FOUR EASY STEPS TO WRITING A HIT LYRIC - Part 2

By Molly-Ann Leikin

A lyric tells a story. Like any good story – on CNN, online, in a TV episode, or a newspaper, it has a beginning, middle and end.

It also answers the five w’s – who, where, what, when why plus how.

Here are two stories.

l. The boy had a dog, the dog ran away, the boy had a dog, the dog ran away, the boy had a dog, the dog ran away.

This has a beginning, but no middle or end. No point in sticking with it.

Here’s a second story:

The boy had a dog, the dog ran away, the boy was terrified. He raced to the pound, the police station, he hung signs on every tree and telephone pole in the neighborhood. He rode up and down, up and down every street in the neighborhood on his bike, calling the dog’s name over and over and over and over. Finally, he gave up. Flinging himself on his bed, he cried himself to sleep, knowing he’d never, ever see his pet again. Then, he woke up, with the dog licking his face.

This story has a beginning, middle, and a surprise at the end. It also has lots of details. I bet you were worried about that little dog. See how visual the second story is? The more pictures, the easier it is to remember. If you can see it, and hear it, your lyric has double the impact.

Avoiding stories about boys and their dogs, get to work. You can do this!

© 2024 Songwriting Consultants, Ltd. Songmd@songmd.com