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

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