How Do You Write Lyrics to a Melody?

Writing Lyrics & Music

Q: I have a melody and I want to put lyrics to it but I’m not sure how to do that. Is there a trick to this?

A: There are lots of ways to write songs. Some people write the melody or chords first, then add lyrics. Paul McCartney famously wrote the melody and chords to “Yesterday” before he had the lyrics. He went around singing the phrase “scrambled eggs” pr “ham and eggs” (depending on who’s telling the story) until he came up with the lyric “yesterday.” 

Sometimes, if you’re working with a co-writer, you might be given a melody to write to. The hugely successful musical theater songwriting team of Rodgers and Hart wrote that way. So why not give it a try and see what happens.

Tips on writing lyrics to an existing melody.

TIP #1

Listen to the melody and feel the emotion it suggests. Is it upbeat and happy? Or does it feel introspective, yearning, or sad? Write down the emotion you feel the melody suggests. If you have more than one emotional reaction, choose the strongest or most obvious one.

TIP #2

Make a list of words or phrases that express what the music makes you feel. How does it make your body feel? What does it make you feel like doing? List colors, sights, and sounds that you associate with that emotion.

Look thorough your lists for a line you think is memorable and compelling. Make this your title.

TIP #3

Identify the  section of the melody that will be the chorus. This will usually start with a melody line or chord that contrasts with earlier lines and catches your attention. Mark that as the first line of your chorus.

Find out more about song structure.

The first and last lines of the chorus are the most important lines in the song, so put your title there. You can use it in one or both of those places. You may need to extend your title by adding a couple of words or shorten it to fit the melody. Go ahead and play with the idea until it fits comfortably. 

If the song doesn’t  have a chorus section, then treat the first or last line of the verses as a refrain line and put your title there. The refrain is a line at the beginning or end of every verse that repeats throughout the song.

TIP #4

Build your chorus lyric from there using the lists of words you made. Try using a simple statement of what you feel in one of the lines so that listeners get a clear idea of what the song is about.

TIP #5

Once you have a chorus, then fill in the verse lyric. Give listeners more information about the chorus. What made the singer feel this way? What will happen next?

 Use these 10 Steps to help you finish your lyric.

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By Robin Frederick

Songwriter, music producer, book author, and record label exec. Online courses at MySongCoach.teachable.com