Five Things Not to Do in Lyric Writing

Jon Ostrow reports:

"For most bands, the songwriting is the key factor in their success. And while we certainly don’t want to underplay the importance of writing unique music, it is the lyrics that often make the difference between remarkable and unremarkable songs. So what makes a great, remarkable lyric? Below [is] a list of five common mistakes that you should avoid when writing lyrics...Good lyrics often tell a story or explore a theme. It is this focus on one idea that makes the overall song have a cohesive feel from verse to verse. A mistake that many make is to attempt to present multiple ideas within one song, which more often than not will make each separate idea feel isolated from the rest of the song...Your goal is to have your listener remember the song far after it has finished as that is what will turn them into a fan and keep them coming back time and time again. An obvious hook line is crucial to the success of a song, as it is what will make it remarkable...There is nothing wrong with metaphoric [and/or] philosophical ideas, but without a grounded underlying idea or theme that listeners can connect with, the ideas will fail...A mistake that many make when trying to seem ‘interesting’ or ‘artistic’ is the write in an awkward, backward style, breaking up a phrase in a way that doesn’t make sense, but only serves to be ‘different’. Lyrics are always at their best when written in a way that makes sense to the listener...A disingenuous lyric will come off as such very quickly and is a great way to lose your listener. No matter what your idea or theme is in your song, your lyrics need to connect with you in order for them to take a life of their own. Otherwise the lack of conviction behind them will make the lyrics feel stale."