Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction to "Where Do I Get Inspiration for My Lyrics?"
Have you ever stared at a blank page, trying to come up with a lyric idea? Do you ever ask, “Where do I get inspiration for my lyrics?” Look no further! I’ll give you three lyric writing starter ideas to help you get the juices flowing. Read more to learn how to get back on track with your writing.
Today’s lyric writing tips come from a songwriting workshop I did years ago. Martha Rogers, editor for the Boston Songwriters Workshop (BSW) Newsletter, writes, “Witty, corny, tender, commanding – these words begin to describe the kinds of plot lines, hooks, and rhymes people brainstormed during the BSW Collaboration Workshop…” (BSW Newsletter January 2000, 1). The next section discusses what we did at the Collaboration Workshop.
This post uses some technical words. See the definitions in the Glossary below.
"Where Do I Get Inspiration for My Lyrics?" and the BSW Collaboration Workshop
First, we broke up into groups of four or five people. I gave each group six pictures to look at. Their task: use one of the pictures to inspire a plot line.
Rogers comments, “The tales of woe, compassion, competition, and longing ranged from:
- “…the streets of urban poverty…”
- “…[a] beaver’s environmental home in the suburbs…”
- “…two women’s drama in a bar…”
- “…a fundraiser finding gold in a wedding band…”
As you can see, they invented several unique and interesting scenarios. Where do you get inspiration for your lyrics? Try this one:
The second task: Come up with song lyric hooks using place names from a city, nation, or continent. It didn’t even have to be a real place. It could be fictional, mythical, or interstellar.
Rodgers says, “People ‘went to town’ on this one:
- “Divine Providence”
- “I’m in a Napa Valley Daze”
- “Betcha Can in Ketchikan”
“Try it and see where it takes you!” (BSW Newsletter January 2000, 1).
The collaborators used their rhyming dictionaries for the third task. I gave them the line, “On a balmy, moonlit shoreline…” Then, they had to come up with a rhyme to complete the line.
Rodger writes, “In sharing, we clarified our understanding of the different kinds of rhymes and discussed the rhythmic accents from the original line” (BSW Newsletter January 2000, 1).
So, where do you get inspiration for your lyrics? Make a challenge for yourself like the ones above that I created for the Collaboration Workshop. Then, it’s just a matter of brainstorming.
Concluding Thoughts to “Where Do I Get Inspiration for My Lyrics?”
In addition to the kickstarter ideas, collaborating with another songwriter can be a good way to get inspiration for your lyrics. Rogers comments, “We all agreed that in collaboration we came up with material quite different from any one of us alone.” (BSW Newsletter January 2000, 1).
I’ll leave you with a quote from Pete Luboff, “The most important thing to keep in mind while writing alone or collaborating is that you’re writing because you love it and the purpose is to have a good time” (qtd. in The Craft and Business of Songwriting).
© 2022 Geoffrey Keith
Join me for online or in-person lessons today!
Glossary
How Supplemented Equal Temperament Minor Keys Work
Frustrated with your out of tune synth chords? Do you want your brass, woodwind, and string programs to sound better? It’s not only the program you select which controls how your synth sounds, the tuning has an impact as well. I created Supplemented Equal Temperament (SET) to produce chords that sound better in tune than equal temperament (the piano’s tuning). Read more to learn how SET minor keys work. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
Read More
Question, How Do I Get Better at Sight Singing?
“What purpose do accidentals serve in reading sheet music?” Sharps, flats, and naturals (collectively called accidentals) grew out of a problem that needed to be fixed in the mediaeval music notation. The music theorists of the time slapped their fix onto the preexisting notation system, and that fix is still with us to this day. However, having confused generations of budding musicians, the results of the fix leave a lot to be desired. Click to answer the question, “What purpose do accidentals serve in reading sheet music?” Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Read More
I’m Having a Hard Time Keeping a Steady Beat
“I’m having a hard time keeping a steady beat.” One of the best things you can do is get a teacher who can help you learn how to keep a steady beat. Also, I have specific strategies that you can use with or without a teacher. Keep reading to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Read More
Harmony is Tone Color
Do you want to sound like your favorite vocal artist? What exactly is harmony, and how does it affect singing in tune? Harmony is tone color, read more to learn how this fact impacts singing (or playing) in tune. Estimated reading time 7 minutes.
Read More