In the context of songwriting, what does "lyric" refer to?

In songwriting, "lyric" specifically refers to the words of a song. Lyrics play a crucial role in conveying the theme, emotion, and narrative of the music. They allow the songwriter to express thoughts, feelings, and stories in a poetic form, complementing the melody and rhythm. The combination of lyrics with melody and harmony creates a complete musical work that can resonate with listeners on various levels. Other components like melody and rhythmic structure are significant to a song's overall composition, but they do not encompass what lyrics are. The genre of music describes the style in which the song is categorized, but it does not represent the words themselves.