#42 - “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square – How to Create a Smooth and Subtle Narrative Flow

Lyric Mastery - Storytelling in Songwriting

07-09-2022 • 48 Min.

In today’s episode, we’ll go through the lyrics of  “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square.

And I tell you, as I first listened to the song. I thought: Quite nice. But I didn’t give the lyrics much thought. But now, after I have studied the lyrics and their storytelling power, I must say, I’m super surprised by how well-crafted those lyrics are.

It’s like when you say: Yes, Game of Thrones by G.R.R. Martin is a nice fantasy series. When it truth, it’s an epic masterwork.

And somehow, I feel like the lyrics to this song don’t get appreciated enough. They are so well-crafted that it is a delight to take them apart and just see how well they’ve been strung together.

So if you aim to write a love song that smoothly flows through a narrative and gives your audience a fully-satisfied listening experience, I invite you to study the lyrics of “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square with me.

Episode Overview:

[00:01:45] The S.O.N.G. Framework

[00:03:07] “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square

[00:05:22] Step 1: Summary - What is the song about?

[00:15:13] Step 2: Observer - Who is the main character of the song?

[00:23:51] Step 3: Narration - Analyzing the storytelling craft.

[00:30:25] Analyzing the scene told in the song.

[00:35:20] The Change

[00:37:41] Writing Techniques

[00:40:15] Step 4: Gist - What is the message of the song?

[00:43:16] What we've learned from “You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This”

[00:45:43] Song Exercise - The First Kiss

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