Exercise

Step 1: For this assignment, you need a statement that can either be the title or the summary (the last line) of your verse. Write this statement at the top of a piece of paper.

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Step 2: Then, make a list of six sentences containing imagery, examples, or arguments that support the statement. For this assignment, the sentences do not need to rhyme or follow a specific meter. The goal is simply to create a list of material that you can use for the final lyrics.

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Step 3: Select the sentences that feel fresh and unique, and rewrite them into a version that fits with the rest of the lyrics and the music.

 

Example

Statement: I don't think she loves me anymore

List:

1. I sent her a hundred flowers, but she never called me back

2. The WhatsApp ticks have been blue for two days, but she still hasn’t replied

3. She deleted the profile picture of the two of us

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Theory

"Many successful song lyrics are written by using a technique of "listing" a series of examples that relate to, and clearly lead the listener to, the title. This approach, sometimes referred to as the "Laundry List" technique, may be used throughout an entire lyric or in just a portion of it (ie., the verses or the chorus). (...) The setup line serves as a link between the items in the list and the title, and helps to prepare the listener for the title. The title summerizes the idea and the images in the list. When using this technique, every line does not need to be a part of the list. Note that the usage of original, detailed ideas within the list adds much more interest than expressing the same idea in a more ordinary way. (...) "List" songs sometimes use images that are the opposite of the title. In the following lyric the verse is comprised of a list of things you can do, followed by a chorus that says: "But don't ..."

 

You can tell the world you never was my girl

You can burn my clothes up when I'm gone

You can tell your friends just what a fool I've been

And laugh and joke about me on the phone

You can tell my arms to go back to the farm

You can tell my feet to hit the floor

Or you can tell my lips to tell my fingertips

They won't be reaching out for you no more

But don't tell my heart

My ACHY BREAKY HEART  

(Written by: Don Von Tress; Recorded by: Billy Ray Cyrus".

 

(Blume, 2008, p. 63). 

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Sources

​Blume, J. (2008) Six Steps to Songwriting Success: The Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Marketing Hit Songs. 3rd edn. New York: Billboard Books.