In the few months I’ve been writing Songwright, I have rarely touched on lyric writing.
This is not likely to change.
One of the reasons for this is that there are already plenty of people out there writing about lyrics. Here are two recent posts on other people’s blogs that I thought were interesting and got me thinking about my own lyric writing:
Lyric Brainstorming Tools by Andrea Stolpe
Non-Linear Lyric Writing by Rob Roper
But more importantly, I think the obsession with lyric writing, the assumption that it’s the primary task of the songwriter, actually has a negative impact on the craft. Search for songwriting tips, on the web or in a bookshop, and you’ll find a billion and one tips for lyric writing, about storytelling, the importance of prosody, the need to avoid clichéd rhymes….
It’s often good advice, but in focusing so much on the words, we can forget that they’re only a small part of the song. The harmony, the accompaniment, and above all the melody deserve as much attention.
Songwriting is not lyric writing.
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