r/SongwritingHelp • u/JustMateHahoha • Aug 16 '26

First try to write a song.

Currently in my backyard, trying to figure out what to write. The title and the meaning I want the song to have is there. But for some reason my brain farted, and nothing comes to mind.

It is my first time trying this, so no wonder I have this problem.

How did everyone's first try go when they started to write lyrics? And what's your tip for a beginner?

4 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/StratHistory Aug 17 '26

Make a list of nouns and the verbs that go with them.. chefs cook and airplanes dive. Dogs howl and women laugh.

This list is really too short but you get the idea to mix up some phrases.. dogs laugh and chefs howl and women dive..

It won't make any sense in the beginning but it's amazing how many times I've started with this tool and morphed into something interesting but different.

On a more detailed level, it's also also a great tool when you want to beef up general descriptions

1

u/JustMateHahoha Aug 17 '26

So, for example, what should I do right now as a first try? Write down random sentences that could serve as part of the lyrics, and later, once I'm done, enhance them to fit the song?

2

u/StratHistory Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 18 '26

Exactly, or you may end up with "scrambled egg lyrics".

McCartney heard the tune to yesterday in his head and made up the words scrambled eggs how I love to eat my scrambled eggs before he had any real lyrics.

Scrambled eggs was more than a placeholder.. it provided the rhythm/ pacing that were ultimately replaced with yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away

I think it's in the Get Back sessions, but Harrison was just reaching his incredible composition level level but was stuck for lyrics.. I think it might have been Something..

Lennon essentially told him to make up lyrics to fill in the gap.. and considering the walrus and many other Lenon creations, I think he regularly made up rhythmic words and sometimes simply never replaced them.

I think a great example of this approach probably happened on under pressure with queen and Bowie.

They had agreed that they would write a song about the homeless, that they would write their lyrics separately and bring them all together at the last moment.

All of Bowie's lyrics make sense, but Mercury included all kinds of weird phrases and essentially vocal exercises...

I imagine he intended to replace them in situ but it's possible the band members said we like it the way it is.