composerlyricist

A composer-lyricist is a songwriter who both composes the music and writes the lyrics for a song, musical, or other vocal work. This dual role is common in musical theatre, film scores, and some areas of popular music.

Traditionally, many productions paired a separate composer and lyricist; however, some creators have assumed both responsibilities themselves, allowing a unified voice in melodic and verbal expression.

Notable composer-lyricists include Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, who produced both music and words for many standards; Lin-Manuel Miranda, author of Hamilton, who writes both music and lyrics; and Stephen Sondheim, renowned for writing music and lyrics for several major works.

The role requires strong musical literacy, lyric craft, and an ability to weave storytelling with melody. It often involves knowledge of song form, rhyme schemes, prosody, and collaboration with directors, performers, and arrangers.

In contemporary practice, composer-lyricists may work across stage, screen, and recording, balancing creative control with collaboration. The term distinguishes this integrated skill set from separate roles of composer and lyricist.