Songwriting

As a disclaimer, I am far from the best songwriter. However, my dad has written lyrics for several bands and has some pretty good concepts and techniques, so I'll pass on the knowledge that he garnered. Furthermore, I personally like to write lyrics after I get the song completely done, but I think the techniques work either way.

You probably should decide the generic subject matter, but this is the easy part, and I assume you can think of things you want to write a song about. If anything, the composition can help you along, cause the style of the song usually suggests a certain theme.

When you start writing the song, first of all, you need a good hook. No matter if the song is part of an elaborate concept album, or a "throwaway" pop ditty (these are often harder to write!), anything with lyrics should have a hook. A hook is a sentence that just flows right, or is clever, preferably both. Check out Bob Dylan's works, his lyrics are almost entirely hooks.

Coming up with a good hook is hard. So, to make things easy on yourself, you can borrow phrases from TV or magazines or people you talk to. Have a notebook with you where you can write down the exact phrase if you come across something good. The Dire Straits line "money for nothing and chicks for free" came from a gas station clerk (or it might've been a truck driver...) who said that about being a musician.

Second, you'll need to flesh out your subject. Be specific. Never resort to songs about "diamond rings" or "holding hands" (no offense to The Beatles). The more specific, the better--ie. name a city, describe details, give the listener the impression that he's your friend, and you're sharing something intimate with them. For an example, try anything from Steely Dan's amazing album "Pretzel Logic".

Finally, it's just a matter of making sure the words flow over the melody. Depending on how talented of a singer you have access to (or are), you can get away with a lot in the phasing. However, sometimes a sentence just won't work properly. Don't be afraid to change a sentence for practical purposes, but remember that lyrics do mean something, too. As an example, When Jimi Hendrix covered Bob Dylan's song "All Along the Watchtower", he changed the first line from "There must be some way out of here" to "There must be some kinda way out of here". Simply by adding "kinda", he made the sentence more slangy and modern, and also made the phrasing much better.

Finally, remember that writing lyrics just isn't easy. Short of getting a burst of inspiration, it takes time and patience to find the exact right words to say what you want to say. Do it a lot and you will get better, but it will always take a lot of effort to get it right.

EDIT: Okay, long post... Hope it's worth reading!

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