Some intros are my favorite parts. Some of my introductions are in fact more entertaining than the songs that follow them. Songs can get bogged down in too much musical structure but intros are free form verbal calisthenics.

The line between storytelling and song singing doesn't, in my mind, have to be so separate as to demand a short intro but I agree that taking note of the attention level of the audience is probably a good idea. Beyond that, if you've got a captive bunch and you enjoy adding more non-musical stories along with your songs, I say, go for it.

For my part, I enjoy the blending of music, stories and songs. Songs are just stories with music. Therefore, I can't see the harm in presenting some non-musical stories along with those that have musical accompaniment.

Story songs are among my favorites to listen to. Those that have music but are not sung but rather recited, or perhaps even have a little of both singing and recitation. That harmony of musical accompaniment and story is quite an art form to master.

Every entertainer has their own balancing act regarding this aspect of their presentation. It isn't always a perfect mix. Sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn't. The audience and venue plays an important role in that result.

Stories and songs are created, through trail and error. It can be a struggle to fit a word or phrase here or there, to make our point and adding music can be the same kind of struggle. It's not always a perfect fit the first time. Formulaic approaches don't always create the best result. It's an organic process that seems to defy our best efforts at streamlining.

Do all songs need intros? No. Do intros have to contain specific info? No. They can be total nonsense, just as the message of any song can. The choice is up to each of us as to what we wish to offer via our talents.

I enjoy offering intros and make them as long or as short as I see fit. It is, after all, my choice. I don't always present them the same way to every audience. I curb my presentation to fit. I've enjoyed writing and presenting some intros more than the songs that follow them.

Instead of adding an intros to some of my songs I've included some non-singing parts in the middle of a song or at the end. There are no rules that state what you can offer in your songs or how you must present it. Nor are there rules regarding whether your messages have to be sung or spoken. Those decisions all fall into the realm of artistic freedom.

You can, as some have suggested, offer the name of the writer of the particular song and perhaps add what influenced you to sing it. If you don't know the author, making one up can be a fun too. I've always enjoyed someone that can add humor to their intros but that approach won't fit all songs.

I'm interested in some of the background of some songs but unless that aspect can be presented with care, delving into too much historic minutia can become less interesting to me. I don't need to know the date a song was created unless it somehow relates to the message in some important way.