Writing Lyrics Part 3
Each of us has a personal writing style. When it comes to writing songs, we tend to write the same kind of songs in the same kind of way. After writing a few songs, you may notice that :
they are getting ‘samey’.
you are finding it difficult to think of new song ideas.
I take you back to something I mentioned earlier - about the internal structure of a song … and its rhyming structure in particular. If you are writing verses where the second and fourth lines end in a rhyme, try to write a verse (not necessarily for the song you are currently working on) with a different structure.
One device I like (but try not to overdo) is what I call the ‘internal rhyme’. A simple example is:
Oh no! Let’s Go
Its time to see the show
where the ‘oh’ sound occurs 3 times in two lines - and links the lines together. This is quite useful in helping build a catchy chorus.
Another way of changing what you do is to force yourself to write a song in a different genre. If you normally write heavy rock songs, try to write a country ballad or a pop song for a boy band. You may have to listen to quite a few country ballads (which may be painful for you) but listen anyway, and identify internal structures and overall song structure until the genre and its particular format(s) start to make sense. Then try to write one of your own. Try not to copy but to apply what you have learnt to your own song idea.
It might take some time but you are investing in your future as a songwriter.