Song Writing Help

Rapunzel

I love the way EV writes lyrics. I'm not that great at writing with metaphors or writing anything at all that expresses my feelings.

Does anyone have any advice on writing lyrics? I have many experiences that I would like to put down in words. I'm sure we could all make some great songs from our lives but how? Does anyone have any great advice?

Anthropoid76

when i am stuck on song writing, i listen to music. maybe listening to some PJ as you write would influence you and your writing?

Rapunzel

Originally posted by Anthropoid76
when i am stuck on song writing, i listen to music. maybe listening to some PJ as you write would influence you and your writing?

I'll try that but I don't want to copy. I have so much feeling I hold inside. I would like to let it out anonymously. It might even make a good song if I could word it right.

I just thought someone might be able to help me through their own experiences. Maybe I should just write and write and not care what it sounds like. The only problem I have is time and privacy. If I have the time, do I have the privacy? If I have the privacy, do I have the time?

a country doctor

I once wrote a song because a friend told me that it is so hard, well it is quite hard, I wrote the main construction in 2 hours and some days later I worked with it again and I had it.
I gave the song to the friend of mine and forgot about it.

This weekend he told me that they(he and his band) finished the music for it, so in the next week I'm gonna hear my song


Well, I just realized that this is not an answer for your question.
So...
Just write all your ideas down, and some days later erase what you don't like, so that only the good stuff remains

Pearl_Jam_Necklace

i have written since i was 8 yrs.old and my mom was a famous songwriter, {just not rock music,lol,country} but in my experience i am only able to write when i am really sad, when i am happy i can sometimes write funny shit, dont know if this will help you. i know that some of my fave stuff ive written in like minutes,it just flows from me..i have one published and it came to me in minutes.i met my mom when i was 13 ,she carried paper and pen with her always, cuz she never knew when shed be inspired and said she might think of one or two good lines but if she didnt write them down shed forget,lol.

xAllAboutTheMusicx

yea I write when soemthing comes to me.It's hard to just sit down and write.Most people write love songs...but im pretty young so i havent been in love,so when i write songs,i write what i feel.

U-R

one big piece of advice: forget how much you love eddie's work. if you're thinking about eddie then you're probably going to end up (conciously or otherwise) trying to write like him.

don't think about anybody else other than yourself and anybody relevant to what yolu're writing about.

and it's probably better not to sit down and try to write, just wait untill you feel like doing it. you'll work out for yourself when exactly it is that you're in the mood to unleash the pen.

best of luck with it

j0enewt0n

Originally posted by U-R
one big piece of advice: forget how much you love eddie's work. if you're thinking about eddie then you're probably going to end up (conciously or otherwise) trying to write like him.

don't think about anybody else other than yourself and anybody relevant to what yolu're writing about.

and it's probably better not to sit down and try to write, just wait untill you feel like doing it. you'll work out for yourself when exactly it is that you're in the mood to unleash the pen.

best of luck with it

U-R U-R a genius... not only do you know an explanation to "North is to south, what the clock is to time" but you make alot of sense on other matters too...

As for songwriting, I find it helps to already have the music when you write the lyrics... That way you won't have to compromise whatever you have written to fit the music, unless you write music aswell, in which case it wont matter...

Taking your time allows you to get it perfect through continual editing... but on the other hand one of my favourite things that I wrote was written in 30mins without music whilst watching the expressions on the faces of people stuck in traffic, so maybe just ignore everything I said...

U-R

j0enewt0n is right about two things.

1: yes, i am a genius (j/k)

2: you should always write music first, lyrics second. to quote a great songwriter, maynard from tool: "if you write music to fit the lyrics, it ends up sounding like a top 40 song".

i think music is more powerful than lyrics. lyrics speak to the intelect, music goes deeper.
the structure of the sounds speak directly to the emotions, music is more subliminal and by appealing to the subconscious is more powerful. therefore the lyrics should be inspired by the music.

have you ever seen a poet stand onstage with a microphone for 2 hours and then found yourself reciting his/her words in your head for weeks after? i don't think so.
music is the fuel and aerodynamics of the auditorial flight a song takes you on. the lyrics are the navigation systems that guide the airplane where it needs to go.
but without sufficient fuel, the plane crashes in the ocean before it gets to its destination.

happy trails

Rapunzel

Originally posted by Pearl_Jam_Necklace
i have written since i was 8 yrs.old and my mom was a famous songwriter, {just not rock music,lol,country} but in my experience i am only able to write when i am really sad, when i am happy i can sometimes write funny shit, dont know if this will help you. i know that some of my fave stuff ive written in like minutes,it just flows from me..i have one published and it came to me in minutes.i met my mom when i was 13 ,she carried paper and pen with her always, cuz she never knew when shed be inspired and said she might think of one or two good lines but if she didnt write them down shed forget,lol.

interesting. good idea about carrying the paper and pen around with me.

Rapunzel

Originally posted by U-R
one big piece of advice: forget how much you love eddie's work. if you're thinking about eddie then you're probably going to end up (conciously or otherwise) trying to write like him.

don't think about anybody else other than yourself and anybody relevant to what yolu're writing about.

and it's probably better not to sit down and try to write, just wait untill you feel like doing it. you'll work out for yourself when exactly it is that you're in the mood to unleash the pen.

best of luck with it

thank you for the advice! thanks to everyone!

capybaralet

always be able to write stuff down...always, you should be prepared to write while sleep walking.

try to think of how you would explain what you are writing about to somebody and then try to translate that into verse. or try it the other way around, look at something and think of how it makes you feel, what it reminds you of.

try to keep a good feel for the context of the lyrics. good lyrics can be cryptic and layered or simple and sincere, it all depends on how they are delivered. good lyrics might look realy bad as poetry.

write down any ideas you have for songs even if you don't have any lines yet, and vica-versa. some good lyrics are random at first and just sound good or are catchy or come to you or fit with a song. songs can be built around a couple words. don't be afraid to write lyrics first and think of a meaning later, just don't write a whole song that way.


don't be redundant unless it adds to the song. if you have already said something, you don't usually need to say it again another way. similarly, try to make songs you write very complete, with some sort of closure at the end. don't write so little or so cryptically that only you know what you are talking about.



and finally don't be afraid to let the direction of a song wander...














that was really long, hopefully it helps

Rapunzel

Originally posted by capybaralet
always be able to write stuff down...always, you should be prepared to write while sleep walking.

try to think of how you would explain what you are writing about to somebody and then try to translate that into verse. or try it the other way around, look at something and think of how it makes you feel, what it reminds you of.

try to keep a good feel for the context of the lyrics. good lyrics can be cryptic and layered or simple and sincere, it all depends on how they are delivered. good lyrics might look realy bad as poetry.

write down any ideas you have for songs even if you don't have any lines yet, and vica-versa. some good lyrics are random at first and just sound good or are catchy or come to you or fit with a song. songs can be built around a couple words. don't be afraid to write lyrics first and think of a meaning later, just don't write a whole song that way.


don't be redundant unless it adds to the song. if you have already said something, you don't usually need to say it again another way. similarly, try to make songs you write very complete, with some sort of closure at the end. don't write so little or so cryptically that only you know what you are talking about.



and finally don't be afraid to let the direction of a song wander...














that was really long, hopefully it helps

It was very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to give me advice!

artin90

try this. take a situation and talk about everything but the situation. example. you went to the movies. instead of talking about the movie. write something about the atmosphere, the wather, the people

LowLight812

You definitely have to write stuff down as it comes to you. I've had so many moments where I've thought of a great line or idea and then I forgot it later-- very frustrating. I too find it easiest to write when I'm really sad. I try to write happy, funny songs, but they don't flow to me like sad, longing songs. I'm sure I'd find it easier to write more upbeat songs if I were happier in my life or even in love. Afterall, you can't write a great song if you aren't feeling it. I've been writing for about ten years now. A lot of the stuff I wrote when I was younger I trashed b/c it just seems stupid now. It's not all that often that I get in song writing moods, but when I do the songs don't stop. Once the creative energy gets flowing, I can write a song in 3-5 minutes. It's pretty crazy. One day about two months ago I wrote 6 songs in about an hour. I guess my advice would be: don't force yourself to write. Like I said before, you can't write what you're not feeling. When something comes to you, write it down and go with it. I think your songs will be a lot more powerful and deep that way. You could even try collaborating. I hope that helps!

solution pollution

What works for me is writing what I know and putting it all down. Forget about rhyme or if id doesn't fit nicely with the music. Then, remove the excess and keep the common vibe; identify an emotion.

Metaphor isn't necessary if you serve the music and speak your truth. Whether writing about your dog lapping up water or handprints in concrete, if the experience is real, the lyrics will resonate.

Don't force it.