Writing Lyrics

I am a lyrics matters guy. If my words aren't saying something, then for me I have no reason to make the song.

See, I don't think that way at all. The point for me is to make a catchy melody that gets stuck in someone's head. I don't care if they like the lyrics, or understand them, or put any other meaning into them - if I hear someone humming my melodies, I consider it job well done.
 
This is a simple 3-chord rock ditty which began when "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" by The Hollies got stuck in my head.
All I could hear over and over was "Long Cool Woman.." and my mind morphed it into "Long tall woman..". I have no idea where the
rest of the lyrics came from, they just popped into my head - took about 10 minutes to write the whole song.

Now I'm not prone to suicidal thoughts, but that's what this song turned out to be - a guy and a gal intent on ending it all by
taking a long walk off a short pier. They just happen to meet as they were doing this at the same place and time of night.

I've attached a rough version I recorded some time ago. There is very little processing, just a quick recording full of terrible
esses, pops, and clicks.




She was a long tall woman walkin' down a short ocean pier
We got to talkin' 'bout some things that brought us here
Our stories were mostly the same
Different places, times, different names
All conspired to drive us insane on this short ocean pier

[Lead Break]

A long talk just seemed to impede
That long walk we both thought we needed
All at once it was so crystal clear on that short ocean pier
On that short ocean pier
On that short ocean pier
On that short ocean pier

[Fade] ..splash.. splash
 
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I've just been thinking about "Green Green Grass of Home" by Tom Jones, a song I consider to be a masterpiece. I start to wonder if the thing was penned by human hands! Looking at it, the genius is not in idiom or mystique -- the words are cut and dried -- but in the drama. It uses a phenomenon many of us have experienced (the vivid dream) to describe, extremely starkly, something none of us have experienced (final night on death row). In a vicious twist, it turns the dream on its head and reveals its hidden meaning.

Vocally, Tom Jones nails it. He captures the surreal mood. And every thing, every line, fits. The vividness of the dream is in the colours ("green, green, grass", "lips like cherries", "hair of gold") -- all the exaggerated tones of a vivid dream. The scenery jumps around, just as in a dream mimicking the whims and emotions of the dreamer! Genius! Any disconnectedness of the lyrics is swallowed up right there. Then the coup de grace! The song itself has an open meaning, but describes something with a hidden meaning.

How was that written!!!
 
AFA instrumentals...they are, IMO, so much more easier to deal with. 1.) You don't have to come up with lyrics, and 2.) you don't have to mix around a lead vocal. So there's way more freedom to do things and not have a need for them to make sense, to mean something...or to figure out technically how to make them all work in the mix. Without lyrics and vocals, the instruments all become somewhat free to "move"...and there's many ways you can go when you don't have that central vocal w/lyrics to work everything else around. There's less worry about the instruments fighting the vocals and allowing the lyrics to be understood.

:) You are so right about the instrumental, I think that is why I do it to get relief from the song writing part. But still, to me anyway, I need to feel like, I am still telling a story musically, I just don't have to struggle with the words, just the notes. And that does some easier.

As far as mixing an instrumental, I 100% agree it seems it is so much easier since the vocals don't get in the way.
 
I'm working on a song right now where I will do both an instrumental version and one with vocals.
Never tried this before with the same song...but this one has possibilities.
 
So....

Lyrics don't have to rhyme.

Loose rhyming is better. It's more about compatible sounds.

Too much rhyming ruins the lyrics.

I hate rap.

True or false?
 
There’s no right or wrong here.....no better or worse IMO. It’s interesting to see how different writers approach lyrics.....but there’s no way to say any certain approach is better or worse.....as there are thousands of wildly popular songs that could support or debunk anyone’s theory about how to write lyrics.
 
So....

Lyrics don't have to rhyme.

Loose rhyming is better. It's more about compatible sounds.

Too much rhyming ruins the lyrics.

I hate rap.

True or false?

True
Depends
False
Your own choice!


I co-facilitate a monthly songwriter group that gets together and people play a new song they're working on, handing out lyric sheets so the others can read along. Even if you *want* lyrics that people can interpret in different ways, getting feedback during the writing stage can be valuable. If you write the lyrics to 'go with' the music you've already written, put them down on paper, and hand them to somenoe to read and see what they think of them 'stand alone'.
 
There’s no right or wrong here.....no better or worse IMO. It’s interesting to see how different writers approach lyrics.....but there’s no way to say any certain approach is better or worse.....as there are thousands of wildly popular songs that could support or debunk anyone’s theory about how to write lyrics.

So far what I have read of all the posts, no one has said a right/wrong, just how they do it.

You are right and I think everyone who has posted would agree with you, there is no right/wrong way.

But it is still nice to discuss with each other to see what others do and to ask questions. And what is really nice, it has been a very pleasurable thread because it is an open minded discussion.
 
So....

Lyrics don't have to rhyme.

Loose rhyming is better. It's more about compatible sounds.

Too much rhyming ruins the lyrics.

I hate rap.

True or false?


Well... :D ...you lumped too many things there for a single "true or false" answer.

I like me some rhyme, but not every 3-4 words...not Rap-like. :p
Sometimes I'll stretch it out so the rhyme comes a couple/three lines apart...so it's more subtle...but I think having some rhyme helps to lock in the overall groove.
I've done the occasional lyric without rhyme in the verses...but then the chorus will have it.
Maybe there's been 1-2 songs that had no rhyme at all...I don't remember them if there were. :)
 
I wonder how many high school rockers discovered "night time is the right time" and thought it was original and cool...
 
I always like watching shows like PBS' American Experience when they cover some famous rocker and show their lyric scratchings on
whatever was at hand. Most of those notes are a mess to look at, but what great music came of them.
 
It just dawned on me...but why is this thread here in the Vocal Techniques & Processing forum...? ...shouldn't it be in the Songwriting & Composition forum?
 
It just dawned on me...but why is this thread here in the Vocal Techniques & Processing forum...? ...shouldn't it be in the Songwriting & Composition forum?

You're right. My mistake. I don't post too much in these parts. Good call.
 
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