This article argues for understanding popular songs and songwriting through the metaphor of architecture, an idea we draw from vernacular terms used by songwriters when comprehending and explaining their own creative practice, and which we deploy in response to those who have called for writing about music to use a non-technical vocabulary and make greater use of metaphor. By architecture we mean those recognisable characteristics of songs that exist as enduring qualities regardless of a specific performance, recording or sheet music score. We use this analogy not as a systematic model, but as a device for exploring the intricate ways that words and music are combined and pointing to similarities in the composition of poetry and writing of song lyrics. The art of repetition and play with ambiguity are integral to popular song architectures that endure regardless of the modifications introduced by performers who temporarily inhabit a particular song. *** In this article we argue for an architectural approach to the popular song, a perspective that treats songwriters as architects rather than romantically inspired expressive artists. Our approach implies that listeners are indeed dancing (and thinking) about architecture when responding to popular songs, and it is an awareness of this that informs the practices of songwriters.1 By architecture we mean those recognisable characteristics of songs that exist as enduring qualities regardless of a particular performance, recording or version.Focusing mainly on lyrics, our aim is to contribute to the study of songwriters and the practices of songwriting -an area neglected or treated partially in the study of popular music. 2 We also
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