Although we are interested only in the lyrics of the popular song, we must first consider the music, for the lyric writer is very often required to write words to music that has already been written.  Therefore he must know the musical elements of his problem.

I. Music and Words are Inseparable

Think of any popular song-hit, and while you are recollecting just “how it goes,” stand back from yourself and watch your mental processes.  The words of the title first pop into your mind, do they not?  Then do not you find yourself whistling that part of the music fitted to those words?  Conversely, if the music comes into your mind first, the words seem to sing themselves.  Now see if the bars of music you remember and whistle first are not the notes fitted to the title.

If these observations are correct, we have not only proof of the inseparable quality of the words and the music of a popular song, but also evidence to which you can personally testify regarding the foundations of lyric-writing.

But first let us hear what Berlin has to say about the inseparable quality of words and music:  “The song writer who writes both words and music, has the advantage over the lyric writer who must fit his words to somebody else’s music and the composer who must make his music fit someone else’s words.  Latitude—­the mother of novelty—­is denied them, and in consequence both lyrics and melody suffer.  Since I write both words and music, I can compose them together and make them fit.  I sacrifice one for the other.  If I have a melody I want to use, I plug away at the lyrics until I make them fit the best parts of my music, and vice versa.  “For instance:  ‘In My Harem’ first came to me from the humorous possibility that the Greeks, who at that time were fighting with the Turks, might be the cause of a lot of harems running loose in Turkey.  I tried to fit that phrase to a melody, but I couldn’t.  At last I got a melody; something that sounded catchy; a simple ‘dum-te-de-dum.’  I had it,

In my harem,
In my harem.

“With ‘Ragtime Violin’ I had the phrase and no music.  I got a few bars to fit, then the melody made a six-syllable and then a five-syllable passage necessary.  I had it: 

Fiddle up!  Fiddle up! 
On your violin.

“The lyric of a song must sing the music and the music sing the words.”

Charles K. Harris, who wrote the great popular success, “After the Ball,” so far back in the early days of the popular song that some consider this song the foundation of the present business, has followed it up with innumerable successes.  Mr. Harris has this to, say on the same point: