How To Write a Song

Thousands of songs, penned by thousands of songwriters, and I’m sure they all have their own individual ways of converting that initial germ of an idea into what they hope will become a hit song.

I am always being asked:-

a. Does the melody come first, followed by the lyrics?
b. Do the lyrics come first followed by the melody?

Speaking for myself, neither of the above are true!

99% of the time the title comes first, and I cannot stress enough the importance of a strong song title. My inspiration and starting point for a song normally comes from something someone has said , or from a catchy phrase or magazine/newspaper headline I have spotted. Once I’ve found the title, it immediately suggests a mood to me, and once that mood has been established it’s time to get on with the song.

So, without further ado, get those newspapers/magazines out and start searching for that all important starting point. Find a phrase/headline that grabs your attention and build your song around that.

The title you choose will no doubt suggest a mood for the song. If your title happens to be ’Rock ’n’ Roll Gutbucket’, it implies immediately that it’s going to be a pretty heavy piece of work, rather than a tender love ballad. It is essential that the title strongly suggests to the listener what is to follow.

Here’s how MY latest song was conceived:-

I was idly leafing through a magazine when a headline literally leapt off the page at me:

‘I’M TURNING INTO GARBO’

What a great title for a song! ‘TURNING INTO GARBO.’
The legendary Hollywood actress Greta Garbo, and her famous ‘I want to be alone’ quote. Surely I thought, I must be able to do something with this!

Immediately I reached for the notepad and pen which never leave my side. It’s always important to have them there for just such a moment! Great ideas die just as quickly as they are born!

The title I had chosen suggested to me an air of quiet reflection. I could picture a man who had lived a big life, experienced all the good and bad things that life can throw at you, and was looking back on his past. Some of the dreams have perished, some still remain. The kids he raised have flown the nest, his wife is long gone, and now he has decided to find some peace and tranquility, and to treasure whatever time he may have left.

The lyrics came remarkably quickly, and the verses are simply constructed around the chords D & A

Verse 1.
I’m turning into Garbo, I want to be alone,
Turning into Garbo, need to spend time on my own,
Leave the crowds behind me, try to find tranquility,
Find a little home beside the sea

Verse 2.
I’m turning into Garbo, want some peace and solitude,
Turning into Garbo, hope it wont be misconstrued,
Now I’m growing older, want to leave the crowds behind
Try to find myself some peace of mind.

Verses 1&2 explain the desire to get away from the rat race to a new and peaceful environment. Having stated this, he feels, halfway through verse 2, that his friends might feel he’s turning his back on them, but hopes that they will understand.

Never having been a maestro when it comes to the use of chords, I was more than pleased with the chord sequence for the chorus/bridge. (Call it what you like). The chord progression goes from F# - Bm - G - F# - Bm - G - A - F# each chord lasting for one line of the chorus. Then on the last word of the chorus a final A leading into the D at the start of Verse 3

Chorus
I’ve had my share of ups and downs, I’ve laughed a lot and cried,
Struggled through the bad times, And heaven knows I’ve tried,
To keep a smile upon my face, When things were going wrong,
I’m turning into Garbo, It says so in this song

Verse 3 starts with a ‘Less is More’ quote from Robert Browning. I hate to admit this, but I don’t know which of his works it comes from. However it was just what I was looking for to set the mood for this last verse.

Verse 3.
Browning said that ‘Less is more’, I’m certain that it’s true,
It’s good to be alone at times , that’s one thing that he knew
But once a year in summertime my friends all visit me,
In my old secluded home beside the sea

I feel the last verse ends on a happy, positive note with our subject achieving his aim of a peaceful life, but getting the best of both worlds as his friends come to visit him in the summertime.

The chorus and Verse 3 are repeated, and a final line added which simply states ‘and I’m turning into Garbo……..that’s me’. Wraps it up nicely I think!

The song almost seemed to write itself, and it took me no longer than 2-3 hours from beginning to end. When a song happens in that sort of time I feel it’s a very good sign. The harder I have to work at a song, the farther down in my estimation it goes!

The demo I did of the song was done in my home studio, and initially had lots of harmonies on it. I lived with it in that form for a while, but decided it was far too regimented, and had lost its simplicity and charm. I stripped it down to the bare bones, and tried to sing it the way I felt somebody like Willie Nelson would have done, and for me it worked. All I need now is for Willie to record it!!!

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Well, hopefully that’s given you an insight into how building a song around a title works for me, and thank you for reading my little article.

So, don‘t forget. The next time you see a phrase or headline that catches your eye, reach for that notepad and pen and start writing that song! It may not work out, but hey, what is there to lose?

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