Diehardpetrafan:) wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 5:21 pm
A friend of mine has a friend and he wants me to try and write a song. Thing is, I'm definitely no Bob Hartman, so how many of you guys have written songs and can give me advice? He said I should try and write a Christian song so I'll be taking a lot of advice and inspiration from guys like Bob, and once I wrote a song that Foreigner totally could've sung. Never tried writing a Christian song and 9/10 times my songwriting goes in the trash because it's too cheesy or doesn't flow right. All I have to do is come up with a poem sort of thing while my friend's friend adds his own music cause he has a band. Does anyone have any tips or ideas that have helped them in writing songs?
-Belle
I write songs. Well, one of the main things when writing lyrics is to make sure you rhyme the last syllable of some lines. You can try rhyming each line with next, for example, this song:
"Another sleepy Sunday safe within the walls
Outside a dying world in desperation calls
But no one hears the cries or knows what they're about
The doors are locked within, or is it from without"
Walls rhymes with calls, and about rhymes with without.
Another method is to rhyming the 1st line with the 3rd line, and the 2nd with the 4th. For example:
"We can enter in, enter in
Into Heaven's Holy place
We can enter in, enter in
Boldly by His blood we can approach His throne of grace"
Here you can see that enter in rhymes with enter in, and place rhymes with grace.
You do not have to rhyme every line with another line. It's fine to have some lines that don't rhyme, just try to keep it consistent. If you decide that all the lines in the first verse should rhyme, then the second verse should also rhyme the same way as the first one does.
Another that helps is to make sure that your lines have similar numbers of syllables. If you have lines with 15 syllables in the first verse and only 5 in the second verse, then the song will not sound very coherent.
For example:
"There is a way that leads to life
The few that find it never die
Past mountain peaks graced white with snow
The way grows brighter as it goes"
Each of these lines in the first verse have 8 syllables.
In the second verse each line also has the same number of syllables:
"The river runs beside the road
Its waters living as they flow
In liquid voice the water calls
On thirsty knees the pilgrim falls"
So having similar numbers of syllables really helps the song flow better.
In terms of structure you usually have something like a verse, then a chorus, and then another verse, then another chorus. Often the chorus has the main idea of your song, and the verses describe and flesh out the story more.
"
Verse 1
I wonder how it makes you feel when the prodigal won't come home
I wonder how it makes you feel when he'd rather be on his own
I wonder what it's like for you when a lamb has gone astray
I wonder what it's like for you when your children disobey
Chorus
It must be like another thorn struck in your brow
It must be like another close friend's broken vow
It must be like another nail right through your wrist
It must be just like
Just like Judas' kiss
Verse 2
I wonder how it makes you feel when no one seeks your face
I wonder how it makes you feel when they give up in the race
I wonder what it's like for you when they willingly disobey
I wonder what it's like for you when they willingly walk away"
In this song the first verse asks a question ( I wonder how it makes you feel), and the choruses have the main message, (it must be like Judas's kiss).
If you need ideas to write a song about try thinking of Bible stories and basing one on that. It often helps if you were the chorus first. Also, if it doesn't sound good at first that's alright, usually you go over the song a few times and try to fix it and make it better. Furthermore, lyrics sound less silly or bad when you sing them, even though they often sound bad when being read off a paper. There are also some YouTube videos that are helpful, on how to write songs and lyrics.
If there's something more specific you need help with let me know, you could also message me the lyrics you need help with if you want.