Every songwriter has natural strong and weak points. For me, musical and production concepts tend to be much easier than lyrics. Sometimes it is perfectionism, other times it is insecurity, and still other times I simply can’t find the words. But here are a few important items that I have found to be helpful when working on lyrics…
1. Create imagery:
If your listener can't "see" the story then they can't feel invested in it. It is dead to them. Think of an amazing novel you have read that came alive for you. The author may have dedicated several pages to tell you what a certain room looked like. More importantly, you might get revelations about a character's story sprinkled through multiple chapters. In the end, you likely felt as if you knew some of the characters personally. A song can capture that but the challenge is you only get three and a half minutes to do so instead of 300 pages. You have to be efficient and deliberate with your phrases. Be okay with descriptive action words that specify what the characters and scenery look and feel like. Side note... as much as some people may roll their eyes, Taylor Swift is the master of this. She can weave an incredibly thorough story with very few words.
2. Count Your Syllables:
Many songwriters will tell you this but still... pay attention to mirroring your syllables. If verse 1 and verse 2 have completely different syllable counts then it will likely feel forced and unnatural. The only exception is "the moment" where a performer has the liberty to break from the mold and use a phrase or melodic sequence that strays from the expected. This point is unique in that it doesn't always have to be followed but at the same time, I would argue most writers that don't line up their syllable counts will have very sloppy songs.
3. Embrace Editing:
Please. Pretty please! I have heard too many writers say that everything just "naturally flowed" and that the song was just a breath of inspiration. Ok. That happens. Like 5% of the time. But more often than not when someone says that the song poured out with no wrinkles, they don't realize how bad their song is.
You are an author. Think like an author! There are plenty of times where musical instinct will come into play but not always in songwriting. Trust the process. Draft 1, draft 2, draft 3... and maybe on occasion you come back to your first idea. But now you know that you took the time to process and explore ideas that you may have initially missed.
*LASTLY:
Break the rules. Just remember there is a big difference between breaking the rules and not knowing them. If you are intentional when you draw outside the lines, that is where the fun begins.
Happy writing!
This is the first posting in what will be an ongoing songwriting series. I have so many talented musician friends and I'd love your feedback and input. Songwriting is both an art and a science so I'm excited to receive perspectives from different writers.
I've always been enamored by great songwriters. The music of John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Sarah Mclachlan, and numerous others portray rich character, memorable melodies, and a fresh way with words. Their songs can pull at emotions, compel deep thought, and in some cases, even change a person's world view. In the eyes of many, these songs are artistic, inspired, and driven by emotions. But on the other hand, it's clear that these individuals have devoted time and thought into their craft. So what are some practical areas in which upstart writers can improve?
For me, the most challenging aspect of songwriting is producing lyrics. One thing I've always told my students is that writing songs is very similar to writing other forms of literature. As a result, one of the biggest principles is making sure to edit your lyrics. Good novel authors will go through draft after draft before finding the words they want. The consequence is the same with lyrics. The more time you take to draft and think through your lyrics, the better the final product will be. On occasion, the first lyrics are the right ones for the song but too often that's just an easy excuse out of hard work.
During editing, work on avoiding cliché phrases. There have been several occasions when I've been listening to a song that was filled with overused lyrical lines and I could finish most of the sentences before they were sung. Try to find a unique but simple way to say what you are thinking. I also find that I have my own set of cliché phrases. They may not be commonplace to other writers but they are lines that I have placed in other songs. These can be challenging to recognize but it's a good idea to look over old material and make sure that you aren't regurgitating the same lyrics.
Another thing to examine is lyrical flow. Is your song conversational? Does it sing naturally? If you find the ends of phrases are awkward, choppy, or drastically different in timing from one line to the next, then your song needs major editing. Don't force a certain lyric that you really want to use if it isn't complimenting the rest of the song. Let it go and find something else to say.
Lastly, don't try to do all of your editing in one session. Take a break, let your mind rest, and then go to work again. There have been times when I've come back to a song and laughed at how terrible my ideas were the night before. If the song still looks good a few days after your last editing session, then it's ready to be shared!
Thanks for reading this. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comment below.