View Full Version : Lyrical effort
Hi
I've recently been trying to make lyrics for music that I have composed along with my band. However, my mind always seems to wander when I'm trying to put a song idea down. Basically I always end up writing down random rhymes and words which I like and put them together later when I see them fit.
How do you go about creating lyrics?
Can you offer me some advice as I've just recently started writing? I try not to write generic bullshit and generally try to keep it original. Too shy to post a sample, might post some later. :)
Ziggy St. Valentine
11-04-2008, 5:16 PM
Write what's going through your mind.
Pelican Man
11-04-2008, 6:07 PM
Listen to the music, and try and 'feel' what the vocal melody would be doing. That's the important part. Add lyrics afterwards.
If you're screaming though, obviously you don't need to worry about this as much, you just need to find decent lyrics.
Different people have different ways of writing lyrics, and often, that's what makes a band unique. Don't try and be told how to write lyrics, or your songs won't have soul. Find your own way of doing it, then stick with it.
TheHighwaySong
11-04-2008, 6:38 PM
But also, don't expect to write a masterpiece on your very first try. You might have to rewrite that song 20 times, even if it means just changing one word in the chorus or a different note. Just keep practicing, and even get people's opinions on them, because you're eventually going to want to display it to a crowd right?
Basically you have to learn about rythm and flow of words, and don't be afraid to use new words, as long as they fit well. And to start you should just keep a journal and write how you feel and some ideas and then construct them into melodic form.
Android
11-05-2008, 10:04 AM
What we do in my band is get a song relatively complete with the music first. After that the singer hums a melody along with it, sings random vowels, or does yeahs/hays. Once you have a melody down that you like, try and write words to fit. You can do it this the opposite way though. Some people prefer to write down their lyrics first and then write the music around the lyrics. The problem with this is that you have to have a good idea of the rhythm you want to use for the melody. I wrote a song a while back that was actually just words and melody first, and I could sing it all the way through without any music. Later we ended up having a song that the melody just fit in.
P.S. Don't use colored text or I will ban you.
What kind of music?
I'm heavily influenced by black sabbath type of riffs, somewhat simple but you'll still get a raging hardon. Solos are pretty simple, and I'm not trying to play fast nor just play slow and bluesy. It's just supposed o sound good and I think I have a pretty good ear for that. But then again you might argue that it's all a matter of taste, which of course it is.
I try not to write lyrics as if they were coming straight out of the mouth of a depressed teenager. I don't really know of a better explanation so I'll just say that I always try to keep lyrics neutral and sort of balanced to the rest of the music. Vocals are supposed to be an instrument just like the guitar, the bass and the drums, and you're not supposed to play an extremely advanced bass line if the drummer can't keep up with it, right?
meTalmessiah
11-05-2008, 8:41 PM
I'm heavily influenced by black sabbath type of riffs, somewhat simple but you'll still get a raging hardon. Solos are pretty simple, and I'm not trying to play fast nor just play slow and bluesy. It's just supposed o sound good and I think I have a pretty good ear for that. But then again you might argue that it's all a matter of taste, which of course it is.
I try not to write lyrics as if they were coming straight out of the mouth of a depressed teenager. I don't really know of a better explanation so I'll just say that I always try to keep lyrics neutral and sort of balanced to the rest of the music. Vocals are supposed to be an instrument just like the guitar, the bass and the drums, and you're not supposed to play an extremely advanced bass line if the drummer can't keep up with it, right?
This is true in some cases, but you know that in some songs the vocals or the guitars just rape the rest of the instruments in the ass with their awesome. Don't limit your lyrics to what fits the song. If you have good, solid words and a great tone, then don't cut that back because the rest of the song isn't as prominent.
Also, man up and post a sample so we can actually help. Or, if you think it might not be great, PM me with the lyrics or something and I'll help you clean them up before the general public has a chance to scorn you.
The_Solipsist
11-05-2008, 8:48 PM
My advice, try to stay away from over used euphemisms.
Crabstick
11-05-2008, 9:12 PM
It's also going to depend on how good your vocabulary is. Something I always found to work was to write down what you're trying to say with your lyrics, and it doesn't need to be meaningful, or even mean a single thing. Just progress to the next line, and don't worry about trying to make it rhyme, as long as it's got some flow to it.
Once you've got a skeleton of your lyrics, you can go back and change words to fit the rhythm and see what you can make rhyme. A thesaurus can come in handy, even if it is kinda nerdy.
I know it's a fairly roundabout way of doing it, but it worked for me, so knock yourself out trying.
If you want Sabbath-y lyrics just listen to an overload of Sabbath. Just sit and let the pure awesome sink in until you get lyrical ideas. I have done that with bands such as Iron Maiden, Dio, and Metallica. It worked.
meTalmessiah
11-05-2008, 10:05 PM
Also:
http://www.rhymezone.com/
Excellent rhyming dictionary if you start struggling with words. Sometimes it's just faster than a thesaurus to find the right words, and occasionally when I'm stuck and need help, it gives me inspiration as to what to say next.
This is true in some cases, but you know that in some songs the vocals or the guitars just rape the rest of the instruments in the ass with their awesome. Don't limit your lyrics to what fits the song. If you have good, solid words and a great tone, then don't cut that back because the rest of the song isn't as prominent.
Also, man up and post a sample so we can actually help. Or, if you think it might not be great, PM me with the lyrics or something and I'll help you clean them up before the general public has a chance to scorn you.
Alright I will. Doing some final clean-up on whatever I deem worthy of explosm forums.
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