How to Become a Lyricist
Learn what it takes to write a good song lyric., Learn how to structure a song., Continue learning your craft.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn what it takes to write a good song lyric.
Although a song lyric looks like a poem and uses many of the same poetic techniques and descriptive imagery, a song lyric needs to be written for the ear instead of the eye.
While a poem can deliver complex ideas in a complex format, a song lyric must rapidly deliver simple, powerful ideas in a clear and focused manner.
A good song lyric needs the following:
A memorable title.
Many country songs are famous for their titles, such as Paul Craft's "Drop Kick Me, Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life)." A "hook," or memorable phrase in the body of the lyric that often connects back to the song's title.
In Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell's "Georgia on My Mind," the hook is "Georgia, Georgia," which begins most lines of the song.
A clear theme or story that can easily be followed throughout the song.
Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" is about a convicted murderer lamenting the loss of his freedom while watching a train pass his prison cell.
Imaginative and engaging rhymes.
The Toby Keith song "A Little Less Talk," written by Keith Hinton and Jimmy Alan Stewart, features the lines "The look she shot me through the glass refraction said, 'A little less talk and a lot more action.' " Imagery that lives in the mind.
In Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville," the line in the chorus "Searching for my lost shaker of salt" shows the singer's emotional state of feeling he can't do anything worthwhile. -
Step 2: Learn how to structure a song.
In addition to having the components described in the previous step, a song lyric has a structure of 1 or more verses, a chorus that repeats after each verse and frequently also a bridge separating the last repetition of the chorus from its next to last repetition.
Each verse usually has different words, but all verses are sung to the same melody.
Some verses include a "pre-chorus," a line that prepares the listener for the chorus.
The chorus uses the same melody and the same, or nearly the same, words each time it is sung.
It provides the song's emotional impact, often incorporating the song's title in its lyrics.
The bridge has a different melodic and lyrical structure than either the verse or the chorus.
It provides a break in the song and often includes a moment of revelation. , Read books, attend classes and seminars, and incorporate what you learn into how you write lyrics.
Attending songwriting workshops and seminars also provides an opportunity to network. -
Step 3: Continue learning your craft.
Detailed Guide
Although a song lyric looks like a poem and uses many of the same poetic techniques and descriptive imagery, a song lyric needs to be written for the ear instead of the eye.
While a poem can deliver complex ideas in a complex format, a song lyric must rapidly deliver simple, powerful ideas in a clear and focused manner.
A good song lyric needs the following:
A memorable title.
Many country songs are famous for their titles, such as Paul Craft's "Drop Kick Me, Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life)." A "hook," or memorable phrase in the body of the lyric that often connects back to the song's title.
In Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell's "Georgia on My Mind," the hook is "Georgia, Georgia," which begins most lines of the song.
A clear theme or story that can easily be followed throughout the song.
Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" is about a convicted murderer lamenting the loss of his freedom while watching a train pass his prison cell.
Imaginative and engaging rhymes.
The Toby Keith song "A Little Less Talk," written by Keith Hinton and Jimmy Alan Stewart, features the lines "The look she shot me through the glass refraction said, 'A little less talk and a lot more action.' " Imagery that lives in the mind.
In Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville," the line in the chorus "Searching for my lost shaker of salt" shows the singer's emotional state of feeling he can't do anything worthwhile.
In addition to having the components described in the previous step, a song lyric has a structure of 1 or more verses, a chorus that repeats after each verse and frequently also a bridge separating the last repetition of the chorus from its next to last repetition.
Each verse usually has different words, but all verses are sung to the same melody.
Some verses include a "pre-chorus," a line that prepares the listener for the chorus.
The chorus uses the same melody and the same, or nearly the same, words each time it is sung.
It provides the song's emotional impact, often incorporating the song's title in its lyrics.
The bridge has a different melodic and lyrical structure than either the verse or the chorus.
It provides a break in the song and often includes a moment of revelation. , Read books, attend classes and seminars, and incorporate what you learn into how you write lyrics.
Attending songwriting workshops and seminars also provides an opportunity to network.
About the Author
Raymond Palmer
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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