Not every artist is a songwriter. That is ok, but if as an artist you are a songwriter, this gives you a leg up on your competition. Having the ability to write your own songs not only gives you the freedom to sing and make songs that you want to, that are personal to you, but also gives you full creative control and ownership of your songs. Of course even the best songwriting artists have help, work with other songwriters, but in most cases a bulk of the songs they sing are written by them.
You would think that writing a song could be easy, right? The last word of each line has to rhyme. There has to be some kind of melody. (and especially in todays music that melody doesn’t have to be difficult or intricate, in most cases they are pretty simple) There is a verse and a hook. The hook needs to repeat and be something that people will sing along too. Well if this sounds simple and you think it is easy, one why doesn’t everybody do it? And two, why haven’t you done it yet? To simply answer those questions, it is because writing a song is hard, writing a good song is difficult and writing a great song is damn near impossible. (of course there have been people to do all of the above so it can be done, but if you were to ask true music people I am sure they could list on both hands the number of truly great songs that have been written, and this means truly actual great songs that last throughout time, not just songs that really like a lot) With that being said, how do you write a song? What are the components of a song? How is a song structured?
Starting at the beginning, most of all songs (and for sake of this article and my examples I will using the structure of normal pop/rap/R&B songs, not dance or jazz songs as these can be structured differently) are structured the same way. Verse 1, pre hook, hook, verse 2, pre hook, hook, bridge, hook, done. Sometimes this structure changes and the hook comes first in the song, sometimes (generally in the rap genre) there is no bridge but rather a third verse, in some cases there is no pre hook and the verse goes straight into the hooks, and in some other cases there is just one verse and one hook and that is it. The first verse is to set up the concept of the song, the beginning of the story you are telling. The pre hook (if there is one) is a change of pace setting up the hook. The hook is exactly what it says. It is the hook of the song, the section that draws in the listener, giving them a catchy couple of phrases that they can sing along too. (understand that most listeners will know the words to the hook and be able to sing the hook without ever knowing or being able to sing the verses) The hook is the climax of the song. The second verse is the continuation of the story. You have now complete what happens, got the listeners attention through your hook and are now ready to finish your story and getting your point across. The pre hook and hook repeat after the second verse. The hook is generally the same as the first hook. (although sometimes depending on the nature of the song, a few words of the second hook differ from the words of the first hook) The pre hook is also generally the same as the first pre hook, however sometimes in the pre hook section of the song, it is only the music that stays the same and the words are completely different. In other cases, like rap for example, there is no pre hook, the verse goes straight into the hook each time. The bridge (if there is one as in most songs now there are only two verses and a double hook after the second verse before the song ends, or in the case of rap there maybe a third verse instead of a bridge) is the change of pace for the song, generally called a breakdown. This is where the music changes, either adding or taking away instrumentation that is through out the rest of the song, the artist completes the story being told, and leads the listener into the final hook that is the actual climax of the song before the song ends.
Now that you have a basic understanding of the components of a song and how they are structured, let’s get to the meat and potatoes of this article, how do you write a song? What is the difference between a good song, a great song and a bad song. (not always meaning bad but sometimes just meaning generic)
First, what is going to separate one from the other is going to be the cleverness of the wording you use. Think of the song, “Dancing with a stranger,” by Sam Smith. The concept of the song is the person he was with has left him, and it is their fault that he is out in a club or bar dancing with a stranger. “Look what you made me do….now I am dancing with a stranger.” A fairly basic concept and one that just about anyone could put together as far as story goes, but the way it is worded is why this is considered a good song by some and great writing by most. If he were to have used different wording for the same concept the entire song would have been different. “You left me, we broke up, now I’m out in a bar.” This is essentially the same concept but the wording is so generic that it doesn’t make for a good song. “So Sick,” by Ne-Yo is the classic story of breaking up with your girlfriend and trying to figure out how to get over it and move on. “I’m so sick of love songs, so tired of tears, so done with wishing you were still here… so why can’t I turn off the radio.” Again the same principle applies. If Ne-Yo were to have said, “You’re gone, I’m hurting, I’m crying, I’m listening to songs that remind me of you,” the concept would be the same but the feelings of the song would have been different. The way these two songs in particular are worded is what makes them considered to be great songwriting and why they were and are both such popular chart topping songs. Simply saying, “I love you, I miss you,” is not clever. It may be a feeling that anyone and everyone can relate to but why is someone going to sing that? If one of the above mentioned artists were to sing, “I love you, I miss you,” no-one is going to listen to that song because it is too generic, it is not catchy. Your lyrics have to be clever. Your lyrics have to be catchy and make the audience go, “I get that, I feel the same way, I never thought of putting it like that before.” Think of what happens when someone really connects with a song. They usually say that this artist and this song is saying exactly what I am feeling. This is because the concept of the song is something everyone can relate to, but the way the artist is saying and expressing those feelings and sentiments is what the listener is connecting too.
Next is melody. The melody of the song is what people are going to sing along with. Sometime the listeners won’t even know the words of the song, but rather they will only know how to hum along with the melody. Most of the general public can’t sing, but when they are in their car or in the shower they are going to sing along with their favorite artists and their favorite songs. After they are done listening to your song you want them to be continually humming the melody you have constructed even if they don’t know all or any of the words in your song. Think of it this way, when people are trying to explain a song they can’t remember the name of or words to what do they do to try and jog their memory or explain it to the person sitting next to them? They hum the melody. A catchy melody is just as important as good lyrics. (sometimes more so) When a melody is catchy other artists will attempt to use that same melody in their songs, when this happens what is the first thing listeners say when they hear this new song with the same melody, “I know this melody. Isn’t that from such and such song?”
The most important part of your song is the hook. (or sometimes called the chorus) This is the part of the song everyone will know first, and the part of the song everyone will sing along too. I can’t tell you how many times I will put on a song and me personally or the people around me don’t know all or any of the words in the verses but know every word to the hook. Eminem says it best in his song, “Syllables,” “It’s not about lyrics anymore, it’s about a hot beat, and a catchy hook.” Most of the general public will nod their head to the verse and make hand gestures they think go along with the lyrics, but won’t know any of the words or bother to ever learn them. However, when that hook comes on, they are going to sing at the top of their lungs every word and every note even if they can’t sing at all. You have to have a big hook. What does that mean? That means that your hook has to be an anthem, has to be something that is going to get the people going. (in todays social media age it has to be something captionable) Think of Megan Thee Stallion’s song, “Savage,” “I’m a savage (yeah) Classy, bougie, ratchet (yeah) Sassy, moody, nasty (hey, hey, yeah) Acting stupid, what’s happening? Bitch (whoa, whoa) What’s happening? Bitch (whoa, whoa)” This hook isn’t too intricate, but it is clever, it is an anthem, it is a social media caption waiting to happen. This is a hook that gives every girl something to sing along too. Something easy to say on repeat that is easy to remember. This is what I mean when I say you have to have a big hook. Simply saying, “I’m a savage,” is not clever, anthem worthy or huge in any way, shape or form. But, saying what being a savage is and what it means through the rest of the hook is all of those things combined. Before this song a woman would never call themselves a savage because it would be taken in a negative light, as something you didn’t want to be. Now with this song, Meg has flipped the entire meaning of the word savage to be something almost every woman is or wants to call herself.
Lastly, what constitutes a good song, connectable and realism. If the verses and story of the song is connectable with the audience they will gravitate towards the song because they can relate to what it is about. If the song is an over exaggerated story that is not something anyone other than a celebrity or extremely famous person can relate to then nobody is going to listen because they can’t relate to the song. Now, if this same song is catchy and the melody or hook is as I have explained earlier than that maybe different, but in most cases if your general population audience can’t relate to what you are saying and explaining in your songs then they won’t listen because they want to connect with the music not always just listen to the music. Realism is important too. There is nothing worse than realizing as a fan that what your favorite artists has been rapping or singing about for their entire career is a lie. Think of all the artists that have had their careers crash and burn because they were exposed as not living the life they were rapping or singing about. Don’t lie and try to get one over on your audience, they will always find out the truth and crucify you if you are telling a lie. Even worse, if you ever get into a beef with another artist and they expose you for being fake or lying in your songs, not only will they expose you and make a mockery of you, but their fans and the rest of social media will too and now your career is over. (unless of course you are Drake, which in that case your star power doesn’t seem to ever take a dip no matter what the situation is)
I want to explain another concept of writing a song that relates more to rappers than singers due to the complexity of it, and because of the stanza structure that has to be used in order to execute this concept. The concept is multi syllable rhyming and compound lyrics. What this means is that instead of constructing a simple rhyme scheme that has only the last word of each line rhyme, you are now rhyming multiple words in each line with the previous line, while also rhyming multiple syllables of different words, while at the same time rhyming different stanzas of words together. Sounds complicated right? It is, and for the most part there are only a few of the top artists in rap that are doing this and doing it consistently. Eminem’s “Renegade” lyrics are a perfect example:
“Since I’m in a position to talk to these kids and they listen
I ain’t no politician but I’ll kick it with ’em a minute
‘Cause see they call me a menace, and if the shoe fits I’ll wear it
But if it don’t, then y’all will swallow the truth grin and bear it
Now who’s the king of these rude ludicrous lucrative lyrics?
Who could inherit the title, put the youth in hysterics
Using his music to steer it, sharing his views and his merits?
But there’s a huge interference, they’re saying you shouldn’t hear it
Maybe it’s hatred I spew, maybe it’s food for the spirit
Maybe it’s beautiful music I made for you to just cherish
But I’m debated, disputed, hated and viewed in America
As a motherfucking drug addict, like you didn’t experiment?
Now now, that’s when you start to stare at who’s in the mirror
And see yourself as a kid again, and you get embarrassed
And I got nothing to do but make you look stupid as parents
You fucking do-gooders, too bad you couldn’t do good at marriage!
And do you have any clue what I had to do to get here?
I don’t think you do, so stay tuned and keep your ears glued to the stereo”
He is rhyming multiple words in each line, while rhyming multiple syllables in each line, while having different stanzas rhyme with each other. This is an intricate, complex, complicated style generally only seen in rap, and only used by the top lyricists.
Being clever, having a great singable melody, being real, being connectable, and having a huge anthem style hook are all components of creating a great song. As a songwriter if you have these aspects in your songs then you will be on your way to having one or a few hit records. If you are able to write in different perspectives (meaning as a man write from a girl view and vis versa) than you are in an even better position because you have the ability to tell the story from different angles and widen the array of artists you can write for. Being a good writer is not an easy task, it takes years and years of practice and trial and error to get it write. You could spend years writing songs before you get to the point where you have constructed a clever lyric, catchy melody and huge hook that takes your songs to another level. My suggestion, listen to the top songs on the charts, all of these songs encompass all of the aspects I have laid out in this article that constitute a great song. If you can deconstruct these songs and figure out why they are considered great (even though for the most part the reasons are in the above sections) you will see what is needed to construct and write a great song.
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