Lyrics are words that make up a song usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a
lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an
opera are, however, usually known as a "
libretto" and their writer, as a "
librettist". The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes
form,
articulation,
meter, and
symmetry of expression.