Everyone has had the experience of hearing a song that seemed to have been written directly at you. The song speaks to you in a personal way… The great thing about great songs, is that they bring that feeling to many people. Writing a great lyric ain’t easy but with a few steps, it could become a lot more comfortable. Here are a few tips that you may find helpful.
Tip One: A great lyric will truly express the writer’s feelings and experiences
This simply means approaching writing from your own perspective or the perspective of another person. I would recommend starting from your perspective. Sometimes it is easier to express yourself than it is to put into words, the true perspective of someone else. As you develop your own voice, you will find it easier to connect the experiences of others.
Here is something to consider. If a song is written and it expresses the feelings of it's author, then anyone else who has felt the same way will identify with that song. So, explore the material that you have based on your feelings, experiences, ideas, opinions and so on… What you write will be unique and true.
Ok, here are some don’t that can make things easier. Don’t write about experiences that you have not had. Example, it ain’t all that real for a 15 year old without a license to talk about his/her car with 24” rims and a boomin’ system. Enough said about that, you get where I am going with this.
Tip Two: Be inspired by the music
A beat with a lyric on top of it, does not = a Song. To have a song and more importantly a great song, there has to be a strong relationship of the lyrics to music. Without that relationship, the song feels disconnected. So, the next time that you have a lyric that you want to develop into a Song, make sure to pay equal attention to the beat. The hottest beat does not mean that it is the best music for your lyric.
Dig into the beat, what is the beat “saying”, what tone, what mood? These are good questions to ask when listening to a beat. Certain beats spark different lyrical ideas, topics, moods, swag. Be inspired by the music and let your lyrics inspire the music!
Tip Three: Remain Confident
If you don’t believe in what you are saying, how can you expect anyone else to believe it or even like it? The first step in delivering a great lyric is to pay very close attention to Tip One you have to be confident while expressing yourself. A person that is comfortable with them-self = Swag. Confidence not Arrogance is what you are after. Remain confident and humble and you will soon be on your way to writing great lyrics.
So, give these few steps a try. In the meantime, I will leave you with this;
“It is vital for a writer to have fun and enjoy their life: inspiration comes from interaction with the world!”- Paul McCartney on the writing of “Yesterday” He said that the idea came to him in a dream.