How To Write Completely Meaningless Lyrics

[ZonSonus]

Listen to The Cocteau Twins and Faith No More for lyrics that have no meaning or are very cryptic. Most of their lyrics were like that. They left the meaning up to the listener to figure out. A lot of it also had some sort loose theme.

[JohnMichaels]

I have a great technique your should try that helps me to do exactly what you're describing!

I've found that writing in story form tends to create songs that are WAY too literal, to the point where the listeners feel uncomfortable and aren't able to relate.

Instead, I write in picture form.

I imagine a scene (either a real experience or a made up one I'd like to have) and I describe the most interesting details.

So maybe the scene is a date you went on with a beautiful, interesting girl to a coffee shop. That's not a very interesting story. But it IS an interesting image. Here are some details you could describe:

- The 'Feel' of the room. Is it dark, bright, warm, loud, crowded?

- The way her voice sounds, what it reminds you of

- The colors of her clothing, the metaphorical color of her personality

- Watching the sun hang low in the sky through the window

Just create as vivid of an image in your mind as you can, and move from object to object, detail to detail until you recreate the image verbally.

[Tambarskjelve]

Thanks for all advice. I am currently writing lyrics for some of the songs we are working on in the band. It turned out that no one else comes up with anything, and somebody has got to do it........

For me, lyrics are just words to go with the music, I know that stating this opinion in this forum might be like swearing in the church, but that`s how it works for me. I try to make the music as interesting as possible, and leave the lyrics to be "words to go with the music"

I think this works for metal, wich is my genre. As for pop, rap, dance or country, I think you need some good lyrics, as the music in itself might not be interesting enough to keep the listener occupied. (Just my personal opinion again)

Well, here are some of the words I have come up with.

1. Verse of "song 1":

Don`t look behind the darkness

There is no turning back

as day bleeds into night

and night turns to a darker shade of black

The darkness whispers secrets

not ment for man to hear

An old forgotten doorway

to the pit of coldest fear

1. and 2. verse of "song 2"

Living in between the hammer and the nail

Every single move is bound to fail

Nothing but nightmares left to dream

close your eyes

eternal scream

Your cards are played, your train is gone

You`re racing for the setting sun.

You stare the sandman in his eyes

plain ice-cold fear

without disguise

Edited September 6, 2011 by Tambarskjelve

[thatguy431]

My suggestion to making "meaningless" lyrics is highly illegal in the U.S. and most countries....but take LSD. You will have an incredible way with words and use them for their sounds rather than their meaning (mostly because meanings of words or things in general become confusing). Some bands like Animal Collective, or some Yes songs, use words based on their sound and how they flow into each other. However, this is not to say the lyrics are completely meaningless, it's really that the meaning is more vague. The way the words sound and flow together is based on some idea they want to portray, even if that idea is simply the sound of it all...that's meaning!

Another way of going about it is just writing complete bull shit. A good way to do this is try to get in the mindset of some hopeless romantic and write the worst love song you can imagine. Then come back to your mind and look at it and say, "Man, this means absolutely nothing!" Because it really won't mean anything. At least, it wont have any meaning relevant to the thoughts and feelings of the creator. I do this alot for my songs, because I suck at writing lyrics. I usually write music first and think "this song sounds like it should be about this" then I pretend to care about what it is I'm writing about, and just make stuff up. When it's all said and done, I look at it and think, "What is this nonsense? It LOOKS good, but really, has no meaning to be found, LOL! I'm going to keep it." But my music is a joke in itself soooo......

[LilOrange]

Well, that's easy, you create music first and then find lyrics that fit the music, but don't preoccupy with meaning. Just brainstorm words and focus on the rhyme and the sound of the words. For example "Do you want to be mine? Oh, baby, your so fine, I gotta cross that line and make you feel mine." LOL Although I don't know how meaningless that actually is?? It is shallow for sure. But, why do you want to make meaningless lyrics? I have a bunch of meaningless lyrics which fit good with the music, but I'm trying to make them meaningful now...

P.S. I think Anthony Kiedis is the master of meaningless lyrics!

Edited January 6, 2012 by LilOrange

[Just1L]

I personally don't think there are too many meaningless lyrics. Not saying there aren't any but I'm gathering that just because they seem meaningless to you, doesn't mean they are meaningless to the band or writer.

The pigs in the blanket,

His feet are hanging out.

Someone took one last bite,

And nobody gave a shout.

Meaning: The police officer laid dead in the street with a cover over him but his feet weren't covered. He was a crooked cop in a bad neighborhood and when someone shot him, nobody seemed to care.

I think a lot of lyrics that don't seem to make sense usually do have a deeper meaning. You have to start with something to say and then alter it using metaphors and whatnot. Or if you don't want it to have any meaning, Lil Oranges idea above is a good one.