Naming songs is an art form in itself. Not only are song titles often the first thing people see, but they must do the critical job of encapsulating the meaning and intentions of the song. Though many people don’t pay close attention to song names, they can have fascinating stories behind them.
Junior Elzie Bieganek is a member of a pop band called Rock Melon and has a lot of experience with both songwriting and song-naming. “Usually the title generates from the lyrics I write or the emotion I’m trying to present,” Bieganek said.
Song-naming is highly situational. Bieganek believes that the process of naming songs can vary depending on the person. In Rock Melon, most of the songs are written by an individual band member, meaning everyone brings a unique style of songwriting and also song-naming. “We don’t really write music sitting down in a circle together, and most of the song titles are already there [when the songs get brought to the band],” she said.
Even so, song names are especially powerful at evoking emotion, telling stories, and demarcating what’s most important and meaningful in the lyrics.
“Decorah” was written by Bieganek and created with the whole band. The song is about an emotional experience at a summer camp in Decorah, Iowa. “I had a really rough experience there and it was at a college that I wanted to potentially look into going to, and then I had such a horrible experience at the camp that now it fell down the list a little bit,” she said. “I wanted to write it in the style of a love song, but it wasn’t about anyone, it was about a place. I wrote the lyrics off of that, and made it seem like I was breaking up with someone… that general vibe.”
Another Rock Melon song is called “The Architect,” written by one of Bieganek’s fellow band members. This song title fits with the story the song’s lyrics tell. “It’s about this guy who [is] an architect, and he designed this city for everyone, and then everyone died,” she said. “That tends to be like his style of writing is he will write a story, like creative writing, and so that one speaks to me because I feel like that specific way of writing and titling things is really interesting.”
Rock Melon’s new album, which hasn’t come out yet, will also feature many storied song titles. The album, “Storming the Manor,” reflects the thematic intentions of its creators. “We wrote that title together with storming the manor being kind of like a storm of emotions. And so we each tried to write songs that were heavily emotional,” Bieganek said.
Like the album title, each song title represents something about its intended meaning. “We have a song called “First Love’s Name,” which is about an intense breakup that one of our members had. [Another] one of our songs on the album is called “Eucalyptus,” and that one is about falling in love and the feeling of love,” Bieganek said. “We also have a song called “Thank You,” which one of the people in our band wrote about our band, how much friendship means to them, how coming together in the band means a lot, and how they feel comfortable and like we’re a safe space for them.”
Not only are song titles impactful for audiences, but they are also deeply meaningful to their creators. Especially with their new album, many Rock Melon songs are equally a means of personal reflection and a chance to share personal stories or ideas with a new audience. When digging into the meaning of a song, it’s essential to explore the intentions behind its name and how it might intersect with the lyrics to create something significant and expressive.
Listen to Rock Melon’s first EP, “Sunkissed,” below. What story is being told through these lyrics and titles?
