Music as Literature

Can we consider music to be literature? 

Novel: a fictitious prose narrative of book length, typically representing character and action with some degree of realism.

Poem:a piece of writing that partakes of the nature of both speech and song that is nearly always rhythmical, usually metaphorical, and often exhibits such formal elements as meter, rhyme, and stanzaic structure.

Rap: Rap musicians generally perform in a vocal style in which the lyrics are spoken, rather than sung.

Song: a short poem or other set of words set to music or meant to be sung.

Opera: a dramatic work in one or more acts, set to music for singers and instrumentalists.

Symphony: an elaborate musical composition for full orchestra, typically in four movements, at least one of which is traditionally in sonata form.

Back to the question at hand, can we consider music to be literature? The vocabulary definitions I set up top clearly describe music as a form of literature. A song is just a poem with music, a rap is just a poem that is spoken, an opera is a one or more acts put to music, etc. All of these are just short stories and novels shortened and put into music to sound more enjoyable. 

Literature: written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit.
Artistic merit is a term that is used in relation to cultural products when referring to the judgment of their perceived quality or value as works of art.

Isn't music an artistic merit? Can they not be classified as a work of art, as a work of genius, as a work of LITERATURE?

Two types of literature are written and oral. Music is both dude.