‘It’s not about F, not about L, we’ve got something else,’
‘If the world was ending, I’d wanna be next to you-oo-oo,’
‘Let it go, let it go!’
‘Ooh I like it, I am sixteen, and I know secretly you all love me,’
‘We’re going up, up, up, it’s our moment,’
What are all of these? Lyrics.
Some by Bruno Mars or Kristen Anderson-Lopez, others written by myself.
For those of you who don’t know me, I am Siobhan (you may have heard/seen me around the school – for some reason everyone has) and I am a seasoned lyricist, but I use that term jokingly because the accuracy and quality of my lyrics are sometimes questionable. I’m sure that’s just what you want to hear when reading a manual-esque article on how to start your own lyrical journey, but sadly it is the truth that a set of lyrics can sometimes make you feel like a genius, or at other times make you feel like you don’t even understand English, and this is true no matter if you are a novice or an expert.
Lyrics are not a set of words that happen to work when intertwined with rhythms, nor are they carefully planned poetry that is able to be supplemented into any melody. This is why I love writing lyrics so much, because you can’t really label what they are or how they work.
My passion for writing lyrics started, very simply, when my younger self was asked by my mum to rewrite the lyrics to a song for a family occasion. They weren’t perfect, at the time I even struggled to remember what I’d written when I filmed the performance, but they were something I could be proud of. Then I wrote a set for my mum and dad’s fortieth, my nanna’s seventieth, my granddad’s eightieth and so on and so forth. I suppose it sounds like I was forced to be the family lyricist, but it was because of those initial requests that I began finding other inspirations on the path to become a lyricist.
Now, this is where I must give you a little background information. I am a devoted fan of IU (a South-Korean singer, actress, composer, and lyricist) and have been for quite a while. When I discovered her, I was compelled to sing her songs. It was at this point when I realised that no matter how much I liked her songs I had no clue what they were about, so I began trialling possibilities of my own lyrics backed by research. It sounds much fancier than it was – I basically watched the music videos and scoured the internet for various interpretations. My first set of lyrics was awkward as many of the syllables didn’t match up with the rhythms because I was stubborn on saying things in a certain manner, but with lots of practise (and lots of googling synonyms) it got better and better to the point that I can even write a guide on how you can start your own lyrical journey.
Whether the song you want to write for is in your native language or another one, being able to express yourself through lyrics and music is a perfect way to highlight your personality. Although, that being said, please don’t mistake that as meaning that every set of lyrics I write directly translates to how I feel or what I’ve done, because if that’s the case then for those of you who remember my performance of ‘Shh..’ you would be convinced I’m a psychotic criminal, and that’s a matter best debated in person.
Anyway, whichever song you want to write for, you should familiarise yourself with it. Ideally, this means knowing the basic layout. (Although it is not compulsory to learn the song. I distinctly remember when IU released her new EP ‘The Winning’ in the February of 2024, I sat down a few hours later and bashed out a set of lyrics to ‘Shh..’ which is how it ended up so… twisted. While this method is not advised, it certainly produces some fun interpretations! I should probably add that I have now rewritten four completely different sets of lyrics for that song, so don’t be afraid to redo something to capture another interpretation or share a different set of emotions.)
Now that you are familiar with your song, you should start thinking about how you interpret it, and the bigger message you hear. A set of lyrics is unique to you, formed by your own experiences and feelings – it can’t be replicated by anyone else. Pick out a few key words that you want to express and deduce the main themes from them.
Then think about the story you want to tell and how you’re going to tell it. A set of lyrics is unique because you create a whole other world encased in all the complexities of a song. Next, there are two options:
A) Use these buzz words to carefully craft your lyrics, paying attention to every syllable.
B) Keep these words in mind as you blast the song on repeat and make it up as you go along.
I like both. No matter if you have an academic scholarship or if you’re the person who never does their homework on time, both options will work. Of course, those two options are by no means the exhaustive list – if you’re really interested in hearing about the millions of different ways to write lyrics, well, I’d say ask me, but I don’t know all of them and I never will.
Now to refine those first blips of thoughts that are blossoming into a beautiful set of lyrics in their own right. I prefer to simply sing the song through with my new set of lyrics. If it works then I go to bed early, if it doesn’t then I will stop, think of another line, sing that section again, and keep doing that until I’m content. Due to how picky I am when writing lyrics, if I can’t find the right word or expression in the moment I’ll come back to it later, and that works as well.
That’s it, you’ve written your first set of lyrics – congratulations! Where now? Well, you can perform them yourself, ask a friend to do so, or hide them away and gradually build a personal collection.
Reading it back, I can see how all these tedious steps could be a deterrent, but really all I’m trying to do is show you how easy it is to become a lyricist – I don’t want to confine you to a set of instructions because everyone’s journey is different. If they help, you can follow these steps, or you can simply start writing whatever comes to mind without a second thought. Nonetheless, I hope this article was somewhat inspirational/helpful, and that through sharing my rambly journey of becoming a lyricist I managed to show that it’s a different path for everyone, and it’s impossible for you to walk it wrong.
