Good thread!!!

Something MB said stood out about reality based in dialogue: I remember reading ( or was it an interview) when Tim Rice said while writing lyrics for Jesus Christ Superstar, he would read them without music to see if they sounded will on their own, and felt real (incidently here the music came first).

Who knows which is the right way: Elton John wants lyrics first then writes the melody to it.

I think both give different perspectives, I do enjoy hearing a melody and then writing lyrics to this, as the melody gives a feeling, an idea, an emotion which can inspire the lyrics.

Writing lyrics first, well to be honest, I write them to a headtune, so in a way I am writing to melody. I do that to keep a meter and structure as well as form between each verse. So maybe I am a melody first person, or at least melody and lyrics and the same time.

Just my few thoughts. Also I do thing genre is important. I remember an interview with Max Martin (co writer of many hits such as Baby One More Time and My Life Would Suck without you) saying that the premise of the song they can come up with in 5 minutes, but the work that they do on it after that you would not believe.

Cheers

Alan