Lyrics vs. Melody

When families choose funeral music, time and attention are often given to the lyrics of a song. And understandably so. Lyrics, written words expressed through organized sound, are incredibly moving and powerful when composed effectively. I would submit, however, that a powerful melody without employing lyrics can have much of the same effect.

This is particularly the case when using a well-known song that is traditionally performed with lyrics. Take the hymn “Amazing Grace” for example. Many people know, at very least, the words of the first verse of this song. Now, imagine a single instrument playing the simple melody without a voice singing the lyrics; allowing mourners to craft words and images in their minds as they listen intently to the emotion within the notes of the melody, not the lyrics.

The effect also works with music originally composed without lyrics — for instance, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata or one of Chopin’s Nocturnes. Pieces like these contain a broad spectrum of emotion that enables listeners to not only celebrate a life but grieve the loss of one. The beauty of lyric-less melodies is the ability they give listeners to create their own experience, unguided by someone else’s words.