ABSTRACT
There are two kinds of lyrics (bòd rnkz) employed in Thai songs: one kind is the already existing, and the other is the newly written. Both can make use of either newly composed melodies or traditional melodies (the latter of which either already have lyrics attached to them which are then replaced, or are lyric-less). Both also require a vocal melody to which the lyrics can be set. Already existing lyrics are normally taken from three sources of literature: sàgkrawaa poems (bòd sàgkrawaa), classical plays (bòd lakhkkn) and sgephaa poems (bòd sgephaa). Lyrics taken from bòd sàgkrawaa and those from classical drama have already been set to tunes, while sgephaa poems are recited on a single melody called thamnkkz sgephaa which, for singers, is not considered a song. Newly written lyrics are written for a variety of reasons, as would be expected, including the marking of special occasions in Thai society.
