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Step 7 - Rewriting Your Song Lyrics: A Necessary Songwriter Ritual
Seldom does the first draft of a song become the final draft, even for a pro songwriter!
A pro songwriter makes it a habit to review all song lyrics and make improvements.
The Song Lyrics Checklist :
1. Make sure the song lyrics make perfect sense from beginning to end unless you're writing some kind of alternative, abstract-type song. By the way, songs are not poems. A poem can be read over and over until you figure it out. Song lyrics have to be understood on the first or second listening or the listener begins to get discouraged. Please Bookmark This Site
2. Make sure you maintain complete focus and clearly indicate who is doing what throughout the song, and that the song lyrics follow a chronological order so they're clear and not confusing at all. The most effective songwriter is one whose song lyrics are clear from beginning to end.
3. Sing or play the song from beginning to end and let your impression of the song dictate if it needs another section or sections. Maybe you need to add one or two more lines in the verse or maybe your chorus needs another line to make it clearer. On the other hand, maybe if you remove that one line out of the verse or bridge the song lyrics and melody will be more focused and have more impact. You get the idea.4. If you're not satisfied with a certain part of the song try changing the melody or song lyrics, or both, for that part. Sometimes changing one line in a song, usually the ones which lead into each different section, can help a songwriter transform the song lyrics and bring them to life.
5. Understand that rewriting is actually a constructive process for every songwriter regardless of experience, and that even a pro songwriter religiously rewrites song lyrics to perfection. Don't fool yourself into thinking the song you just wrote in ten minutes doesn't need any improvement. Even if you're that good, 99.9% of the time you can make your masterpiece a little better by changing a word, or a line or two.
Here is the example song "I've Never Been So High" sung by Jessica DelValle in its finished form. Jessica is a hot up-and-coming artist from Miami, FL, currently shopping for a record deal. I'm very lucky to be associated with this dedicated artist. I decided to produce this song with a cool retro 80's R&B/Pop mixed with today's feel. Notice the hook in the chorus and how each verse colors the chorus differently, each time adding more build and excitement with the melody and song lyrics.
I've Never Been So High - sung by Jessica DelValle