How to Write a Song with a Catchy Chorus (Including Lyrics)

Before you try to write a song with a catchy chorus, you’ll need to know what the subject of your lyrics will be.

• In other words, your chorus should sum up your lyrics.
• Conversely, your verses will move the story forward.
• Therefore, writing your chorus before your verses will help keep you focused on your lyrics’ main theme.

It goes without saying that you’ll need a catchy melody.

• Before you start writing a song, you should record a chord progression and then sing over it.
• Do this as often as you can so that way you’ll have a backlog of melodies.
• Just as a photographer takes dozens of bad shots to get one good one, so songwriters need to write dozens of mediocre melodies to find one catchy one.

Make sure your lyrics don’t wander off topic.

• Try to write memorable lyrics that describe your story using action words.
• Keep the language simple so that it doesn’t obscure your message.
• The title needs to be in the first or last line of the chorus.

Make sure you contrast your chorus and verse melodies.

• The verse melody will often have a speech-like quality, like someone is talking through music.
• Conversely, the chorus melody should lift above the verse melody and should have a soaring quality.
• Also, you should try to ramp up the intensity going into the chorus to generate energy and excitement.

Lyric writers, as you write a song, try to incorporate striking images into your lyrics.

• In your descriptions, show don’t tell.
• Use both literal and figurative imagery that expresses emotion.
• And make sure you use a consistent rhyme scheme.

Also, get feedback from people you trust and be willing to rewrite.