Lyrics can be one of the biggest challenges for any songwriter. One of the most effective resources for great “worship song” lyrics is scripture. It is tough to go wrong when singing scripture. When using the Bible for lyrical ideas, you do not have to write things word for word, however, if you are going to change words around, be sure to keep things Biblically accurate!
Rhyming can be extremely useful in making a song catchy and easier to remember. Because of the use of rhyming in contemporary music today, it becomes almost a necessity to all good songwriters. If you are going to use rhyme within your songs, it is very important to make it feel natural! (Hints: It is okay to use a good rhyming dictionary; If possible, be consistent to keep your rhyme schemes the same whenever you can).
Once you get in the flow with lyrics, make sure that you allow them to keep coming. One major downfall for songwriters is to write down the idea and move on. It is a much better decision to keep the flow going! Get ALL of your ideas on paper before you move on with your life!
The best way to write a song is from inspiration. Inspiration will make the songwriting process more productive with less effort. However, once you have found your inspiration, don’t feel like all of your information needs to end up in one song. It is better to say what needs to be said and no more, rather than saying too much! ALWAYS remember to write from the heart! Every good song comes from hard work and inspiration; every great one is birthed from the heart!
“If your song contains these three qualities of passion, creativity and accessibility, and if you’re communicating God’s truth in a clear and simple way, you will truly have a song that is something special.” -- Tommy Walker
HELP WITH LYRICS:
SONGS FROM SCRIPTURE. One of the best places to get ideas is from the Bible. Don’t worry, it is not considered copying or plagiarism. Besides, the authors of the Bible are copying God, we are just copying what they are copying. God’s word is ever living, ever breathing, and ever inspiring. If you use scripture as a songwriting base, you will probably want to change some of the words to create a song-like flow. If you change words around, make sure that you first understand the scripture very clearly.
HOOK / CATCH PHRASE. When writing a song, look for a short line that can summarize what you are saying. Often times this can be the catchy line that hooks in the congregation. This may be the only line people remember when they leave, so you want it to mean something. This catch phrase can be the basis of your chorus, a link between verses, or even a bridge that should be sung over and over again.
RHYMING. There is nothing wrong with making something rhyme (and there is nothing wrong with not making something rhyme). Often times rhyming phrases are easier to remember and tend to be catchier to the ear. There is nothing wrong or less spiritual with using a rhyming dictionary. Make rhymes sound as natural as possible, and use the same rhyming scheme whenever possible.
LET IT FLOW. Be careful not to stop the flow of lyrics. When you find inspiration and begin to write, do not get distracted by ideas and words that don’t rhyme or you don’t feel are “quite as good.” Make a quick side note that a section might need work, and keep moving!
“The main idea is to avoid letting a little snag in the creative process stop you in your tracks. If you have a good idea for a melody, then move forward with it. If you think that you must have the perfect lyric before you can proceed, you run the risk of not finishing your song at all.” -- Tommy Walker
**Side Note. Matt Redman struggled for years with finishing songs. He has notebooks full of unfinished songs that you and I will never hear. Many of these songs were practice songs, many others were songs that he would get tired of trying to fix and just give up. His wife Beth learned of this weakness early on in their relationship and now tells him he is not allowed to start a song unless he finishes it (she also helps him finish many of them).
Finding A Theme. Songwriters find themselves in trouble when they are trying to say too much (so do preachers). Choose what you are trying to say, and say it. Your goal is to help the worshiping congregation to grasp the one single underlying theme of the song, not distract them with multiple themes.
“What the church needs today is a restoration of the vision of the Most High God.” -- A.W. Tozer
“If your song contains these three qualities of passion, creativity and accessibility, and if you’re communicating God’s truth in a clear and simple way, you will truly have a song that is something special.”
-- Tommy Walker
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