Writing lyrics

[Ottostrom]

How do you write your lyrics? Is it about personal experience or is it fictonal? Do you write with the intention of it being a song from the start or do you write it as a short story and then turn it into a song? Is every word well thought out or do you just wing it?

A little over one year ago I totally switched from making electronic music to acoustic/folk music.
Now I'm struggling with lyrics to the extent that im not getting any songs done since i always get stuck on that part.
I take the art of writing very serious and put so much pressure on myself that im crippling any creative flow that i have.

Please share any tips you have on this subject, thank you!

[Zac]

The pressure won't help for sure. I need to be in the right mood, sometimes it's just impossible to get anything good, I leave it and try again later.

I sometimes write from the heart and sometimes write for a scenario or an imaginary person. I do try and write to the music, i.e. have the first line's music looping, then just start muttering stuff, try and find an angle then start writing it down, crossing it out (editing it) until I'm ok with that line.

Then I will either do the same for the next line or go away from the music and try and write the lyrics as a poem or story and then bring them back to the music and get them to fit a line at a time. Good luck

[Kov]

Since our bass player (she holds a PhD in english language) joined the band i don't need to write any lyrics any more

[adfielding]

Bit of personal, bit of fictional. Up until a couple of years back I used to just imagine myself in a fictional situation and treat it a bit like writing a story, sometimes with some personal themes jumbled up in there but I generally tended to avoid writing personal lyrics. I try to keep things a little vague, but I also like to avoid using words unnecessarily if I can - I'm not a fan of lyrics that read like someone swallowed a thesaurus in general, as it often strikes me as being quite impersonal. I much prefer to explore themes while avoiding pretentious language if I can. Sometimes I'll focus more on the sound of a word rather than the actual meaning, which can be pretty fun.

Most recently I've been writing lyrics very specifically about concepts or ideas that relate directly to me, and that's been kind of interesting. I'm not writing a lot of lyrics now, but I've started compiling a huge list of fragments to work with for the next time I decide to dive into vocal recording or if I just fancy singing along to an idea I'm working on, just so I have something to work with.

edit: an example of something more recent. Lyrics are on the BC page itself.

[Last Alternative]

For me it's metaphors mostly, based on life experience and feelings about stuff. Perspective. It's not easy. I'll usually have a hook in mind like an epiphany and hear it in my head like it's on the radio or live arena but the lyrics are a blur besides the main idea. The more I write the music, the more clearer the message gets. Most of the time when I write a song I go thru several lyric lines and ideas until it fits but I always scrap the best changed lines into a 'random thoughts/lyrics' file for later. Sometimes I go thru and read it looking for inspiration and one line can kick my brain into a whole new tune on a certain time when the full moon is high and the owls and wolves are howling on the hunt.. jk.
Really though, everyone does it different. No one can tell you how to be an artist. It comes from within but hopefully you can at least be inspired by other artists' methods. It can sometimes take me months to write a song because the lyrics aren't right. But I'm the worst when it comes to deadlines and being quick about my music. Just ask Benedict!

[Ottostrom]

I also like to avoid using words unnecessarily if I can - I'm not a fan of lyrics that read like someone swallowed a thesaurus in general, as it often strikes me as being quite impersonal.

I think i needed to hear this. Since english is my second language i always feel like i have to write very impressive and sophisticated english in lyrics.
But what good is that if its not even what im trying to say? Thank you Adam for your insightful comment!

[Ottostrom]

Then I will either do the same for the next line or go away from the music and try and write the lyrics as a poem or story and then bring them back to the music and get them to fit a line at a time.

Writing it as a poem is something ive been wanting to do for a time now but i feel like i should read up a bit on poems before i start.
Like getting a good collection or something at first. If you have any recommendations i would love to hear it

[Ottostrom]

I'll usually have a hook in mind like an epiphany and hear it in my head like it's on the radio or live arena but the lyrics are a blur besides the main idea.

Its so hard when you get that great line but have to build an entire song to match it! Atleast you then have a clearer goal.

[Dabbler]

I have always been of the ilk to write.
Sensitive to rhyme I suppose.
Words can come from anywhere, anytime.
Lately they come when I am walking.
The other morning a nice couplet appeared inside my thoughts as if it were beamed there from the Enterprise.
I had to stop and type into my phone.
It was like words were raining and I just happened to be in the way with my head open.
I find that forcing never works.
If the words don't come, play drum.

[JNeffLind]

Writers write. Write every day and sharpen your tools. Then when the muse strikes you will be ready. Even bad writing makes you better in the long run. Waiting for inspiration is like trying to get in shape by working out only when you feel like it. There's little pain, and very little gain.

As for ideas, personal is always best but don't be afraid to assume a persona. Pick someone you know and write from their perspective. Pick a TV character even. Look elsewhere for inspiration. If I'm stuck sometimes I'll pick a random song from a fakebook and sort of reverse engineer it. E.g. Girl from Impanema. Write a song about a girl you saw but you can't have. Autumn Leaves. Write a song about changing seasons as a metaphor for life. Roxanne. Write a song about a prostitute. This may seem like stealing, but the base idea is fair game in my opinion. Roxanne wasn't the first song about a prostitute, I guarantee you, and it won't be the last. Just take the barest bones of source material and use it as a jumping off point to write something that is you.

The most important thing is that WRITERS WRITE! The idea that talent is innate is a fallacy. Waiting for inspiration makes you good at waiting. Writing makes you good at writing. WRITE!!!!

Edit: And don't be afraid to write badly. Imagine if every basketball player expected to be good at basketball from the beginning. There would be no good players. Everyone starts out bad. Write a hundred bad songs and the 101st will likely be better. Onward and etc.

[Some Desperate Glory]

One thing I do is have a notebook (or file on my phone or something) where whenever I think of a see an interesting turn of phrase I write it down. Also, I find I'm inspired to write lyrics at very different times from when I'm inspired to write music. I almost never come up with lyrics when I'm sitting in front of a keyboard or with my guitar. I think of lyrics while I'm walking, thinking about the song I'm working on, or on the train, or at work. When the muse strikes, I'm ready and I write down whatever is in my head.

Then, later, in front of Reason, I sing the song over and over again, making small changes here and there to make it fit better.

[Riverman]

How do you write your lyrics? Is it about personal experience or is it fictonal? Do you write with the intention of it being a song from the start or do you write it as a short story and then turn it into a song? Is every word well thought out or do you just wing it?

Yes. All of these. Change it up and try many different things.

[Last Alternative]

You have to write the bad ones to get to the good ones. And me too about the walking stuff. I'll have the hook and then play it in my head in the shower, at work, etc. writing and recording little bits at a time on my phone until the song is full and right. I'm a dreamer.
And I never force it.
It also helps to write poetry and stories to get your brain and neural pathways in the zone. I like the ideas JNeff gave.
Godspeed

[Ottostrom]

It also helps to write poetry and stories to get your brain and neural pathways in the zone.

This absolutely helps a lot!
In the book "Writing Better Lyrics" by the great Pat Pattison he talks about an exercise, where you spend 10 minutes every morning just writing
about any object you can think of as detailed as possible. This is to help wake up the writer in you from the start of the day so that you can see the world from that point of view.

[Dabbler]

It also helps to write poetry and stories to get your brain and neural pathways in the zone.

This absolutely helps a lot!
In the book "Writing Better Lyrics" by the great Pat Pattison he talks about an exercise, where you spend 10 minutes every morning just writing
about any object you can think of as detailed as possible. This is to help wake up the writer in you from the start of the day so that you can see the world from that point of view.

I have not heard of Pattison's book, but I did take the free Berkley songwriting course online spring of 2015. Pattison is the online teacher and I did learn some new tricks.
This is an option I'd never considered worthwhile before, but now I recommend it.
Here is a lyric writing course I found. $49
https://www.coursera.org/learn/songwriting-lyrics

[fieldframe]

Most of my lyric ideas usually begin as a sort of personal observation or reflection on an experience. Then I try to think of a second concept that can express that first concept without actually saying anything about it explicitly: just thinking in terms of metaphor and imagery.

This is somewhat a matter of taste: I personally tend not to like songs that are direct in their lyrics as much as songs that rely on imagery that might evoke the same feeling the writer would otherwise be expressing literally.

Also, this can be very challenging and I’ve never been satisfied enough with any of my lyrical songs to release them. Although my plan is to change that this week.

[oneday2one]

It doesn't matter what you say, it just matters that it sounds good.


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