Exercise

Step 1: Refer back to your song thesis as you answer the following questions."In short, the questions are about not just what the person singing your song wants to say – the song’s thesis – but also where they might be coming from saying it, what might be driving them to say it" (Bell, 2017, p. 25).

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Step 2: Answer the following questions to create a clear world around your song concept:

• Who is talking?

• Who is the main character talking to?

• What is the song about?

• What is / are the main character / characters trying to say?

• When does the story take place?

• Where does the story take place?

• How did this situation happen?

• Why did this situation happen?

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Step 3: Use your answers in the lyrics to build a clear world for the listener. Defining this world clearly will also help you stay focused on the story and avoid drifting away from it while writing your lyrics.

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Theory

"Its fair to say that object writing is “what” writing" (Pattison, 2009, p. 17). However, when developing song concepts, it can be useful to also ask the ‘Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How’ questions (Pattison, 2009, p. 17). It is important to answer these questions as specifically as possible in order to develop a clear picture of your idea or to fully develop the idea (Pattison, 2009, p. 17)."In short, the questions are about not just what the person singing your song wants to say – the song’s thesis – but also where they might be coming from saying it, what might be driving them to say it" (Bell, 2017, p. 25). The different questions are explained in more detail below:

• Who: "”Who” is great for character development. In every song, you have to answer these questions: Who is talking? Who is she/he talking to? Sometimes the character is pretty much you, talking either to the audience or a particular person" (Pattison, 2009, p. 17)

• What: "What is the song about? What is the character trying to say? Why? Be as specific as you can, using sense images that evoke something about the character. Try using the character’s senses, even if the character is you" (Pattison, 2009, p. 17).

• When: "”When” can be seasonal (across the morning sky, all the birds are leaving). It can be a time of a day (midnight at the oasis). Or it can be a special occasion (chest nuts roasting on an open face)"(Pattison, 2009, p. 17).

• Where: "”Where” can be anywhere. That’s its strength. The Wailing Wall, 42nd Street, a lake cabin, the Grand Canyon, a mountain path, the backseat of the school bus" (Pattison, 2009, p. 18).

• How: "Even “how” may be useful. “Forging a sword” or “learning to ride a bike”, for example" (Pattison, 2009, p. 18).

• Why: "“Why” seems more for telling, [not sense-bound material]" (Pattison, 2009, p. 18).

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Sources

• Bell, E. (2017) The Art of Songwriting: How to Create, Think and Live Like a Songwriter. New York: The Song Foundry.

• Pattison, P. (2009) Writing Better Lyrics: The Essential Guide to Powerful Songwriting. 2nd edn. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books.

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