Writing Lyrics

Prosody is the fit between verbal expression and musical expression. Important syllables usually need enough musical weight: a stronger beat, longer note, higher pitch or clear melodic arrival.

Say "I never said you stole it" and stress a different word each time. The sentence changes meaning before any word changes. A melody makes one of those readings permanent.

Mark the spoken stresses first. In "I LEFT the KEY beSIDE the DOOR," the capitals carry natural emphasis. Place those syllables on the main accents of the bar before assigning exact pitches.

Small words can stretch when the singer intends it, but accidental stress makes the listener decode the sentence twice. Sing the line at performance tempo; reading it silently hides the problem.

Rhyme creates expectation and makes lines easier to group. Exact rhyme is only one option.

A predictable rhyme can help a chorus. A verse may need looser rhyme so the story does not sound forced.

Abstract words state the category: lonely, freedom, regret. Concrete detail lets the listener infer it: one plate left in the cupboard, a train ticket folded in a wallet, a porch light burning at noon.

Use more than sight. Temperature, texture, sound, taste and physical action make a scene inhabitable. Choose details that reveal the speaker's attention; a nervous person notices different things from someone relieved.

Sing the verse once and mark where a listener loses the cause or consequence. Keep the detail that restores the scene, then cut any line that explains an image immediately after showing it.

Check pronouns and time. If "you," "she" and "we" change without a clear scene shift, mystery can become confusion.