Are there any examples of pop songs that don't have any vocals or lyrics?

I'm currently working on a project where the song is screaming out for vocals but I have the following issues:

1. Writing lyrics is not my strong point
2. I am even worse at singing!

I actually have some lyrics and have gave it a go at singing them but I would be kidding myself on by saying that it sounded good. I believe the music sounds a lot better without me singing on it. I have asked some people I know if they would be interested but unfortunately I have reached a dead end.

It would be great if I could hear some examples of similar type songs without lyrics so that I could get it to work but I can't seem to find anything online. Are pop songs with no lyrics a no go?

Any help would be great and below is a link to a demo of the track if it helps give a better explanation:

https://www.yousendit.com/dl?phi_action=app/orchestrateDownload&rurl=https %253A%252F%252Fwww.yousendit.com%252Ftransfer.php%253Faction%253Dbatch_download%2526send_i d%253D1559934921%2526email%253D7eec7215768ff27810140bbfd91e94a5&s=19104&cid=tx-02002207350 200000000

Thanks,

PL

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www.soundcloud.com/bryandoc81

Hi , Oxygene, Chariots of Fire and Pigbag! Dave

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My head hurts!

Anything by The Shadows...

Andy

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When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.

Sorry, link wouldn't open so off the top of my head,

Sylvia, Hocus Pocus:Focus
Albatross:Fleetwood Mac
Dance with the Devil:Cozy Powell
Fanfare for the Common Man:ELP

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Not much in life worth running for. Or from.

Edited by Dynamic Mike (19/06/12 02:22 AM)

A "song" without singing?

Define "song":
noun
1. a short metrical composition intended or adapted for singing, especially one in rhymed stanzas; a lyric; a ballad.
2. a musical piece adapted for singing or simulating a piece to be sung: Mendelssohn's “Songs without Words.”
3. poetical composition; poetry.
4. the art or act of singing; vocal music.
5. something that is sung.

A "song" without singing is called "music".

There is much music, even some tracks have been hits (Um, let's say, "Axel F" by Harold Faltermayer).
Or, like, quite a lot of dance music/tracks.
But none of those are "songs".

Real answer: Find yourself some people to collaborate with.

How about Lieder ohne Worte as an album title; reimagined as a mashup of electronica and found sound?

*edit*

Oh, someone's already done it. I guess it was inevitable.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/lieder-ohne-worte-mw0000672332

OK, so post up a working link to your track and we can brainstorm the lyrics.

Quote Paul Ledger:

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Are there any examples of pop songs that don't have any vocals or lyrics?

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"Popcorn". "Telstar".

Though whether a piece of music with no vocals could be called a "song"....?

Suzanne Ciani
http://youtu.be/uCuvpiuggik

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My facebook
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Hi guys,

Thank you for all the replies so far. I will check out the links everyone has suggested.

I'm not sure what happened with the link so below is a new one which should be easier to preview the track:

http://soundcloud.com/bryandoc81/demo-of-pop-track-with-no

I guess Desmond has answered the initial question already, a "song" needs lyrics or words to be classified a song!

So I guess the next step is to find out, will the track work as an instrumental or do you think it needs vocals to assist?

Re: Collaborating with someone - I would love to do this in the future but for this particular project I don't have that option. This song I am working on is for my sons 1st birthday which is in a couple of weeks. My plan was to write a track to go with a video of him growing up over the year, with the song being called "Growin' Owen" Because of the purpose of the track I would like the lyrics to be connected to experiences of him growing up over his first year so this also limits where I can go lyrically.

Below are some lyrical ideas I have already written down, probably most of which are rubbish "and embracing!" but I will share with you and would love to hear some honest feedback:

Chorus:

Hot dogs in the club house
No one's catching this mouse
Lead me to the place where the bubbles grow

Point out when the birds pass
Lizard dance on the grass
All you wanna do is get up and grow

Various phrases:

Growin' Owen, always on the move
won't be long till you get your shoes

When it looks like thunder you bring out the sun

Straight from our dreams you appeared on the scene

Point to the clock, point to the birds
Flying is good, no time for words

Climb out your chair, reach for the door
Eat what you can, dribble some more

Duck in a jug



Even if I do manage to get lyrics done, I still have the problem of my monotone voice! Auto tune and Melodyne are not an option and the Mrs is not going to help me out...

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www.soundcloud.com/bryandoc81

Make a virtue out of necessity and capitalise on your 'monotone' voice. No reason why you can't have all sorts of exciting stuff going on behind your deadpan (there, that's a better word already) delivery. If your boy's anything like mine you could feature sound effects of all the disasters they've initiated so that the flat delivery of the vocals would be a positive asset.

Casio demo songs

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Madman_Greg

I found myself trying to sing a Cockney Rebel song to it. 'Come up and see me, make me smile...'

Is the International Songwriting Assoc. still going? If so they can hook you up with lyricists looking for tunes.

This is tautologically silly - if there's no singing, then it's not a song, it's just music! (as said above).

I reminded of a ridiculous edit war on wikipedia years ago where there was a "list of songs over 10 minutes long" or something, and people kept adding long instrumentals and other people kept deleting them saying "that's not a song, duh!" and they'd be "yes it is" "no it is" "I hate you!" "ARRRRGH".

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~~~ A weasel hath not such a deal of spleen as you are tossed with! www.feline1.co.uk ~~~

Quote feline1:

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This is tautologically silly - if there's no singing, then it's not a song, it's just music! (as said above).

I reminded of a ridiculous edit war on wikipedia years ago where there was a "list of songs over 10 minutes long" or something, and people kept adding long instrumentals and other people kept deleting them saying "that's not a song, duh!" and they'd be "yes it is" "no it is" "I hate you!" "ARRRRGH".

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Songs Without Words

My God ...a thread full of pedants. Its not a song blahblah.....OK! A pop tune without words. Dave

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My head hurts!

Ok guys, we established earlier on that most people would classify a "song" as a piece of music with singing, this is no longer the debate...

I was just looking for some examples of tracks similar to mine that didnt have lyrics in them to see how they worked as a piece of music. I was unable to find any searching online so thought I would check here. Bottom line is my singing is crap and I wanted to know if you guys think the track needs lyrics to accompany what I already have or if it sounds ok without?

@petev3.1 - that's exactly what my wife thought when I played it to her! Also, the full monty and that song were just on tv! Strange!

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www.soundcloud.com/bryandoc81

Quote tacitus:

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'monotone' voice... deadpan delivery... flat delivery of the vocals would be a positive asset.

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Never done the Pet Shop Boys any harm.

As for the tune... it never seems to get into a chorus. I was expecting a major change of some sort that never happened. Piano and drums came and went a few times, but nothing made me think, "And here comes the chorus."

Quote desmond:

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A "song" without singing?

Define "song":
noun
1. a short metrical composition intended or adapted for singing, especially one in rhymed stanzas; a lyric; a ballad.
2. a musical piece adapted for singing or simulating a piece to be sung: Mendelssohn's “Songs without Words.”
3. poetical composition; poetry.
4. the art or act of singing; vocal music.
5. something that is sung.

A "song" without singing is called "music".

There is much music, even some tracks have been hits (Um, let's say, "Axel F" by Harold Faltermayer).
Or, like, quite a lot of dance music/tracks.
But none of those are "songs".

Real answer: Find yourself some people to collaborate with.

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Or a 'tune' or melody.

A song must have a sung lyric, or it is not a 'song'. personally I'd go further and say a song should have a lyric which is 'about something', it should express something or tell a story, but that's just me.

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The Great Gig in the Sky (Pink Floyd - DSOM) has vocals but no words, unless you count the bloke talking.

Also there's Aqua's hit No Limits.

"No no no no no no no no no no no no there's no lyrics"

There are a lot of songs that are so famous that they have been reproduced countless times without the words, leaving the lisener to imagine the words i suppose...

Jingle Bells, Twinkle Twonkle Little Star, God Save The Queen.

You could try and pick the lyric out of this one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns-fw7a16Gw

... and for some culture http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N36gYQ3mgnE


Lots of ways to get your message accross without being Michael Booobley.

Quote Mike Stranks:

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Songs Without Words

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Just because someone called something "Lieder ohne Worte" doesn't mean they *are* songs. There's an ironic piece of intertextual wordplay in the title. The title makes it implicit that "Songs" have words, otherwise why would you have to say "Songs without words"?

It's like saying "War without fighting" or "A meal without food": you are alluding to them being like a real war or a real meal, in an allegorical/metaphorical sense, but they obviously aren't, by definition.

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~~~ A weasel hath not such a deal of spleen as you are tossed with! www.feline1.co.uk ~~~

I am now going mad trying find the name of the instrumental track that Imagination did (which, iirc, was the theme music to 'Take Two' the kids TV show). That was cool. I'd call it a song..

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Veni, Vidi, Aesculi
(I came, I saw, I conkered)

Don't let them go to waste!
Find some writers in your area with Craigslist or something.

here's some inspiration

nananaaaaa hey jude!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_OzM2mE_uo

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Music Chromelegs
Gear Rhodes | Cp70 | Nord Electro

Did anyone mention the Cocteau Twins?

"a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocteau_Twins

Come to think of it, the sung vocal line does not have to use a meaningful lyric in order to be a song (for example if it's sung in a language you don't comprehend?)

So if you can't write lyrics, simply sing in syllables.

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Edited by GlynB (18/10/12 12:16 PM)