160191 UE Second Foreign Language: French for Students of Literature (2010W)

Here are some examples for songwriters who frequently use intertextual references in their songs: Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Patti Smith, Grace Slick, Robert Plant, Roger McGuinn & J. Levi, Robert Hunter, Nick Cave, Jim Morrison, Frank Zappa, Leonard Cohen, . . .

Another point of interest would be to examine those forms of music that – especially through the invention of sound recording – have evolved from a primarily oral tradition to an art form with known composers and lyricists. The genre of Americana (folk, country, blues, etc. ) would be especially suited for observations of this kind. As there is a multitude of songs that exhibit textual or musical congruities but are credited to different songwriters, the question how we approach these similarities remains to be answered. Do we see them as remnants of an oral tradition, as fixed motifs and modes of expression or as intertextual references in the modern sense? The Child Ballads and their numerous adaptations would be a good example for how motifs get changed or integrated into other, new songs over time.

The concept of intertextuality shall be applied not only to the textual part (the lyrics) of the songs but also to the music itself. It will be especially interesting to examine songs in which both textual and musical references to other works are employed.