How do you go about writing lyrics?

gurumonkey · Post by **gurumonkey** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:47 pm

I have a very easy time putting lyrics to music or writing instrumental music, but i find it very difficult to actually write original lyrics. What do you do for inspiration? Any thoughts on how to become better at this?

nuxnamon · Post by **nuxnamon** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:49 pm

gurumonkey wrote:I have a very easy time putting lyrics to music or writing instrumental music, but i find it very difficult to actually write original lyrics. What do you do for inspiration? Any thoughts on how to become better at this?

look up "master writer".. my gf uses it and I dabble with it when i try to write lyrics..

http://www.masterwriter.com/

beats me · Post by **beats me** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:09 pm

Get a life that is more inspiring.

gurumonkey · Post by **gurumonkey** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:10 pm

cool program. kinda pricey though.

nuxnamon · Post by **nuxnamon** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:17 pm

gurumonkey wrote:cool program. kinda pricey though.

if it helps you write better lyrics and gets your songs into completion.. it's not that bad.. it's only seems pricey only cuz it doesn't produce sounds like other shit we buy (plug ins, samples, etc)or is not hardware.. but lyrics are important.. just look at "Birthday Sex".. it's priceless..

H20nly · Post by **H20nly** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:11 pm

Have a pencil (or pen) and something to write on ready. I write at red lights and stop signs when I have the creative itch. You have to write. Its just like anything else if you don't exercise you won't get in shape etc. etc.

If I hear a lyric or something said, see something etc. that inspires me and my head starts on any kind of a trip about it I start writing. I find its like an essay or report in school - once you have the first line down the rest comes out easier.

I also try to switch it up. Maybe if something I thought up is a good outro type of line - you know... drop the mic type shit, then I will write it down as the last line and write backwards to the "begining".

I don't know what kind of lyrics that you write. I tend to be a little more abstract with hidden/layered meanings. Sometimes if I'm all dried up I'll look around the room and draw inspiration from something - wadded up paper, stain on the floor, sunlight, empty beer bottle - could be anything.

The biggest thing is don't ignore yourself when you are thinking about something that "may" be worth jotting down... start jotting. I find that almost every idea I try and "go back" for is lost. I will probably never say that thing quite the same way again...

Harness those thoughts instead of letting them drift away. Its easy to scratch a line out if you decide you don't like it.

my .02

H20nly · Post by **H20nly** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:29 pm

No offense, but I don't know how you get any soul out of software. Its one thing with beats and soundscapes but lyrics? I mean a thesaurus or something sure, but nothing can replace heart and soul. It kind of makes me a little ill that there is even a program out there advertised to help write a song. I guess I want to believe that they (songs) are a little more personal than that.

Sometimes my pen writes almost by itself... thats from inspiration. No software can do that.

scott nathaniel · Post by **scott nathaniel** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:50 pm

gurumonkey wrote:I have a very easy time putting lyrics to music or writing instrumental music, but i find it very difficult to actually write original lyrics. What do you do for inspiration? Any thoughts on how to become better at this?

I approach writing lyrics as I do music. I start with image and color. Words, aside from their meaning, have a phonetic impact. I like to play around with how they sound as well as what they mean. I don't want to be overly judgemental but if one needs software to write lyrics you most likely don't have much to say and it's probably best to leave the lyrics to someone else. But I haven't tried the specific software mentioned, so maybe it's a legitimate means to generate ideas. Start with your own head, first.

nuxnamon · Post by **nuxnamon** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:51 pm

H20nly wrote:No offense, but I don't know how you get any soul out of software. Its one thing with beats and soundscapes but lyrics? I mean a thesaurus or something sure, but nothing can replace heart and soul. It kind of makes me a little ill that there is even a program out there advertised to help write a song. I guess I want to believe that they (songs) are a little more personal than that.

Sometimes my pen writes almost by itself... thats from inspiration. No software can do that.

no offense taken at all. it doesn't write lyrics for you.. it's just a fancy thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary.. you have a place to write all your lyrics, corrections, etc.. and once your done, send it to their database which get's time-stamped and just in case somebody steals your lyrics or something.. but that's all it is.. a tool, a notepad for ideas. just like ableton is whether you believe it or not.. heart and soul still required..

but yeah, everyone one is different. I type alot faster and can edit better than writing on paper.. in all, you'll get different methods and really, no one method is right except the one that works for you..

H20nly · Post by **H20nly** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:57 pm

nuxnamon wrote:no offense taken at all. it doesn't write lyrics for you.. it's just a fancy thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary.. you have a place to write all your lyrics, corrections, etc.. and once your done, send it to their database which get's time-stamped and just in case somebody steals your lyrics or something.. but that's all it is.. a tool, a notepad for ideas. just like ableton is whether you believe it or not.. heart and soul still required..

Cool. I'm actualy really glad you posted that. It makes me feel better... not that that matters but... well, I think you know what I mean.

Ed J · Post by **Ed J** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:00 pm

I always find it's way easier to write lyrics when I'm 3-4 beers in and can sit with a guitar or keyboard and smoke (chiche, but fuck it).
But if you're sat really trying to write good lyrics I always find they come out like crap, the best stuff I write comes out when Im, just humming some tune in my head and start singing randomly, much to the dismay of my housemates =D

slatepipe · Post by **slatepipe** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:30 pm

yeh - a pen and pad, or something to make notes on, like your phone or whatever
then when you're going about your daily business and you get one of those moments when you think 'that could be a good lyric', like you hear someone say something or some printed matter fragment comes your way, then you can capture it and save it for later to use
dont think yeah that's good i'll remember that because you never ever will - write it down or record it

collect all those bits and then let them be catalysts for further lyrical exploration, change some of them a bit, keep other ones.

thats what i do anyway, im not too into having references to my personal experiences in my lyrics but if i do then i tend to twist them around a bit and make them a bit more obscure

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