How to Write Song Lyrics

The question arises from time to time:  “can you learn how to write song lyrics?” and the answers seem to fall between two extremes. There’s the idea that some people just ahappen to be born with some kind of gift, and the new song lyrics ideas just flow out of them without having to do anything at all. That the “I just hold the pen” camp. Then there’s an ultra pragmatist view which holds that in order to learn how to write successful song lyrics you need to study commercial hit songs very carefully and copy each of the tricks and techniques which the songwriters have employed in them.

The truth of the matter, and the best pathway for any aspiring songwriter to take probably lies somewhere between the two attitudes. Yes, it does help to have a bit of an understanding of how song lyrics are structured, and to some extent you can learn how to make the process more likely to happen, but you don’t want to become overly analytical about it especially in the moment when you are writing your first song lyric ideas down in draft form. In the Songwriters Circle we try to get the balance right. Some excercises will open your eyes to conventions and forms, to guide your songwriting along a path that avoids too many dead ends and false starts. Others are simply designed to tease your creativity into a little bit more regular exercise.

The Songwriters Circle 30 Day Challenge concentrates about sixty percent on writing lyrics and also includes some days where the music is developed, suitable for complete beginners. After signing up with your best email address, you will receive a further confirmation within 24 hours, and on the first Monday of the month, a password for accessing the daily content as it is posted and the Songwriters Circle cohort community.