JOURNAL zyxwvutsrqpon OF POPULAR MUSIC STUDIES. zyxwvuts 14: 11-31.2002 Copyright zyxwvutsrqpo f2 zyxwvutsr 2002 Taylor zyxwvutsrqp & Francis 1524-2226102 $12.00 + zyxwvutsrq .OO M I : 10.1080/15?42?20290055010 ESSAYS The Functions of Lyrics in Music Video Carol Vernallis University of Northern Iowa s we step back from the surfaces of music videos, the twitches and turns of A bodies, the melting colors, dazzling camera work, and fleeting edits, we m wonder what the lyrics are doing. This article attempts to address this question, discussing such aspects of topic as these: 1. How important are the lyrics of music video in relation to their image and music? zyxwvu JIHGFED 2. How do viewers receive a music video’s lyrics, and how does this reception differ from that of lyrics when the song is heard alone? 3 . Do music video lyrics’ function similarly to pop song lyrics, poetry, or dia- logue in movies, or do they function differently, as a new entity? 4. Do music video lyrics transform music and image, and vice versa? 5 . What structural role do lyrics play? 6. How do lyrics contribute to a video’s sense of time? 7. Do lyrics differ based on musical genre, gender, ethnicity, or era?2 11