Learn to Write Lyrics – 7 Tips for Song Lyrics That Evoke Emotions

Want to write emotional lyrics? Then here are seven helpful tips that can serve as inspiration.

Title as inspiration

There is a view that the title of the song is produced during the creative process. But I’ve found that starting with a catchy title can move the entire songwriting process forward. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that song titles change over time.

A catchy name at the beginning of a project can be the spark to a cool song. For this reason, it makes sense to spend an hour or even a full day looking for the right title. The resulting key points, words or even short text paragraphs can be merged later and make writing easier.

Special features when writing lyrics

“I am blue Da ba dee Dab a die..” – a meaningless refrain, but sure enough it’s a catchy melody from my childhood. Musical style is certainly a matter of taste, but a formative text—whether it’s “la la la” with a catchy melody—will sear into the minds of listeners, even if they don’t necessarily like it. Style your song.

In addition to the lyrics and what is sung, the instruments, sounds, sequences or phrases can also stand out and make your song stand out.

Focus on emotions rather than specific topics

The beginning of songwriting was difficult. There is nothing more frustrating than sitting with a blank sheet of paper or an arrangement not knowing how best to start. Put yourself in emotionally good or bad situations. The resulting feelings are the perfect basis for writing a catchy song.

Because emotions are always honest. Forcing text, because you may only want to address a political issue, but not necessarily support it, always feels tortured and forced, making your message less convincing to others.

Contrasting music and song structure

Once you’ve put together the elements of your song, it’s all about bringing it all together into a structure that brings your song to life. The arrangement here is key. You can choose a classic form (intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, ending) or a different composition, or you can break the usual structure and thus provide moments of surprise.

It’s always important to create pressure. Design your song in such a way that your listener is so engaged in the first 20 seconds that they want to experience the song until the end. Also, make sure you don’t start off dusting when composing.

To make the listening experience of your songs as varied as possible, it is also possible to assign different tempos to the verse and chorus melodies. An example is the use of quarter notes in poetic melodies. In the chorus, you can increase the tempo with eighth notes. In this way, you can add some dynamics compared to the poetic melody.

It’s okay to imitate, but don’t plagiarize

There is an opinion that, in principle, imitation is not creative. Of course, it is not advisable to steal other people’s ideas and boldly copy them. But there’s nothing wrong with incorporating someone else’s style into your own lyrics, adding your own ideas. In my experience, this often results in a very own style that is only remotely connected to the original idea.

In the event of using someone else’s ideas when writing lyrics, no matter how small the project, ask permission from the author and include his name in the credits. More information on music copyrights.

KISS principle

Never put too much thought into your song. Tip: Consider the rules of the KISS principle (Keep it simple and stupid.).

Here’s Wikipedia’s description of KISS:

The KISS principle states that the simplest solution to a problem should be chosen. KISS is an acronym that can choose to have one of the meanings listed below. In essence, it is very similar to Occam’s razor, which states that in science, the preferred theory is the one that needs to make fewer assumptions to explain the observations made. The principle of simplicity is also comparable.

or more properly:

In writing you must kill all your lovers

To keep your songs from sounding overloaded, remember the saying “less is more”. Your latest coup may be brilliant in every way to you, but it may seem overwhelming to new listeners. Always remember that potential listeners have never heard your song before. Avoid overstimulation. Rely on the easy way.

Therefore, when composing and composing songs, it is best to let the compositions sit for a few days until you can hear them again with “virgin” ears. This often leads to entirely new assessments and even entirely new ideas. The result is that you eliminate most of the original built-in elements.

Think outside the box when writing lyrics

It’s always helpful to keep an eye out for fresh ideas outside of musical styles that can be implemented for a project. So take advantage of the diversity of the internet and watch music videos on YouTube. If you can, go to a concert of a real star and watch the audience react — which song passages send the listener into ecstasy, and at what point the lighter is pulled out.

The same applies to moments when the audience isn’t touched by emotion. This can be very helpful in understanding which musical elements come into play when and how. Simulate these test conditions and play your new song in a small circle (family, friends) where you can get direct feedback on your song before putting it on the internet or showing it on stage. Use these lessons on your own song to improve it.

Bonus: Overcoming Creative Vulnerabilities

Every creator knows it. Suddenly, a creative hole appeared. The thoughts don’t want to bubble up, and the motivation is close to zero. how can i help Basically, there is no solution, but it always helps to break up the daily structure: Instead of driving straight home after get off work, sit in your coffee for an hour and soak up the vibe. Or try a new dish or drink to stimulate the brain with new taste stimuli.

Most importantly, set aside some time where you can relax, do nothing, and free yourself from the stress of having to be creative and boredom. Many thoughts will come to you on a whim, whether you force them or not.

Conclusion: Write excellent lyrics yourself

Writing lyrics is not rocket science. Even a catchy song title can inspire further work and contribute to a successful song. It’s important that your song has a distinctive character. When writing lyrics, try to focus on emotion rather than trying to write about a specific theme. Also make sure that your composition has tension curves and that the essence of the song is not presented at the beginning.

You can incorporate ideas from other artists into your work as long as you emulate them, but don’t copy them stupidly. As you create and create your song, remember not to overwhelm your audience. Simple ideas are more intriguing to the average listener than a bunch of “brilliant” flourishes. So take, for example, musicians who manage to make their audience cry or ecstasy, and see what musical elements they use. If you’ve reached a point at some point and are out of ideas, take the pressure off of having to be creative and try to gather inspiration by doing something that contradicts your everyday life.

I hope these lyric writing tips help you a little. If you have any suggestions of your own, please post them in the comments. My advice is not set in stone, this is my first post of its kind.