7 Tips to Write the Title
How to take your listeners on a journey
When writing a song, it's important to make sure that the lyrics reflect the title. After all, the title is what everyone will be looking for! Especially a cool title. This seems odd but so many songs I’ve critiqued move away from THE ONE IDEA of the song, it’s unlikely to make the song work further than the artist/writer.
Here’s the thing: the title is the business card for the song - it tells people where your song is going and what they could expect. So take your listeners on a journey with you! We'll give you some tips on how to do just that.
Why write the title?
One of my favorite books on lyric writing is Sheila Davis’ “Successful Lyric Writing”. In this, she says:
The name of your product is the title, what the consumer asks for at the store. Skilled songwriters are skilled in making a title both recognizable and unforgettable.”
So, titles are words or phrase that requires special treatment.
Seven Tips
Here are seven tips to help you write great lyrics that reflect your song's title:
Brainstorming–Start by brainstorming what the title of your song means to you. What story, pictures, or emotions does it evoke? Use these as inspiration for your lyrics.
The goal–As you're writing, keep the title in mind and make sure that your lyrics are all about it. Every time you mention the title, think about how you can make it more significant. The goal is to develop the title, nothing else.
A story, not a plot–The difference between a story and a plot is that a story is about the journey, while a plot is just a series of events. Use this tip to keep your song focused on the title - make it about the journey, not just a series of events.
Unifying–Allow the title to be the song's main unifying concept or the subject that every section of the song revisits, recolors, and grows as it progresses.
Flow–Let the lyric be logically set up by each section by ordering the flow of ideas. Often the ideas in Verse 1 may start off some way from the title, but a well-crafted Pre-Chorus can twist the lyric effectively into the Chorus to create a natural progression of ideas into the Chorus.
Emotions–Capture the emotion of the song—so that a listener can recall the emotional impact of the song simply by hearing the title, as well as each section.
Placement–Be highlighted by its placement in the Chorus or Refrain—to spotlight it, the title is often placed in power positions in the Chorus (e.g. first and/or last lines). Also, it is often set up at the end of a Chorus by its rhyme scheme.
There are a lot of ways to write a song, but these seven tips should help you get started focusing on the title. Remember, the title is important because it's the first thing people will hear about your song. Make sure it reflects the journey you're taking your listeners on!
Questions
Here are a few questions:
What process do you use when you’re writing? Does the lyric capture the title in each section?
How can you make sure your lyrics reflect your song's title?
Is there a lyric that could be more about the journey rather than the plot?
Do you have any songs that you think could need a new title? The title should capture the emotions in the song.
Hope this helps!
Simon
If you want to take your songwriting journey even further, check out other pro-songwriter tips below. These tips may help you hone your craft and take your songs to the next level!
Song Mapping is a Pro-Songwriter tool that allows you to see the connections between all the words in your song. It's a great way to see how your song is structured and to find new ideas for lyrics.
Click here to learn more about Song Maps!