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What makes a great song? There’s no definitive answer. But here are some tips I’ve learned over the years, along with a discussion on lyrics that you may find interesting.
There are lots of good tips on the web and in books about how to write a good song, and I recommend that you check them out. I’d like to offer a few that aren’t mentioned often.
- Stay away from computer programs that write songs for you. The result is usually mechanical and boring. A song should communicate your own emotions and should showcase your special talent. Write from your heart, not a computer’s hard drive.
- The same goes when you’re recording a demo of your song. Some music programs contain pre-recorded “loops” of various instruments than can be joined together to form a song. Lots of people have access to these loops. Record your own instruments or bring in some musicians. Use your own creativity and originality.
- Your own life’s experiences are the best inspiration for a song. Think back about events that affected you. Lyrics flow more freely when you’re writing about something you know.
- Know your target audience and use simple, everyday wording that those people will relate to.
- When writing either words or music, tilt your head a bit and look at the world from a different angle. Try a different formula from the norm. It can bring out creativity you didn’t know was there.
- Try crossing musical genres. Used to writing rock songs? Write a country song or even try your hand at some jazz. Write a Christmas song; there can be a lot of money in that!
- Take care of yourself. The healthier the body, the sharper the mind.
Do hit song lyrics have to make sense? The answer is no!
From novelty songs like “Mairzy Doats” to Ella Fitzgerald’s scat singing to present-day pop and hip hop, the record charts have been filled with nonsensical lyrics.
Made-up words have been put to music with great success. Children love them: “Hey Diddle Diddle”, “Dickery Dickery Dare”, and “Zip a Dee Doo Dah”, for example. Early rock and roll also had its share, including “Rama Lama Ding Dong”, and “Be Bop a Lula”, with lots of “dums”, “whoas”, “doobie doobies”, and “shoobie doos” thrown in. The Beatles used “Na na na na na na na” with great success at the end of “Hey Jude”.
Make no mistake; it takes exceptional talent to create nonsensical lyrics that will work in a song. It’s another approach to songwriting that you might want to explore. Try making up some words and building a melody around them. You might be surprised at the result.
What does he mean by that?
Sometimes songwriters write a confusing lyric purposely, because it creates interest and forces us to interpret the song ourselves. Do you really understand what Bob Dylan means in many of his songs? Do you think that even he does? And sometimes songwriters throw in a line that makes no sense but sounds good with the music.
Lyrics are often indecipherable. A quintessential example is the Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie”, which was a huge hit in the ‘60s. I’ve heard it sung with "dirty" lyrics that fit the song perfectly; I’ve also read the actual lyrics (at least, according to the Kingsmen). To this day I’m not sure what the real words are.
Where am I going with this?
I believe that all classic hit songs contain at least one brilliant element, and sometimes this brilliance can be defined by the song’s very imperfections.
The secret lies somewhere within the way the words and music are put together and the way they are performed. For whatever reason, the songs stick to the brain. This can occur through a songwriter’s genius…or just plain luck.
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