How to Write Song Lyrics: Learn to Create With and Without Rhymes

We are used to multi-talented artists, those who excel in both lyrics and music. Jack-of-all-trades, master of all — or at least a little bit of a poet. But here’s an unpopular opinion: not everyone can do everything equally well. You might be an outstanding composer but an average lyricist, or vice versa. And some people aren’t great at either. But what if you already have a musical masterpiece for listening daily, selling a world-famous singer, or even making it a soundtrack for a game at https://22bet.co.zm/casino, yet the lyrics just won’t come to mind?Then let’s learn how to write anything, whether it’s with rhymes or without.

Preparatory Work

Before creating your own lyrics, you need to study others’. This golden rule applies in all cases. Listen to a few of your favorite songs and analyze them. How does the artist play with metaphors? How do they rhyme the syllables? What are they trying to convey to the listener? Analyzing lyrics is much like writing a literature essay. You can learn a lot, but you need to dig a little deeper.

Another important point is the genre of the track. Remember, rock compositions follow one set of rules, while pop bangers follow entirely different ones. The same goes for bardic songs.

How to Write Song Lyrics: Step-by-Step Instructions

Easier said than done, right? Yes, we can read your mind. That’s why we’ve gathered some practical tips on lyric writing.

Change Rhyme Schemes

“Hold on! I don’t even know how to rhyme lines properly, let alone experiment with it!” Many of you probably thought this. But don’t worry: literature lessons are here to help.

The main goal in the art of poetry is to create harmonious quatrains that work both rhythmically and phonetically. You can rhyme either literally or approximately, such as focusing only on the sound of the last two syllables, and so on.

You’ve just understood how poems are created. But remember: a song is not a poem. There’s more flexibility in both rhythm and rhyme in songwriting. No, we’re not suggesting you slack off and throw syllables together haphazardly. But experimentation is necessary. Otherwise, your track will start to sound monotonous.
Repeated phrases — also known as hooks — are often used in songs, especially in pop music. But overusing this technique isn’t advisable. There’s a difference between repeating a line in the chorus and endlessly looping the same phrase. In the second case, while the track might become more memorable, it risks becoming annoying. This leads us to our next tip.

Avoid Overused Phrases

Let’s recall Taylor Swift’s Look What You Made Me Do. The track is generally good — musically and lyrically. The beat is catchy, the arrangement is impressive, and the lyrics aren’t overly trivial. However, some questionable choices were made, especially in the chorus.

Seriously, who decided that endlessly repeating the same phrase was a good idea? And the arrangement is basic, with just simple trap percussion in the background. Sure, the line “Ooh, Look What You Made Me Do, Look What You Made Me Do” will stay in your head forever. Yes, it went viral on social media and spawned countless memes. The goal was achieved. But is it enjoyable to listen to? That’s debatable. It’s certainly not high poetry.

Don’t get us wrong: Taylor is a fantastic lyricist, and she has plenty of tracks with excellent choruses. But this one missed the mark.

It seems the producers realized it was too “TikTok-ish” and added some interesting synths to the final hook, which sound like a ticking bomb. Even guitarist Tim Henson from Polyphia appreciated it, and he hates Look What You Made Me Do.

Another example of an awkwardly repetitive track is Gucci Gang by rapper Lil Pump. Just the intro alone is enough to make your mind numb and your ears curl up.

So, if you feel the need for tautology, at least try to play with it musically. For instance, use a drop chorus with a tempo slowdown, like in the hit Bang Bang Bang by the famous Korean boy band Big Bang. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish also uses a similar technique. The chorus has almost no words, but the delicate dance beat and well-thought-out synth melody make up for it.

Emotional Depth Matters

But none of this will matter if your song is written without soul. Before picking up the pen, take a moment to think: What’s the purpose of your masterpiece? Are you singing about politics? Love? A unique life event? A journey? The creative possibilities are endless. Writing a song is like telling a story in a book. A good text flows smoothly but has a beginning and an end. In other words, the listener should form a clear mental picture of what’s happening. If you can’t understand what you’re writing about, neither will anyone else.