How do I write good lyrics?
I used to make songs a while ago and I wanna get back into that, but whenever I try to write lyrics my mind just goes blank. What should I do?
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Expert Comments
One of the best ways to become a better songwriter is to turn to the songs and poetry you admire for inspiration. Maybe take a break from writing your own lyrics and listen to your favorite songs again: what is it about them you love? What do you find moving or meaningful about them?
When you do sit down to write, go slow, and don't feel pressured to write a perfect song from the get-go: it may take time, especially if you haven't done it in a while. Brainstorming and freewriting can help you develop ideas to write about. So can changing your environment: take a walk, and take notes about what you observe.
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When you do sit down to write, go slow, and don't feel pressured to write a perfect song from the get-go: it may take time, especially if you haven't done it in a while. Brainstorming and freewriting can help you develop ideas to write about. So can changing your environment: take a walk, and take notes about what you observe.
Just start writing
. Begin. Get the muscle moving. It’s less intimidating once you start, and spontaneity can be powerful. Once a creative, always a creative. You don’t lose that. When you start writing again, that part of your brain activates.
Personally, I don’t write lyrics on paper. I start with humming and melodies. Melody always comes first for me. But some writers are lyric-driven. Think of songwriting like poetry—take The Star-Spangled Banner. It started as a poem by Francis Scott Key before becoming a song. Songwriting is essentially words plus melody.
If you’ve been writing a lot and hit a block, take a break—go for a walk, clear your head. But if you haven’t written in a while and feel blocked, you need to start writing again. It’s like going back to the gym. It might feel hard at first, but once you start moving, the energy returns . It’s all about getting into the groove again.
View hidden comment
Personally, I don’t write lyrics on paper. I start with humming and melodies. Melody always comes first for me. But some writers are lyric-driven. Think of songwriting like poetry—take The Star-Spangled Banner. It started as a poem by Francis Scott Key before becoming a song. Songwriting is essentially words plus melody.
If you’ve been writing a lot and hit a block, take a break—go for a walk, clear your head. But if you haven’t written in a while and feel blocked, you need to start writing again. It’s like going back to the gym. It might feel hard at first, but once you start moving, the energy returns . It’s all about getting into the groove again.
The best thing is to just rip the Band-Aid off and pick up your guitar and just get in there and start. Starting is the most important thing
because if you never start, you never create anything. Songwriters and creatives tend to be very self-critical of their thoughts and their songs and whatever they're coming up with, because a lot of the time it's so personal, because songwriting is personal
. Lots of people use their journeys or their friends’ journeys, and it feels very personal. So, the very first thing would be to just start with anything.
And then, what helps me is knowing that my first song is always going to be my worst. So, just knowing that it is a journey. And who knows? Maybe you write the first one and you're like, “Oh, I thought it was going to be the worst and this is great,” but not really expecting too much. You can sit down and you can write a song and nobody has to hear it, or it could be great and you can let everybody hear it, but you don't have to share it with everybody yet.
Just giving yourself half an hour or even just starting by telling yourself, “I'm going to write for five minutes,” and then that five minutes somehow turns into 30 minutes. I think those are things that helped me when I'm stuck in a rut.
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And then, what helps me is knowing that my first song is always going to be my worst. So, just knowing that it is a journey. And who knows? Maybe you write the first one and you're like, “Oh, I thought it was going to be the worst and this is great,” but not really expecting too much. You can sit down and you can write a song and nobody has to hear it, or it could be great and you can let everybody hear it, but you don't have to share it with everybody yet.
Just giving yourself half an hour or even just starting by telling yourself, “I'm going to write for five minutes,” and then that five minutes somehow turns into 30 minutes. I think those are things that helped me when I'm stuck in a rut.
Reader Comments
Watch a Ralph Murphy lecture on songwriting. He’s been making hits for like 50 years. He has so much good info for writing music. I suggest everyone check him out on YouTube. . . . Me personally, I usually hum and mumble over chord progressions I make and then words start to form in places. I’ll write those down and then start working out from there. I use Ralph Murphy’s tips to avoid pitfalls which has been the most beneficial to my songwriting.
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