Hey Marilyn,
That's an interesting question. I just bought the Oxford Book of American Poetry, and it includes selections from Bob Dylan, Bessie Smith, and Robert Johnson. None, to my mind, are great poetry, although they're not the *worst* stuff in that book either.
It's not inconceivable that a song would work as a poem, but when I'm pressed to come up with examples, it's a bit difficult. I think one problem is the repetition of choruses and so forth. Often time the repetition in the words plays against a variation in the melody or musical, but you can't hear that on the page, so the result falls flat.
With some judicious tweaking to remove the song related artifacts, though, I think the poetry in the songs might come out better. Radiohead songs include plenty of good lines, but then the demands of the song weigh them down.
The breath of the morning
I keep forgetting
the smell
of the warm summer air
I live in a town
where you can't smell a thing
You watch your feet
for cracks in the pavement
High up above
aliens hover
Making home movies
for the folks back home
Of all of these weird creatures
who lock up their spirits
Drill holes in themselves
and live for their secrets.
etc.
or
In The Next World War
In a jacknifed Juggernaut
I am born again
In the neon sign
scrolling up and down
I am born again
In an interstellar burst
I am back to save the universe
In a deep, deep sleep of the innocent
I am born again
In a fast German car
I'm amazed that I survived
An airbag saved my life
No, I guess not. Oh well. They're great songs, though.
But here's one (not Radiohead) that comes close:
April come she will
When streams are ripe and swelled with rain
May she will stay
Resting in my arms again
June she'll change her tune
In restless walks she'll prowl the night
July she will fly
And give no warning to her flight
August die she must
The autumn winds blow chilly and cold
September I'll remember
A love once new has now grown old
-Dan
[This message has been edited by Daniel Pereira (edited May 02, 2006).]
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