A Message to a Distant Shore

I was just watching a news story about a girl whose father was Chief Steward on Malaysian Flight 370, the plane that has disappeared over the Indian Ocean. Not knowing whether her father is alive or dead, not know how to reach him but needing to connect, needing to believe he can hear her, she turned to Twitter.

She lets her father know he’s missing his favorite football game, the one they always watch together. She tweets raw feelings: “Daddy, come home. I miss you.”  She sends the tweets out into the vague, everywhere-ness of the Internet. Isn’t it just possible that somewhere, she thinks, somehow, in this vast, airy endless space, he might hear her?

We often make fun of Twitter as 144 characters of trivia. But a few words in the hands of strong emotion can be so much more. 

VIDEO: Secrets of Hit Songwriting – “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson

“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” is a major hit song that’s a master class in songwriting for the Pop charts. Learn today’s hottest song structure for radio hits, plus ideas on how to write a great Pop lyric and build emotional energy into your melody. I’ll take you through this song step-by-step and show you simple exercises that will get you writing like the pro’s do!

Add Emotion to Your Lyrics

Moon and LoversLet’s say you’re in love with someone and you want to let that person know how you feel. You could simply walk up to them and say, “I love you.” That might work. Or you could make an effort to create the right surroundings: The two of you take a walk along the beach, holding hands on a summer evening, a light mist floating in the air. Then, as the moon rises and hangs like a giant disco ball in the sky, you whisper, “I love you.”

Without a doubt, the second option seems more likely to convey your I-love-you message convincingly (except for the disco ball). And while it’s not guaranteed to make the other person love you in return, as a songwriter it’s definitely going to give your audience a better chance to feel what you’re feeling and believe you really are in love! And that’s what songs are all about.

When you give your listeners the details of an experience in a way they can see, feel, and touch, you draw them into the experience: they picture the beach at sunset, feel the warm air, and hear the words that are spoken. They’re involved in your situation without even thinking about it. Using the physical senses – sight, sound, smell, touch, taste – to convey emotions is much, MUCH more effective than simply telling your audience what you think or feel. Here’s how you do it.