Can't Finish Lyrics!

[Boff]

I have a huge problem; I can't finish lyrics! I'm currently stuck with countless songs that consist of two verses and a crappy chorus. It feels like the subject is all drained, there's nothing left to say, no matter what I write about.

If anyone has any idea on how I can extend the text I've already got or how to come up with more parts on the same theme it would be great.

Also I'm not at all happy with my writing "method", it doesn't feel like it brings out the best of me, and I barely finish any songs. I realize that everyone works best with a different method, but if you have any tips, general or specific, I'd be more than grateful!

[john]

Hey

Yeah a common-ish problem. I've written a few articles that might help:

Improve Your Lyrics Writing

Lyrics Critique For Songwriters

There's a few good articles on site that should provide some guidance.

Biggest tip I could give is... don't get too attached to lines, or even verses. If the lyrics don't work, they don't work. My guess is your songs evolve from lines and effectively you are painting yourself into a corner when what you really need to do is look at the layout of the room and decide where to start painting so that you end up at the door and able to finish without leaving footprints

Cheers

John

[Nightwolf]

heyjohn, now ya tell me, where were ya when I was painting my house?

Hey Boff,

The articles john points out will help, read them and do the exercises.

What is your method? It might help to post some of the ones you are having trouble with, even if you don't care for them. The community here is good at figuring out how you got derailed and can offer advice

[Boff]

Hey Boff,

The articles john points out will help, read them and do the exercises.

What is your method? It might help to post some of the ones you are having trouble with, even if you don't care for them. The community here is good at figuring out how you got derailed and can offer advice

I haven't had time to read the articles, but I certainly will!

My method is.. well, it starts out with an idea, a subject, and I usually write a line or two that summarizes the point I'm trying to make, mostly to remember it. I really don't have a method, but I might come up with somewhere to start, and I write a verse. After that I write what I could call a bad chorus, or maybe a bridge, and then another verse comes out.

After that I have a theme and sometimes a couple of parts that I like, but I can't finish the song. I'm out of ideas and don't know what there is to be added.

An example of something I wrote a while back, where the first part is suppose to be a verse, and the second part is a chorus.

The flaws of my character keeps me away from you

With my inability to persistency I don't know what to do

I wouldn't call myself a man of my words

I can't even deny myself this one little urge

Bad habits won't die

No matter how hard you try

I keep falling back

What is it I lack?

Another piece of something, verse, chorus and bridge:

Everywhere I look theres questionmarks and problems

Tough decisions, pressure and unfortunately

It's all going past the capability of my head

I'll just drop it all instead

When there's trouble on my mind

That I can't leave behind

Bad thoughts of any kind

You replace them with a smile

With a simple change in focus

From what's difficult to you

What I'm singing in this chorus

Will be absolutley true

[Boff]

I will certainly try to start with the chorus next time I get an idea for a song, thanks for the tip!

[FinnArild]

I always have music first, and more often than not, I start out by singing gibberish pseudo english through the song. Just to get a melody down. Doing this, I often get a nice hook or even the best part of a refrain. Sometimes I know what the song is about by this time, other times it comes later - but when it does, the work around research of the subject and looking for rhymes. At this stage I often sketch up what should happen in each verse - the music usually demands the number of verses - I make lyrics for music, not the other way around.

Finally, I often tweak words late on - or my wife will read it and suggest something. Often you guys on the forum has suggested stuff.

[TaoMannaDon]

I always have music first, and more often than not, I start out by singing gibberish pseudo english through the song.

That was my favorite technique for many years. I still use it sometimes. The problem is that I often wind up just like Boff, the original poster, with unfinished lyrics. For me the problem seems to be the restrictions of the rhyme and line structure I set up in the early sections. Thinking of rhymes and line length hinders the search for "the rest of the lyric."

Today, I most often know the song title and exactly what I want the song to say before I write the first line. I decide the section structure (AABA, ABAB, ABABCB etc.) and write out in plain English paragraph form what goes in each A, B, C section.

If a have an old song with promise that didn't quite get finished, I use the same technique. Existing written sections get the "plain English" treatment too.

This technique often reveals the best lyrical arrangement -- this fits the first verse, that suits the last verse. The "plain English paragraph" form permits easy moving of words and sentences around until the song message makes sense.

After the paragraphs suit me, I begin writing the actual lyric. Each A, B or C section draws from the corresponding "plain English paragraph." As the lyric is finished I make sure that nothing important from the paragraphs is placed incorrectly or left out.

Works pretty good for me.

Don

[Mazrocon]

"Everywhere I look theres questionmarks and problems

Tough decisions, pressure and unfortunately

It's all going past the capability of my head

I'll just drop it all instead

When there's trouble on my mind

That I can't leave behind

Bad thoughts of any kind

You replace them with a smile

With a simple change in focus

From what's difficult to you

What I'm singing in this chorus

Will be absolutley true"

Well how I start a lyric is basically the same way you do. I think of a subject/theme/meaning, start with a few lines, then work off that. Although I can see you are more worried about rhyme's then I am. I just kinda have a melody then start writing. If it happens to rhyme then great, but I don't really try to rhyme too much. If you have too many rhymes you'll most likely end up with forced rhymes and no message will really stick. Except for the fact that you tried to rhyme. Verse's are my weakness, I can usually make a good chorus but explaining further on the subject in the verse's are difficult for me.

~TIMOTHY~

[Boff]

Well how I start a lyric is basically the same way you do. I think of a subject/theme/meaning, start with a few lines, then work off that. Although I can see you are more worried about rhyme's then I am. I just kinda have a melody then start writing. If it happens to rhyme then great, but I don't really try to rhyme too much. If you have too many rhymes you'll most likely end up with forced rhymes and no message will really stick. Except for the fact that you tried to rhyme. Verse's are my weakness, I can usually make a good chorus but explaining further on the subject in the verse's are difficult for me.

~TIMOTHY~

Yea, I'm in the middle of trying to find a balance in rhymes, so that I don't have forced rhymes, too used rhymes or rhymes in boring places. I have realized how fun and easy it is to change the rhythm and rhyming scheme to get things to float better, to have it sound less like lines with a rhyme at the end and more like just spoken english with some rhymes here and there, something like rap. (whoa, that's a long sentence)

[Boff]

Quote from another topic:

PS to Boff:

I tried to edit my reply to you but I got an error message.

There are several steps that might come before beginning the "section based" plain English paragraphs I described in your thread. Here's one:

Just write down or type out anything that comes to mind about the idea you're working on; don't worry about writing a story or even sentences that make sense. Just brainstorm until you have a page or two of random thoughts about your idea. Look over what you've written and see if anything you read inspires more random thoughts.

Lots of people know these techniques but never use them. Know why? It starts feeling like work. It starts feeling more like learning rules than being creative. To a lot of people "rules" and "creativity" are swore enemies. That why I never say "rules" or "guidelines." I call them "techniques." "Rules" are restrictive; "techniques" are helpful to those who want to use them but don't infringe on the "freedoms" of those who prefer to go it on their own when being creative.

Keep writing,

Don

That might actually work for me, I'll be sure to try it out as soon as I have time! Right now I usually get a sentence or two in my head, I jot them down, and sometimes I have inspiration to just write like half a song worth of lyrics in just a couple of minutes. I write stuff that works well with the original line(s), and if something comes up that is related to the topic but not in that exact part of the song, I'll just write it down a bit further down. This way I get lots of individual parts and/or lines I like, but the context or red thread (I have really been wanting to know if this is an expression in english as well as in swedish?) is more or less missing.

I guess I kind of think of what you're doing is work, at least more work than just writing stuff as it comes to you. But I suppose that's a step towards becoming more professional in your songwriting...

[Etoile]

I have the same problem quite a bit, I think every lyricist does.

One thing I can say though, is if you get attached to a line, but it does not fit in the song, try using it in a different lyric, or try writing a lyric around that particular line.