1. davfreds

    davfreds New Member

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    lyric help

    Discussion in 'Research' started by davfreds, Jul 18, 2011.

    I write lyrics. I really want to get better since I am a songwriter with an unfair balance to the musical side. Practice makes perfect? Well no doubt! But to practice lyric writing I need topics. How do you poets and lyricists come up with ideas?
     
  2. superman

    superman New Member

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    pick a topic and run with it

    for poem i break the things you want to say into lines and verses, then go through the thesaurus to make things rhyme lol.

    For lyrics i find at the start i write things down, then i sort of just sing it and add bits in as i go, making them up then writing them down. Sort of like when you like a song but cant remember the words so you add in your own lol.

    Kind Regards
     
  3. davfreds

    davfreds New Member

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    Yeah but the problem with that is I'm indecisive. I cant settle with something. I listen to a lot of Pink Floyd. If you don't know, they have very deep lyrics. I don't want to compare with them but everything seems so childish.
     
  4. VM80

    VM80 Contributor Contributor

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    Don't overthink. Lyrics are short, if you don't like 'em you can always write more.

    I'm not sure what else to advise. I write songs too, and it used to be the words that came easier than the music. Now it's much more equal.

    I get inspiration everywhere - other music, books, the world, people around me. What are you passionate about? Write what you feel or what moves you.

    Sometimes one phrase or sentence can spark something, for me. I remember one time a newsreader said so-and-so 'has had enough kicks in their face'. That was enough to make me write one of my first songs.
     
  5. davfreds

    davfreds New Member

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    Alright, I'll try to keep my mind focused on lyrics. People say a lot "write about your life!" well nothing ever happens in my life. wake up. play music. thats about it.
     
  6. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    i'm a lyricist, among many other writerly things, so if you want a mentor, drop me a line any time...

    love and hugs, maia
    maia3maia@hotmail.com
     
  7. VM80

    VM80 Contributor Contributor

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    You don't have to write about your life.

    Do you have any stories you wanna tell via song?
    Are there are issues (political, social etc) you'd like to vent/write about?
    Love songs?

    There are so many topics you could write about.

    What style of music do you play?
     
  8. davfreds

    davfreds New Member

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    I do have a few political ideas. not a bit of love here. except for my family. And basically my life is not really that special. I've mostly done the same thing day after day. I am not an unhappy person, its just that like I've said I'm indecisive. I do not know how to help that.
     
  9. JeffS65

    JeffS65 New Member

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    Write words without any sense of whether they should rhyme. At least to start. Startin the first two lines as a couplet is a constricting way to tell a story. Tell a story first, then get it to flow. You'll find that you don't need everything to rhyme per se, just sound good together.

    Still, write a story even if the story is a 'vibe' that has no realy beginning, end or resolution. Don't try to be cool. Skip the subject that you think are cool. They are going to kill you in the end.

    Key is to get the ideas and words down and then finesse them in to something song-like.
     
  10. Batgoat

    Batgoat New Member

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    When you first start writing lyrics, they will come off as either childish or pretentious. That's why you start writing them, and continue doing so, refining and improving. As for topics, you can write a song--just like a poem--about anything you so desire. The toaster in your kitchen can be a song. The only limit is your imagination.
     
  11. daftcrew

    daftcrew New Member

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    There is your topic/lyrics.
     
  12. VM80

    VM80 Contributor Contributor

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    Actually, indecision is not a bad topic to explore. I wrote a song called 'Sweet indecision' fairly recently.
     
  13. superman

    superman New Member

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    love
    war
    friendship
    enemies
    the past,
    the future
    happiness
    depression
    money
    family
    loss
    victory
    defeat
    religion

    loads of topics

    then of course there are less serious ones like partying etc
     

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