When NASA blasts a rocket into orbit, they do it in stages: The big lift-off, a second stage to get the payload into orbit and a third to fine tune the direction. So, what’s this got to do with writing lyrics? You can think of the lyric writing process in three stages:
- 1. Getting started. (Lift off)
- 2. Developing your idea. (Getting into orbit)
- 3. Rewriting (Fine tune it)
=> STAGE ONE: GET STARTED
BEGIN WITH A TITLE
Starting the lyric writing process with a title can give you a beacon that will keep your song lyric focused. That’s very important if you want to keep listeners involved. Any short phrase you find emotionally intriguing—or simply an honest statement of how you feel—can work as a title. Make it something you want to write about.
Then make a list of questions the phrase suggests. These are the questions you’re going to answer in your song. Try questions like: What does this mean? Why do I need to say it? How does it feel? How did it happen? What do I think the consequences will be? Every phrase suggests different questions. And every songwriter will find different ones to ask.