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daviddesper
07-24-2018, 11:38 PM
On her incredible 1979 "Dionne" album, there is a lyric technique in two of the songs, After You and Feeling Old Feelings, and I have often wondered if there is a name for this style of writing.

I am referring to the "double meaning" of some of the words. For example, the title phrase "After You" is used at some points in the song to refer to a period of time, such as "if you were to go away," but in another place or two in the song it is used as if to say "chasing after you." It is a very clever technique, whatever it might be called.

The same thing occurs in Feeling Old Feelings, even though the songs were written by different people. Does anyone know if this style has a name, providing of course that I have even made sense with my question?

Phenomenal album by the way that I still enjoy after almost 40 years, and I think these two songs, along with two others [[My Everlasting Love and All the Time) are all better songs than the two major hits, but that is a topic for another discussion.

Bluebrock
07-25-2018, 03:11 AM
On her incredible 1979 "Dionne" album, there is a lyric technique in two of the songs, After You and Feeling Old Feelings, and I have often wondered if there is a name for this style of writing.

I am referring to the "double meaning" of some of the words. For example, the title phrase "After You" is used at some points in the song to refer to a period of time, such as "if you were to go away," but in another place or two in the song it is used as if to say "chasing after you." It is a very clever technique, whatever it might be called.

The same thing occurs in Feeling Old Feelings, even though the songs were written by different people. Does anyone know if this style has a name, providing of course that I have even made sense with my question?

Phenomenal album by the way that I still enjoy after almost 40 years, and I think these two songs, along with two others [[My Everlasting Love and All the Time) are all better songs than the two major hits, but that is a topic for another discussion.
I cannot answer your question about the lyric technique, but i do concur with you about this album. It was full of top notch songs of which one of the big hits "deja vu" is my absolute favorite. I also love it's natural successor "we never said goodbye" taken from the follow up album "no night so long".

vgalindo
07-25-2018, 03:21 AM
I really don't know anything about the style of writing but I love this album. And I agree the 3 songs you mentioned are my favorites on the album and I love them more than the 2 big hits. Just a great album by Dionne Warwick.

lucky2012
07-25-2018, 08:15 AM
I'm sorry I can't help you on the lyric style but I'll be a third to agree about the album. My favorite from Dionne and one of my favorites period. The four songs you mention are my favorites also. All The Time gets me all the time :) One of the best songs Barry Manilow ever wrote. Dionne did it perfectly. Manilow also wrote the lovely In Your Eyes. I hope a songwriter or lyricist in this forum can help you on your question.

Boogiedown
07-25-2018, 05:12 PM
Are you asking for something beyond the idea of double entendre - something that's specific to lyric writing ? If so, I can't offer anything more.

Related though, there was a style of country song writing that was built around the playing off of words. Songs like IF I SAID YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL BODY WOULD YOU HOLD IT AGAINST ME, or SHE'S ACTING SINGLE , I'M DRINKING DOUBLES.