Your Lyrics, Your Biography

Your lyrics should be whatever you want them to be, but if you're going to bother writing lyrics at all you might as well tell your story at the same time. Think of your lyrics as your biography.

As I look over the lyrics I have in my songbook I'm reminded of different experiences I have had. Sure, lots of them were lyrics I just wrote for fun, but they all reflect a perios of time in my life. What I was experiencing at the time was what my lyrics were about. And that's the way it should be. My biography is in those words.

The first song I wrote was probably a church song. I don't remember it and I'm sure the notebook I wrote it in is now long lost. Those were my Sunday school days.

My lyric writing picked up in high school. I didn't really date, so the romantic songs I wrote were based on imaginary relationships. I became sick with a painful illness that led me to be suicidal. As I recovered I wrote songs about how much I struggled with what I was going through, how misunderstood I felt, and how I was glad that I didn't take my own life. I wrote a song called "I'd Rather Feel Nothing" about how intense the pain was sometimes. I wrote a song called "So Beautiful" about how I was determined to overcome being self concious. And I wrote a song called "So Sick" about how fed up I was with how someone was treating me.

And when I graduated from high school I started writing about how my dreams had changed and how being a grown up turned out to be a lot different than I thought it would be. I wrote a song called "Money Owns Me" about how being an adults turns out to be all about chasing money and the desperation to have enough. I wrote a song called "Still Believe in Dreamin" about how I didn't want to give up on what I wanted to do.

And now at 21 I am more determined than ever to pursue my dream of being a songwriter. And as I continue this journey my songs will reflect that.

~Eliza

Fragments Update

I am on track to complete the five fragments mentioned in the previous post by the end of the year! I have also come up with some new pieces over the past week that I will begin developing as soon as I complete my current list.

I will be posting some of those lyrics on here for critique and feedback, as well as posting my own critiques of lyrics.

~Eliza

My Song Fragments

In a recent post I talked about how it can sometimes be difficult to finish a song, even when you're off to a good start and feel like it has potential. I've made a list of 5 song fragments that I have. I hope to have the first 2 finished by the end of the month and all 5 finished by the end of the year.

1. Despite the Things You Say
2. Dream
3. A Way That I Can Understand
4. Wish I Could Breathe
5. You've Got a Way

Obviously these titles don't mean anything to anyone reading this, but I wanted to give an example of what I'm working on. I've got five song fragments, I've prioritized them, and I've set goals for finishing them. This gives me a way to focus on those projects that aren't finished yet without overwhelming myself or wasting too much time.

When I look at the song fragments I have, it helps to think about what I was doing or what I was thinking about when those ideas came to mind. An idea is usually sparked by something someone else says or does. Thinking about those events put me in the mindset I was in when I originally started writing the song. And remembering where that song came from and why you started writing it is crucial to finishing it.

The problem I run into when I try to complete a song is that I'll come up with a few lines that follow the same topic, but don't go well with what I have already written and was trying to finish in the first place. Then I am left with two song fragments and the frustration of being unable to finish either one. I can't predict whether that will happen with any of the items on my list of song fragments, but I will do my best to have all 5 completed by the end of the year.

~Eliza

Two More Contest Submissions

This month I submitted lyrics to two contests. I submitted the song "Damage" to the Paramount Song Competition and the song "Can't Take Away Who I Am" to the American Songwriter Magazine Lyrics Contest. I will post the responses when I receive them.

~Eliza

Those "To Be Completed" Projects

My songbooks have a lot of lyrics in them. And I think some of them have a lot of potential. The problem is that some of the ones that have potential aren't even finished.
I'll be at work or I'll be at home thinking about a person or an event. Suddenly an idea will come to me. I can hear it in my head. It sounds great. And more importantly it sounds promising. Then suddenly the inspiration is gone. And I'm left with a few lines of a song and no idea how to finish it.
Now it's a matter of prioritizing the song fragments I have. I have to ask myself two questions. Which pieces have the most potential? And which pieces will I be able to finish the fastest? Both questions are equally important and help me manage my time by directing my focus in an efficient manner.
I have too many projects in my songbook that still need to be completed. So this week I'll be putting together my list of the song fragments I want to finish. And by the end of the month I want to have at least three of them completed.

~Eliza

Using the Past for Inspiration

Inspiration for songs can come from the most random things and hit you at the strangest moments, but waiting for inspiration to hit before you get anything done can waste a lot of time. Use your past as inspiration to keep writing.

A journal is something that can really help with this. If you don't use one now is a good time to start. You don't need to write on a daily or even weekly basis. Just write about the events that effect you the most-that person you can't stop thinking about, your financial struggles, the drama at work, your friends sudden illness, etc. Keep a journal in which you write about those moments that evoke strong emotions in you.

Thinking about your past in a general sense can be less productive than focusing on specific emotions or moments. Use these prompts to help you develop ideas based on moments from your past.
-school fight
-a time you were really sick
-the first time you ever felt really guilty about something you did
-your first crush
-your first day at your first job
-an audition or interview you were nervous about
-your first date
-something you've always wanted to accomplish
-a nasty rumor someone spread about you
-a time you wanted to get revenge on someone who mistreated you
-a time someone assumed something negative about you
-a time you tried to impress someone who didn't like you
-your first bad grade or failed project
-a time you didn't get to do something you really wanted to do
-your first sexual experience
-the first concert you ever attended
-the first time you tried to write a song
-a bully that intimidated you
-a time you got in trouble at school
-an event that made you really late from something important
-a time you had to apologize for a big mistake
-a time your boss blamed you for something that wasn't your fault
-a time you blamed someone else for something you did
-something you said to someone that you've regretted ever since
-a moment you wish you could go back and change
-a moment that you feel defines who you are as a person

There are plenty of other moments you could use as inspiration, but hopefully this list at least got you thinking about some inspiring moments in your life. If nothing inspires you right now, look through a journal, a yearbook, or maybe even an old calendar. You might find something interesting.

~Eliza

Songs that Deal with Grief

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11 most of the songs that come to my mind are songs that deal with grief. They are either about releasing grief or overcoming whatever hardship caused the grief.
People often say that the purpose of music is to make people happy and spread joy. I believe that the purpose is to help us feel and not every emotion we feel is happy. I have found many times that I didn't realize just how much I needed to release my emotions until I started singing along to a song that helped me release them. Songs don't bring back lost loved ones or make all of our problems go away, but they do help us recover when we are hurt.
The hurt that was felt in the United States on September 11, 2001 is difficult to comprehend. I was only eleven years old at the time. Since I couldn't remember much from that day, I looked at some of the newscasts, images, and phone calls from that day. The phone calls were the most painful, but I'm glad I listened to them. It's important that we never forget that event and listening to those phone calls was a good thing for me. When we look at the images, it's so easy to just see a couple of buildings with smoke coming out of them, but when we hear the voices on those phone calls and see the images of people jumping from windows to escape flames it is a somber reminder that those were real people and real lives that were lost that day.
I remembered 9/11 today through videos of the days news, but when I finished these were the lyrics that stood out to me, the lyrics that I wanted to sing.

Oh, beautiful, for spacious skies for amber waves of grain
For purple mountain's majesties above the fruited plain
America, America, God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea

It's not that 9/11 makes me think of beauty. That was a very ugly day, but it reminds me how glad I am that I'm still here, how glad I am that there haven't been more attacks like this, and how glad I am that I'm an American. And as an American I will always remember this day and the lives that were lost.

~Eliza

Lyric Critiques

Lyric critiques are an important part of the revision process and help songwriters make the changes they need to make so their work will be the best it can be. I won't be posting very many of my own lyrics on this blog, but I will on occasion. I will also be posting my own critiques of lyrics by some of my favorite artists. This is also a good exercise for songwriters because it makes them think about what they like to hear in lyrics and incorporate those interests into their own writing.

I would like this aspect of my blog to be more interactive as I update more regularly and gain more readers. In the meantime I will pursue my dream of having my lyrics recorded by local artists.

~Eliza

Bits and Pieces

Occasionally I will be working on a song and all of the lyrics will come to me at once. This has only happened a couple of times, with songs such as "Angelface" and "Damage". Most songs will come to me in bits and pieces.

It will often be one single moment that I write about, as opposed to an event in my life. And because it is only one moment I will only be able to write a few lines. Since so little happened in that moment I find it difficult to complete those songs and build an entire song based upon those few seconds or minutes, yet for some reason those few lines tend to be the most provoking and meaningful lines in my songbooks. It may be because those single moments can still be the most memorable. For example, I have written two songs about an illness I struggled with in high school, but I have written dozens of lyrics that are still incomplete that were inspired by a sentence or two someone said to me.

These songs that come to me in bits and pieces are very frustrating. I want to finish a song, but if I force it I am unhappy with the outcome. That's why I've learned to write down every lyric. When it comes to me I'll grab whatever's nearby, which can happen 0-20 times a day, and save it to look over later. (They usually tend to come to me when I'm busy with something else.) When I have time I'll read it a few times and if I think it has some potential I will then write it in my songbook.

It can be an irritating process, but it's better to save those lyrics that have potential and take a lot of time revising and completing them than missing out on those opportunities. Just because a project can take a long amount of time doesn't mean it's not worth it.

~Eliza

Self Education

Songwriting and creating music are things that a lot of people dream about. And most people who actually pursue it don't just want to get by. They want to make it big. People who want to take advantage of that to make some money know that a lot of these dreamers are not as educated as they think they are.

Take myself for example. In terms of having pride in my work I am ready to pursue a songwriting career. And a few weeks ago I felt like I was ready despite a lack of knowledge of how the songwriting business works. It seemed like an acceptable approach to see where networking could take me and learn along the way. Fortunately an unplanned stop by Barnes and Noble made me realize how naive and unprofessional that was. I saw some books about songwriting and the music industry and decided to educate myself a little. I couldn't believe how much I had learned, things I had before thought I could go without knowing, after only a few chapters. One thing the books talked about was legal contracts with anyone who you write or record a song with. I hadn't put much thought into that. I realized as I continued that there were a lot of important things I hadn't considered much at all. And I realized that that put me at a serious disadvantage.

In terms of having completed songs and having pride in my work I am ready to pursue a songwriting career, but there are a lot of people who would be more than willing to take advantage of my ignorance. That's why I am focusing on educating myself on the music business, as well as music itself. If I see an opportunity in front of my I'll obviously take advantage of it, but at the same time I recognize the value of increasing my knowledge on things that are vital.

As I learn I want to help other people who have the same interests. I am creating a new page for resources for songwriters. I will post books, links, and websites that I find helpful as I continue to learn more. I will also occasionally add a blog post for resources that are exceptional.

~Eliza

Rejected Lyrics

A few weeks ago I submitted my lyrics for a song called "Damage" to the American Songwriters Lyrics competition. I found out yesterday that I am not one of the finalists.

I have had other forms of writing rejected, but I had never entered a lyric competition before. Strangely I felt no sense of discouragement or even disappointment. Perhaps it's because I spent so much time telling myself that rejection didn't mean failure. It's only a stepping stone to success. One way to looke at it is that since my lyrics are not longer tied up in a contest I now have the freedom to do what I want with my lyrics and have no obligations to any judges in a contest.

At this time I am currently seeking artists who have an interest in recording this song. I have no music for it, just the lyrics.

If the song interests you, please leave a comment or a send me a messsage at elizabeth.marion490@gmail.com. I would also appreciate any feedback. Thank you.

Damage

Don't ask me to wake up

Don't ask me to move

Don't even know if I could if I tried

I don't wanna get up

Though I was never truly asleep

Everything seems so surreal now

I'm just dead tired from this insomnia I've been experiencing since you left me

Out of my mind wondering when and if I'll see you next

You can't come that close to me and then just pull away without leaving any scars

And even if you came back and asked me to forgive you

The damage is already done

Oh it's done

I just wanna move on

But that's easier said than done

Don't even know if I could if I tried

I just wanna stay up all the time

So I don't dream of you

So I don't dream of you

I just going crazy trying to figure out if I can somehow get you back now

And at the same time hoping I'll never have to see you again

You can't come that close to me and then just pull away without leaving any scars

And even if you come back and ask to me to forgive you

The damage is already done

Oh it's done

I do have a bridge and I final chorus, but I feel that those parts can use some more editing. I'm satisfied with the rest of the song and hope that it will someday be recorded.

~Eliza

Lyric Competition

A couple of days ago I entered a song I wrote into the American Songwriters lyrics competition. As I mentioned before, while I have written many lines and verses to songs I have fully completed only a few, so I only had a list of about fifteen to work with.

The song I ended up sending in was a song titled Damage. I will wait until the results of the competition have been announced before I post the lyrics here or try to promote them to anyone.

My impression of the American Songwriters lyrics competition so far is very positive. Since I write lyrics and have no recording devices or instruments to make a recording even if I wanted to, a competition that allows you to send in only the lyrics is something that I appreciate.

I also like the fact that those who have never submitted before get something out of it other than the submission fee and bragging rights that they finally got up the nerve to enter their work into a competition. The submission is $12, but when you submit you also get a 1-year subscription to the magazine. Even if I don't win any of the prizes or even an honorable mention that's plenty of incentive for me. I have been interested in subscribing to the magazine, and through this competition I was able to do so for only $12. I have not received my first issue yet, but will post here when I do.

~Eliza

Judging My Own Lyrics

I have three songbooks. They are not completely filled. In fact, many of the songs that I have written in them are not complete. It's easy coming up with one line or a verse or two, but writing a complete song that's good can be a challenge.

I need to be able to judge my own lyrics. I don't want to waste time on a song that's never going to gain anyone's interest or that no one will be interested in performing.

With most of them it's quite simple-I'll write a lyric, feel really excited about it, then look it over the next day and realize that it's actually pretty bad. Now that I'm at a point where I want to work to see my lyrics turned into songs that are recorded and performed I want to focus on the lyrics that actually have potential. I have a special technique for deciding if a song is worth it. I sing it to myself over and over again. I'll usually do this for about an hour. When I'm finished if I still feel excited about the lyrics I know it's a project that I have enough passion for to follow through on and that I have the confidence to keep going if I face criticisms or rejections along the way. If I start to lose faith in it or get bored after singing it a few times I know its not worth the time and energy.

~Eliza

Identifying Myself as a Lyricist

I have always enjoyed writing, though when I was younger virtually all of my attempts to complete a story or essay failed miserably. I was great at coming up with ideas, but turning them into a finished project was always the hard part for me.

I'm better at sticking with my projects now, but my interests have changed and I now consider writing lyrics to be the most enjoyable form of writing. After years of scribbling down phrases on receipt paper at work and then copying them down into one of my songbooks, I have finally decided that being a lyricist is something that I should pursue wholeheartedly. It has always been a dream of mine and it doesn't make much sense to keep putting off my dreams. What better time than now? What will I gain from waiting?

I don't expect this to be easy, but I do expect it to be rewarding when I start seeing results from my work. I am excited about the songs I have written and I am excited about continuing to write them. I am excited to identify myself as a lyricist.

~Eliza