In music, programmatic refers to a piece of music that tells a story or represents a deeper meaning, somewhat like iconography in the visual arts. This is done musically rather than through a text. Songs, opera, and other music that uses text would not qualify as programmatic. In some cases, the composer will provide a brief description of the story. In others, the title is enough to convey that story or deeper meaning. In John Adams City Noir one can clearly hear the references to a noir film in the music without any further explanation.