This list will help you brainstorm lyrics for the song. So, don’t get too focused on working all of these words into a lyric. The idea is to start to build the vocabulary and lingo you’re going to use for the song. Because you’re likely writing the song to please the object of your affections or compliment her, focus on positive words and phrases that you think she would enjoy hearing in a song about her.
Put the phrases that sound good out loud into a list called “Possibles”, as they have lyrical potential.
See if you can create a line or phrase that seems to answer an idea or question in your “Possibles” list.
A verse in a song has the same melody but different lyrics. The verse paints a picture of a scene, a situation, an emotion, and/or the subject(s) in the song. The chorus usually appears three or four times throughout the song, depending on how long the song is, and the lyric and melody remain the same each time it recurs. The chorus lyrics should sum up the heart of the song or the overall message. The title of the song may also appear in the chorus. The bridge has a different melody, lyrics, and chord progression from a verse or chorus. It provides a break from the repetition of the verse and chorus. The lyrics in a bridge often provide an insight or revealing moment. The bridge can also add on to or extend an idea or thought in the verse or chorus.
Don’t forget to also try to integrate the title of the song in the chorus. For example, in the popular Bruno Mars song “Treasure”, he focuses on how special and “treasured” the girl is to him. In the chorus, he sings: “Treasure, that is what you are/ Honey you’re my golden star/ You know you can make my wish come true/ If you let me treasure you/ If you let me treasure you. ”[4] X Research source In the chorus, Mars reinforces the main idea of the song with other adjectives that play off of a treasure, such as “golden star”, while also keeping the lines short and to the point, as well as including the title of the song.
If we use Mars’ “Treasure” as an example again, he makes several direct statements in the chorus of the song, such as “that is what you are”, “you know you can make my wish come true” and “if you let me treasure you. ” In these phrases, he directly addresses the object of affections and tells her exactly how he feels.
For example, in Mars’ “Treasure”, the first verse is: “Give me all, give me all, give me all your attention baby/ I got to tell you a little something about yourself/ You’re wonderful, flawless oh you’re sexy lady/ But you walk around here like you wanna be someone else. ”[6] X Research source In this verse, Mars starts the conversation with the girl by telling her to give him her attention because he has something to tell her. He then tells her he think she’s “wonderful” “flawless” and “sexy”, but notes she doesn’t seem to realize how valuable she is (“wanna be someone else”). So, this verse ties into the idea of treasuring her, or seeing her worth and valuing that. It’s a good introduction to the main idea of the song and lets the listener know what they’re in store for.
Use the melodic element of speech to give your songs added emotional impact. Changing the pitch in your voice so it goes up at the end of a question or flattens out when you’re being sarcastic will add emotion to the song. [8] X Research source In most songs, the chorus will sound more urgent than the verses, and it will use a higher note range. So try to raise the pitch of your voice when singing the chorus. In Mars’ “Treasure”, he adds in an “Oh whoa-oh-oh” before the bridge to give the song a sense of urgency and melody. [9] X Research source Don’t be afraid to add “ohs” or “ahs” to the chorus or bridge to add emotional impact.
Using an instrument to compose the song will also help you find the right pitch for the melodies in the song. If you don’t play an instrument, ask a friend who does to play along as you compose. If you’d like to learn how to play chords on a guitar or piano, there are several learning methods available online. [11] X Research source
Try to show the song to someone who is close to the girl you are interested in, or who knows her well and can give you specific feedback about whether or not she would appreciate it.
