After six and a half years of writing music, I attempted writing lyrics for the first time this past week and I'm not that impressed with what I've come up with. I wasn't expecting to sit down and write incredible lyrics on my first try, but I was curious if anyone could provide some pointers or insight to help get me past some of these obstacles.
1) No experience. Obviously, I'll just have to keep practicing.
2) I've never been that impressed with lyrics in general as I typically view them as the least important aspect of a composition and I generally view vocals as just another instrument rather than something uniquely expressive within a composition. Consequently, regardless of whether I'm listening to one of my favorite bands, or pop music on the radio, I find that even after several listens I probably haven't learned any of the words and I often still have no clue what even the general lyrical theme is.
3) I don't want my own lyrics to be arbitrary. I have already decided upon a unifying, cohesive theme of ecology and natural history. However, I don't know of any precedent for this, so I have no examples from which to learn, study, or find new inspiration.
Anyway, if any of you feel like copying and pasting some of your favorite lyrics into this thread, or sharing some writing tips, that would be appreciated.
Also, in case anyone is interested in seeing what I've written so far, this is all of it.
1) No experience. Obviously, I'll just have to keep practicing.
2) I've never been that impressed with lyrics in general as I typically view them as the least important aspect of a composition and I generally view vocals as just another instrument rather than something uniquely expressive within a composition. Consequently, regardless of whether I'm listening to one of my favorite bands, or pop music on the radio, I find that even after several listens I probably haven't learned any of the words and I often still have no clue what even the general lyrical theme is.
3) I don't want my own lyrics to be arbitrary. I have already decided upon a unifying, cohesive theme of ecology and natural history. However, I don't know of any precedent for this, so I have no examples from which to learn, study, or find new inspiration.
Anyway, if any of you feel like copying and pasting some of your favorite lyrics into this thread, or sharing some writing tips, that would be appreciated.
Also, in case anyone is interested in seeing what I've written so far, this is all of it.
Matthew F. Tabor
Reproductus Elitis
It Came From The Water
_________________________
The water's glistening surface
Impenetrable as it may seem
A barrier between two worlds
Each mutually out of reach
*more lyrics here*
A new face peers out from beneath
From cave and swamp to land and sky,
has every niche been conquered?
As life reaches so far and wide,
what is left, but to wonder?
While we march on, convinced of our
mastery, we remember
that once upon a time we came from it,
and it came from the water.
We came from it and it came from the water.