How To Write Completely Meaningless Lyrics

[Tambarskjelve]

I have noticed that most lyricist in here are very concerned about telling stories with their lyrics. I want to go the other way around, just put a lot of meaningless stuff togheter and make it sound good. The problem is that I have a personal blocking, preventing me from doing so. I can`t make myself write pointless words and make them sound good.

The late Ronnie James Dio was a true master of this art. A very good example is the lyrics to Holy Diver. It`s just pure nonsense, but sounds amazing when sung.

So how can I get over this blocking? Any suggestions?

[john]

Try using the cut ups technique as used by Bowie, Thom Yorke etc. there's a post on here somewhere that describes it

[john]

I should say that although I might seem concerned about story telling etc, my concern is with the integrity of the lyric... therefor if the writer starts an abstract lyric it should still have some integrity, if they start telling a story, or something that are apparently disconnected statements, there should still be integrity on some level be that structural, thematic, rhyme scheme (including no rhymes), or emotional. Dio wasn't exactly what i would call a master lyricist but he wasn't the worst by far (he had an unholy attraction to rainbows lol)

[Tambarskjelve]

Rainbows, kings, swords, mirrors, you name it.......

But I still find his lyrics quite suitable for the music. Telling a good story with a lyric is not very easy. I believe some of the best writers in that direction is to be found in the countryscene.

And of course, by meaningless lyrics, I don`t mean "bla,bla,bla....." There has to be, as you mentioned, some structure and a hook.

[Tambarskjelve]

Here is a very good example of what I am looking for, Another one from the pen of Dio, Children of the sea, by Black Sabbath:

Children Of the Sea

In the misty morning, on the edge of time

We've lost the rising sun, a final sign

As the misty morning rolls away to die

Reaching for the stars, we blind the sky

Oh hmm

We sailed across the air before we learned to fly

We thought that it could never end

We'd glide above the ground before we learned to run, run

Now it seems our world has come undone

Oh they say that it's over

And it just has to be

Ooh they say that it's over

We're lost children of the sea

Uh oh

We made the mountains shake with laughter as we played

Hiding in our corner of the world

Then we did the demon dance and rushed to nevermore

Threw away the key and locked the door

Oh they say that it's over, yeah

And it just has to be

Yes they say that it's over

We're lost children of the sea

Oh

In the misty morning, on the edge of time

We've lost the rising sun, a final sign

As the misty morning rolls away to die

Reaching for the stars, we blind the sky

Oh they say that it's over

And it just has to be

Oh they say that it's over

Poor lost children of the sea, yeah

Look out, the sky is falling down

Look out, the world is spinning round and round and round

Look out, the sun is going black, black

Look out, it's never never never coming back, look out

Doesn`t make much sense, does it?

But sounding amazing performed with a powerfull voice.

[cisco]

this should be fun to try...in my case easy, half the songs I write are meaningless...lol

[john]

to me it does have meaning, it's just not explicit. Most of the lyric uses imagery and equivalence to convey meaning. Dio loves lyrics that have meaning conveyed with less than direct statements and heavy use of symbolism. He LOVES symbolism

[john]

I should also point out that he uses metaphors and allegory quite liberally

[cisco]

can I go first? can I..can I..lol

I e-mailed these lyrics to a friend once, he e-mailed back..wtf?

men of devotion

beggar of coin

look toward the heavens

feeding a past.

"give me time, I have not healed

give me time, give me time, give me time."

all the lost daughters

and sons stand to fight

forfeit their loved ones

was a prayer to be heard.

Certainly the housewives,

with their flowery breath

hurry their children

from the fields lay in waste.

all of the angels, cardboard wings

pray for a future

and dust takes its place.

"give me time, I have not healed

give me time, give me time, give me time."

Out in the sidewalks, and the peeling paint

the weary look back on

the markers of stone.

Counting the prophets who we verily knew,

are the words to some Saviour

reflecting off glass..

"give me time, Lord I have not healed

give me time, give me time, give me time."

Edited April 20, 2011 by cisco

[quadrant5]

In my opinion, meaningless lyrics and good don't belong in the same sentence unless related by a negative reference. Like I said, this is just my opinion, based upon nearly nineteen (19) years of listening to country music

*

I believe some of the best writers in that direction is to be found in the countryscene.

*

Even as I moved through metal, rock, punk and pop, I have never heard a song without meaning that I remember today. Granted, there are some really weird songs out there, but they have meaning as well, and that is what I enjoy in music.

Just my five-cents.

Edited April 22, 2011 by quadrant5

[dean1210]

KISS do it brilliantly on Deuce;

Get up

And get your grandma outta here

Pick up

Old Jim is workin' hard this year

And baby

Do the things he says to do

Baby, if you're feeling good

And baby if you're feeling nice

You know your man is workin' hard

He's worth a deuce

Honey

Don't put your man behind his years

And baby

Stop cryin' all your tears

Baby

Do the things he says to do

Do it

Baby, if you're feeling good

And baby if you're feeling nice

You know your man is workin' hard

He's worth a deuce

And baby, if you're feeling good

Yes baby if you're feeling nice

You know your man is workin' hard

Yeah

Hearing this song live was brilliant - everyone was singing along and I don't think anyone was sitting there looking for symbolism in the song - sometimes it's just fun to make a song that means nothing

[Coises]

So how can I get over this blocking? Any suggestions?

Imagine a scene... for example:

It’s the morning after a one-night stand. The girl is still asleep. You’re looking around the room. You don’t know her, so you don’t know what most of this stuff means to her.

Look around for awhile; then stop and concentrate for a moment on how you feel.

Now write some lines about what you see, hear, smell, feel. Don’t explain, just observe. For example:

Six roses in a bottle and the bottle’s dry,

Coloring the darkness of the morning sun.

Mary keeps on breathing, but I don’t know why.

The winding on the window-shade has come undone.

Grandpa in the corner in a silver frame:

He’s seen it all before, and man, it’s all the same.

The dishes on the radiator, drawing flies,

And God, I hate Grandpa’s eyes...

I hate Grandpa’s eyes.

If that gets you some lines, then try to imagine other scenes that feel the same way, though they have no objective connection to the first scene. Of course, you’ll throw out half of what you get this way and mercilessly edit most of the rest, but the idea is to get raw material...

Based on your examples, I don’t think you want meaningless lyrics; I think you want lyrics that have no straightforward objective meaning. Instead, they “mean” how they feel.

[DonnaMarilyn]

So how can I get over this blocking? Any suggestions?

An interesting thread.

Cosises, I agree about no straightforward objective meaning.

As to "meaningless", Tambarskjelve, human beings are hard-wired to try to make "sense" out of things. At the most basic level, it's necessary for survival.

Thus, the reader/listener will always bring to the table her/his interpretation of anything (Jimmy Webb's famous "McArthur Park" springs to mind; the first time I heard it, I "knew" exactly what it meant, because it touched certain chords/references in me personally. No doubt others "knew" the meaning in a completely different way.)

One excerise I love is taking randomly generated phrases/lines and then stitching them together to make something half-way coherent.

Whenever I take part in the FAWM (February Album Writing Month) or 50/90 (50 songs in 90 days) challenges, I head straight to the "Muse Titular Tool" when I find I'm running short of ideas. It's saved the day more than once.

http://muse.fawm.org/titular

Another fun random titles/ideas generator is:

http://www.leonatkinson.com/random/index.php/lyrics.html

Throw any piece of text into the "Translator" window, hit "Translate", and see what zaniness emerges. Not everything is useful, but now and again some really interesting images are thrown up.

Donna

Edited April 28, 2011 by DonnaMarilyn

[McnaughtonPark]

I just don't see it. Writing without making sense. But, I think I'd try writing every 30th word for each letter in the alphabet found in the dictionary, then finding words that have the same syllable count and stresses and matching them up with rhymes and synonyms, throw in some nonsensical adjectives and you'll have something close.

Thing is, even then I think my brain would try to find meaning in it.

[Tambarskjelve]

Hello folks. Thanks for opinions and good advice so far. I might have expressed myself in the wrong way, by using the word "Meaningless", but I can see most of you understood what i ment.

[AlexOConnor]

Vill du skriva på norsk eller engelska? Det är inte så lätt att skriva på norsk... Jag vet inte - kanske

Tack

Alex

[Tambarskjelve]

Vill du skriva på norsk eller engelska? Det är inte så lätt att skriva på norsk... Jag vet inte - kanske

Tack

Alex

I certainly want to go for english lyrics, not norwegian.

[AlexOConnor]

The English language is certainly more pliable when it comes to writing creatively... Even if it is more complex than Norwegian. The most nonsensical song I can think of is Smells like teen spirit - Nirvana. I can't make heads or tails of those lyrics but I'm sure they probably have some deep dark hidden message.

The only thing I would suggest is go around your house and pick random words from things (usable words, don't pick Sodium Chloride form some packet because that'd be silly) and then turn them into the starting phrase for each sentence. It also forces your Rhyming to be creative to somehow worm them into a sentence. It's fun, productive and creative. Can't really go wrong there with triple whammy of lyrical goodness!

(I write this assuming that you have packets with English writing and not some Pinnekjøtt ready meal! Translating shouldn't be an issue either way)

- alex

[McnaughtonPark]

I am the Walrus - John Lennon

[matu]

I'll be honest; I don't really like lyrics that tell the story straight out. What I mean is, for example:

Joan got rid of risk

And of dare

And now she got three kids

Pullin at her hair.

Oh, she shouldn't have,

that night,

Gone home.

She shoulda kept it tight

And skipped out on the loan.

I just did that. Now that's what I think is one of the cool things about nonsense. It can be catchy and fun, even though its totally stupid. Just look at she'll be coming around the mountain when she comes. So she'll make it around the mountain. Who gives a f*%k?

But if you just wanna let some voice out then write symbolizing something. See, like I said, I don't like straight-out lyrics most of the time because: they just ruin the fun. What's the fun? Thinking about what it means and settling with your own interpretation of the song, lyrically. Be metaphorical, simple-minded, maybe; the point is to achieve some sort of deepness beyond the simplicity of the lyrics.

Or find some way to make something juvinile whose idea is full babel into something tragic. That's what I do. Sheesh that's really depressing.

Anyways, yeah, the thing is, it kind of depends. For example if you have a voice and start singing passionately, and the music is ok, I guess it wouldn't really matter what you're saying. It all depends, though.

Now as for the how to make em, establish whether you wanna be playful, tragically simple, or just loud. Find the chords and sounds that express it, and do what every other musician does. Good luck