{"id":2553,"date":"2015-03-25T11:44:04","date_gmt":"2015-03-25T18:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/?p=2553"},"modified":"2015-03-25T11:44:04","modified_gmt":"2015-03-25T18:44:04","slug":"3-steps-to-writing-better-lyrics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/3-steps-to-writing-better-lyrics\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Steps to Writing Better Lyrics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"lead\">Our goal, when we share a song, is to evoke emotion in our listeners\u2014to have them not only <em>know<\/em> what the singer is feeling, but to empathize\u2014to <em>feel<\/em> the emotion. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by bringing your audience inside the world of your song\u2014showing them a scene unfolding\u2014instead of simply <em>telling<\/em> them how the singer feels.<\/p>\n<p>Writing lyrics that \u201cshow\u2014don\u2019t tell\u201d is one of the basics of songwriting, and is one of the first things taught in almost every songwriting class. But for many songwriters, it\u2019s easier to write lyrics that state how the singer feels. For example: \u201cMy heart is filled with happiness\u201d; or, \u201cI\u2019m lonely and my heart is broken.\u201d But while these statements clearly express what the singer is feeling, these types of statements don\u2019t typically evoke emotion in the listener.<\/p>\n<p>By incorporating three elements\u2014action, imagery, and detail\u2014into your verse lyrics, you can write lyrics that tell a story. Note that this tool is primarily intended for verse lyrics. In songs containing choruses, the chorus lyrics tend to be more general. Their function is to be a summation of the concept and to hammer home the title. Telling the story is the domain of the verses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A: Action<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You might recall from elementary school that verbs are figures of speech that convey action or doing. By incorporating action words you ensure that you are avoiding simply stating feelings.<\/p>\n<p>An easy way to include action is to identify the emotion you are hoping to evoke then ask yourself, \u201cWhat would a person <strong><em>do<\/em><\/strong>if he or she were feeling this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead of saying, \u201cI\u2019m missing you and my heart is broken,\u201d you might write lines that <em>show<\/em> what missing someone and being heartbroken <em>looks<\/em> like.<\/p>\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I hug the pillow where you used to lay your head<\/li>\n<li>I clutch a tear-stained picture of you<\/li>\n<li>I drove to the club where we used to hang, but I couldn\u2019t walk through that door<\/li>\n<li>I wipe the tears that keep running down my face<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Note the action words\u2014the verbs in the examples above: \u201chug,\u201d \u201cclutch,\u201d \u201cdrove,\u201d \u201cwalk,\u201d and \u201cwipe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, instead of saying, \u201cI\u2019m in love,\u201d show what a person in love does by writing lyrics such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I wrote your name and mine inside a heart<\/li>\n<li>I keep singing your name like a favorite song<\/li>\n<li>I read your text that said \u201cI love you\u201d at least a hundred times<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The action words\u2014the verbs in this example are: \u201cwrote,\u201d \u201csinging,\u201d and \u201cread.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Note that the first lyric examples never actually stated, \u201cI miss you,\u201d or \u201cMy heart is broken.\u201d Nor did the second examples say, \u201cI\u2019m in love,\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m happy.\u201d They didn\u2019t need to\u2014because by \u201cseeing\u201d what the person in the song is doing the listeners are able to surmise how he or she feels.<\/p>\n<p>To master the tool of incorporating action it can help to imagine you\u2019re writing the script for a video, and the actors\u2019 actions will be based solely on the words of your lyric. If you write, \u201cmy heart is breaking,\u201d you have not told the actress what she is supposed to do to show this.<\/p>\n<p>A listener cannot \u201csee\u201d what it looks like when a heart breaks. But if you write, \u201cShe fell to her knees as he packed his bag, and tears ran down her face\u201d\u2014this is something a listener can visualize. The actress knows that she is supposed to fall to her knees and cry.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I: Imagery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Imagery refers to things that be can seen. Words that convey images are nouns. Note that some nouns\u2014such as \u201cheartache,\u201d \u201csadness,\u201d \u201chappiness,\u201d and \u201cjoy\u201d\u2014do not represent things that are tangible. They are descriptions of emotional states. Effective use of imagery entails including words that describe things that can be seen or touched.<\/p>\n<p>While you cannot see \u201cheartbroken,\u201d you can see the images and actions that convey that a person is heartbroken. For instance:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>He falls to his knees and lays flowers on her grave<\/li>\n<li>She sits in his chair and wipes her tears with a tissue<\/li>\n<li>He kisses her photo<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The images in the examples above include: \u201cknees,\u201d flowers,\u201d and \u201cgrave\u201d; \u201ctears\u201d and \u201ctissue\u201d; \u201cphoto\u201d and \u201clips.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The inclusion of these images help to show that the character in the song is heartbroken. The listeners are better able to empathize with the character\u2019s emotional state because the lyric allows them to envision the character and the items around them, as well as the action taking place.<\/p>\n<p>By including tangible items in your lyrics\u2014things such as: furniture, clothing, a car, a house, a specific place, food, and other concrete nouns, you enable your audience to enter your song.<\/p>\n<p><strong>D: DETAIL:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Detail is the third component that will help you to show what is occurring\u2014instead of telling how the singer or character in the song feels. By including adjectives and adverbs\u2014or adjectival and adverbial phrases\u2014you further describe the scene, allowing your listener to visualize it more clearly. The inclusion of detail also contributes to making your lyric unique and distinctive.<\/p>\n<p>By adding detail to the examples above we can further engage listeners.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>He falls to his knees and lays flowers on her grave \u2013 or \u2013 He falls to his knees on the <em>cold<\/em>, <em>muddy ground<\/em> and lays <em>white lilies from her garden<\/em> on her grave<\/li>\n<li>She sits in his chair and wipes her tears with a tissue \u2013 or \u2013 She sits in <em>his old rocking chair<\/em> and wipes <em>bitter tears<\/em> with a<em>wet, crumpled Kleenex<\/em><\/li>\n<li>He kisses her photo \u2013 or \u2013 He kisses <em>the photo he took of her laughing that weekend they went camping at Reelfoot Lake<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Instead of using words like \u201cpretty\u201d or \u201cbeautiful,\u201d provide a description. What interests you more?<\/p>\n<p>She could turn every head when she walked in the room<br \/>\nShe was the prettiest girl I\u2019d ever seen<br \/>\nMore beautiful than any words could ever say Like she\u2019d stepped right out of my wildest dream<\/p>\n<p>or<\/p>\n<p>She had a jet-black ponytail<br \/>\nThat curled around a butterfly tattoo<br \/>\nBlack stilletto heels, white string bikini top And eyes that could make a sky turn blue<\/p>\n<p><strong>Incorporating Brand Names<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Incorporating brand names (i.e., Ray-Ban, Levis, Calvin Klein) and the names of businesses (i.e., McDonald\u2019s, Walmart, Dairy Queen) can be an excellent way to infuse details into your lyrics. For example, countless songs have mentioned brands of cars such as Chevy, Ford, Mercury, Cadillac, and Mercedes-Benz\u2014\u2014but is it legal? No\u2014but you won\u2019t be sued as long as you present the product or business in a positive light. Your song essentially becomes a free commercial.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Additional Hot Tips: Establish a Time and Location<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Specifying a time when the action is taking place can help you to tell a story\u2014instead of telling how the singer feels. A line of lyric such as, \u201cIt was 3 AM on a rainy winter night\u201d almost demands that you continue the story\u2014to describe what happened next.<\/p>\n<p>A time doesn\u2019t have to be exact. It could be:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The hottest day of summer<\/li>\n<li>The September sun was right above my head<\/li>\n<li>It was the middle of the longest night of my life<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Placing the character in a specific location is an additional tool that can help you to tell a story. Knowing where the action is taking place can also make it easier to include detail. Is the character in his or her bed? On a roller coaster? In a supermarket? At a nightclub? In an airport? At a restaurant? In a cabin in the woods?<\/p>\n<p>Examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I was sitting in my truck<br \/>\nUnderneath a streetlight<br \/>\nOutside the house that used to be ours<\/li>\n<li>The sun peeked above the ocean<br \/>\nAs I woke up on a beach in Waikiki<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To view some lyrics that include exceptional use of details check out:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yCSMCgqlc-0\" target=\"_blank\">I Drive Your Truck<\/a> (recorded by Lee Brice; written by Jimmy Yeary, Connie Harrington, and Jessi Alexander)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KlyXNRrsk4A\">Last Friday Night<\/a> (recorded by Katy Perry; written by Max Martin\/Dr. Luke\/Bonnie McKee\/Katy Perry)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iUCyEQq_83o\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of My Surrender<\/a> (recorded and written by John Hiatt)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2EwViQxSJJQ\" target=\"_blank\">Irreplaceable<\/a> (recorded by Beyonc\u00e9; written by Amund Bjoerklund\/Mikkel Eriksen\/Tor Hermansen\/Beyonc\u00e9 Knowles\/ Espen Lind\/Shaffer Smith)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=syFZfO_wfMQ\" target=\"_blank\">Night Changes<\/a> (recorded by One Direction; written by Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson, along with Jamie Scott, Julian Bunetta and John Ryan)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are no rules in songwriting, and I\u2019m not implying that you should never tell how you feel in a lyric. Countless songs have become hits without the benefit of this tool. But it\u2019s an important tool to have in your proverbial toolbox.<\/p>\n<p>Detailed stories filled with \u201cpictures\u201d are the cornerstone of the lyrics of Nashville\u2019s current hits\u2014but as you can see from the lyrics referenced above, this tool can help set your songs apart in every genre. Infusing your lyrics with A: action, I: imagery, and D: detail can be the ticket to deliver your lyrics to your listeners\u2019 hearts\u2014and your career to the next level.<\/p>\n<p>Via <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bmi.com\/news\/entry\/showdont_tell_3_steps_to_writing_better_lyrics?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=MusicWorld+March+2015+Affiliates&amp;utm_content=MusicWorld+March+2015+Affiliates+Version+B+CID_6ee456a5fa9ca6ed40505f4bc5a7a8e2&amp;utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&amp;utm_term=ShowDont%20Tell%203%20Steps%20to%20Writing%20Better%20Lyrics\" target=\"_blank\">BMI<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our goal, when we share a song, is to evoke emotion in our listeners\u2014to have them not only know what the singer is feeling, but to empathize\u2014to feel the emotion. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by bringing your audience inside the world of your song\u2014showing them a scene unfolding\u2014instead of simply telling them how the singer feels. Writing lyrics that \u201cshow\u2014don\u2019t tell\u201d is one of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2554,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[234],"class_list":["post-2553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-tips","tag-creativity-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2553"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2555,"href":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2553\/revisions\/2555"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vakseen.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}