Song Topics

Sometimes when I get stuck on songwriting, I find that brainstorming general song topics helps me generate more specific ideas. Each song song topic generates thoughts about my own experiences relating to the topic. That doesn't always result in lyric ideas that I can use, but it's usually helpful.

Love

This one's easy. It's also a bit of a broad topic. There are love songs about falling in love with someone, the experience of being in love, a desire for love, the person you love, etc. Let's take, for example, falling in love with someone. Think about how you would write about these things:

-the moment you met and what drew you to that person

-the moment you realized you were in love

-what you love about the person

-what made you fall in love

-the first time you told someone you were in love

-how much you are in love

If you have someone in mind these prompts are probably already giving you ideas. Even if they're not ideas you could specifically use for a song, you're at least thinking about the topic and exploring it.

Anger

This one can also be broken down into several subtopics. Why you're angry, who you're angry with, things that make you angry, how you express your anger, etc.

-the last time someone made you angry

-the last time you told someone they made you angry

-something you regret that you did out of anger

-things that always make you angry

Jealousy

Who are you jealous of, why are you jealous, do you express it or keep it hidden? This one is especially easy for me! ;)

-what it is that you want and can't have

-how your jealousy effects how you act

-how your jealousy effects how you think

-what, if anything, makes others jealous of you

I don't think I need to go through every song topic I can think of for you to get the point. Brainstorming ideas and breaking down subjects or topics is a technique that is not only good for story or essay writing, but also for lyric writing. Don't toss aside a technique that could be helpful to you simply because you think it is better applied to other forms of writing.

~Eliza