So far in this process something I have found most difficult is writing the lyrics for my song. The lyrics I seem to write are either immature or predictable and don't sound right for the genre of music. I decided to do some research into how to write lyrics to see if it would help me at all. I began by looking for books that would help me with this and I found "Writing Better Lyrics" by Pat Pattinson. In the book she discusses how using metaphors in your songs are a good way of adding more complexity to the lyrics, however, they aren't very user friendly so you have to be selective of the metaphors you do use. "In its most basic form, a metaphor is a collision between ideas that don't belong together. It jams them together and leaves us to struggle with the consequences." (2009, p.23). This complex form of expressing emotions and ideas will work well in my song and I believe that it fits well into the Folk Pop genre I am now pursuing.
Another important aspect of song writing that is discussed in the book is perspective. Who or whats perspective is the song about? By having a clear perspective it helps you to progress further much easier in the lyric writing process. I must choose between four different point of views: third person, second person, first person and direct address. At this point in my process I am most likely to be writing the song in first person as it will be about me and stories about my own life which I have to tell. "Point of view controls our distance from the world of song. Think of it as a movie camera, allowing the audience to look at the song's world from various distances."(2009, p.111). I don't want my song to be overly emotional but I still want it to be interesting, by writing in first person the song will be more factual than anything else therefore it will create a bit of emotional distance between myself and the audience. However, there will still be reflective moments throughout the song.
Another important aspect of song writing that is discussed in the book is perspective. Who or whats perspective is the song about? By having a clear perspective it helps you to progress further much easier in the lyric writing process. I must choose between four different point of views: third person, second person, first person and direct address. At this point in my process I am most likely to be writing the song in first person as it will be about me and stories about my own life which I have to tell. "Point of view controls our distance from the world of song. Think of it as a movie camera, allowing the audience to look at the song's world from various distances."(2009, p.111). I don't want my song to be overly emotional but I still want it to be interesting, by writing in first person the song will be more factual than anything else therefore it will create a bit of emotional distance between myself and the audience. However, there will still be reflective moments throughout the song.
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