Lyric videos

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I’ve done a couple of these. I don’t know whether they’re something people like – perhaps they’re interested in words or they can’t make them out. Sometimes I resisted it because songs aren’t poetry, and doing a lyric video may draw too much attention to the words rather than the ‘whole’. I don’t know. I’d be interested in what you think.

Here are a couple out of three or four I’ve done over the years. The first is my favourite, the only one I think really works as a video.

Another, which to me doesn’t work quite as well, maybe the lyrics look like an afterthought.
Should I do more lyric videos? Is it cheesy to use stock footage or more interesting than looking at me playing guitar?

4 thoughts on “Lyric videos”

  1. I’m quite happy without the lyrics and quite happy to see the performance. The words as you sing them are clear. Recently we have been watching Jules Holland with the subtitles and the lyrics are all absolutely nonsensical.

    • I’ve seen the same thing with my own videos on Facebook when the automatic captions come on. Some really funny ones.

  2. I think if lyrics are used it should be with a very simple background or video (as in the first one, which you prefer anyway). The second video has its own story going on which is just extra competition for attention.

    I’m not sure how I feel in general about lyric videos. If I like a song I’d generally like access to the lyric somewhere. And if I want to listen to a song on Youtube it doesn’t put me off if it comes with just a lyric. I don’t know if it’s necessary, or much of a game changer either way.

    ps. A couple of days ago I was driving up to Glasgow, listening to some of your songs, decided by Shuffle, and mixed up intermittently with other songwriters I know. It was a wonderful drive, despite, or perhaps enhanced by, the stormy weather and the darkening skies.

  3. The second one works for me OK but on the first one, spreading the lyrics randomly across the screen like that makes the anticipation of the next line difficult and forces your eyes to shift quickly when it comes. Maybe start at the bottom with the first lyric then place the next one closer to the first as if the lyrics were walking across the screen (might work for this song, at least).
    In saying that, trying to read when watching a video detracts from the video content so is a non-starter, really …. for me at least.

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