12 ways to get ideas for writing lyrics


lyric writing ideas

When you’re struggling to write lyrics, it can be hard to know how to come up with ideas. There are many ways that songwriters get inspiration for writing lyrics. You might think of a title or phrase and build your song around it, or you might have some words floating in your head that need some direction. Here are 12 to get ideas for writing lyrics!

Songwriting lyric ideas

How to get ideas for writing lyrics can be a daunting question. I’m going to share 12 ways that work for me and hopefully, they will help you too!

#1. The cut-up technique

 Choose a piece of text, a poem, book, newspaper, or blog article, randomly.

Cut the text up into words and phrases.

Pick them out at random and rearrange them into new phrases.

You can also do this with unused lyrics that you have.

This can result in some new ways of saying things and new ideas for lyrics.

you can also just copy and paste text in here.

#2. shift your perspective

Pick a noun or a verb and look at it from three different perspectives.

For example…, The word “Hole

Perspective 1. Digging a hole.

Perspective 2. Falling into a hole.

Perspective 3. Climbing out of a hole.

Write a few lines about each perspective that all tie together with the central theme of hole.

What could it be a metaphor for?

Turn these into three sections of a song.

Write each section from three different perspectives.

For example,

“Digging a hole”, try changing the tense, past, present, or future.

Or change the ‘who’, who is digging the hole, me, you, us, them. 

This can open you up to new angles of looking at and writing about ideas.

 

#3. Say the unsaid

Write a few sentences based on things you would like to say, or wish you had said to someone.

 An ex, a parent that abandoned, an old teacher, anyone that there was something left unsaid or you wish you had said.

Then pick out the key phrases and ideas and structure them into a song plot.

#4. Word association

Word association, pick a random word (noun, verb, adjective) and write as many associations as possible.

Combine the end results with the cup-up technique for some extra ideas.

#5. Memories

Free write about a time in your life or one from someone else’s life (that you strongly empathize with).

Make sure you answer the questions…

Where were you?

When was it?

Why were you there?

Who were you with?,

How it felt?,

What could you see/ hear/ taste/ touch/ smell?

#6. Life defining momoments

Make a quick list of three or four life-defining moments. This can be any experience you have had the made a deep impact.

Times when you felt hurt by someone, Times when you felt great joy, experiences that made you see the world in a different light.

After you have made your list, do a five-minute free write based on, “what would you of the present say to past you about that situation?

 

 

#7. Get intimate

Make a short list of things you find hard to talk about. The kind of thing that you would only tell your closest friend when you were drunk.

Do a five-minute free write on What do you really think, or feel about the subject. What would you say about it if there were no consequences?

#8. The fault in your scars

Pick a person or even a group of people and list out their faults. Really go for it, get down and dirty and call them out for everything that annoys you about them.

The faults you see in others are the faults you don’t want to see in yourself.

Now change the pronouns from they/ he/ she…, to me/ my/ I

#9. Give a reason to your rhyme

Choose a word and find rhymes, Use the 5 rhyme types, and write some phrases with those words.

For example, I picked the word delicate and found the rhyme elephant.

And came up with the line “as delicate as an elephant on a tight rope“.

Now flesh out the idea by asking ‘How?’ and ‘Why?’

How are they/you, as delicate as an elephant on a tight rope?

Why are they/you, as delicate as an elephant on a tight rope?

#10. Objects

pick an object, describe it in as much detail as you can.

Then Zoom out. Figure out the scene around the object, who is holding it? What is going on around them?, What does it look like?

Then Zoom into the emotions and thoughts of those involved.

How can those emotions or thoughts be symbolized/ reflected by the object?

What objects, colours, shapes etc would represent the aspects of the scene, from the objects and surroundings to the action and motivation and the emotions.

# 11. Revenge is sweet

David Bowie wrote life on mars as a sort of revenge for not having his lyrics picked for a piece of music that ended up being ‘my way’ by Frank Sinatra. 

Why not try it for yourself and take revenge on songs that annoy you or that you don’t think deserve to be a hit.

Take a lyric line, rephrase it, generalize it, write the opposite or respond to it.

#12. Lyric ideas generator

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