song

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. lyric, ballad, popular song; aria, chanson, cavatina; carol, lilt, madrigal, glee, ditty; minstrelsy, poem, chanty, lay, birdsong, folksong, spiritual, etc. See music, poetry.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. melody, lyric, strain, verse, tune, ballad, ditty*, number, poem, musical expression; see also hymn .

• for a song,

Syn. cheaply, at a bargain, for almost nothing; see cheap 1 .

Types of songs include: lay, aria, air, carol, ballad, hymn, cant, anthem, rondo, paean, canticle, canzonet, canzone, roundelay, madrigal, cantata, opera, operetta, oratorio, refrain, chanson, chorale, minstrelsy, virelay, dirge, elegy, pastorale, canon, spiritual, berceuse, barcarolle, round, chant, folksong, yodel, scat, nursery tune, ditty, art song, evensong, drinking song, love song, plainsong, descant, motet, chorus, lyric, chanty, sonnet, psalm, marching song, battle song, aubade (French), lied, lullaby, cradlesong, serenade, vesper.

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

tune, melody, ditty, ballad, serenade, lullaby, hymn, carol, number, *oldie, *golden oldie, *moldy oldie, hit, air, aria, glee, theme song, signature song, *cut, track. ''The licensed medium for bawling in public things too silly or sacred to be uttered in ordinary speech.''—Oliver Herford.

WORD FIND

• advertising: jingle

• award: Grammy

• busy vocals with arpeggios, trills, runs, etc.: coloratura

• catchy part: hook, chorus

• collection: anthology

• counterpointing vocal: descant

• demonstration recording for contract-seeking musicians: demo

• evening: evensong, vesper

• funeral: dirge, requiem

• improvisation: vamp

• instrumental accompaniment, sung without: a capella

• jazz vocalizations imitating instruments: scat

• multiple-voiced: polyphonic

• multiple-voiced, singing counterpoint: madrigal

• multiple-voiced with same lines begun and sung at different times: canon, round

• passage: refrain

• popular in more than one genre or market: crossover hit

• religious or from Scriptures: anthem, canticle, chorale, psalm, hymn

• repetition of theme by two or more vocalists: call and answer

• sailor’s: shanty, chanty

• triumph, of: paean

• Venetian gondolier’s: barcarole

• words: lyrics

see music, opera, sing, singer