How to Write Colorful Lyrics

how to write colorful lyricsDid you ever have to read a textbook in school? Remember how hard it was at times to keep your mind from wandering every five or ten minutes? On the other hand, do you remember reading novels or stories as a kid that you just couldn’t put down? Maybe you’d even stay up late at night turning pages under a blanket with a flashlight so your parents didn’t find out that you were still awake.  And how does this relate to lyrics?

How can we make sense of the difference between these two types of reading experiences? The answer lies in using your common sense, or your common senses I should say.

It was the Images, Sounds, Tastes, Smells, and Touch that kept you reading that great book. And it was the lack of examples that made it so difficult to read the textbook. Don’t allow your lyric writing to become textbook style abstractions; you will have a very hard time captivating listeners with a style that is lacking in concrete images.

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The more you can paint a picture with your lyrics using the senses, the more it will draw listeners in, so that they will almost instinctually be compelled to listen deeply to the whole song.

A great technique to help you achieve this is to write all your lyrics twice. Write them the first time in whatever way they emerge from that burning volcano of creativity within. Then go back and check your lyrics line-by-line and replace any abstract phrases with concrete examples that you can See, Hear, Touch, Taste, or Smell.

Additionally, there are two other senses that are important. They are: the Organic Sense, which includes the internal body feelings, like an ache in the back or butterflies in the stomach; and the Kinesthetic Sense, which has to do with the feeling of body motion in relation to the world, like your stomach dropping when jumping off a high step, or feeling the motion on an accelerating subway train.

Here are two short examples to demonstrate these different styles of lyric writing:

1: Abstract Lyrics

It’s so lonely without you here
My mind’s confused and my thoughts unclear

2: Rewritten in a Poetic, Sensuous, or Picturesque style

I float through the dark on an iceberg bed
Sea sick as waves of perfume haunt my head

It could easily be argued that these two sections make exactly the same statement. However, the second example, due to its use of sensual rather than abstract ideas, contains many more layers of meaning. A symbol often has dozens of connotations, and multiple meanings, whereas an abstract statement usually only contains one denotation, which may be precise and clear, but usually lacks the depth needed to touch a heart, set a mood, or inspire passion. The manner in which we weave the sensory information of symbols and images together will often determine the unique character, personality, and depth of our lyric writing.

This is really the BIGGEST SECRET to Great Lyric Writing. So I Hope this tip helps you to literally – Come to Your Senses!

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  • winston

    Can you give me a list of 5 top ten hits you have written and when they were hits? I am trying to decide if I should sign up.
    All so did you personally write the music that are in licensed in the tv and movies you had listed?
    What is your level of education related to music? I am excited to hear back from you. Hurry.
    Winston

    Reply
    • Kevin

      Winston, we have more than one songwriting teacher at Songwriting Planet and they all have different credentials. If you mean Kevin Thomas, he is both a Musicians Institute (MI) and a Berkelee College of Music graduate, and has a Master degree in Music Composition as well. His music has been on the radio across the US and Canada, best to check out his Youtube channel for hits: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBx7L2RQ2V1SrEb7dXmNSaQ

      Reply
  • David

    This is so helpful. Thanks for this great teaching.

    Reply
  • Katrurka

    Sailing sensibility
    In an ebby flowing oddity
    Moving along th’ inside
    All the fancy world of mind
    Into a funny land fairylike
    Of multicolored lines indeed

    Reply
  • Vince

    Always good info. Reflect and use.

    Reply
  • Bill

    My Father taught me Long ago , when in doubt start at the basic’s so I thought I’d come back and read this again.

    Reply
    • Kevin Thomas

      That is good advice Bill. I always review basics when I start losing track of where I am in the process. Kevin

      Reply
  • Bill McDonald

    thanks Kevin , I got alot out of that, and Looking forward to gathering more info

    Reply
  • wlambo

    Thank you,Kevin.
    It’s so helpful!

    Reply
    • Kevin Thomas

      Good, yes, poetic lyrics that use sense-bound writing are really one of the main keys to great lyrics. Kevin

      Reply
  • noa

    i would also suggest https://www.prime-rhyme.com

    Reply
  • Bindi Papadum

    This, I agree is a good idea… to use original metaphor rather than banal language. Although the example wasn’t great poetry, it makes a the point, and I want to give it a try.

    But unwelcome thoughts burn through my brain; a hot white light then mental strain.
    The waves subside, but it’s my Jekyll Hyde.

    Reply

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