lyric writing structures you need to know

The lyric writing process can be daunting. We want our lyrics to connect with the listener.
Writing lyrics that are meaningful and deep enough to resonate on an emotional level is a skill and we can get better at it with practice.
To truly achieve this, we can’t “just” write from the heart. Writing from the heart is the least we have to do.
But don’t worry! In this blog post, I’m going to share how to create meaningful lyrics with two lyric structures that make an emotional connection
What makes good lyrics?
There are different ways to make a song lyric good, depending on what type of song you are writing. But when it comes to deep meaningful lyrics, we want to…
- Express our true emotions in a sincere and authentic way.
- Bring the listener into an experience so they can have an experience of their own. Without giving them any reason to be pulled out of that experience.
So let’s take a look at two ways to start doing this,
- Adding meaning with a logical flow of ideas using ‘The Drama Formula’.
- Letting the audience see what you see with the ‘A.S.E.C. method.
How to structure lyrics
Give our lyrics a clear and logical flow.
let’s look at some big picture stuff. One of the tools we have to make a lyric meaningful is to give it a logical flow.
This also will prevent a listener from being pulled out of the moment.
If the listener is trying to make sense of what they just heard, they’re not listening.
Introducing… The Drama Formula.
This is a fundamental storytelling structure and can be seen at work in movies, books, t.v., conversations, and yes even song lyrics.
Not only does it give lyrics a meaningful flow but it also takes care of other common issues songwriters have.
Namely, It eliminates not knowing what to write in the second verse and the bridge.
All lyrics, in some kind of way, tell some kind of story.
Stories work with a basic structure of 1. Beginning, 2. Middle, and 3. End.
Or to put it another way, 1. Setup, 2. Conflict, and, 3. Conclusion.
It’s a basic three-act structure, a way of organizing information by cause and effect.
When we add in the elements of cause and effect to a story we get a plot.
Where a story tells us ‘what’ happened, a plot tells us ‘what’ happened + ‘why’ it happened. Cause and effect.
We can map out a plot with this simple formula…
(ACT 1) SO…
(ACT 2) BUT/ BECAUSE
(ACT 3) THEREFORE or AS A RESULT
Here is a simple example…
(ACT 1) SO, I went to the store to buy deodorant for my big date.
(ACT 2) BUT, Halfway there I had to turn back, Because, I realized I had forgotten my wallet.
(ACT 3) AS A RESULT, I was late for my date, who decided not to wait around.
We can use this ‘formula’ to plot out what we are going to say in the song overall and we can use it to map out what we will talk about within each section.
When we use it for the overall song plot, each act isn’t necessarily related to a particular section of the song.
That’s to say, we can use information from any act in any section, the verses, chorus, etc..,
That’s our creative choice in how we want to tell the story.
Let’s take a look at it working in a song,
The Fray – ‘How to save a life’.
An overview of the lyric might go something like this…
Act 1. So, you are trying to reach out to someone that needs help…
Act 2. But, you are not getting through to them…
Because, you don’t really know how…
Act 3. Therefore, You feel helpless to help them…
We can see that some of Act one material shows up in v1. Act two material shows up in v1, 2, 3. Act three material show up mostly in the chorus and v2, with a bit in v1 and v2
And if we zoom into the verses we can see the drama formula as well…
So, step one, you say we need to talk
But, he walks,
Therefore, you say sit down, it’s just a talk
So, He smiles politely back at you
But, you stare politely right on through
some sort of window to your right
Therefore, (as) he goes left But (and) you stay right
between the lines of fear and blame,
As a result, you begin to wonder why you came.
So, there are a couple of things to point out. I call this a formula for no other reason than to give it a name.
It’s not some secret formula known by a few. It’s the basic way we all communicate all the time.
But it’s good to break it down like this because then we can use it purposefully,
and as a result make our lyrics flow in a logical, meaningful way.
It’s a solid structure that is also flexible enough to tell any story. As long as you stay on point.
Let’s look at how going off on a tangent takes away from the meaning of the lyric…
So, step one, you say we need to talk
But, he walks,
Therefore, you remember you have to pick up the laundry before six.
Stay on point and on message, don’t give the listener a reason to switch off. We want to create an experience the listener can engage with.
Let’s have a look at another song, Passenger – ‘Let her go’
If we break the lyric down into a three act structure, it might go something like this…
Act 1. So, You’re regretting a relationship not working out…
Act 2. But, you drove them away…
Because, you were scared of losing them…
ACT 3. Therefore, you never realize what you have until it’s gone
And if we zoom into the first verse…
So, staring at the bottom of your glass
Because, hoping one day you’ll make a dream last
But, dreams come slow and they go so fast
The components of this ‘formula’ can be arranged in many different ways.
In its most basic form, it has a beginning (so), a middle (but), and an end (as a result or therefore), and it works with cause to effect.
Or to put it another way, ‘what’ happened and ‘why’ it happened.
You don’t have to stick to this order. But, get the basics down, as a result, this logical flow of cause and effect will become second nature to you when you write.
make a connection

make a connection with details
The plot alone can not make something meaningful.
But a logical sequence can go a long way to add meaning.
That’s why the punchline of a joke comes after the setup.
We want to take a listener on an emotional journey with lyrics that are honest and authentic. Create an experience for them.
We need to get them to see what we see, we can do that by adding detail. The right details, the right way, and in the right place.
How meaningful is a lyric if it only means something to you? As a listener, that’s all you care about but, as the writer…
Sure we need to have a certain amount of poetry and style, honesty, and emotion. But so much can be added by adding detail in just the right way.
So, we’ve looked at a basic story structure, now it’s time to add more detail.
Let’s look at creating an experience so the listener can have their own. For the listener to identify with the situation they need the details. The right kind of details.
Introducing…A.S.E.C.
This stands for Action, Senses, Emotion, Commentary. Let’s break it down…
Action. This includes what you/ they/ we are doing. What is happening around you, How it is happening, Where and When it is happening. This goes for any point of view and any time tense.
Pick a part of your body, where is it?, and what is it doing?
For example…
Your hands. Where are they? On a steering wheel. Ok, so you’re driving…
“When I’m driving in my car” (The Rolling stones – Satisfaction).
Your butt. Where is it? In a chair. Ok, so you’re sitting. Where?
“I’m sitting on the dock of the bay” (Otis Redding -sitting on the dock of the bay)
It is any action happening around or with the characters in the song, from any point of view, in any past, present, or future tense…
“I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss” (Your song – Elton John)
“Come as you are, as you were” (Nirvana – Come as you are)
“I’ve been tryin to call” (the week nd – Blinding lights)
“Got my drivers license last week” (Olivia Rodrigo – Drivers License)
Senses. This includes how you/ they/ we are experiencing the action through the senses. Sounds, Sights, Smells, Touch, Taste. It also includes any sensations of the body, a beating heart, or a pain in the neck.
We also have spatial and motion awareness like dizziness or being car sick.
And last but not least synesthesia, experiencing one sense in terms of another. For example, seeing sound as color or experiencing colors by touch, red as hot or green as smooth.
So, pick a sense and describe what it’s experiencing…
Hearing
“And the man come on the radio, and he’s tellin me more and more” (The Rolling stones – Satisfaction).
Sight
“Watching the tide roll away” (Otis Redding -sitting on the dock of the bay)
We perceive everything through our senses.
“The senses are the ministers of the soul” – Leonardo Da Vinci
So this type of detail includes any experience as described through any of the senses mentioned above.
Sight
“And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills” (Stevie Nicks – Landslide)
Touch/ body sensations (experiencing heat)
“But the sun’s been quite kind while I wrote this song” (Elton John – Your song)
Sound and spatial awareness (feeling something close to you without touching)
“You can hear the boats go by, you can spend the night beside her” (Suzanne – Leonard Cohen)
Emotion. This one is straightforward enough, it’s simply how you / they/ we feel about things on an emotional level. Again from any point of view and in any time tense.
Desire
“As I want you to be” (Come as you are – Nirvana)
Happiness
“… if you feel like a room without a roof” (Happy – Pharrell Williams)
Fear
“Well, I’ve been afraid of changin” (Stevie Nicks – Landslide)
Irritation
“Well, a few of the verses, well, they’ve got me quite cross” (Elton John – Your song)
Loneliness
“I’ve been on my own for long enough” (The week ed – Blinding lights)
Excitement
“Cause you were so excited for me” (Olivia Rodrigo – Drivers license)
Commentary. This is any thoughts or commentary, what you /they/ we, think about the action or emotion. It shows the attitude towards a subject.
“about some useless information, Supposed to fire my imagination” (The Rolling Stones)
“I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay, Wastin’ time” (Otis Redding – sitting on the dock of the bay)
“Til the landslide brought me down” (stevie Nicks – Landslide)
“Oh, I know it’s not much, but it’s the best I can do” (Elton John – Your song)
“like I don’t care baby by the way” (Pharrell Williams – Happy)
“Maybe you can show me how to love” (the week ed – Blinding lights)
“As a friend, as a friend, As an old enemy” (Nirvana – Come as you are)
“Guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me” (Olivia Rodrigo – Drivers license)
These four types of detail really do the job of letting the listener see what and how we are seeing. It paints a full picture of the situation.
Let’s look at this in our two examples…(combined with the drama formula)
The Fray – How to save a life
Action,
“Step one, you say we need to talk
He walks, you say sit down, it’s just a talk”
The action here is talking and is expressed through the actual dialogue. In terms of showing the audience what is happening instead of telling them, ironically, dialogue can be a powerful way to do that.
What someone says can reveal a lot.
Senses,
“He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right”
Here we have how the action is being experienced through the senses. All visual and paints a nice concrete picture of the scene.
Emotional, the next two lines are based in emotion. He is showing us how the situation feels.
“As he goes left, and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame”
Commentary, and we finish off with what the singer is thinking about all of this.
“You begin to wonder why you came”
This is another structure that is solid and extremely flexible. It gives us a solid guide but also allows plenty of room for our individual creative expression.
Let’s look at Passenger – Let her go
Action,
“Staring at the bottom of your glass”
This line has a blend of action and senses. It’s describing what they are doing and how it’s experienced through the senses (visual).
Emotional, how he feels as the action is happening.
“Hoping one day you’ll make a dream last”
Commentary, he tells us what he thinks of the emotion he is feeling.
“But dreams come slow, and they go so fast”
We see this type of detail time and time again in lyrics. Why, because it works. It lets us paint a full picture of the scene and as a result, the listener can see what we see.
This is also great for fleshing out an idea or even a sentence.
Let’s look at our deodorant example, this time let’s just take the first part and see how easy it is to expand one sentence.
“I went to the store to buy deodorant for my big date…”
Let’s also use the Drama Formula and set the scene a bit, Act 1 (So)
Action
I stepped onto the cold bathroom floor from the warm shower,
Senses,
Staring at my hazy reflection in the steamed-up mirror.
Emotion
Singing ‘could this be love’,
Commentary
Two things were on my mind. Where to take my date?, and how the hell do I still smell of garlic?
Let’s make this a little more lyrical
“Staring at myself in the mirror
Singing could this be love
This could be fantastic
If I didn’t smell like garlic”.
So, Action/Senses looking at myself in the mirror
Emotional singing could this be love
Because, Commentary we could be a fit, but I smell like garlic
Therefore, Commentary I gotta get myself to the store
O.k., o.k. This is supposed to be about writing meaningful lyrics. But I wanted to show how it works.
And if it can turn a silly idea into an almost workable lyric, then we can see how a meaningful idea could really create an experience.
A.S.E.C. is a really great way to add detail to your writing. And, as we saw with ‘Let her go’, These don’t have to be individual sentences, they can be a blend.
This is a rule of thumb, not a ‘rule’ rule. So get the hang of it and experiment. The first thing you write may not be the first thing you sing.
Like you write a verse first and we just assume it’s the first verse. We write a section and we assume it’s in the best order.
The process is creative exploration, from that meaning and art emerge, so Mix it up. Arrange these things in a different order and see how the results feel.
The best way to create an emotional connection with your lyrics is to use these structures.
It’s not just about writing a good song, it’s also about getting the listener invested in what you’re singing.
If you want more lyric-writing tips, we’ve got plenty of those on our blog too!
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