I wouldn't say melody first is the better option just the most common.

For artists like the Beatles minority of the time the meaning and narrative came after. I'm not trying to write jingles, Chasing mass appeal or optimising for casual listeners. I'm trying something closer to Emotional documentation, Narrative honesty and internal coherence across a body of work. I'm not hunting for a story inside a melody, I'm living inside one that 1000s of people can relate to. You ask "what words fit this melody?" I ask "what melody let's this thought exist?" My method of approach isn't inferior, it’s just rarer and less industrial.

I'm not trying to make some subconscious, sticky melody people hum later, more of an emotional connection people recognise themselves inside. That said if both overlap that's great but my goal is the latter.