Need help theming lyric in a creative way!
Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2023 1:16 pm
Hi all,
I'm currently writing a country pop tune and, so far, I have a solid melody and q solid arrangement, but I need to rewrite the lyrics to cohere around a consistent set of imagery. A good example is 'Whiskey and Rain' by Michael Ray, where nearly every line contains some kind of marriage of hard liquor and weather. It's a set of pretty easily understood metaphors about the aftermath of a relationship breaking apart. It's an interesting exercise in songwriting craft, because these are nothing like the sort of lyrics I usually write.
The general subject of mine is (guess what?) relationships again, but I just need to pick a route. The current set of lyrics are mostly quite generic, but there are a couple of interesting turns of phrase that could each point in a different lyrical direction. They are:
1) A cautionary phrase about letting go, otherwise you'll never really be a complete person again.
Or it will
Tear you apart
Cleave you in two
And both halves won't make the whole of you
2) This one is a fairly obvious rumination on the phrase 'bittersweet', which many break ups are.
The music’s got that bittersweet air
But everyone focuses on the bitter…when the sweet is still there
The full, cobbled-together lyric is below for further context(which itself has a vague thread running through it about music). I feel like both could provide the contextual basis for a lyric. Any thoughts on it all would be appreciated!
—------------------
LYRIC
(Verse)
I'm standing in this bar
But I don't want no company
The waitress she knows it
So it's just the jukebox and me
(Pre-Chorus)
I want to remain in this moment
Even though the song is closing fast
I want to replace all these melodies
Let the present become past
(Chorus)
You can be
Glad it happened
Sad it's gone
Just don't be holding on
Or it will
Tear you apart
Cleave you in two
And both halves won't make the whole of you
And yeah, the music’s got that bittersweet air
But everyone focuses on the bitter
When the sweet is still there
I'm currently writing a country pop tune and, so far, I have a solid melody and q solid arrangement, but I need to rewrite the lyrics to cohere around a consistent set of imagery. A good example is 'Whiskey and Rain' by Michael Ray, where nearly every line contains some kind of marriage of hard liquor and weather. It's a set of pretty easily understood metaphors about the aftermath of a relationship breaking apart. It's an interesting exercise in songwriting craft, because these are nothing like the sort of lyrics I usually write.
The general subject of mine is (guess what?) relationships again, but I just need to pick a route. The current set of lyrics are mostly quite generic, but there are a couple of interesting turns of phrase that could each point in a different lyrical direction. They are:
1) A cautionary phrase about letting go, otherwise you'll never really be a complete person again.
Or it will
Tear you apart
Cleave you in two
And both halves won't make the whole of you
2) This one is a fairly obvious rumination on the phrase 'bittersweet', which many break ups are.
The music’s got that bittersweet air
But everyone focuses on the bitter…when the sweet is still there
The full, cobbled-together lyric is below for further context(which itself has a vague thread running through it about music). I feel like both could provide the contextual basis for a lyric. Any thoughts on it all would be appreciated!
—------------------
LYRIC
(Verse)
I'm standing in this bar
But I don't want no company
The waitress she knows it
So it's just the jukebox and me
(Pre-Chorus)
I want to remain in this moment
Even though the song is closing fast
I want to replace all these melodies
Let the present become past
(Chorus)
You can be
Glad it happened
Sad it's gone
Just don't be holding on
Or it will
Tear you apart
Cleave you in two
And both halves won't make the whole of you
And yeah, the music’s got that bittersweet air
But everyone focuses on the bitter
When the sweet is still there