Lyrics on the Stove

Welcome back to another episode of me yapping about music. This week, we’re going to talk about one of the places where we can actually put our pickup lines to use __lyrics. I’ve noticed that people, whether online or in real life, often resonate with the words in lyrics to the point that they treat a line as their life motto. So, let’s dive into how these lyrics come to life and why people form such deep connections with them.

First of all, in my point of view, a song is made up of lyrics + melody. Well, let’s say it’s like vegetable Maggi. An instrumental can be beautiful on its own—like eating plain Maggi. Lyrics, on the other hand, are like poems without an instrumental, still beautiful on their own. I mean, come on, salad has its own personality too! But there’s something magical when the vegetables and Maggi come together—it creates a taste that just hits different. And that, my friend, is a song: a magic potion that people nowadays even use in their Instagram notes section.

You know what’s similar between cooking and making a song? It’s the composition. Some songs have a great instrumental but weak lyrics, while some lyrics turn out to be straight-up gibberish when you actually listen carefully. But still, we vibe with it—because the instrumental carries the mood. On the flip side, some songs have amazing lyrics but a poor instrumental, and that feels like such a bummer because those words deserve so much better!

A song can also be sugarcoated—the instrumental might sound super bright and happy, while the lyrics are actually sad. You might wonder, “How is that even possible? Does it really work?” Well, it’s just like cooking: who would know if you secretly added a little sugar into paneer butter masala?

Lyrics can’t always be full of lies—they can also carry bitter truths. And I have to mention these artists in my blog (yes, I’m a fan!): BTS and Epik High. According to a Tamil lyric, “Kannuku mai azhagu, kavithaiku poi azhagu” (beauty for the eyes is eyeliner, beauty for poetry is a lie). But these artists broke that rule in many of their songs. I’ve always considered myself a melody person, but they’ve turned me into someone who also loves quoting lyrics from time to time!

So the question is, can we make a song too? Yes, of course we can! But just like cooking, it might not have a chef’s touch. A chef knows the little tips and tricks that make a dish taste amazing—and the same applies to songwriting. A good song needs rhyme, some clever wordplay, and a sprinkle of catchy lines to really stick. And that’s how you “cook” a song!

Now I’m curious—how do you resonate with lyrics? Has any lyric ever changed your mindset? Do you have a favorite line you carry with you? and who is your favourite songwriter? I’d love to know