Writing Lyrics.......tips/tricks etc...?

[SuperDuperStar]

Anyone on here contribute lyrically to their bands? If so how do you go about writing? Do get into a certain mind set or use outside influences? Spill it.

[trog]

I write down whatever spills forth from mine head, then make it a bit more poetic.

I imagine writing lyrics is a very personal thing, and that everyone will have a different way of doing it which works for them.

[Bushfire]

Each song is different. My 'generic' approach is to play the chord progression on a guitar and piano over and over again; and mumble incoherently to it. I turn the mumbles into the first line, from there it's pretty easy!

Oh, and I think theres been some discussion on this before, but I'm too lazy to search at the moment.

-Bernard.

[JimmyM]

Whatever you do, make your lyrics come from the heart. They don't have to be deep, but you need to mean every single word in them.

[Bard2dbone]

It's always easiest to write about things that make you mad. Anything you feel strongly about, for good or bad, is a possibility.

So think about something you feel strongly and write it down. There you go that's your first line. A lot of songwriters start that way.

Alternatively, tell a story. Here's a summary of a song I wrote in the '80's:

A guy goes into a doctors office. The guy tells the doctor he's so depressed he doesn't want to live anymore. It's just not worth it. The doctor 'Hey, this is easy to fix. The best clown in the world is in town tonight, He's so funny that he can make anyone laugh. A good laugh will make you feel better. Go see him.' and the guy says " But I AM him."

Now as a song it took a bit longer than that paragraph to tell the story, but it's the same story.

So look at what you have to say. It doesn't have to be deep. I think it's better if it is deep. But it doesn't have to be.

[burntgorilla]

You could try writing a story in your song, a la Bob Dylan. I find writing songs about emotions very hard, even if I don't feel those emotions.