How To
Write Song Lyrics
When learning how to write song lyrics there's a few fundamentals to consider such as; viewpoint, song plot, timeframe, prosody & meter, and song theme.
These are the basics and getting a grasp of them is essential if you want to improve your lyric writing.
Remember what a song is made up of, 2 things... Music and Lyrics. A lot of songwriters find writing music a lot easier than writing lyrics. And because they struggle with writing song lyrics they tend to write any old rubbish just to get it over with, as long as it rhymes they're happy.
Don't let this be you!
Having great lyrics is what makes a good song a brilliant song. If a lyric can sound good on it's own without any music then you know you've done a good job.
So let's take a look at some of the basics of writing lyrics.
First things first, what exactly is the purpose of a lyric?
- To express a feeling or an emotion
- To provide a common voice about societies issues and problems
- To tell a story, describe an experience
- To express a thought, an insight
A song usually focuses on one of these, sometimes it might use more than one but not very often. Keeping the purpose of your lyric in mind while writing will help keep your lyric focused, and a focused lyric is a great lyric.
So what else is there for you to keep in mind while you're writing?
The Viewpoint
- First Person - I/We
- Second Person - You
- Third Person - He/She/They
The Timeframe
- Past
- Present
- Future
The Theme
There are many different themes to write about, here are a few examples:
- Love
- Sex
- Hope
- Faith
- Drugs
- Life
- Dancing
- Partying ETC...
When learning how to write song lyrics the important thing to remember is to keep your lyric focused. So if your writing in the present tense and from the first person viewpoint, make sure your entire lyric stays the same. For some more great tips on writing song lyrics just follow the link.
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