Make Your Lyrics Count

If your first reaction is "what business does a producer have poking his nose into my lyrics?", then you're not alone. Many artists don't realize that whether they themselves are the producer or whether they get someone else to do it, the name of the game is getting the product right. And that includes the lyrics if we're talking about a song.

But aren't lyrics supposed to be spontaneous poetry, art..?! Sure. Just like your song and everything else you do! But when you're done with the initial creative process, just make sure that you proceed to craft your lyrics as well as you can.

So, are there any general guidelines? Yep. First and foremost, no matter if your lyric is about something profound or mundane, fun or sad, dreamy or humorous, it's got to be "real." What this basically means is that it's got to be something that you would say, and others would understand and relate to. Additionally, it should be said succinctly and in such a way that your listener might say "that's exactly how I'd say it!"

So how do you go about something like this? One size doesn't fit all, unfortunately, and you'll find that many songwriters use different techniques. But all the good ones have one thing in common: they revise and polish until they're happy with it!

Let's look at a hypothetical example. Say you want to write a song about your experience of losing your girlfriend/boyfriend. First, ask yourself how it made you feel, and write that down. So you might write "She left me when I least expected it, and it completely surprised me and I still can't get over it." Very good. But... is this a lyric?

Some might argue that it is. And, indeed, it "might" be. But what if you could come up with a way to say the same thing with fewer words? Wouldn't you rather? Perhaps you would, and if so, read on. For example, you can see that in the above line, "surprise" is redundant, since you already wrote "I least expected it". So, why repeat yourself? Thus you could re-write it using only one of the two expressions without losing the meaning, right? Perhaps "She left me when I least expected it and I still can't get over it." Better. So... is this a lyric now?

Again, some might say that it is, but you should ask yourself "is it a GOOD lyric?" Is it something original, and am I the only one who might say it in this particular way? I know, I know. It's a tough one. If your heart tells you that this is it, then by all means, accept it as it stands. But... perhaps you could think of a "smoother" way to express this? How about "I didn't know she was leaving, my heart is bleeding"? Hmm, that's certainly a different way of saying the same thing. But is it better? Perhaps it's too dramatic for your personality? Or not dramatic enough? Or it sounds too clichéd? And so, you keep on tweaking it, until it's "you."

Once you manage to get your lyric down to a "punchy" or "strong" short sentence, which is both "natural" and yet still "poetic", start thinking in terms of the intended rhythm. Count the syllables. Get it to feel POWERFUL. With enough revision and an attitude that doesn't settle for anything less than "excellent", you will arrive at a lyric which will convey power and emotion in just the right way.

A great lyric will help you write and arrange your song that much better. Because if you think of your lyrics as "okay" or "throwaway", where will such thinking stop? Will your melody be perfect even when your lyric sucks? Will your progressions, arrangement, mix, production follow suit?

Take your time! Lyrics can make up a full 50% of the song experience. Or more! Think of some of the best songs you know - ever. Chances are they have words that you can still repeat by heart and you cherish and understand them.

That's how you should aim to structure your songs too!

LISTEN TO: 230-Q/Monday Jul 06, 2009