Thanks to everyone - some great suggestions.

Richard B. -- I have no doubt that these categories don't work at all, for any number of purposes. But for my purpose, which is to stimulate discussion, to consider songs, to work across the grain of conventional genres, and to generate writing assignments, I think they'll work.

Of course, I'd be open to ideas for better categories.

Soddy...I'd never laugh at a song that's delighted as many people as "Grandfather's Clock." In fact, that's one of the things I'm going to be stressing in this class...don't be too quick to dismiss songs just because they're in genres you don't normally listen to.

Ed P. -- interesting category. The Eddie Jefferson/King Pleasure/Lambert-Hendricks-Ross "vocalese" songs would be another example. But the thing about words...they always end up meaning something, even if you set out to make them meaningless. The nonsense words to "Parker's Mood" became a moving elegy to Bird -- and a somewhat macabre one, since the song was released when Bird was still alive.

The early Lennon-McCartney songs are the same way. They may not have meant anything by "I Want to Hold Your Hand," but it comes out as a joyous outburst of emotion. "Baby's In Black" is about as meaningless a lyric as you can name, but it does tell a story of sorts. And so on.

Sopho, Mbo, Jim - and especially JenEllen, because songwriter-as-persona was proving to be an elusive category for me - thanks a lot.