How To Write Lyrics

Ask yourself: Have you ever been sitting down at your desk trying to write lyrics but get stuck on a line because you can't think of a good rhyme to use in the next line? Or have you resorted to using a plain and boring rhyme such as "mad and bad" just because you couldn't think of anything better?

If so, then a rhyming dictionary will be your new best friend.

All you have to do is flip to the page with your word just like you would do if you were searching for its definition in a dictionary. Once you find your word you will see a list of words that rhyme with it.

For example, here is what you discover after looking up the word "book"

One syllable rhymes for book:

cook
hook
look
shook
took
(and several more)

Two syllable rhymes for book:

mistook
unhook
can't hook
pre-cook
(and several more)

You can easily see how a rhyming dictionary will help you write lyrics by instantly providing you will a full arsenal of words and ammo for your songs. Instead of sitting there for hours stressing out while trying to think of all of the words that rhyme with one another you can simply flip to a page in a rhyming dictionary or enter a search term at a rhyming website such as RhymeZone.com and immediately have hundreds of ideas at your fingertips. People have already done all of that hard so you don't have to, and the result is a rhyming dictionary!

If a listener knows exactly what is coming next then there is not much of a surpise or a "wow" factor that will leave them satisfied and impressed.

Knowing what happens next is boring.

Have you ever been watching a movie where you feel like you know exactly what is going to happen next, but then there is a major twist that makes you say "WOW, I was not expecting that!"? Its a good feeling isn't it? You feel satisfied and you are happy with the work of the movie producers that came up with such a great idea, right?

You can do that when you write lyrics.

Lets examine an example of how to write lyrics with a twist that will "wow" your audience and have them calling you a lyrical genius.

One of my favorite examples of a songwriting twist is Kenny Chesney's hit song "There Goes My Life." Lets take a look:

"There Goes My Life"
by Kenny Chesney

All he could think about was I'm too young for this.
Got my whole life ahead.
Hell I'm just a kid myself.
How am I gonna raise one?

All he could see were his dreams goin' up in smoke.
So much for ditchin' this town and hangin' out on the coast.
Oh well, those plans are long gone.

[Chorus]
And he said,
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
Might as well kiss it all good-bye.
There goes my life...

At this point in the song you get the idea of what problem the character is currently experiencing. He had an unexpected child at a young age and feels like he no longer has the freedom to live his life the way he had wished to. So he says, "There goes my life..."

Now... for a lyrical twist!

Later in the song, he really twists your mind and gives you a whole new perspective on the situation when he sings about later in life when his daughter is all grown up:

She had that Honda loaded down.
With Abercrombie clothes and 15 pairs of shoes and his American Express.
He checked the oil and slammed the hood, said you're good to go.
She hugged them both and headed off to the West Coast.

[Chorus]
And he cried,
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
I love you.
Baby good-bye.

Brilliant! The song started off with the character saying "there goes my life" because he had a child at an earlier age, but then gives you a magical twist when that same child grows up and moves away, leaving the character saying "there goes my life" in reference to his daughter being "his life."

If you can write lyrics like I have just described then you will be a great songwriter and you will be sure to create great music.

Sitting on your livingroom couch thinking about what to write lyrics about may not always bring out the best of your ideas. Have you ever listened to a song that nearly brought you to tears, or maybe a song that actually did make you cry? Did you feel inspired during that moment?

These are the kind of situations you want to put yourself in if you want an instant motivation for song lyric ideas. I personally come up with my best song ideas and write lyrics at my best after watching a movie with a strong message. It is a great way to kickstart your imagination, and the most beneficial part is that it is a boost of emotion. If you write lyrics when you are feeling heavy with emotion then it is easier for you to translate those feelings into a song. It is all about getting in that zone.

There have been times when I would sit at my desk with empty thoughts and just couldn't think of any good song ideas. Then again there have been times where I am in that zone and have so many ideas and lyrics in my head that I can't put them all on paper at once and fear that I might forget them.

Another way to get song ideas is to read. Go read something - anything. Find a sentence or phrase that carries a punch or that leaves your thoughts open and see if you can turn it into a song idea.

For example, I just went to a random page on the internet and the first thing I read was about an injured man trying to stand without his crutches... aha! I just turned that into a song idea: "Stand Without Crutches" can be about learning how to stand up without crutches such as an alcoholic using alcohol as a "crutch" to deal with pain. Now I need to get my rhyming dictionary and begin to write lyrics about overcoming addiction or alcoholism and learning how to stand without those crutches and live a happier and more fulfilling life.

See how I did that?

Go read and find phrases that stick out or carry meaning that can be translated into a song idea.

Instead of writing a few lines and thinking, "OK, what should happen next?" first think of what happens in the end and then create a story that arrives at that destination.

This is the equivalent of entering your destination into MapQuest and then being provided with directions for how to get to where you want to go. You don't just start driving down the street and start wondering which street to take next; you need to know your destination and then follow a route to get there!

Lets examine an example of how to write lyrics in reverse.

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