easy. Not only do you have to write a good tune, you also need to match it to the lyrics - the words of the song.

Neil
In this programme, we'll be discussing the art of songwriting - combining lyrics and music to make a hit song. And of course, we'll be learning some new vocabulary as well.

Sam
But first I have a question for you, Neil. [2] Every week from 1964 until it ended in 2006, the BBC television programme Top of the Pop, had a countdown of the most popular songs in the British music charts, from number forty up to number one. So [3] who's had the most number one hit songs in the UK over the years?
a) The Rolling Stones
b) The Beatles
c) Elvis Presley

Neil
You're showing your age there, Sam - those musicians were famous decades ago! I'm going to go for C, the king of rock'n'roll, Elvis Presley.

Sam
OK, Neil. I'll reveal the answer later in the programme. Professor Adam Bradley is the author of The Book of Rhymes, a study into the lyrics of hip-hop music. He knows a lot about how words and music combine to make hit songs. When he spoke to BBC Radio 4 programme, Word of Mouth, the presenter, [4] Michael Rosen, asked Adam what music he was listening to at the moment.

Adam Bradley
These days I have a little bit of a nostalgic streak, so I go back to some of the earliest music that mattered to me as a young person, music that my mother played for me, things like Crosby, Stills and Nash 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes'… things like the earliest music that I discovered as an independent tastemaker for myself, things like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.

Neil
Adam says he's currently listening to the music his mother played him when he was young because he has a nostalgic streak - an affectionate feeling for a happy time in the past. His mum liked 1960s American singer-songwriters like Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Sam
Adam is also listening to hip-hop groups like De La Soul - the music he chose when he started finding his own taste in music, becoming a tastemaker for himself. A tastemaker is someone who influences what is considered fashionable or popular at the moment.

Neil
As well as hip-hop, Adam also loves rock'n'roll music, and - like me - is a big fan of The Rolling Stones whose singer, Mick Jagger, and guitar player, Keith Richards, are two of the most successful songwriters ever. Here Adam tells BBC Radio 4's, Word of Mouth, how the rock stars worked together to write some of the best known songs in rock'n'roll history:

Adam Bradley
[5] Often Keith Richards would go on one of his historic benders and wake up with a recording device next to him in the morning where he had put the melody down for a song, and had the chord structure and everything in place. And [6] he might take that to Mick, and Mick would listen through and he would write lyrics… And in Mick's mind, as he said in an interview once, [7] he would impose his melodies as a singer on Keith's chord structure. So there would be this give and take, this tension.

Sam
Keith Richards is famous for going on benders - a period of time spent in heavy alcohol drinking and non-stop partying. During these, he often thought up the chord structure for a song. A chord is three or more musical notes played together, so a chord structure is a sequence of chords played one after the other.

Neil
Later, Mick Jagger would listen to the music Keith had thought up, and write lyrics to match. Adam describes this relationship as give and take - a compromise where you are willing to accept suggestions from another person and give up some ideas of your own.

Sam
[8] Mick and Keith's legendary friendship has certainly been up and down over the years, and there's no doubt they've written some of the best rock songs ever. But [9] have they been top when it comes to number one hits? It's time to reveal the answer to my question…

Neil
Yes, you asked who has had the most number one hits in the UK music charts, and I said it was Elvis Presley.

Sam
Which was… the correct answer, Neil! [10] With twenty-one number one hits, Elvis, the King of rock'n'roll, is the most successful chart-topper, followed by The Beatles with seventeen number ones, and further down the list, The Rolling Stones with eight.

Neil
OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned starting with earworm - a song that you can't stop hearing over and over in your head.

Sam
A nostalgic streak is an affectionate or bittersweet feeling you have for a happy time in the past.

Neil
[11] A tastemaker is a person that influences what people think is popular or fashionable at the moment.

Sam
If you go on a bender, you spend time drinking alcohol heavily.

Neil
A chord structure is a sequence of musical chords.

Sam
And finally, [12] give and take between two people is a compromise in which they are willing to accept suggestions from each another, and give up some of their own ideas.

Neil
Don't forget that there is more to BBC Learning English than 6 Minute English! Why not try to improve your vocabulary through the language in news headlines? Try the News Review video on our website or download the podcast. And, of course, we have a free app - it's full of useful programmes and activities to help you improve your English.

Sam
Once again, our six minutes are up. Bye for now!