Lyric writing approach?

[shniggens]

How do you approach writing lyrics?

 

Do you pick a topic?

 

Do you concentrate on rhymes?

 

Do you follow a certain form?

 

Are you better at writing lyrics around music, or music around lyrics?

 

Are certain topics easier to write about?

 

Does focusing on rhymes distract you from your train of thought?

 

Do you limit syllable length of words?

 

Are certain topics easier to write than others?

 

Do you approach 'heavy' topics (political, religious, etc.), or keep things simple (love, pop culture, etc).

 

Any brainstorming or organizational methods that help you keep track of ideas?

 

Share your thoughts on songwriting!!!!!!

 

[freelance]

While I think the best lyric come from the heart - which means writing about things you know or feel, I also believe a good writer should be able to write about various subjects (anything may be a source of inspriation).

 

I try to avoid writing about the old "I love you" things (although I've written my share of love songs). I try to find inspiration from topical or historical events and when possible, write things that have some "social value" or act as social commentary.

 

However, I am a beleiver in the craft of song writing, so I do try to use clever rhymes (including internal rhymes) and clever phrasing tell my story.

 

While I sometimes come up with lyrics first, more often I come up with a musical riff or chord sequence, which then inspires a "mood" which dictates the type of lyrics.

 

I also notice the instrument I write with dictates - guitar (more riff orientated) = more agressive lyrics, piano more chord orientated) = softer lyrics (more pop or ballad type material)

 

Lastly, I'm a fan of re-writes. To me, the first draft is a general map - but I need to make a few passes before I ge to where I want to be.

[shniggens]

Originally posted by freelance:

Lastly, I'm a fan of re-writes. To me, the first draft is a general map - but I need to make a few passes before I ge to where I want to be.

I don't know if I'm necessarily a fan of it or not, but find that I NEED to rewrite most of my stuff to reach my ideal lyric.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

"Do you pick a topic? "

 

If you write for a living, usually someone else picks the topics. If you write for yourself, the topic most often picks you.

 

"Do you concentrate on rhymes? "

 

Never.

 

"Do you follow a certain form? "

 

Never.

 

"Are you better at writing lyrics around music, or music around lyrics? "

 

Music comes. Lyrics come. It is particularly nice when they show up at the same time. (sigh...)

 

"Are certain topics easier to write about? "

 

If you are writing from emotion, any topic that floats your boat is easy to write about. Its always easier to write about things in which you have an emotional investment.

 

"Does focusing on rhymes distract you from your train of thought? "

 

Write first, edit later. Write first, edit later. repeat this advice until you follow it.

 

"Do you limit syllable length of words?"

 

No but try to write 'conversationally'.

 

"Any brainstorming or organizational methods that help you keep track of ideas?"

 

Notebooks, scraps of paper, napkins, margins of magazines litter my house. I used to keep a couple of computer files that were lists of parts of songs and ideas, but I find that the little scraps of paper are like little surprises.... I stumble into one of them, and it sparks composition... or not...

 

by the way, here is a little ditty by a local guy... I wish that I could write with such imagery.

 

Bound To Be (Bill Deasey)

 

Raised on words like "punishment" and "God will get you

If you don't do what you're told."

Nuns turned children into fearful right

handed little Servants of the Lord

 

And then the atom bomb fell down on Hiroshima, North Dakota

The year she turned sixteen

And she said, "There is something very wrong here.

Do you know what I mean? Do you know what I mean?

 

'Cause I got visions forming in my head

And I keep hearing what the preacher said

Said this world will be the death of me

I know it will, it's bound to be

Bound to be"

 

Satchel full of broken hopes and empty picture postcards

That she'd never send

Her mama sitting on the front porch step

Daddy frowning in the darkened doorway, waving his regret

Then she was jumping on the Santa Fe, summer night in 1947

Bound for God knew where

And she said, "I can see destruction fast approaching.

I feel it in the air. I feel it in the air.

 

And I got visions forming in my head

(See the blood on the horizon)

And I keep hearing what the preacher said

(Said the truth will set you free)

Said this world will be the death of me

(I got no one to rely on)

I know it will, it's bound to be."

(Except for me...)

 

On a road in Valparaiso, she met a hobo named Old John

They hunkered down in a gazebo, and chose a star to gaze upon

Old John said he could see her slipping, and he asked her what was wrong

She said, "The rope I had been gripping turned to sand

And now it's gone, now it's gone.

 

Can't you see the writing on the blood soaked blue horizon

Plain as VJ day. Hear the barking of the

Drowning dogs, frozen like so many Eisenhower

Statues in Pompei. I think I'll take another taste

Old John, to numb my heart, God knows I'm falling fast as

Atoms through the sky." She said,

"This world it sure ain't no place to live in

But it ain't no place to die. No it ain't no place to die..."

 

(From the Gathering Field website, http://www.gatheringfield.com/lyrics2.html#bound )

[freelance]

shniggens,

 

You're right - the phrase "fan of" is not accurate. I hate to re-write, it drives me nuts and takes way too much of my time.

 

But I must re-write until I get it to where it needs to be.

[jlampson]

For me, it's usually music first, and then a melody, and then a vocal line. There're usually one or two lines of lyrics that jump into my head (generally the chorus) and I tend to follow those wherever they lead.

 

I've written my best stuff in just a few hours but it usually takes much longer to come up with something solid, have a strong vocal that makes sense (important to me), and to perform it well.

 

Best luck on finding what suits you!

[Base]

Even though I've played for well over 10 years now, I've only tried song writing in the last year, and have only come up with a couple which have become fleshed out with my band. I do tend to scribble down notes on a palm pilot if I have ideas then expand them later.

 

Do you pick a topic?

 

Kind of. I'll come up with a title or a single lyric and try to expand that. A bit directionless sometimes but it can lead to some interesting ideas.

 

Do you concentrate on rhymes?

 

Usually, don't know if that's a good or bad thing.

 

Do you follow a certain form?

 

I did at first, just because I really didn't have a clue how to go about writing a song so it helped to have an idea of the structure it would take. This was consequently completely re-arranged by the rest of my band (which I was fine with, sounded much better). I prefer the song to be more collaborative, so I write lyrics and show them to my bandmates, with maybe just a very rough idea of a melody.

 

Are you better at writing lyrics around music, or music around lyrics?

 

My bandmate is better at writing the musical side so more often I'll write some lyrics and then we'll collaborate on the music for them, by which I mean I'll suggest the odd chord or I'll try to hum a basic melody I have in mind and he will effortlessly put onto the guitar and sing it, usually better than I had in mind. Which is handy

 

Are certain topics easier to write about?

 

I'd have to say yes as I've abandoned some because I just didn't know where to take them.

 

Does focusing on rhymes distract you from your train of thought?

 

Definitely, I've gotten lost trying to get the message I want down because I was concentrating on how to express it rather than what it was actually saying.

 

Do you limit syllable length of words?

 

No

 

Do you approach 'heavy' topics (political, religious, etc.), or keep things simple (love, pop culture, etc).

 

Have tried both, but the simpler ones are the ones that have followed on being fleshed out into songs. But as I have written so few so far, the heavier topics could still be usable I guess. Or maybe I could post some here and see what people think??

 

Any brainstorming or organizational methods that help you keep track of ideas?

 

I have a palm pilot which I keep with me most of the time and scibble ideas down onto that.