I have heard so many people say that they love songs and love music because it makes them feel happy. That is certainly a good thing, but I have to disagree when I hear them say that the purpose of songs is to make us feel happy. I believe that the purpose of songs is to make us feel and happy isn't the only emotion a person can feel.
Writing lyrics makes me feel happy no matter what emotions led me to write them. Songwriting can help me express my happiness or help me deal with my sadness. Above all, it is the best way I know how to truly be myself. Maybe it will never take me anywhere and maybe no more than a few of my friends will ever appreciate anything that I write. That's a very real possibility, although I hope it's not the case. Either way, writing these songs didn't just help me feel happy. It helped me feel. And I am so grateful for that.
Sharing what you have to say is a powerful thing though. And knowing that you can get someone to listen to something that's important to you is a valuable thing that should be cherished by every writer, whether you have one person listening to you or a million. Whatever your purpose is for writing, always keep it in sight.
~Eliza
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Writing Lyrics like you Love Songs
There are a lot of different opinions and perspectives about how to approach songwriting and about what makes a good song. The reason I love my lyrics so much is because they are songs that I want to listen to. I haven't gotten to the point where I have any recordings of the songs that I've written, but there have been so many times when I've been browsing the web for music or listening to a radio station and thought to myself, "You know what? I don't really want to listen to this. I want to hear my song!"
And since there is no recording, I can either listen in my head or sing it to myself. Sometimes it's because the song I wrote relates to something personal I went through, but it's usually just because I think it's a song that has a lot of potential and is fun to sing. And if I enjoy it that much I think other people would enjoy them too.
Write the songs that you would want to listen to. What kind of lyrics pull you into the song? What makes a song stand out to you? Write those kinds of songs because if you want to take those songs anywhere you have to stay motivated and it's hard to stay motivated about a song that doesn't even hold your own interest, let alone anyone else's.
Look to the songs that you enjoy and pull inspiration from them. What rhyming patterns work for the song you're listening to? What metaphors make the song work? It's similiar to reading stories to help you become better at writing them. Examine the strengths that these other writers have and compare them to your weaknesses. Where could you use a better metaphor? Which rhymes are out of place or don't make sense? Once you start paying closer attention to what techniques make other songwriters successful, it will be easier to apply those lessons to your own songwriting. Never underestimate the value of self education and determination.
~Eliza
And since there is no recording, I can either listen in my head or sing it to myself. Sometimes it's because the song I wrote relates to something personal I went through, but it's usually just because I think it's a song that has a lot of potential and is fun to sing. And if I enjoy it that much I think other people would enjoy them too.
Write the songs that you would want to listen to. What kind of lyrics pull you into the song? What makes a song stand out to you? Write those kinds of songs because if you want to take those songs anywhere you have to stay motivated and it's hard to stay motivated about a song that doesn't even hold your own interest, let alone anyone else's.
Look to the songs that you enjoy and pull inspiration from them. What rhyming patterns work for the song you're listening to? What metaphors make the song work? It's similiar to reading stories to help you become better at writing them. Examine the strengths that these other writers have and compare them to your weaknesses. Where could you use a better metaphor? Which rhymes are out of place or don't make sense? Once you start paying closer attention to what techniques make other songwriters successful, it will be easier to apply those lessons to your own songwriting. Never underestimate the value of self education and determination.
~Eliza
Sunday, July 8, 2012
A Little Update
The creative writing is coming along quite well. I have written a few songs and fragments in the past couple of weeks. All the other writing has been poems and stories. I plan on using the rest of July to focus on that and revert my attention back to songwriting in August.
I'm currently trying to find homes for two poems that I wrote. One is called "Too Shallow" and the other is "Dear God". I am also working on finishing some stories that I'll be submitting by the end of the month.
As far as my songs go, I recently wrote a song called "Ain't Nothin' to Me" and started a couple new ones called "No Business" and "I Don't Feel Sorry".
I apologize for not updating for so long. I've really been focusing on these other projects that I'm excited about publishing and I'm making some real progress. I'll be sharing some more of my lyrics on here soon!
~Eliza
I'm currently trying to find homes for two poems that I wrote. One is called "Too Shallow" and the other is "Dear God". I am also working on finishing some stories that I'll be submitting by the end of the month.
As far as my songs go, I recently wrote a song called "Ain't Nothin' to Me" and started a couple new ones called "No Business" and "I Don't Feel Sorry".
I apologize for not updating for so long. I've really been focusing on these other projects that I'm excited about publishing and I'm making some real progress. I'll be sharing some more of my lyrics on here soon!
~Eliza
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