| CREATING THE THEMEwritten by Apple Beam | | | | check out urban mags. Words and phrases are |
| London Recording Studio | | | | everywhere ... you just need to pick up on them when |
| | | | | they come! |
| Songwriters have always wanted to write lyrics that | | | | Finding a title that paints a picture all on it's own is also |
| connect with people. As a result, the most widely used | | | | very important because it will create a deeper |
| theme’s have been done over and over. Love, | | | | connection with the listener. The best songs create |
| poverty, romance etc are subjects that most people | | | | images in the listeners mind or evoke an emotion, your |
| know about, so we get to hear these told in many | | | | title will help achieve this. |
| different ways, so how do you give people what they | | | | Elton John's "Sorry seems to be the hardest word" |
| can identify with, yet not get them what they’ve | | | | instantly evokes an emotion that can be identified by all |
| heard before? | | | | of us ... a time where we have experienced how hard |
| Saying something that’s been said before in a new | | | | it can be to say sorry even though we know we |
| or original way is the answer, but it’s also hard to | | | | should! |
| do! Instead of saying, "I want you back", Toni Braxton | | | | The opening line of a song can be very important too. |
| said, "Unbreak My Heart". Instead of saying, "I love you", | | | | In fact, the first line can tell the whole story if crafted |
| Ne-Yo's song "When You're Mad" explains how he | | | | well. Take the “ The Righteous Brothers - You've |
| loves her even when she's mad. | | | | Lost That Loving Feeling”. The opening line is: |
| Approaching a subject in this way can mean the | | | | “You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss |
| difference between a tired subject or a fresh angle on | | | | your lips.” |
| a common theme. | | | | Right away we can see the picture. We know she is |
| Theme's that usually work best are those that engage | | | | still with him but doesn’t feel what she once did. |
| the emotion of the listener, the reason "love and | | | | We also know he is sad about it and perhaps |
| relationships" is so popular in music is because most | | | | hasn’t wanted to bring the subject up, assuming he |
| people think about those subjects a lot, and | | | | is a sensitive person who craves ‘tenderness’. |
| understandably like to listen to music that | | | | The ‘scene’ that is created with that one line is |
| communicates their inner fears/hope/experiences. | | | | so clear it could be a movie scene you once saw. |
| | | | | That is a powerful lyric! |
| CHOOSING A TITLE | | | | A few other operners of note: |
| A good title should be instantly memorable, it should put | | | | "Hello, Darkness, my old friend" |
| a picture in your mind of an event or situation and it | | | | Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence |
| should lend itself to a catchy melody, or one that's | | | | "I was dreaming when I wrote this" |
| suitable for your music style. | | | | Prince's "1999 |
| A good title will naturally lend itself to a catchy hook, | | | | "There must be some kind of way out of here, said |
| finding that title can be hard, especially when so many | | | | the joker to the thief" |
| songs have been released over the decades ... how | | | | Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" |
| can you find a new one?! | | | | "Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine" |
| One way is to keep your "antenna up", as Lionel Richie | | | | Patti Smith's "Gloria |
| puts it. Be aware of what people are saying around | | | | Don't call it a comeback" |
| you, and if you’re writing for a teen market, take a | | | | LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out! |
| look at teen magazines, if it's urban you want, then | | | | |