Writing Lyrics

This was originally posted in the message board forums at mikegarrigan.com.

Q: Mike, for a bit of a refresher, I re-read your songwriting essay. I find the minidisc advice to be most helpful, especially when writing vocal songs.One thing I did have to ask...can you go more into the lyric writing process? I know you have topics from your journal, but how about the mechanics of making it fit into a part of song. I have the most problem here. I end up with quite a bit of balled up paper. Would love to hear how you turn an idea or a line into a journal into a song (lyrics wise).

A: This is true. I consider songwriting the first part in the recording chain. I mean, a song can sound amazing. But, if it isn't much of a song, it's really not going to sound that great in the long run.

Lyric style is something that is as unique as a vocal sound or signature guitar tone. If you're any good, chances are you've found a voice that works for you. There's probably something unique about your lyrics that sets you apart from others. For me, I like to insert obtuse and personal images in to my songs. According my former A&R people, this trait has limited their mass appeal. However, the people who like what I do tend to almost always love it. OK, I know, "Chartreuse" wasn't my best song, but it was for the kids. And, if you ever went to a Collapsis show, you probably understand why we enjoyed playing it.

Making lyrics fit can be tough. And, for some people (like me) writing comes in waves. I'll tend to write four or five songs in one month and then have a song drought for a few. It comes down to two things: 1) inspiration and 2) process.

You have to be inspired to write something worthwhile. I don't think a great song hasn't come out of some sort of stimulus. It can be anything that moves you. Maybe you're having relationship trouble. Maybe you discovered the secret to life. Maybe something made you laugh this morning. People are different, but everyone is inspired by something.

The key to harnessing inspiration is to continually surround yourself with things that inspire you. I remember when I went to see Chuck Palahniuk read on book tour, he mentioned what he did to get inspired. He hates the sound of babies crying. So, for a while, he would do his writing on crowded, noisy airplanes. He let the negative energy inform and transform his words. Personally, I get a lot out of other writers and poets. Often, I'll pick up Wallace Steven's Collected Poems and read until I go-off on a chain of thought. I write that chain down and, sometimes, I discover some creative, unique and meaningful phrases.

Conversely, if you want to be inspired, you really need to eliminate inspiration suckers from your life. Most successful writers don't drink a six pack after work and then crash in front of the TV to let the prime time shows wash over them. I've never heard a successful writer discuss how the Xbox really inspired them to write that great hit. Watching sports does nothing for me. Any form of entertainment that requires only passive participation (tv, blockbuster movies, spectating sports, most video games) distract inspiration. Try to limit these things from you life and I bet your writing will improve. I know it helped me. Alternate forms of entertainment that inspire are live drama, books, essays, provocative independent movies, and intelligent debate.

Inspiration is worthless without some sort of process to harness it. I'm not in a writing mode right now, but when I am, I make a point to write in my journal everyday for an hour. Our brains work a million times faster than the fastest computer. A stream of consciousness is often all over the place. Writing it down is a wild ride. Most of the stuff that I've written that has been earmarked for my spring record comes out of a three month long journaling about my childhood. Write in a journal everyday for a month and you'll see it positively affect your writing. All in all, the key with successful writing, be it lyrics, novels, short stories, or plays, is actually writing. It takes discipline. It takes drive. It takes courage. A lot of people want to be great writers. Very few people have the drive to have a dedicated process. If it's really important to you, you'll find time to do it...no matter what.

I realize that I haven't answered your question, yet.

Making something fit from a journal idea into a song structure has mostly to do with framing. Sometimes, if I have a few lines that work well, especially in, say, the second verse of the song, I'll "lock" those in to the second verse. A lot of what makes songs work is the rhyming. I favor soft rhymes to hard ones. If you find two lines that work, try five or six different words that rhyme with the ends of those lines. Lock them in, like a grid. Then, work backwards to complete the thought. Sometimes, this doesn't work at all. Often it does.