Writing Lyrics?

[Sanada]

I was wondering..
Does anyone on this forum write song lyrics?
I started writing lyrics a few months ago, and I'm not so good yet so I wanted to know if anyone could give me some advice.
I mean, when you write lyrics, what inspires you and so on.

Just your thoughts :animesmil

-Sanada

[Flashlight]

Anything inspires me. Everything.

Much of it depends on the genre of music and what emotion you want to carry across. Whatever you're feeling, just put it down. It doesn't even have to make sense most of the time. Just work on getting an emotion down. Actually, scratch that, work on getting anything at all down.

Think of a cool line? Put it down. I have tons and tons of pages with only a line or two on them, and maybe one day I'll go back and use one of those lines in a song, or maybe not. Perform them aloud to yourself and figure out which ones sound good and which ones don't. Maybe there's an awesome line in one song that sounds really really good, but the rest of the song is absolutely pathetic. Happens to me a lot. You just gotta figure out why you like that line so much.

By a little notebook, doesn't have to be anything expensive, just as long as it has paper and it's fairly small so your can carry it around places (mine is about 5 1/2' by 3 1/2' or 13.9cm by 8.9cm, but choose whatever size is comfortable for you). Everytime you have something, anything, just put it down. Doesn't even have to be a song. Don't try to think of it like one. Just put it down, then do some reformatting afterwords.

After a while, you'll get the hang of it.

The best advice I can give though, both in writing and performing songs, listen to as much as possible. Try to pick out why you like your favorite songs, but also branch out, into as many different songs and as many different genre's as your can. Try foreign languages, and even if your can't understand the words, you may still find yourself loving the song. Some songs just give off a certain vibe.

In the end it's all just music. Rap, country, pop, metal, listen to it all. Even if you don't like it, other people like it for a reason.

I hope that helps. Out of curiousity, what kind of songs are you trying to write? What genre, maybe this'll help with the advice giving a bit (but, as I said, in the end it's all still just music). :D

[Retribution]

Although I don't write lyrics, I suppose my advice will still hold true. I write poems, just for the record.

I draw my inspiration from events or feelings in my life, or things I see happening around me. Usually, something I feel strongly about. For instance, I had a [i]very[/i] disturbing dream, and it caused me to change my personal title, avatar, and signature. I suppose I could write a poem about it, but word's don't do justice. Anyway...

I also get really good inspiration from other songs. Mostly songs that inspire a strong feeling within me, I jot down a rough, terrible poem, which I later edit. Instrumental songs, or songs without lyrics in general help more than lyrical ones. I guess because it doesn't confine you to what is spoken already, but what you think.

Lastly, I write poems about observations ... and ones I feel strongly about. Things like homo-phobia, discrimination, failure, and love are all intriguing topics, ones (mainly love) I try to put to words.

Overall, open your eyes to the world -- it has more to offer than you think. Poets are usually very observant people, and pick up on alot of things. Write about anything you feel strongly about, and it'll eventually come to you.

[Sanada]

Wow, thank you guys for replying ^^ I thought nobody noticed this topic.

Flashlight, your advice is really good! I think I'm gonna do that from now on. I usually think up lines for songs and write them down in my map.
I want to write to express my feelings, I don't know which music genre fits it best, although I think it's something in the lines of Rock/Emo <-- mostly Emo I think, because most things I write are about Love and relationships.

Altron, thank you for your advice too! I write alot of poems too, but most are about Love, I haven't tried working on an other subject, I think I will.
Mostly I write poems when I'm down.. When I'm depressed it seems like I see things more clearly, in spite of how things are f*cked up.

Thank you!

[Dragon Warrior]

I write differently. When I write, it's usually on something not normally written about. I pick up unusual words and use them or fascinating terms like "holy water" and "balladeer." My inspiration is by something new and intriguing to me whether it's an uncanny picture or a bizarre word. I also like to write in riddles, so sometimes my work sounds cool, but you won't understand what I'm saying. It also helps the fact that I write songs as well as the music on my guitar or piano.

But that's just my style.

[Sanada]

[QUOTE=Dragon Warrior]I write differently. When I write, it's usually on something not normally written about. I pick up unusual words and use them or fascinating terms like "holy water" and "balladeer." My inspiration is by something new and intriguing to me whether it's an uncanny picture or a bizarre word. I also like to write in riddles, so sometimes my work sounds cool, but you won't understand what I'm saying. It also helps the fact that I write songs as well as the music on my guitar or piano.

But that's just my style.[/QUOTE]

I think I like your style, Dragon Warrior ^^

Well, I followed the advice and I started working on this song/poem, but I'm kinda stuck -_-
Here's what I have:

I walk the path of the ignorant, down the road of sorrow.
Don't care where it'll take me,
Cause it'll always lead to tomorrow.

I walk these lines of mystery, through a void unknown,
Don't know where I'm going,
Or how much time has flown. (<-- thinking about scrapping that line, sounds kinda cheesy..)

What do you think?

[Dragon Warrior]

It sounds pretty good, but I agree about the last line. It does sound off, but it also misses the beat, if ye know what I mean. I'm not sure if you're using new words like I do, but I definitely like the feeling of this. One thing I sometimes do in songs is get a line that's so freakin' sweet, but it makes no sense with the rest of the song. Watch out for that XD