I need help writing lyrics
Hi all - I'm coming up with some pretty decent musical ideas lately, but my lyrics still SUCK. Anyone out there that's good at that interested in contributing, sharing, collaborating on this with me?
Or better yet - I wanna hear from the gorgeous girl that lives next door to you, is a great writer (or wannabe) and adores tall guys.
Or better yet - I wanna hear from the gorgeous girl that lives next door to you, is a great writer (or wannabe) and adores tall guys.
Comments
You can get some pretty good titles, just ask Steve Harris from Maiden
So I'd be glad for any offerings of help, technique, or contributions of lyrics or offers of collaboration.
Or getting hooked up with that hottie friend of yours who loves tall guys.
shred :idea: you should write about the tall man from the rockys looking for the girl of his dreams --I mean thats what you been doing for monthes!!
BUT: like I said, concepts and ideas and even titles I seem to be able to come up with. It's taking those ideas and forming coherent, singable lyrics that I can work into a song that's my downfall. I've been writing down phrases and bits of lyric for months now, for a couple of different ideas I have for songs - but they're so bad I won't use them, and I haven't been able to assemble an even decent songs' worth of lyrics out of them. :roll:
So I though I'd troll for someone who's get a little better handle on it. Like that hottie you know who wants to be a writer, and wants a backrub from a good lookin' tall guy!
the song goes a little like this
happiness at ranch DD
(VERSE)
it's a beautiful kind of land
and certain things go hand in hand
like a fine little sassy
and me she'd call pap-e
uphere we'd make our stand
(VERSE)the rocky's is the place to be
for girls like her and a guy like me
to make a life worth livin
less takin n more given
happiness at ranch double d
(CHORUS)
oh the girls put the ROCK in the rockies
the altitude makes em grow up right
high heels and fishnet stockings
keepin shred up late at night
LOL
Wasn't that 101 Dalmatians ?
Very funny!! And for off the cuff great writting Ryming!! I'm with Shredd I'm not realy good with fitting things together, comming up with Ideas etc..
My approach is to pray and ask God for Inspiration. I know in time I will write some Original stuff, including Lyrics that will glorify him!! It just takes time and growth musically!! I'm deffinetly still an Infant Musically!!
God Bless!!!
Partch
Never did learn to do either very well.
No matter how many times I read books of Jim Morrison's poetry or listened to the beatles...
ones kinda a popish Ziggy Marley meets a white boy that can't play (thats my part) thing and writeing about :twisted: galloping across the frozen tundra on your mighty war stallion with sword in hand :twisted: ...well I feel its just not following the mood of the melody
partch--even now you could write based on the experiences you've had with God.
This is one of my late nite mutterings--- :roll:
but I think Yes you have to sing with conviction and even better to write from a personal standpoint.Writing from the experiences that you and others around you have had. Then others can Identify with your song. I think it was endrg who said that he experienced a girl being impacted by listening to one of his songs---she had experieced simalair things.
Also the things you've read OR
A furtile imagination.
many write the lyric then figure out the tune thats playing in thier head while they sing the words
BUT WHO AM I TO TALK---YES I DO A LOT OF THAT :roll:
I try to use concepts and write lyrics that I'm interested in, or experienced myself, etc...I actually think my ideas are pretty good. Ya know: boy/girl songs, boy-wishes-he-had-girl songs, what's-life-all-about songs, live-life-to-the-fullest songs, yada. But for some reason, the lyrics come out cheezy.
It must be simply lack of experience...my lyrics seem to come out trite, very metered and too rhyme-y. When I listen to good songs, that isn't the case - often the words don't rhyme, or rhyme exactly, and the meter of them is often different or even offset from the rythm of the music.
I just need to keep trying. Or find a hot, horny poet-wannabe to work on (I mean, WITH :oops:)...
TY
shando
LOL---YOU'RE POSTS HAVE A PREDICTABLE TWIST AT THE END AND I CRACK UP EVERY TIME
And Shando - thanks for the insight. You're right - sometimes cheez does the trick. But I have the same problem you do - too much mandatory rhyming and lyrics that have all the syncopation of a marching band. I'm really new at it, but I think I need to take some chances and do some baby steps.
So when I post a version of my last song with the lyrics in, sung in my horrid singing voice (since I can't get Nancy Wilson to come over and sing for me, after I've given her a full body massage) you guys better be gentle!!!
So - how does one break out of the beginners' cheez/writers' block/lack of experience rut? C'mon guys, encourage me with stories of your pitiful first attempts, and tell how you accomplished songwriting greatness!
That's why I started the thread...I just can't grasp how one gets started turning ideas into lyrics.
I'm being lazy in looking for a collaborator, and being horny in wanting it to be a superhottie poet wannabe...sigh...but what I'd really like is a CLUE. How do you guys do it???
You might want to consider some mind expanding drugs.
I'm assuming that you already have a subject that you want to sing about, right? I always write the chorus first because for some reason thats easiest for me. I usually start writing things down (telling the story) in no particular order. For example, if I decide to write a song about the amazing weather we are having at the moment, I'll make a list like:
beautiful blue sky,
red wing black bird chirping happily,
got the tunes blasting on the radio,
downing a nice cold beer,
watching the hottie next door sunbathing in the nude.
I assemble it together into something that tells a story and rhymes if need be!
I just back from Blues Week in Elkins, WV, were I took classes in Delta Blues playing and songwriting. This is the 4th songwriting seminar I've attended. This was the first time we tried some exercises in collaboration. I'd love to give it a try with your stuff. Send me an mp3 of your music concepts, whatever titles, or ideas you have for the lyrics, and I'll go from there. E-mail to
pflood@satx.rr.com
If you want to check uout some of my existing songs, check out the songs on my CD:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rwi
Phil
After you
Have you spoke with Sheryl Crow??
She can write songs, and likes Colorado....and she is skipping freely....so....I'd say the iron is hot.
If you have any \"tough\" areas...I noticed a lot of artists will phrase the words
...so the \"beat\" is emphasized...and the words are unintelligible.
That leaves it up to the listener to insert their own ideas
...claiming they know what it is you are singing.
Many songs come to mind...so I'm sure this is a universal problem.
I've learned to hate rhyme...because of rap.
Mention fire, Saturday night, any sexual inuendo, and tell girls how desirable they are....and you can't loose.
...oh...goes without saying...I don't know what I'm talking about. :?
I'll ask her if she might give you a call..... if you'd be interested? :?
long before I started doing music on my own, I used to write lyrics for friends' bands. And lyrics still are my favorite part when i write or when I listen to a song. Anyways here's how I work on lyrics :
I always carry a piece of paper and a pen wherever I go and I just write down stuff that comes to mind (the voices in my head
Then, once in a while, I collect all those pieces of paper and find pieces of sentences that could go together ; because they seem to talk about the same thing or because they use the same semantic range. I do it like a jigsaw puzzle. I fill in the blanks to give it some sense. And then the tough part starts :
You then have to take each and every word and see if it wouldn't sound better if you replaced it by an other one, a synonym that would \"mean more\". You also have to work on the sound of the words with alliterations and assonances in order to create rythm. Also add in a couple of metaphors and stuff to make it less \"direct\" and naive (and less cheesy as you say). This part isn't much fun when you begin but it goes as for playing the guitar : only practise makes perfect.
To help you with all that, I'd recommend this really nice series of articles in Sound On Sound about writing lyrics. It's a good starting point :
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec00/articles/lyric.asp
There, I hope it helped
EDIT :
PS : I still write lyrics for other bands (I even did a couple for professional bands that were used in albums). And I do it for free
keupon1peukon@hotmail.com (works for MSN too)
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan01/articles/lyric.asp
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb01/articles/lyric.asp
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar01/articles/lyric.asp
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr01/articles/lyric.asp
Case and point: Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins has been revered for his great lyrics. Based on that, he put out a book of poetry, that got astoundingly bad reviews.
On the other hand, the lyrics may be the driving force that makes a song popular, not the groove. You touch a person's soul. (Example: Bob Segar - Turn the Page)
Take your 5 favorite songs of all time, and look on the internet for the lyrics. Try to read them without singing or following the melody (hard to do).
Lyrics also can leave the interpretation up to the individual listener. One of the classics of all time, Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, is vague enough for you to not realize that the lady is the U.S.A.