The Linguistics of Rock Lyrics

Undergraduate

In this course, we introduce basic concepts in linguistics through the lens of rock lyrics, and discuss the ways in which this genre of language is different from (and similar to) other forms of language. Why does it sound odd to repeat the same sentence several times in a row in a conversation, but unremarkable in lyrics? Why do rock lyrics contain non-standard features of languages that their authors don't necessarily use in their their speech? Why did Sigur Rós make an entire album with speech-sounds that have no meaning? Why do so many shoegaze bands have band names that begin with sw-? What kinds of ambiguity are intentionally used to resist straightforward interpretation? Exploring these and other questions gives us a special entry point into concepts in syntax, semantics, pragmatics, morphology, and phonology, including special topics like phonesthemes, conversational maxims, sound symbolism, and non-standard grammar, among other things. Enrollment limited to first-year students. SO TTh 1:05pm-2:20pm