How To Write Better Lyrics - Writers Forum

Puppy88 · 07-13-2006, 08:23 PM

Hey you guys, I'm asking this question for my sister

She's heading of to a music camp at the end of month. On the last day of camp she has to sing and play a song that she wrote herself. She asked me if I had any ideas on how she could write a good set of lyrics and I told her this was the perfect place and I'd ask for her. She is a good poet and has written some thing that have won her awards. What will make her better?

Thanks,
Puppy and her sister Dani

mammamaia · 07-13-2006, 09:41 PM

hi, dani!...

you're in luck... i'm a lyricist among other things and will be glad to give your sis a hand with writing the lyrics, but she's on her own for the music... have her drop me an email and we can get started...

love and hugs, maia
maia3maia@hotmail.com

Puppy88 · 07-14-2006, 06:35 AM

(This is Dani writing)

Oh I know that I have to write my own lyrics, but I just want to know if you have any tiips that would help me write a better lyrics Thanks again!

FrankBlissett · 07-14-2006, 08:36 AM

If you're an experienced poet, you've probably been advised to avoid sing-songy lines (throwing the baby out with the bath water IMHO) oh - and to avoid cliched phrased.

For lyrics, these seem to be two tools of the trade. Also, a common element of a song, which is not too common in written poetry, is a chorus.

Remember that a good song is meant to be easy to follow - the listener can't immediately go back and re-listen to a verse in an attempt to understand it. As such, nemonic (sp?) tools of poetry (ie, heavy rhythm, lots of rhyme, repeated lines) are important.

-Frank

mammamaia · 07-14-2006, 06:13 PM

the only tips i can add to frank's are to study the structure of real song lyrics, to see that they're not really that much like poems... they generally have verses that will all have the same structure/rhyme scheme/meter; a chorus that will usually have different one/s; and often will have an 'intro' and/or a 'bridge'...

Anarkos · 07-17-2006, 06:52 AM

Real song lyrics as distinct from fake song lyrics?

...huh?

mammamaia · 07-17-2006, 06:31 PM

'real' as in what's written by actual lyricists, as opposed to the stuff so many amateur writers write, thinking they're lyrics...

Anarkos · 07-18-2006, 07:15 AM

Aren't lyrics just the words to a song?

Plenty of "real" lyrics are awful.

FrankBlissett · 07-18-2006, 07:27 AM

I think it's the old connotation vs denotation debate - in this case over the word "real".

Literally, any words set to music are real lyrics. Figuratively, only those with at least a little crafting put into them are "real" lyrics.

-Frank

Mike C · 07-18-2006, 07:46 AM

All you need are 3 chords and the truth.

mammamaia · 07-18-2006, 07:04 PM

you said it for me, frank... thanks!

hugs, m

bryce · 07-18-2006, 07:05 PM

Nearly, Mike. You forgot the red guitar...

Bryce ( from the Watchtower )

suzakugaiden · 07-19-2006, 02:28 AM

Not a big fan of verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus myself. Strikes me as a bit lazy.

"'real' as in what's written by actual lyricists, as opposed to the stuff so many amateur writers write, thinking they're lyrics..."

After reading Frank's post, I'm still not sure what you mean.

FrankBlissett · 07-19-2006, 10:03 AM

I was in college radio for 10+ years (one of ther founders of our local college station).

Over the years, many of the songs on most of the albums were positively gawd-awful! And I'd hate to think of the material that was left on the cutting floor.

We had a policy that no album could be released to the DJs without being reviewed, with songs that had swear-words being flagged for late-night use only. So, you sit there clentching your teeth, gripping the armrest of the chair hoping the song will get done soon. Many staff members would just skip through the song hoping that it didn't result in trouble later down the road. Many reviewers ended up putting such CDs in the "to do later" (when I'm drunk) pile.

And again, I'm sure there was worse stuff dropped from the final album.

What likely happens is that the producer determines that the album needs another song or three, but the budget won't allow for the purchasing of rights, so the singer is told "go home and write some songs this weekend".

The result is certainly NOT songcraft, in my book.

-Frank

edit: Actually, the above process results in the very "verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus" that you noted - except that there's precious little consideration for getting lyrics that work.

Mike C · 07-19-2006, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryce

Nearly, Mike. You forgot the red guitar...

Bryce ( from the Watchtower )

I started with the red strat copy in my youth, but there's nothing to touch a Les Paul, which I graduated onto. Lighter action. No wammy bar, but you can flex the neck a little.