Ask many musicians how they write lyrics, a popular answer would probably be something along the lines of “I’m just trying to tell a good story.” Our desire for story and storytelling exists in every artistic medium we consume!
With most forms of storytelling we can look to Freytag’s Pyramid to understand the parts of plot. According to Freytag, plot consists in five phases: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. Each of these phases with their respective characteristics.
The emphasis of storytelling is prevalent in all genres of music. However, it is a one of the most defining characteristics of Country and Western music. We can look to our favorite songs to understand our plot structure is comprised. Therefore, to model how this can be done, I will be looking at the iconic country song by The Charlie Daniels Band “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.
Exposition
The devil went down to Georgia
He was lookin’ for a soul to steal
He was in a bind
‘Cause he was way behind
And he was willin’ to make a deal
When he came upon this young man
Sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot
And the devil jumped
Up on a hickory stump
And said, “boy, let me tell you what
We are introduced to the characters, the setting, and the conflict immediately. We have the devil and a young boy in the woods fixated around a stump. The conflict arises when the devil issues his challenge.
Rising Action
I guess you didn’t know it
But I’m a fiddle player too
And if you’d care to take a dare, I’ll make a bet with you
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy
But give the devil his due
I’ll bet a fiddle of gold
Against your soul
‘Cause I think I’m better than you”
The boy said, “my name’s Johnny
And it might be a sin
But I’ll take your bet
And you’re gonna regret
‘Cause I’m the best there’s ever been”
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle
hard
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia, and the devil deals the cards
And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
The devil opened up his case
And he said, “I’ll start this show”
And fire flew from his fingertips
As he rosined up his bow
Then he pulled the bow across the strings
And it made an evil hiss
And a band of demons joined in
And it sounded something like this
When the devil finished
Johnny said, “well, you’re pretty good, old son
But sit down in that chair right there
And let me show you how it’s done”
In this section of the song, we build up the conflict. Johnny has accepted the challenge and he is aware of the consequences. We see and hear the devil’s performance, and are left wondering can Johnny win this fight?
Climax
He played Fire on the Mountain run boys, run
The devil’s in the House of the Rising Sun
Chicken in a bread pan pickin’ out dough
Granny, does your dog bite? No child, no
The climax of the song is mostly instrumental, characterized by violin solo offered by our protagonist Johnny. We see our hero’s turning point and his offer of resolve to the conflict. The challenge was accepted, the battle was fought, and our protagonist was victorious.
Falling Action
The devil bowed his head
Because he knew that he’d been beat
And he laid that golden fiddle
On the ground at Johnny’s feet
Johnny said, “Devil, just come on back
If you ever want to try again
I done told you once you son of a b***h
I’m the best that’s ever been”
We see the conflict resolved. We see our hero triumphant and wallowing in the spoils of his war. It is confirmed that our protagonist has established himself as the victor.
Resolution
He played Fire on the Mountain run boys, run
The devil’s in the House of the Rising Sun
Chicken in a bread pan pickin’ out dough
Granny, does your dog bite? No child, no
Our resolution is given in a repeat of the chorus, with the song trailing out as Johnny repeats his violin skills. This confirms to the reader that the conflict was resolved completely and not by accident. All loose ends are tied, and thus the book and story is closed.
Writing With Music 