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Musicians' Handwritten Lyrics to Famous Songs

By Nicole Rallis
Nov 28 2011, 5:00 PM ET Comment

Messy first drafts of some classic rock-and-roll sonnets by Prince, Michael Jackson, and the Boss

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Before the vocals and melodies of some of our favorite tunes are ever recorded, the maestros behind the music put pen to paper and construct songs. Whether these working drafts are scribbled on legal pads, neatly spelled out in ink, or scribed alongside silly doodles, the ritual of writing out lyrics unites everyone from The Beatles to Lykke Li. We've rounded up a collection of hand-scrawled lyrics to beloved songs, in all their first-draft glory.

This post also appears on Flavorpill, an Atlantic partner site.

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