Hi rockstar_not,

I just wanted to say that I hear what you're saying but I don't agree with you about the "I" and "me" in songs.

Writing from first person is very strong lyrically and there are heaps of incredibly successful songs out there that demonstrate that it works very well. For example, Yesterday, Misty, I Believe, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, Once I Had Secret Love, I Will Always Love You, etc.

Essentially, there are two types of lyric that use first person. There's the first person narrative (uses I, he, she, they, etc., and no you) and there is direct address (uses I, you; and, for this reason, it's often wrongly called "second person"). When a listener hears a song with "I/me" in it, if it is a well written song that resonates with them, they more often than not hear "I/me" as referring to themselves.

The below diagram shows how the different songwriting perspectives are usually heard, as experienced by the listener, on a scale of "intimacy".



The diagram is based on Prof. Pat Pattison's writings, Berklee College, Boston.

Regards,
Noel

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