[I Am An Aspiring Lyricist In Search Of Firsthand Advice.]

Want to be a lyricist? Write! Learn! Write! Learn! Write some more... and then when you're stuck and can't figure out what to write... Write and learn some more!

Being a lyricist is like any other job.. you have to go to work to get more comfortable at your position. You just keep writing man. Change up and write a blog, or a small play.. but keep writing. Grab your dictionary, your thesaraus, and your rhyming dictionary and go to work.

And post those lyrics that you fear will be critized here at SongStuff. Our purpose here is to build artists and songwriters. Take the advise you recieve and use them where you see fit. But until you get past that fear of being critized, you won't get to the point of becoming an artist willing to put your work on display.

["is There A Moon Out Tonight?"]

Found this part of the chapter very interesting and touches on the need for consistent writing:

Insert from Pamela Phillips Oland’s “The Art of Writing GREAT LYRICS”

Chapter 2 “The Great AHA”

“IS THERE A MOON OUT TONIGHT?”

Are you one of those writers who talks about writing all the time? Or are you one who actually writes? Can you always find a marvelous excuse not to write? You have to make a phone call; a traveling salesman interrupts your train of thought; your favorite soap star’s long-lost daughter is about to make a dramatic reappearance and you can’t miss the episode; you’re not in the mood. That’s the real reason, isn’t it? You’re Not in the Mood, are not likely to Get in the Mood, and don’t know how to Work With Your Mood.

As a professional lyricist, I can’t afford the luxury of waiting for a full moon to put me in the mood. If I have a song that needs to be written, I have to sit down and write. Any number of people talk to me about how they write songs, but when we get down to the nitty gritty, I discover that all they do is talk. “When was the last song you wrote?” I ask them. “About a month or two ago,” they say blithely. Or even “Last year!” Last year, I tell you! Unless it’s January 1, I cannot find it in my heart to take these people seriously! Who are they kidding, saying they’re songwriters! Dilettantes perhaps, but where’s the dedication? Hate to break it to you, but writers write. How do you ever expect to get good at what you do if you wait for a full moon? When you don’t exercise for two months, it’s pretty slow going on your muscles until you get in shape again. Songwriting is like that too; The more you do it, the easier it gets. The more times you use all the tools and devices, the formulas and turns of phrase; the more trial and error, the more reaching and stretching – well, the better your lyrics will be! One day you’ll suddenly realize how thoroughly familiar and comfortable you are with your own lyric-writing process. Though not all great ideas turn into great songs, the more you see your ideas developed on paper, the more you will recognize your strengths and weaknesses and will grow and evolve as a lyricist.

What’s certain is that the hardest part of writing is beginning. So you have to start making a conscious effort to create the time and space necessary for the process. Writing lyrics may not be the top priority of your life, but unless you make and keep your dates with yourself to put forth your best efforts at songwriting, you’ll be shortchanging yourself from ever finding out how good a lyricist you really might be.

["why Am I Not Famous Yet?"]

--this little piece I've been reading may hurt a few feelings, but it needs to be said...--

"Fame is a bee. / It has a song / It has a sting / Ah, too, it has a wing."

– Emily Dickinson

First, let’s get rid of some myths. Musicians sometimes fall victim

to the notion they are doing something so precious and valuable that

they can’t understand why the world isn’t shoving money in their

pockets and adulation on their heads. “Why am I not famous yet?”– a

question rarely asked out loud but certainly poking around inside many

musicians – especially those aspiring to the heights of fame and worldly success. Is it me, or is there a bit of an entitlement mentality here –

that the world owes you a living, or something?

Well, surprise, your “work” is no more valuable than the

auto mechanic’s and the zookeeper’s. Let that sink in.

Reality check: The “culture industries” we play in perpetuate the myth by allowing the marginalization of “art” on the one hand, and the divinization of the same on the other. “Art,” according to this view, is created by the very

few and must be protected behind marble and glass in buildings

resembling temples of old.

The message is clear: Look, but don’t

touch. At the same time, “Art” is elbowed out of reach of the common

man, and the training of the same must happen in credentialed

institutions of “higher learning,” else you may not wear the badge of

“Artist”.

This might seem odd coming from someone employed by the world’s

top contemporary music college, but I base it on observation of

hundreds of music careerists over many years. While most musicians I

know take a humble stance in relation to their work, the myth persists

and can affect musicians’ inner lives to a great degree, sometimes

without them even knowing it.

Let’s face it. The upward climb can seem to last forever. In reality, it is

never-ending — unless you are planning on hitting some predetermined

plateau and squatting there.

Don’t fall into the trap of feeling that the race is not going well just

because you’re not at the finish line yet. The race has something to

celebrate all along its track. What becomes tiresome to the aspiring

musician is not achieving some significant milestones. We’ll address

that later.

Perhaps it’s helpful to remember all those ten year “overnight”

successes. Indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie released their first

record in 1998 and didn’t get their wider recognition until their first

Grammy nomination in 2008. It took almost ten years of total

immersion into his craft as a songwriter and vocalist for John

Stephens to make the transition to Grammy-winning John Legend.

And, lest we forget, when the Beatles landed in NYC in 1964 for

their first U.S. appearance, they had already been together since

1957 and had clocked an estimated 1,200 gigs, many

consisting of eight hour sets at Hamburg and Liverpool clubs!

Here’s the reality: A full-time performing (or, songwriting, or

recording, or what have you) career may not be in the cards for you.

The unrelenting laws of supply and demand are real, and are being felt

more today than ever before. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try for

it. Of course you should, and many will achieve it. But musicians need

to give themselves permission to be weekend warriors with non-music

day jobs too.

That’s OK, ok?

Being a full-time “artist” is a fine goal, but try seeing that goal in light

of Meister Eckhart’s words: “An artist is not a special kind of person.

Rather, every person is a special kind of artist.” A business meeting is

a jazz jam; a DIY rock band is a management team. Don’t let

industrial age divisions of labor blind you to the possibilities for

creative engagement everywhere and anywhere. You can create in

myriad ways with myriad means in myriad venues.

Of course, the myth of the Artist is currently crashing on the rocks of

the DIY revolution where everyone from your kid sister to Jay Z are

seizing control of the means of production to put their creative

thumbprints on the new music landscape. This revolution is

empowering millions while at the same time creating more competition

for everyone. I tend to agree with Producer Richie Zito that with the

current technology, there is a tendency for artists to record long

before they’re ready. He reckons it’s like cooking. You can have all the

ingredients in the world, “but if you take it out of the oven too soon,

it’s not going to taste good.” Here, here.

Just because you can record and release tracks and CDs doesn’t mean

you should. No wine before its time.

Insert from Peter Spellman's "Developing Music Careers in Uncertain Times" - eBook

[Structuring A Rap And Rnb Song]

Traditional hip-hop/rnb songs "must be" hook oriented. Its very very rare that most of the song will be centered around the verses for HipHop and RnB, since the history around rap songs is anthem based. Most mainstream hip hop songs are 8 bars into the verse with about a 4 bar chorus that normally repeats itself and becomes another 8 bars. RnB songs depend heavily on thier bridges too to bring in cameo artists who'll deliver a 4-8 bar rap into the middle of it or allow the vocalist to change up the song a bit. If I'm writing a rap song, I start with the hook first.. then write the lyrics around it. And that hook better be anthem ready... something that will make the crowd yell it out.

IE: DJ Kaled (All I Do Is Win), Jay Z/Alicia Keys (NY State of Mind), Rihanna's (Only Girl in the World).. all these songs are chorus driven.. Keep that in mind when writing Rap/RnB...

I got a RnB beat that I need lyrics for.. let me know if you're interested.

[Lyricists That Inspire You]

I'm one of those guys who like the songwriters who aren't primarely artist. The behind the scene writers like:

Jason Blume - who wrote hit songs for groups like Backstreet Boys and Brittney Spears

Jeffrey Steele - with over 60 hit songs under his belt with the likes of Tim McGraw & Mongemery Gentry

Desmond Child - who wrote hits for Bon Jovi and Aerosmith

Diane Warren - Special guest American Idol judge and hit songwriter for the likes of Toni Braxton and Tricia Yearwood

Rivers Rutherford & Craig Wiseman - Country songwriters who cowrote for the likes of Dolly, Brad Paisley, and Trace Adkins

Those are some of my inspirations as that's pretty much that route I've chose to take. I'm not really wanting to be on stage. I'm more into looking to join a staff or become a serious publisher.

Nice topic Shane.

[Staying Motivated]

I'm sure most of us have scribbled a hook on a napkin, hummed a cool verse on their voicemail, or sent themselves a great line via email. It happens all the time. Starting a song, putting it up, revisiting, rewriting it - just all part of raising the little tyke to grow up to be something worth wild. Don't lose heart on any of your stuff. Find a cowriter or someone in the industry (not mama, daddy, or cousin who don't know a thing about songwriting) to run your ideas past. Most of the time you'll get fresh ideas from them and usually they'll give you an honest critique on what you've began. If it's worth pursuing, you may find yourself working with another songwriter to create something special. Keep those half written lyrics filed so you can return to them later. Believe me, some of the greatest hits in the industry started off on a table napkin! I've read the books about them!

[Song Writing Challenge/competition #2 Updated]

Hey Bo,

I like the idea behind your lyrics.

On taking your lyrics further I would personally change this line as I don't like the presumption that the rival is more skillful : 'Can endurance out weigh the skill'

The lead up to the chorus is very positive but you have to ensure your message is the same the whole way through in my opinion.

When the chorus comes in the second line asks the question "Will you be the one?" whereas I feel it should continue to say "You will be the one"

Just my thoughts. Please show us what else you have

JD

Wow JD, I JUST changed the exact lines you mentioned last night. I literally wrote this the morning I posted and had yet to go over the little details. I thought about presuming the opponenant was larger too so I changed that. Then I started making sure the message was consistent throughout, so I actually changed the following lines to

"You'll be the one to sound..."

"Be the last to survive" (removing the "Who'll")

So, I have a little tweaking to do on the final verses but I'll post later tonight or tomorrow morning. Thanks for the critique! - Great minds think alike!

[Song Writing Challenge/competition #2 Updated]

Cool: I love motivational lyrics - I've already started writing this for just such an occassion. (I originally started writing it for a movie that required inspiration and motivation similar to Rocky type montage)

Roar Like A Lion

[Verse 1]

Out there in the battlefield

Conquest is the key to survival

No chance when youre just standing still

Out there in the battlefield

Eye to eye your facing your rival

Can endurance out weigh the skill

The passion to win keeps hope alive

Stare till you see the fear in their eyes

Stand as the beast that will lead the pride

And sweet victory will be the prize

[Hook]

When you/Roar/Roar like Lion

Will you be the one

To sound the triumphed cry

When you/Roar/Roar like a Lion

Nothing less than gold

Wholl be the last to sur-vive

I'll post the rest if your interested..