Songwriting Sessions: How to write Lyrics

(This post is a continuation of my last post on songwriting, "How to write a song", which you can read by clicking here.)

The question "How do I write lyrics?" is a bit vague, and can mean a few different things. It could mean, "How should I start writing lyrics (what method should I use to write)?", or it could mean, "Should I write simple or more complex lyrics? Should my lyrics rhyme or not?", and so on.. This blog post is more about the style of lyrics, and not so much how to start writing them. (I have a series of blog posts in which I start by writing the lyrics to a song first, which you can check out here).

Giving hard and fast rules for how to write lyrics is difficult, because it's a lot like asking, "What kind of poetry is best?" Some people prefer poetry that rhymes. Some don't. Some prefer a story that is very straightforward. Some prefer a more complex tale.

It's not wrong to write one way or another. It's up to you to decide how you want to write your lyrics. Let me give a few examples from some famous songs:

"Wonderful" by Everclear

I close my eyes when I get too sad
I think thoughts that I know are bad
Close my eyes and I count to ten
Hope it's over when I open them

Here we have some lyrics that rhyme (mostly, notice "ten" rhyming with "them"). The whole song is based on pretty simple rhyming. Is that good or bad?

Let's give another example:

"Karma Police" by Radiohead

Karma police
Arrest this man
He talks in maths
He buzzes like a fridge
He's like a detuned radio

Here we have lyrics that do not rhyme, that are not exactly straightforward. Is that good or bad?

"Who Let the Dogs Out?" by Baha Men

Who let the dogs out? [Who, who, who, who?!]
Who let the dogs out? [Who, who, who, who?!]
Who let the dogs out? [[who, who, who, who?!]
Who let the dogs out?

Here we have lyrics that do not rhyme at all, that are incredibly simple and repetitive (to be fair, the rest of the lyrics in the song are not quite that simple). Is this good or bad?

Then there are other great examples. The Beatles' "I am the Walrus" is basically nonsense, lyrically, but people love it.

All three of these songs were huge hits for these artists. So it's clearly possible to have a hit song with simple lyrics, or more complex lyrics. At the end of the day it's up to you to decide how you want to communicate with your audience.

Writing your own lyrics

Here's a sample of lyrics I've come up with on the spot:

I want to see the world when I'm young
I don't know where I might belong
Hope that I can get past this fear
I want to believe there's a purpose here

All I did was take Everclear's "Wonderful" and rewrite it. The meaning is completely different, the lyrics are completely different, but the rhythm of the words is pretty much the same. If I were to finish this song I'd probably write it in a different key, and I would definitely use a new melody and perhaps a different rhythm for the lyrics.

My goal is not to rip off their song, but rather to show you how easy it can be to write lyrics if you think creatively and practice. Use someone else's lyrics as inspiration and go from there, if you need to.

Start Writing, Don't Stop Writing

I've often been told the key to success in any writing endeavour is to keep writing. It's good advice.

Just keep writing! Your work will get better with practice. I have books of lyrics that I'd be embarrassed to show other people. But I've also got songs with lyrics that I'm really proud of. Keep writing and you'll have the same experience.

Look to others for examples

I've given some examples of hit songs above with very different lyrics. Find artists whose lyrics you like and ask yourself why you like them. The act of exploring lyrics from a successful song should help you to write your own.

And keep writing no matter what!