Traditional oral lyrics in Raya have been part of the life of the society. It has long been commonrnfor Rayans to play lyric poems in working, wedding and funeral occasions. It is also veryrncommon for itinerary singers to use lyric poems as they entertain people in drinking houses.rnThrough lyrics people in this area have been reflecting their happiness, grief, political notions,rnworking conditions, social comments etc. However, nowadays many influences are directly orrnindirectly affecting this cultural practice. One among some influences is modernization. Peoplernare using tape recorders in weddings and drinking houses. Farming activities are now changing.rnExtension packages are now replacing the traditional ways of cultivation. Influence of foreignrnculture through education is also another threat.rnAs a result of this condition, it becomes very important to study the oral lyrics which have longrnbeen used in the area and to preserve them in a way which would be helpful to see the peopleâ€™srnthought, feelings, beliefs, hopes and desires as well as their way of living in general throughrnsubject matter analysis.rnThe study has four chapters. In the first chapter, it has been attempted to show the magnitude ofrnthe problem, the purpose and method of the study. In the second chapter, an endeavor has beenrnmade to give a theoretical framework of studying oral literature. In the third chapter an attemptrnhas been made to give the general background of the Rayan society. In the last chapter, anrnendeavor has been made to give detailed subject matter analysis of Amharic oral lyric poems.rnTaking sufficient sample poems, the researcher has made an attempt to discuss subject matterrnissues in five genres: love, marriage, elegiac, topical and work poetry. At last, conclusions arerndrawn about the major themes discussed in the analysis. Poems which are not included in thernanalysis are made part of the appendix in order to preserve them for other interested researchersrnin the area.