How long should song titles be?

[mar1988]

I have a song called.

 

There days are getting to long now

 

I was thinking it`s to long. I know there isn`t a limit to how long but now a days is it *"uncool" to have long song name?

[eeglug]

I'm afraid you'll have to make the title longer by spelling "too" correctly. Unless you like the misspelling.

 

The title is fine...it's not too long.

[greenweenie]

 

I have a song called. There days are getting to long now I was thinking it`s to long. I know there isn`t a limit to how long but now a days is it *"uncool" to have long song name?

 

 

Shouldn't it be too long?

 

Anyway, long song titles are cool but forgettable unless the first few words are easy to remember. Think Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (the song). Most people refer to it as Sgt. Pepper's. As an example for a band with really forgettable song titles and even more forgettable songwriting, Fall Out Boy.

[3red]

however long

[blue2blue]

alex45

 

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[t_lev]

I think short is beautiful- easy to remember

[blue2blue]

With regard to the title, "There days are getting to long now," I don't know that there's a problem with length. (Although it's ticked me off that I've occasionally had to shorten titles of my songs uploading them into some music download sites.)

 

As noted, it's probably best to use the correct "too" in there... Also, I'm assuming that the "there" in the title is a typo and should have been "the."

 

But you could make it, "The days are getting 2 long now" -- a net savings of three letters. That's correct Pince-Speak, anyhow.

 

Also, while there are no hard, fast, absolute rules, it has been common practice in song, poem, short story, and book titles to capitalize all the words except for articles and prepositions (and the first letter is traditionally always capitalized no matter what part of speech it is). So, if one were going to go all normy on this, the title might be "The Days Are Getting Too Long Now."

[myredshoes]

please don't let's go all normy

[Li10]

As an example for a band with really forgettable song titles and even more forgettable songwriting, Fall Out Boy.

 

+100000000

 

they're the first band that sprang to mind. Their long titles are so pretentious... people can do long song titles. but fall out boy can't do ANYTHING without making it suck largetime IHMO!!

[Taylor Davis]

there are "WORKING" titles and "FINAL" titles for me as I use 'em.

I like the title THESE DAYS for that tune as it seems a better line for the one in place.

I feel the line shoulde be: These days are getting "too" long now.

that line rolls offen me tongue mo' better that way and the first two words are THESE DAYS.

 

FOR ME:

I like short, one or two word titles.

MORMONESQUEOSITY

LISTEN

SUNSET COWBOY

LOSER

ALLEY CAT

BEAUTIFUL GIRL

 

but sometimes one needs a longer title to fully involve the secret listener:

THE BILL AND TED RADIO SHOW

WHO WANTS WAR

TWO WHEEL MAN

 

in any likelihood I'm apt to have a working title: THE MORMON SONG IN STANDARD; for me and my demands, you know, to help me remember what I'm working on at the time and then cull that into a more thought provoking or descriptive "final" one word or two word title "Mormonesqueosity" for the secret listeners. .

In doing "haikus" I've learned to say a lot with a little.

 

so I try "as a rule", to keep it brief and to the point.

 

As there are exceptions to most every rule of thumb sometimes i use a title which has seemingly no relation to the song it represents.

DARK AND MAD

RED VIOLETS

still useing the(my) rule of thumb of: keeping the title to as few words as possible the ideal of (to me) all encompassing, in a nutshell,one single word; if possible.

 

and then one could say: the skys the limit; as well.

whatever trips your trigger AFTER learning the few rules of thumb.

then take the rules and throw them oot just to see if you like it.

I like the rules cause it makes my job easier in a way.

 

working title...

final title..

.(sometimes, the working title BECOMES the final title)

REGGAE #17 ( i was DOING A LOT OF reggae/ska tunes(king music) and it was easier to call the tune reggae#17 to keep abreast of the different syncopations and arrangements.

so then i decided to just keep the working title as somehow (in a strange and mystical, spiritual way", the song seemed to wanted to be called that.

I listen to what my tunes tell me.

Thanks for lettin me share.

[Taylor Davis]

please don't let's go all normy

 

NORM!:wave::wave:

[Enzan]

I think song titles should be long enough to be original and on the other hand short enough to be taken seriously.

[XgowiththeflowX]

song titles can't TECHNICALLY be too long, but some seem to be. Yours isn't all that long and i don't think it is too long, but you probably should change "to" to be "too" if that was an accident and "there" to "the" i think or something else because "there" just doesn't make sense.

[eddieboston2]

Shorter the better, in my opinion. Every word should earn its keep. That's a good philosophy for prose writing, too, actually. Not always for lyrics, because sometimes you need an extra syllable or two to keep the meter consistent. Still, even then, it's good to try and make sure each word is contributing something meaningful (even if it's just "baby").

[dparr]

Somewhere between "If" and "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey".

[greenweenie]

Album titles can be as long as you want though:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_Pawn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_of_the_Remixes

[ProgRock11]

I could care less if the song title was long or not. Whatever fits the song. Call it "Slob" or call it "The Conundrum of Intermolecular Suicidal Tendencies Amongst Subatomic Particles;" just give it a name. Preferably something in reference to the actual song; usually works best that way.

[Michael Blue]

1 word titles only, please...That way no one will ever be able to find the actual song they want because all the titles will all be recycled overandoverandoverandoverandoverandover again...Recycling is good, yo!

 

Nah, yours is fine...Memorable and catchy.

 

[blue2blue]

I have a song called. There days are getting to long now I was thinking it`s to long. I know there isn`t a limit to how long but now a days is it *"uncool" to have long song name?

On further consideration... I think a good general guideline would be that it should take no more time to say the song title than the song lasts. But, of course, there are no hard, fast rules and this may vary by genre.

 

[myredshoes]

 

I could care less if the song title was long or not. Whatever fits the song. Call it "Slob" or call it "The Conundrum of Intermolecular Suicidal Tendencies Amongst Subatomic Particles;" just give it a name. Preferably something in reference to the actual song; usually works best that way.

 

 

+1

 

I don't always reference something in the song but that makes sense. Make life easier for everybody.

[rsadasiv]

My friend titled one of his songs "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind", despite the fact the phrase had nothing to do with the song in question. It was a good song though. Another one of his songs was titled "White Trash Neighbors", which was the full text of the chorus of the song in question. That was also a good song.

 

[ProgRock11]

I love this question...it's fun.

[Maribel]

I have a song that is called  ¨Im tired of my life¨ is the title to long? here are some of the lyrics i have so far:

Lyrics:

I feel so tired of me! Of you! Of all the voices in my head! They tell me that my life shall end! They tell me that it will be great! That I will go to a better place! Where all the people will love me till the end! 

 

Chorus:

END! END IT! END IT PLEASE! YOU SHELL END IT IF YOU PLEASE! 

[Phil O'Keefe]

12 hours ago, Maribel said:

I have a song that is called  ¨Im tired of my life¨ is the title to long? here are some of the lyrics i have so far:

Lyrics:

I feel so tired of me! Of you! Of all the voices in my head! They tell me that my life shall end! They tell me that it will be great! That I will go to a better place! Where all the people will love me till the end! 

 

Chorus:

END! END IT! END IT PLEASE! YOU SHELL END IT IF YOU PLEASE! 

No, your title doesn’t seem too long, but if you’ll forgive me for saying so, your lyrics sound extremely dark and despondent. If you’re depressed and they represent your own state of mind, I urge you to reach out to your friends, family, clergy or doctor. If you’d rather speak with someone you don’t know, help is still available.

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/    1-800-273-8255. 

Life can be incredibly difficult and sometimes it can be hard to go on. Many of us have been there. Please speak with someone, and know that there are people who care.