Tim Rice credited Elton John for pushing him as a lyricist.
Speaking from the opening ceremony of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature on Tuesday, Rice recalled his experience working with the celebrated piano man for the animated film The Lion King.
“Elton is an exception to most composers in that he only works on music when he got the words,” he said.
“This posed a challenge for me. It was a unique to work the other way around as I had to sit down and write lyrics without having a clue what the tune was going to be. It was quite fun.”
Rice stated there has been no major changes to the art of songwriting throughout the years.
“I have probably learned the rhyming dictionary by heart because I have thumbed it so many times,” he said.
“It’s all about putting yourself in the character’s position. It’s about a good story.”
Follow Scene and Heard for coverage from the Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature. For festival details go to www.emirateslitfest.com
