George Saunders: Let's make a song | Weekend | Guardian Unlimited

I believe I've identified a new trend in the popular song lyric. Much as Stephen Foster gave way to the Gershwins, who in turn gave way to Lennon and McCartney, it is natural and inspiring to find our times' romantic inclinations so aptly reflected in our collective poetic impulse.

In particular, I write to identify the emergence of a new motif I call the "I do it like this" motif. There are many variants, including: "This is how I work it", or, "Show me how you work it", or, "Do you like how I work it?" or, "I know you like it when I work it like that", not to mention the timeless, "Work it, ugh, work it now, ugh ugh, nobody can work it like the way how I can."