Which comes first, the music or the lyrics?

[yake12]

First off, you don't write a music, you compose it, right?

Anyway, usually music always comes first before the words. It would be easier to write the lyrics if you already have the music. Unlike the other way around, that's kind of hard.

ya maybe from your opinion but for some people its easier to "compose" a song by writing lyrics first... it all depends on personal preferance

 

[joeym]

music first....in the sense that I write the hookline melody first. Rest comes later. Lyrics are overrated (and that's coming from a singer.....)

 

[cashcohen]

I'm really surprised by poll. I write my lyrics first 90% of time. Usually, a melody begins to form as I'm in the midst of writing.

From the lyrics comes rhythm, from rhythm melody, and from melody chord changes. Trying to cram lyrics into a predefined melody, or a melody into predefined changes makes my songwriting feel lifeless and robotic.

But hey, whatever gets the job done!

 

[cashcohen]

For me it's what I call the flash method, where in a flash I get a song, some lyrics and a groove. This has happened since I was about 12.

It's like I opened the door of a room and I hear a band playing the tune. I get the lyrics and music all at once. Then I fill in the blanks.

I totally get this. It usually happens during/after a long shower/walk. If I sit down and TRY to write, I fail 99% of the time.

 

[Absolutepower]

I find the lyrics the hardest part so I come up with them first. I'll spend some time just writing poetry, and some random stream of consciousness stuff. When I finally write some good lyrics, I put it into verse and chorus form. Once this happens, I just sit with a guitar, and the melody and chords kind of suggest themselves from the lyrics. Usually after that point I make a lot of changes to the lyrics to fit a rhythm or just changing words around.

 

[kratos]

I would say music 40% and lyrics 60%
You may have the best music ever but if youre shit at writing lyrics or executing it then youve killed your own song.

 

[dintymoore]

I totally get this. It usually happens during/after a long shower/walk. If I sit down and TRY to write, I fail 99% of the time.

I didn't come up with that, I heard Barry Gibb (Bee Gees) say he got all his songs in a flash.

I always have a hard time when people say something like "I want to write a song about my daughter". To me it's sorta like saying you want to dream you're in Paris when you sleep tonight.

But in the end it doesn't matter as long as the song works.

 

[cashcohen]

But in the end it doesn't matter as long as the song works.

Yup. I usually get my song ideas in a sudden flash of inspiration, but I also tend to expend conscious energy on massaging them later. There's no one method or mindset that always yields results.

 

[grimtraveller]

I would say music 40% and lyrics 60%
You may have the best music ever but if youre shit at writing lyrics or executing it then youve killed your own song.

I wouldn't say that. Actually, I'd put it the other way around. You can have the most fantastic lyric, with the deepest ever meaning and the most compelling meter and rhyme scheme and emotional content, but if the music is bland......

In the early 70s there was this band called Middle of the road. They were a pop band and their songs were and for me still are, compelling. Great pop. Love them to the power of 7. But lyrically.....! There have been few worse lyrics in the history of the human race than on some of their songs. Stuff like "Queen bee", "Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep", "Medicine woman", if I wasn't so shameless, I'd wear a disguise before admitting that I like their songs.

 

[timtimtim]

I wouldn't say that. Actually, I'd put it the other way around. You can have the most fantastic lyric, with the deepest ever meaning and the most compelling meter and rhyme scheme and emotional content, but if the music is bland......

In the early 70s there was this band called Middle of the road. They were a pop band and their songs were and for me still are, compelling. Great pop. Love them to the power of 7. But lyrically.....! There have been few worse lyrics in the history of the human race than on some of their songs. Stuff like "Queen bee", "Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep", "Medicine woman", if I wasn't so shameless, I'd wear a disguise before admitting that I like their songs.

I'm with grimtraveller on this one. For me the music is what it's all about and lyrics are of secondary importance, though I do know that good lyrics, or just evocative words or phrases, can really enhance the effect of good music. A lot of my lyrics are completely meaningless, but the sound of the words or the associations with the words emphasises the mood of the music.

 

[guitaristic]

For me it's what I call the flash method, where in a flash I get a song, some lyrics and a groove. This has happened since I was about 12.

It's like I opened the door of a room and I hear a band playing the tune. I get the lyrics and music all at once. Then I fill in the blanks.

It almost always happens away from my musical instruments. I can see it written out in music paper in my head so I never write them down, I have some I've remembered for 35 years I've never played at an instrument yet.

I don't believe in God or a higher power but it's like I have nothing to do with it, like it comes through me.

I know what you mean! I get the music flashes too
It doesn't happen with lyrics that often for me, but music-wise, it's like I can hear the whole band playing. I'm able to pick out all the parts and everything!

 

[guitaristic]

I would say music 40% and lyrics 60%
You may have the best music ever but if youre shit at writing lyrics or executing it then youve killed your own song.

Not really. Beethoven and the rest o' of the gang did nicely without lyrics

To me, the music conveys emotion much more powerfully than lyrics (but they can be powerful too).

 

[Spike]

I can honestly say I don't think I've ever written a song where the lyrics have come first. For me it is always the music. Usually on acoustic guitar. I play around with a few chords or a riff, and only when I'm happy with what I've got will I even think about lyrics.

 

[IMHO]

The music of the words first, to the point where it's not just a text but really lyrics. The voice is the instrument.

 

[drhawks]

Most often the music comes first. Almost always have a working title in mind,, then write to figure out how to get there. ( also.. am I thinking ballad,uptempo... what is the mood?)

 

[matttheaxe]

After interviewing a lot of listeners I have discovered that what the care about most is
#1 Beat or groove
#2 Singer's sound & melody
#3 lyrics
#4 guitars
#5 bass
#6 pulled from #4 dead last........guitar solos

 

[Whatmysay]

The myric or sometimes the lusic

Please kill this thraed - its making me disloxic

 

[Jiri92]

DEFINATLY Music first,then the babble of sounds that seem to have no meaning,then certain vowels and words appear.
After that I usally have an ideal how I want them to go.Lay on the couch,open my mind's eye and let them flow thru.....

I have not read through this entire thread, but this is mostly how I do it.

I usually start writing and come up with a 4 bar pattern, which usually ends up being some sort of chorus. Having this 4 bar pattern gives me a feel of the mood and theme of the song, I often get pictures of a scene, like a story. Based upon this I start creating the rest of the song, musically. Then after it's finished I just put the song on repeat and start mumbling random syllables. These turn into words, and words turning into sentences.

 

[kalabian666]

For a death metal band, anything comes first.

 

[D. Lundy]

I always start out every composition with a chord progression or keyboard motif. From there I develop a melody and then eventually lyrics.

Music first.