My approach to songwriting

[Newsboy]

Let me just say that EVERYTHING is important to me when it comes to songwriting. On the whole though, most shortcomings can be forgiven EXCEPT if the structure is wrong.
Now by structure, I don't mean the song has to have catchy changes or the lyrics have to be a literary masterpiece. What I mean is the song has to fit itself. Everything has to be able to make sense from start to finish without having a part that feels like it doesn't belong.
I have written songs for many years and have learned that you can not write a great song unless within you there is a great attachment to the idea or the emotion behind the song. So, the first rule of thumb for myself is if I don't feel it or don't believe it, I don't write a song about it...unless the point of the song is to be cynical.
So when I generate an idea for lyrics of a song, the first thing I do is think about the mood that idea puts me in. How does it make me feel when I'm in love? When George W. Bush bombs a country? When cats catch on fire? How could the way I feel be expressed musically?
And at this point I go to my guitar or my piano and "tinker." I never enslave myself to any one musical idea. I just think about my subject and let my fingers play around.
Once I have found my melody I reach for my pad and pen. I never write lyrics on the computer, I don't know why, I just don't.
I think about my words two ways: The first is how can I create the best sentence for the music and the second how can I create the best sentence for the verse? I don't think about rhyming or catchiness at this point, just rhythm.
After writing my first verse I give it a once-over and sing it aloud to my melody. This is to see if the words will fit rhythmically. If it fits, I can do any rewriting of the lyrics now, keeping the sylibal count the same.
I write the pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, etc. pretty much the same way. Always coming back to "does this fit my emotion?"
In regards to lyrics I have found there is a formula that works for me:

Verse:
Should be an explanaition of things relating to the general idea but should not directly confront the idea. It should be more a description of a thing than a thing itself.
Pre-Chorus:
This is VERY important. This NEEDS to tie the verse to the chorus. I think of the pre-chorus as a closing argument for why the verse deserves to be in the song. It also needs to accompany a musical change, even if it's just singing the verse rhythm in a different way.
Chorus:
The true meat and potatoes. This IS the idea right here. Sure you can play dress-up with your idea if you want to but make sure the main point of your song is stated here. Needs to define itself musically from the rest of the song without straying away from the melodic idea.
Bridge:
Bridge lyrics are open game, they can be ANYTHING (Example: "Shake it once that's fine, shake it twice that's okay, shake it three times and you're playing with yourself.").so long as they fit rhythmically with the change that occurs in the music. However, it would be nice if it added something to your overall idea.

Okay, I wrote a lot and don't have the time right now to proofread so if you read all of this before I get around to it let me know what you think.
Also, feel free to offer your methods or ideas!

[jclampitt]

seems like a great method, it's a lot more advanced and thought out a lot better than my approach. i just get a good chord pattern going on guitar, and then another one or two or three that all fits together to make the verse, chorus and sometimes a bridge. then i roughly record what i have and then play it back and make the catchiest melody i can over that on guitar. then once i have chords and a melody that i'm happy with i write lyrics to that. i work 40-50 hours a week in a very boring warehouse so once i have the melody in my head i can write the lyrics in my head and scribble them down when i get a chance. i find myself writing a lot of my songs this way these days cuz it's really the only way i have time, and it keeps me from losing my mind at work. i write and rewrite the lyrics this way as many times as it takes till i have something that gets the point across (if there is a point, songs seem to turn out better if i have an idea what its going to be about when i start) in the cleverest way i can think of that fits together and fits the melody. then i record it when i have time.

[StudioBellwood]

This is a very structured approach, and i can certaintly see how it may be successful to alot of people. ( i'm proud of myself for recodnising the good charlotte lyrics there too)!!
Songwriting is like taking a shower, no one does it the same way. i've written songs where lyrics come first, and of course plenty where the tune was first, yet you never know which will come first for your next song. A good idea just hits you, this we can all agree on. I could be laying in bed and a melody comes to me randomly and i have to get up and pluck it out on the guitar before it goes. And the same goes for lyrics sometimes too. Anyway, great approach, and keep posting if you have more thoughts!

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by tj morano

This is a very structured approach, and i can certaintly see how it may be successful to alot of people. ( i'm proud of myself for recodnising the good charlotte lyrics there too)!!
Songwriting is like taking a shower, no one does it the same way. i've written songs where lyrics come first, and of course plenty where the tune was first, yet you never know which will come first for your next song. A good idea just hits you, this we can all agree on. I could be laying in bed and a melody comes to me randomly and i have to get up and pluck it out on the guitar before it goes. And the same goes for lyrics sometimes too. Anyway, great approach, and keep posting if you have more thoughts!

You know, I totally agree with you that songwriting is done many different ways and I admit I've been hit by some bolts of lightning from out of left field myself. I guess my reason for posting this is to give people who have no idea how to approach their idea a method that has been successful for me on a pretty consistant basis. For example, if you have to write a song today and can't afford to wait on an act of God, this could be a nice guideline.
Thank you for the input.

[StudioBellwood]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

You know, I totally agree with you that songwriting is done many different ways and I admit I've been hit by some bolts of lightning from out of left field myself. I guess my reason for posting this is to give people who have no idea how to approach their idea a method that has been successful for me on a pretty consistant basis. For example, if you have to write a song today and can't afford to wait on an act of God, this could be a nice guideline.
Thank you for the input.

Absolutly. WE are certainly on the same page!! now thinking of it in terms of "need to write a song today" this method is the best. thanks for your reply