Songwriters, once you've written all your lyrics, how do you name your songs? Do you base the title after a repeated lyric in the chorus, or do you name it something co poetry different? Or do you like to give your dogs really long names a la Panic at the Disco? Obviously I'm speaking from a general sense, as I know every song name is different, but how do you generally name your songs?
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Naming songs
- Thread starter pushbuttonfour
- Start date
For the most part, the song names pretty much evolve on their own.
Usually it's the shortest possible name that still clues in the band as to which song it is. Typically the song name is a recognizable snippet from the lyrics.
Instrumentals tend to be named a bit more abstractly. Usually the name comes from something the band experienced while developing the song.
I don't like thinking too much about what a song (or band, for that matter) should be named. When I do, the names seem a bit pretentious or downright stupid.
Usually it's the shortest possible name that still clues in the band as to which song it is. Typically the song name is a recognizable snippet from the lyrics.
Instrumentals tend to be named a bit more abstractly. Usually the name comes from something the band experienced while developing the song.
I don't like thinking too much about what a song (or band, for that matter) should be named. When I do, the names seem a bit pretentious or downright stupid.
The ones I've written? Well, since I've only written three sets of lyrics so far, let's see...
One of them is named after a line in the first verse, "Hiding in the Light," with a potential alternate title of "The Invisible".
Another is named "Aisling (Ashling)", which derives from an Irish name meaning "dream" apparently, fitting some of the themes of the song (it's one of those longer prog epics)
The last is named "Facade" right now, but could change. That's based off the theme of the song, which is concealing past wrongs.
One of them is named after a line in the first verse, "Hiding in the Light," with a potential alternate title of "The Invisible".
Another is named "Aisling (Ashling)", which derives from an Irish name meaning "dream" apparently, fitting some of the themes of the song (it's one of those longer prog epics)
The last is named "Facade" right now, but could change. That's based off the theme of the song, which is concealing past wrongs.
Could be a name or phrase that is related or representative of the lyrical content. For a super generic example, a song about sadness could be named "Sadness," even if the word is never used during the song. Sometimes it makes sense to name it after a hook. That can be more memorable and help get you fans, because they remember the name of the song is the same as what you're singing during the hook.
Well, most of the time, I hear the music and have an almost instantaneous thought of title and concept. I heard a jazz piece last night and was asked to do a vocal - thought immediately came, "Don't want to get caught in the rain"...which became a line in the song, and ultimately became "After the rain" as a title.
Did a blues song recently, heard the music and thought "Fresh Daisy", which ended up being a song about a woman who was a conniver, married and with a kid but on the prowl.
Last night, was presented with a pre titled song called "You are near", ended up being a story of an old man who pulls a faded photo out of a drawer and is consumed by memories....
It varies. I rarely write lyrics first; music tends to evoke an immediate thought and premise which I work to.
Chris
Www.soundcloud,com/popbumper
Did a blues song recently, heard the music and thought "Fresh Daisy", which ended up being a song about a woman who was a conniver, married and with a kid but on the prowl.
Last night, was presented with a pre titled song called "You are near", ended up being a story of an old man who pulls a faded photo out of a drawer and is consumed by memories....
It varies. I rarely write lyrics first; music tends to evoke an immediate thought and premise which I work to.
Chris
Www.soundcloud,com/popbumper
we give them hilarious and/or awesome working titles and then the vocalist renames them. most of the time they have something to do wit the song
our ep:
Friday Night: lyric "we live each day like it's Friday night"
The Unbeaten Path: just has to do with the lyrics of the song
The South: has nothing to do with anything
Taking the Law Into Our Own Hands: from the refrain at the end.
demo:
You Can't Shake Hands With A Fist: last line of the song, a summary of the entire song really.
current material we're working on:
Breathe Life: no idea, I don't know the lyrics
Reborn: taken from a powerful line in the song before the ending
I Left My Heart In Dixie: line in the song. working title when it was written, pre lyrics, was I left my heart in Biloxi
Our Own Demise: no idea, original working title was "saddle up"
Eternal: no idea again, original working title was "hashtag realtalk"
Through The Smoke: line in the song and wrote by a guitarist writing with a lot of "smoke"
former working titles include: slow and heavy wins the race, my mustache brings all the boys to tha yard, $h!tbrick, and "the legend of the gorse"
obviously we're all over the place.
our ep:
Friday Night: lyric "we live each day like it's Friday night"
The Unbeaten Path: just has to do with the lyrics of the song
The South: has nothing to do with anything
Taking the Law Into Our Own Hands: from the refrain at the end.
demo:
You Can't Shake Hands With A Fist: last line of the song, a summary of the entire song really.
current material we're working on:
Breathe Life: no idea, I don't know the lyrics
Reborn: taken from a powerful line in the song before the ending
I Left My Heart In Dixie: line in the song. working title when it was written, pre lyrics, was I left my heart in Biloxi
Our Own Demise: no idea, original working title was "saddle up"
Eternal: no idea again, original working title was "hashtag realtalk"
Through The Smoke: line in the song and wrote by a guitarist writing with a lot of "smoke"
former working titles include: slow and heavy wins the race, my mustache brings all the boys to tha yard, $h!tbrick, and "the legend of the gorse"
obviously we're all over the place.
I think of what I was thinking of when I wrote the song. First thing that pops in my head is usually the song title. Sometimes it's self explanatory.
Haven't written too many yet - not that have actually become songs, anyway, there's lots of lyric drafts in my notebooks. My opinion on it, thought, is that no matter what name you try to give it, anyone in the public is going to remember the most prominent or recurring word or phrase in the lyrics. You may as well accept that for 90% of the public, the true title of "Baba O'Riley" is "Teenage Wasteland," so name your own songs accordingly. Anything else might be clever and cute but doesn't help potential new fans find your music.
Historically, a lot of songs didn't get distinct formal titles, they were just called by their opening line.
Historically, a lot of songs didn't get distinct formal titles, they were just called by their opening line.
My working titles go something like this: "that riff in drop D" or "this song I've been working on"
When I write lyrics I don't usually think of a title until it's all done (I also highly dislike lyric writing). For example the one song I have properly recorded is called "power & sound" a derivative of the first line "the power in the sound" and I didn't name it until I was driving up to the studio to do mixing.
When I write lyrics I don't usually think of a title until it's all done (I also highly dislike lyric writing). For example the one song I have properly recorded is called "power & sound" a derivative of the first line "the power in the sound" and I didn't name it until I was driving up to the studio to do mixing.
