Writing Song Lyrics:
Musical Meter and Rhyme that's Fine!

When you are writing song lyrics how do you know what meter and rhyme scheme to use for a song?

Hit songs demonstrate to us the many combinations of rhyme and meter that can be used successfully.

By meter, I mean the length of the phrase, and the rhythm it creates.

So how do you choose?

If you want to become a chef, and you don’t know the first thing about what herbs and spices to use with various foods, a good starting place is to learn already existing recipes.

By doing this, you will soon learn that you probably don’t want to put cinnamon in a chicken dish, or parsley in your apple pie.

The same is true with writing song lyrics. You need to study the great songs out there. The songs that have already become HITS.

Especially in the style or genre that you are drawn to.

Don’t just listen to them.

But WRITE DOWN THE LYRICS.

Study the form, the meter, and the rhyme patterns.

You will begin to see, like with spices and herbs, that some things work, and some don’t.

The truth is that, like cooking, there are a ga-zillion combinations that DO work. But there are also many that DO NOT!

There is an organic sense that you gain the more you do it. A sense about what works in writing song lyrics and what doesn’t.

Let me use a song my husband and I wrote as an example of how to write song lyrics.

Examine the rhyme pattern and the meter. I am using an unfamiliar song intentionally because you do not know the melody. The lyric should stand alone without music.

Notice the notation I have inserted. The capital letters at the end of a phrase indicate rhyme. If the ending words rhyme they are assigned the same letter. The letters start over with each section of the song. (verse, chorus, etc.)

Also notice the number after the letter. This indicates the meter. This is the number of syllables that occur in each phrase. The syllables may vary, depending on a word being drawn out, or sung quickly.

This is workable and commonplace to have an additional syllable in a phrase that is using the same "space" in terms of music. (i.e. beats or measures)

(Note: Meter can also be notated in stresses rather than syllables. For simplicity I am going to refer to syllables only.)

Standing in a Dream

(verse)
How can I tell you - A/5
All that I feel - B/4
This moment seems like - C/5
It’s not even real - B/5
My heart is so full - D/5
Your love is my air - E/5
I’m breathing it in - F/5
All the hope that you’ve shared - E/6

(chorus)
And now...
I’m standing in a dream - A/6
It’s feels so amazing - B/6
I’m standing in a dream - A/6
Between love and crazy - B/6
My heart is racing - C/5
My soul’s embracing - C/5
New colors I’ve never seen - A/7
Let me catch my breath - D/5
I’m standing in a dream - A/5

(verse)
If flame leads to fire,- A/5
Then love leads to dreams - B/5
And dreams open hearts - C/5
For impossible things - B/6
You believed in me - D/5
So I believed in love - E/6
And somehow I know - F/5
That’s a gift from above - E/6

(repeat chorus)

(bridge)
It’s strange to think - A/4
That I might have missed this moment - B/8
It’s hard to hope sometimes - C/6
When hope can be so cruel - D/6
But with your faith in me - E/6
I’m here where I imagined - F/7
I know it’s all because of you - D/8

(repeat chorus)

© Paul and Susan Babelay, 2007. All rights reserved.

Notice that the rhyme pattern is the same for the verses.

A/B/C/B/D/E/F/E

This is not always the case, but often is. This gives a sense to your listener of familiarity, and comfort, almost. It makes it easier for their ear to follow you.

Notice that the syllables on the verses repeat their pattern -- give or take 1 syllable, which often depends on how you sing/read the phrase.

The meter must be very close, if not identical, for the verses, in order for the music composer to fit the lyrics into the same piece of music.

Notice that the chorus uses repetition, not only in words, but in meter and rhyme. This helps to emphasize the chorus and make it the climax.

Also notice that the bridge is quite different in both its meter and rhyme scheme from the rest of the song. This is because a bridge should be a departure. It should take you away for a moment to something a bit different than the verses and chorus.

For more on this, check out Understanding Song Form.

Now here's an exercise to help you with writing song lyrics.

Do the same technique I did above, marking meter and rhyme. Do it with songs that are hits. Songs that you like.

Songs that sound like the songs you have swirling around in your head, but can't seem to get written down in completed form.

Studying the rhyme patterns and the meter is a "heady" business, but the more you learn it, the more it will then begin to "magically" appear when you are writing song lyrics.

When I'm writing song lyrics I often flow naturally in meter and rhyme, but I also go back and "check," the meter especially, to make sure I am staying on track.

It is essential to use EVERY tool when writing song lyrics.

Rhyme and meter are two tools to help focus your song and make the listener "GET IT."

(For more on this read You Have to Care/They Have to Care .)

No one likes to eat Chicken just plain. But with the right herbs and spices it can be a masterpiece!

You are on your way to becoming a Song Lyric Master Chef!









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