A good lyric prompt can be incredibly useful. It can launch creative ideas and get a song going even on the toughest day. When you don’t feel like writing, the right nudge can turn that feeling around and get you excited again.
An effective lyric prompt gets your emotions, memories, physical senses, or inspiration engaged. For example: “Write a song about a memorable summer.” Summertime can evoke memories of lost loves (Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer”) or the joy of escape into a balmy summer night (The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Summer in the City”). The prompt encourages you to remember and feel the past, but lets you choose where you want to let those feelings take you.
On the other hand, a poor prompt can be a waste of valuable songwriting time. Prompt: Write a song about your favorite sandwich. Or don’t. I can sometimes smell a bad prompt when I see a chorus with an ill-fitting word. Prompt: Use the word “nosebleed” in your chorus. Really???
Here are 25 solid lyric prompts that are designed to get your emotions, physical senses, and inspiration engaged and a seriously good song lyric rolling forward.
Quick Tips
Start by jotting down words, phrases, and ideas suggested by the prompt. Try to avoid run-on or complicated sentences; they’re hard to turn into lyrics. Aim for phrases of one to eight words.
Don’t try to write perfect lyrics or rhymes while working to a prompt. Just get your initial feelings, thoughts, and reactions down. Come back later to develop and polish it up.
LYRIC PROMPTS: FINISH THE PHRASE
Imagine yourself in the situation and finish the phrase in italics with as many lines as you like.
#1. Talking to a friend who is facing a tough challenge…
“What I want you to know is…”
#2. Someone who is leaving a relationship …
“There’s nothing left to say except…”
#3. Talking to your soulmate…
“The reason that I love you is…”
#4. Working up to a hard truth…
“I’m not sure how to tell you this but…”
#5. Trying to motivate a group of people…
“Here’s what we need to do…”
LYRIC PROMPTS: USE A MEMORY
#6. Remember a girlfriend or boyfriend from your past. What happened to that relationship? What would you like to tell them now?
#7. Remember a trip you took with your family or a partner. Write down something you recall about that trip. Why did that particular thing stick in your memory? What was important about it?
LYRIC PROMPTS: USE A HIT SONG
#8. Pick a hit song or use one from this list and write a lyric from the perspective of the other person, the person the singer is singing to. How do you think they might reply?
- “Eleanor Rigby” – The Beatles
- “Say Something” – A Great Big World
- “Slow Dancing In a Burning Room” – John Mayer
- “Wind Beneath My Wings” – Bette Midler
- “Right Here Waiting” – Richard Marx
- “Hello” – Adele Watch the lyric video on YouTube.
#9. Listen to these three songs then write lyric about what makes a beautiful day for you.
- “Beautiful Day” – Joshua Radin
- “Best Day of My Life” – American Authors
- “What a Wonderful World” – Louis Armstrong
LYRIC PROMPTS: CONVINCE A STRANGER
Imagine you are in a situation where you need to convince a stranger of the truth of a statement (in italics below). How would you persuade them?
#10. I know you don’t believe me but…
One person really can make a difference.
#11. Let me explain…
Love is all you need.
#12. It’s true. I can prove it…
There will be better days.
#13. I can convince you that it’s good to…
Let go of the past and live for the moment.
LYRIC PROMPTS: WRITE ABOUT A CHARACTER
#14. Tell listeners more about one of these characters without using the hit song lyric. (Hint: you can write about the character or be the character yourself.)
- “Mama Tried” – Merle Haggard
- “Material Girl” – Madonna
- “One In Every Crowd” – Montgomery Gentry
- “Rhiannon” – Fleetwood Mac
- “You’re So Vain” – Carly Simon
#15. Some hit songs are about pairs of characters. Write a song about Bonnie and Clyde or Romeo and Juliette, or any pair you like. Here are some examples to get you started.
- “Cowboys and Angels”– Dustin Lynch
- “Style” – Taylor Swift
- “Gasoline and Matches” – Buddy & Julie Miller
Check out these eight ways to add characters to your songs.
LYRIC PROMPTS: GET PHYSICAL
Emotions have a physical effect on your body. Use that technique to express emotion in a lyric.
#16. Write a song about sorrow or heartbreak using images related to feeling cold. Example: “Cold” – Chris Stapleton
#17. Write a song or lyric about being in love using the physical actions it evokes. Example: “Smile” – Uncle Kracker
#18. Write a lyric about losing hope by comparing it to physical feelings of falling or drowning. Example: “Down” – Jason Walker
#19. Write a song or lyric about love at first sight involving as many of the senses as you can (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch). Examples: “Brighter Than the Sun” or “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat.
LYRIC PROMPTS: USE A CLICHÉ TO LAUNCH A LYRIC.
Over-used phrases (clichés) often creep into our song lyrics (“Nick of Time” “Beat It” “Born This Way” “Never Say Never”). Given the number of successful songs with clichés, obviously they can work. Use your favorite clichés or find more online to do the following prompts. Here’s a short list to get started.
- A drop in the bucket
- If not now then when?
- If you play your cards right
- Better safe than sorry
- A good man / good woman is hard to find
- It’s a no-brainer
- Don’t rock the boat
- You burned your bridges
- Let’s get back to basics.
#20. Use a cliché as your song title and take us deeper into what it really means in your lyric.
#21. Change a word in the cliché to give it a fresh meaning or twist. Then write about it.
#22. Write a song about a cliché but don’t actually use it.
LYRIC PROMPTS: USE A SITUATION
#23. Situation: I just met you and I’ve fallen in love.
You meet someone for the first time and fall in love instantly. Describe what that feels like and why you feel that way.
#24. Situation: I wonder if you’re leaving me?
Describe the feeling of suspecting but not being certain. Show us why the singer feels this way.
#25. Situation: I’m not ready to make a commitment.
Imagine you’re writing a script. Write the lines a character would say to explain the action he or she is about to take. Then use those lines in a lyric.
TRY IT NOW
Use the prompts to start a few lyrics or songs then take a break. Come back and listen to what you came up with. Pick one or two you want to work on and develop them into a full lyric or song!