Editing Lyrics (section)

==Academic study==
Lyrics can be studied from an academic perspective. For example, some lyrics can be considered a form of [[social commentary]]. Lyrics often contain political, social, and economic themes—as well as aesthetic elements—and so can communicate culturally significant messages. These messages can be explicit, or implied through metaphor or symbolism. Lyrics can also be analyzed with respect to the sense of unity (or lack of unity) it has with its supporting music. Analysis based on [[tonality]] and [[contrast (vision)|contrast]] are particular examples. Former [[Oxford Professor of Poetry]] [[Christopher Ricks]] famously published ''Dylan's Visions of Sin'', an in-depth and characteristically Ricksian analysis of the lyrics of [[Bob Dylan]]; Ricks gives the caveat that to have studied the poetry of the lyrics in tandem with the music would have made for a much more complicated critical feat.