# What's the earliest song with lyrics?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-earliest-song-with-lyrics/1001450>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 12, 2024, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-earliest-song-with-lyrics/1001450 "2024-05-12T16:49:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-earliest-song-with-lyrics/1001450/21 "2024-05-13T16:12:57Z")

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Nice!

It’s it’s clear I was very wrong about lyrics being a modern invention. Thanks for the discussion.

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**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-earliest-song-with-lyrics/1001450/22 "2024-05-13T21:28:25Z")

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But seriously…

Weren’t those earliest classic Greek plays basically musicals, featuring a chorus providing musical interludes, dancing, etc.?

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**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-earliest-song-with-lyrics/1001450/23 "2024-05-13T23:43:47Z")

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> [@Spice\_Weasel](#):
>
> Was there ever a time in human history before we put words to music?

There are archeological finds of instruments (i.e. chimes, flutes) that pre-date writing by a couple thousand years, but that doesn’t actually answer your question.

~Max

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**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2024, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-earliest-song-with-lyrics/1001450/24 "2024-05-14T20:40:21Z")

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I want to hear more about the chimp fire and rain dances.

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-earliest-song-with-lyrics/1001450/25 "2024-05-15T13:34:26Z")

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> [@Toxgoddess](#):
>
> I want to hear more about the chimp fire and rain dances.

> [@](#):
>
> [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwTClRr1x6g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwTClRr1x6g)

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**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-earliest-song-with-lyrics/1001450/26 "2024-05-17T18:47:51Z")

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Of course! 😆 I should have remembered that.

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