Do you consider a song a "song" if you haven't recorded it yet?

Yes, that analogy fails for the reasons pointed out by J.C.
A closer analogy might be a "story", and the question would be "is a story a story before it gets written down to print"?

Again, I say yes.

Joepie said:
Analogy:

Would you consider a book a 'book' before it has been written?

I'd say no. The author might say 'I have some ideas for a book' or 'I know what the storyline is going to be like' but it's not yet a book.

So, if you consider a 'song' to be a finished, tangible product, then it needs to be recorded or, at the very least, played... to be called a song.


On the other hand, if you define a song as 'a combination of lyrics and melody in a certain format' it can definately exist in the head in its final form, and thus be a song before it's performed.

Make sense?
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I think we all agree, what I was trying to point out was that for a lot of people a 'song' is something they can hear on the radio, or buy in a record store... something tangible, whereas for us musicians/homereccers it's more of an artistic thing... an idea or maybe emotion that we're trying to express. That's where the difference is.

So yeah, for me too, a song is a song when it's in my head... not when it's out there to be heard
 
J.C. Scott said:
Why must it be shared in order to be considered a song, though? Do you not write for your own enjoyment first?

I tend to write music firstly for my own enjoyment. If others enjoy it that's great, but that's why I don't consider a song as something that must be shared; I'll still enjoy my music (recorded, played or imagined) regardless whether anyone ever hears it or not, although it does make me feel really good when others like it, too.
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Ahh...but what I am saying is, to me, If it's just in my mind, it's only a thought, or an idea. Once played, maybe not even recorded, it becomes a song. I don't always share my stuff, but enjoy doing that. It's always for me, but if I do nothing but keep it in my mind, it's only an idea at that point. I can hear many things, that I can't actually reproduce.....
 
Dogman said:
Ahh...but what I am saying is, to me, If it's just in my mind, it's only a thought, or an idea.
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I understand your point. They are ideas, they do exist in the mind. Consider this syllogism:

The dictionary defines a song as a melody
A person can create a melody in their head
Melodies in the mind can be labeled songs

I see nothing wrong with the above logic, although I certainly want to know if you see any holes in it.

In light of this, would you agree that "song" and "song idea" are both applicable?

I don't think anyone would think twice if you said you wrote a song in your head the other day. Now if you told them you created bacon and eggs in your mind for breakfast, they'd probably look at you funny.

No one questions that love exists in a person, for example. No one tends to think of another person as having a love "idea" just because they don't express their feelings openly. Is feeling love enough to make it love in your opinion?
 
J.C. Scott said:
I understand your point. They are ideas, they do exist in the mind. Consider this syllogism:

The dictionary defines a song as a melody
A person can create a melody in their head
Melodies in the mind can be labeled songs

I see nothing wrong with the above logic, although I certainly want to know if you see any holes in it.

In light of this, would you agree that "song" and "song idea" are both applicable?

I don't think anyone would think twice if you said you wrote a song in your head the other day. Now if you told them you created bacon and eggs in your mind for breakfast, they'd probably look at you funny.

No one questions that love exists in a person, for example. No one tends to think of another person as having a love "idea" just because they don't express their feelings openly. Is feeling love enough to make it love in your opinion?
Click to expand...
Hmm....guess I never thought of it that way. I do write in my head all the time, and most would prbably call it a song...correctly. I just have never really done that, as I can hear the idea way better than I can get it done.....more just a shortcoming on my part.
Interesting thoughts....
 
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