Lyric Mastery - The Art of Writing Song Lyrics

So, I recently dived into Netflix's documentary about Lewis Capaldi, titled "Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now," and let me tell you, it was a rollercoaster of emotions - inspiring and tear-jerking in equal measure. >>> Download a Songwriter's Roadmap to Narrative Songwriting <<< >>> lyricmastery.com/21steps And in this episode, we talk about Lewis Capaldi’s struggle and the pressure of writing an encore to his debut album, "Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent." And how he could have overcome that terrible inner voice saying, “I’m shite at writing lyrics,” or the imposter syndrome that came with it. So if you’re curious to find out how writing lyrics can become easier without all the overwhelm, keep listening. [00:01:20] [00:05:02] [00:07:48] [00:11:14] [00:12:16] Show Notes Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

How many of you have a message for the world, but you need help finding your voice or your audience? Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. I want you to imagine millions of people listening to your song. I want you to imagine thousands of people knocking your door down wanting to know when you come to their city to play them the song live because that song is so valuable to them. You can open your eyes. And I will tell you this. This doesn't have to be limited to your imagination. This is what happens when you go viral. And I'm going to tell you exactly how you can achieve it. So pay close attention to this episode of the Lyric Mastery Podcast because it will help you find your voice and show you how to make your song go viral. Episode Overview: Links mentioned in this episode: How to Write a Catchy Song that means somethingSysteme.ioA Song's First LineSupport the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

Lets move away from all those love songs we’ve talked about in the past because I recently had the pleasure to listen to the song “The Comeback” by the London-based musician Drew Davies. As stated on metaltalk.net, this song by Davies “is a call to arms for society's malcontents and a tip of the hat to an era of alternative greats such as David Bowie, Sisters of Mercy and Nine Inch Nails.” And in this episode, we're gonna talk about the power of the lyrics of the song "The Comeback". Specifically, you will discover how you can tell an amazing redemption story in your lyrics. Drew has really written a masterpiece. So let's go through his lyrics and find out how he did it! Episode Overview: [00:01:19] [00:03:38] [00:07:02][00:21:12][00:28:34][00:47:13][00:53:44] Show Notes: Listen to “The Comeback” by Drew Davies SoundcloudYoutubeSpotifyFind out more about Drew Davies here: https://www.drewdaviesmusic.com/ Write Powerful Lyrics: How to write catchy song that mean somethingATTENTION GRABBING OPENING LINESSupport the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

When you feel stuck in your songwriting, or in life in general, I’d like to share with you the approach that helped me. So if you feel stuck sometimes… maybe this helps. Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

In today’s episode, we’re gonna explore what it looks when we write about facing a crisis. We’ve all been in a dilemma in our life, right? It’s when no matter what we choose, there’s always something to lose, but also something to gain. But it’s normal if we fear the loss more than having the potential to gain something. Being in a dilemma, there’s just so much uncertainty attached it. And we might fear making a choice at all. So when we write lyrics about a dilemma, we can actually provide guidance to our audience … whenever they face a similar crisis. And in this episode, you will find out how you can write lyrics about a person’s dilemma. What it takes to truly create a hard choice for your song’s main character and I’ll also show you all the options of where you can place that crossroad moment in your lyrics’ narrative. And as a lyric example, we’ll look at Gloria Gaynor’s song: “I Will Survive” because there’s so much to take away from the way those lyrics were written. Sound good? Awesome, then let’s get started! What's the episode about? [00:01:45] [00:04:29] [00:06:41][00:07:42][00:08:59] [00:10:08] Show Notes: https://www.writingthelyrics.com/plm-masterclasshttps://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-044/https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-046/Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

Today, I wanna answer a question that I got recently asked in my Facebook Group. It’s from Hudson. And he asked: How can I combine every part of the song so that it contributes to one central meaning of the lyrics? That’s an awesome question, and let’s talk about it right now. Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

If you’re like me, you have something valuable to share. Something that matters. And that we know that can help someone who will listen to our song. And to get our message across in a way that bypasses a listener's critical mind, we have to wrap what we have to say into an experience. And we create that experience through the journey we send our song’s main character on. So that’s why we talk about the waypoints of that journey. So that we can create that experience that leads someone from their mess to a better place. And today, we will talk about the second waypoint on that journey. Today, we’ll make it even worse for our song’s main character. Because that’s life, right? It has to get worse first before it can get better. So let’s get right to it. Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

Today, I wanna take the chance and introduce myself to you. Especially, I wanna tell you the story about the time in my life when I was completely lost, on my own, literally at the end of the world, and how one song gave me the strength to carry on… and what all of that taught me about what makes lyrics powerful. So it’s all about my journey, so to say, and why I’m so passionate about the power of lyrics. Because this is the most incredible thing ever. So here’s how everything started. Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

You know, I always consider what happens in a powerful lyric like a journey. It’s basically about watching a character move from one point in their life to another. They are in a certain external or internal situation, and they wanna get from where they are to a better place. So there’s always this little journey that the song’s main character goes on. But before anyone moves in life and takes action, most of the time, though, something must happen beforehand. And that’s what today’s episode is all about. It’s about that incident that makes them see that they gotta pursue what they want so that they can get rid of an imbalance. It’s like they feel that something is off, and they’re pulled towards something better — externally or internally. So, if you want to find out how to write lyrics with a meaningful message, then this episode is the first part of five to doing just that. Here's what we'll cover: Show Notes Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

In today’s episode, I want to talk with you about you, your purpose, and why we write lyrics. For me, when it comes to writing – no matter if it’s novels or lyrics – I use my words as the means to communicate with my audience and deliver a meaningful message that has the power to make an impact on them. And I guess, since you are here, you have the same desire. You want to be heard because you have something to say about life. And what you have to say matters. But communicating what we have to say in a way that matters to others isn’t easy. We can’t be preaching to the choir. We can’t take the role of a parent and say: Don’t do this because it leads to … We all know that no one listens if you preach it to them. On the other hand, if we are direct and say it bluntly, people might hear our words, but they will not care or take them seriously. We could also just write an academic paper and explain why our message is important … But who’s ever going to read that bulky volume? That’s why in today’s episode, we talk about a storytelling principle that helps you deliver your message in a way that affects lives, changes minds, touches hearts, and makes an impact. Because what it all comes down to is that we, as songwriters, lyricists, and storytellers, have an amazing power to influence people’s lives and make a positive, even life-changing, contribution. But that only works if we rely on one of the most basic and most important storytelling principles. What that is, well, you're about to find out. Podcast Overview: [00:02:25][00:05:29][00:11:12][00:15:16]Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

In today’s episode, we’ll go through the lyrics of “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square. And I tell you, as I first listened to the song. I thought: Quite nice. But I didn’t give the lyrics much thought. But now, after I have studied the lyrics and their storytelling power, I must say, I’m super surprised by how well-crafted those lyrics are. It’s like when you say: Yes, Game of Thrones by G.R.R. Martin is a nice fantasy series. When it truth, it’s an epic masterwork. And somehow, I feel like the lyrics to this song don’t get appreciated enough. They are so well-crafted that it is a delight to take them apart and just see how well they’ve been strung together. So if you aim to write a love song that smoothly flows through a narrative and gives your audience a fully-satisfied listening experience, I invite you to study the lyrics of “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square with me. Episode Overview: [00:01:45] The S.O.N.G. Framework [00:03:07] “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square [00:05:22] Step 1: Summary - What is the song about? [00:15:13] Step 2: Observer - Who is the main character of the song? [00:23:51] Step 3: Narration - Analyzing the storytelling craft. [00:30:25] Analyzing the scene told in the song. [00:35:20] The Change [00:37:41] Writing Techniques [00:40:15] Step 4: Gist - What is the message of the song? [00:43:16] What we've learned from “You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This” [00:45:43] Song Exercise - The First Kiss Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

#043 - Welcome to part 3 of our mini-series of Attention-Grabbing Opening Lines. In episode 41 of the Stories in Songs Podcast, I’m gonna throw a lot of questions at you. Why? Listen to the show and find out. ;-) Episode Overview [00:00:53] The Intriguing Question [00:03:37] Different Types of Questions to ask [00:07:13] Song Examples that start with a question [00:09:49] The Intriguing Question – Wrapup Show Notes https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-037/https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-039/Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

#040 - Creating A One-Sentence Lyric Outline To Guide Your Writing Process. In today’s episode, we continue with steps Two and Three to Creating A One-Sentence Lyric Outline To Guide Your Writing Process. If you haven’t listened to episode 38 yet where we talked about the character’s literal action, please go back to that episode and listen to it. It’s vital if you want to move forward with me in this episode. I’ll include a short recap, but listen to the full episode if you haven’t yet. Episode Overview: [00:01:15] [00:03:40][00:08:57] [00:13:26] [00:17:52] [00:22:07] [00:27:10] [00:31:41] Show Notes https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-038/https://lyrics.storiesinsongs.com/ideahttp://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-036https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-023/resources.storiesinsongs.comSupport the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

#39 - Today, we continue with another technique of how you can create an attention-grabbing opening line for your lyrics beginning. And specifically, we talk about the Shocking Statement and different ways how you can pull it off to stun your audience and make them wanna hear more! Episode Overview: [00:01:08] [00:03:35] [00:07:02] [00:11:16] Show Notes https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-037/ Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

#038 - Let's address the question of why we should look at the craft of storytelling when we write our lyrics – apart from the impact the power of storytelling has on our audience. Let's focus on our writing process. Because when we write our lyrics, it’s good to know where we are going. Otherwise, we’re just writing words that are all over the place. And that’s going to feel messy to our listeners. So to write a good line or lyric section, we have to ensure that every part of the lyric does what it’s supposed to: Engage and connect. And once we get a clear idea of what we are trying to accomplish, everything unlocks. So if you look for a compass point that helps you write your lyrics with clarity and intention, this episode is for you. Episode Overview: [00:02:21] [00:05:59][00:12:20] [00:16:58] [00:18:58] [00:23:32] Show Notes https://lyrics.storiesinsongs.com/ideahttp://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-037http://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-036https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-023/resources.storiesinsongs.comSupport the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

#037 - How can we write an attention-grabbing opening line so that we can hook our listener with our first line? In today’s age, thousands of distractions compete for our audience’s attention. And if our song doesn’t hook our listeners straight away, they might not listen to it at all. But we want to get heard, right? Songs are a powerful way to make an impact on someone – in as little as three minutes. But in order to get our message across or what we have to say about life, we have to get people’s attention right from the first line on. Otherwise, … it’s like a movie. If we miss the beginning, it’s so hard to catch up on and we probably give up anyway. So let’s talk about ways to make sure our listeners actually want to listen to our lyrics … and how we can achieve that with our opening line. Episode Overview [00:01:42] The Purpose of a Strong Opening Line in Songs [00:06:00] The Opening Line of the Powerful Problem [00:10:24] How to pull off the attention-grabbing opening line of the Powerful Problem. [00:14:41] Song Examples that have lyrics that start with a problem: [00:23:45] The Powerful Problem - Wrapup Show Notes https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-036Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

#036 - How To Answer The Question Of Relevancy when it comes to Writing Lyrics. Have you ever listened to a song only to end up confused because something in the lyrics seemed off? Did you struggle because something was missing or didn’t understand why something was included because it didn’t seem relevant? In today’s episode, I want to talk with you about how you can figure out what’s relevant to include in your lyrics and what you can leave out. I’ll let you in on the secret and show you the tools that support you in making the decision to keep and eliminate lines, sections, or the overall idea. After all, the goal is to write a lyric where the entire lyric, its different parts, and the way they work together are all in sync. So if you are intrigued to discover the tools to determine … then this episode is for you. Episode Overview [00:01:58] Coherence is a Lyric’s Main Goal [00:03:29] A character in a song needs to face a problem. [00:04:51] 1. The What If? Scenario [00:06:53] Fish out of the Water-Scenario [00:10:44] Strange Thing or Stranger Comes to Town - Scenario [00:16:03] 2. Narrative Device [00:23:10] 3. Point of View [00:28:39] Summary: Relevance Show Notes https://resources.storiesinsongs.com/ Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

#035 - “Can A Song Save A Life.” Lyrics ain’t an afterthought to making a song. They are equally as important as the melody and the song’s production. I mean, writing Songs as well as Listening to Songs can be the greatest aid in a desperate situation. It can keep us from falling down a cliff and empower us again. Like Galadriel said to Frodo: “May it be a light to you in dark places when all other lights go out.” That’s the power of songs. Let’s talk about how a song can even save a life. Episode Overview [00:01:19] The Power of Songs [00:03:17] My All Is Lost Moment - New Zealand Part 2 [00:11:53] The Next Right Thing Show Notes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J86zYZGApkchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJUvrw7O_6Ihttps://youtu.be/kFkClV2gM-shttps://www.facebook.com/LyricArtists/https://www.instagram.com/stories.in.songs/Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

#034 - How to Crush it as a Support Act to Get People Interested in Your Stuff. After all, it’s all a question: Will they sing your lyrics back to you, or will they not? For me as a listener, yes, I’ll definitely shout back: Viva La Victoria! Now what that means and how you can get people excited as a support act – even if they didn’t come because of you – you’ll discover that in this episode. We talk about how you can hook, captivate, and keep the crowd's attention and awaken their interest in you and what you have to say. I’ll share with you some of the DO’s and DON’Ts of how you can crush it as a support act. And I’ll even tell you a secret way that will ensure that people start singing along to your songs even if they have never heard your songs before. Episode Overview [00:02:40] The Opportunity of Being Hired as a Support Act [00:07:38] Getting a Chain Reaction in the Audience & Making Them Feel Something [00:11:01] The DONT’s of being a Support Act [00:12:29] Eclipse - The band that truly got the crowd excited. [00:15:40] When you are booked as a Support Act, DO this: [00:22:40] The secret way of how you can get the crowd to sing along to your songs even if they have never heard them before. [00:28:00] Summary of Do’s and Dont’s Show Notes https://www.eclipsemerch.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-EvFAx0OsE Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted

#033 - What does “character development” or “developing characters” mean? And do we, as songwriters, really have to think about how we create our song’s character? And if so, how can we show the audience a character in the lyrics that they can invest themselves in? That is so believable that they themselves have the power to carry the message of the song? If you ever thought that the task of character development is for writers of novels or screenplays only, this episode will surprise you. So let’s dive in and find out more about the importance of your song’s character. Episode Overview: [00:01:19] The importance of the song’s character [00:06:45] Developing characters vs. evolving characters. [00:10:15] Three reasons why fleshing out your characters is so darn important. [00:11:36] What makes a well-developed character? [00:12:13] How does character development affect the story? [00:13:37] Different kinds of characters in songwriting [00:15:40] Dynamic Characters in Songwriting [00:24:38] How to create a dynamic character for your next song? [00:28:44] "Dynamic Characters" – Assignment Show Notes https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-011https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-021/https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-026/https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-027/https://storiesinsongs.com/podcast/episode-030/Support the showWould you like to join our FREE 3-hour Masterclass on ... The #1 Secret of Writing Timeless Hit Song Lyrics, and How You Can Do It, too. Go to lyricmastery.com/getstarted