Spoken word enlivens music, infusing it with depth, drama, and genuine humanity across various genres and eras. This essay, authored by guest writer Randall Cornish, examines the emotional and cultural impact of spoken word in music, highlighting how artists over the years have employed narration, monologue, and lyrical dialogue to enhance storytelling and create deep connections with audiences.
As an avid music fan, you might relate to my experience. Sometimes a track connects with you intensely, and that's what I felt when I first listened to “Who Laughs Last” by the band Lord Huron, which debuted in January 2025. The song, featured on their new album The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, is driven and captures the essence of film noir and pulp fiction from the 1930s to the 1950s, confronting themes like pessimism, fatalism, and danger.
Interestingly, it wasn't primarily the music or vocals that struck me, despite their excellence. What truly captured my attention was a spoken-word monologue that skillfully integrates into the overall sound of the track. The monologue is voiced by Kristen Stewart, who is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Bella Swan in the five "Twilight" films from 2008 to 2012.
Her performance evokes the desperation of someone on a frightening journey, confronting an uncertain reality intertwined with illusions. The atmosphere she creates is layered with mystery and horror, reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe's work. With striking emotion, Stewart articulates:
“Above me shone a terrifying number of stars, spelling out the cold indifference of the universe. I tried to stare at the road ahead. I saw a huge storm far off on the horizon, dark and crawling with lightning… I found no solace on the radio, nothing but crackpots and static, UFOs and white noise, scripture and garbled frequencies.”
Her spoken words blend seamlessly with the music and vocals, transforming the song into a masterclass in storytelling.
The impact was so significant that I began to wonder what other recordings feature a mix of music and spoken word. It turns out, nearly every genre has examples, including jazz, folk, country, pop, rock, blues, rap, and hip-hop.
During the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in February 2025, when Kendrick Lamar proclaimed, “the revolution is about to be televised,” he was referencing a track by jazz artist Gil Scott-Heron from 1971. In “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” Scott-Heron recites a satirical poem accompanied by progressive jazz, quickly mentioning everything from President Richard Nixon to the cartoon Bullwinkle and Coca-Cola:
“The revolution will not go better with Coke. The revolution will not fight germs that may cause bad breath. The revolution will put you in the driver’s seat.”
Earlier, in 1967, folk musician Arlo Guthrie released his satirical tune “Alice’s Restaurant.” As he strums his guitar, Arlo tells the story of a Thanksgiving when he and his friends faced trouble for littering, an incident that later leads to his draft notice for military service. The song evolves into a protest against the Vietnam War when asked about arrests:
“I’m sitting here on the Group W bench because you want to know if I’m moral enough to join the army, burn women, kids, houses and villages, after being a litterbug?”
Arlo's father, Woody Guthrie, famous for “This Land Is Your Land,” also produced songs featuring spoken word, such as “Talking Hard Work,” released in 1940.
“I was born working and I worked my way up by hard work. I ain’t ever got nowhere, but I got there by hard work.”
Woody advocated the notion of interconnectedness through the shared experience of being part of America's diverse landscape and famously adorned his guitar with the words “This machine kills fascists” to assert that music can combat injustice.
Bob Dylan, although reluctant to be labeled as a folk singer, was undoubtedly influenced by folk icons like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, as depicted in the 2024 film, A Complete Unknown, featuring Timothée Chalamet. In a talking blues style, one of Dylan's most autobiographical and cynical songs, “Talkin’ New York,” released in 1962, describes his journey from Minnesota to New York City with dreams of finding success in music:
“I walked down there and ended up in one of them coffee-houses on the block. I get on the stage to sing and play. Man there said, ‘Come back some other day. You sound like a hillbilly. We want folksingers here.’”
The country genre shares proximity to folk, and a more recent standout piece that combines music with spoken words is “You Look Like You Love Me” by Ella Langley, released in 2024, where she reflects on the bar scene from a woman’s
Spoken word infuses music with vibrancy, imparting depth, intensity, and genuine human experience across various genres and eras. This essay examines the emotional and cultural significance of spoken word in music, highlighting how artists from Lord Huron and Kendrick Lamar to Woody Guthrie and Britney Spears have employed narration, monologue, and lyrical dialogue to enhance storytelling and create powerful connections with their audience.
