There is no fast way or short cut when it comes to writing quality lyrics. It’s a skill that can only come in time and with dedicated practice. The lyricist should begin by focusing on how a character is feeling, what are they trying to achieve and how the song might develop the story.
Musical theatre is regarded one of the only storytelling arenas where characters are given license to express their feelings without any plot movement. But examine most of the greatest songs in musicals they don’t tend to be just about expressing a character’s feelings. They will also move the plot forward.
There’s also a common misconception that having something sung covers up any weaknesses there might be in the writing. In fact the opposite is true. If a lyric is poor then having it sung out loud accompanied by an orchestra will only exaggerate its lack of quality. If a writer is embarrassed about something they have written then you can expect an actor to be embarrassed to sing it.
Choosing a Rhyming Dictionary
There are many rhyming dictionaries on the market. They are extremely useful and simple to use. A song writing rhyming dictionary is good choice for a beginner. A song writing rhyming dictionary is designed for lyrics to be put in songs and not poetry. They tend to have fewer word choice but they are easier to use are designed to rhyme words in relation to their singabilty.
Using Subtext and Metaphor in Lyrics
The lyricist should try to avoid heavy handed, obvious and literal expressions of a character’s feelings. An obvious example would be for instance if the writer is composing love song they should do their absolute best to avoid using the word love in it.
The lyricist can also use metaphor as a means to add artistic flair in their work. Consider “Finishing The Hat” in Sondheim’s Sunday In the Park With George. In this song Sondheim uses the act of finishing the hat in the painting to illustrate George’s commitment issues, closed off nature and inability to connect with others.
Songs Suitable for Other Occasions
It is often tempting for the budding lyric writer to distill their lyric content into a mass marketable commodity that could be used for other purposes. Many writers avoid using any specific references to the character names/story location/key details in order to give songs a greater scope to travel and be used in other contexts. The derogatory term for this is “ice rink music”. Take for example “This Is the Moment” from Jekyll and Hyde the Musical. It’s a song which could be quite effortlessly crow barred into any musical, presidential campaign rally or Barbra Streisand live set.
Whether this is a good or a bad thing is a matter of opinion but the truly original lyric writer should avoid this temptation and make their songs as story specific as possible. It’s a bizarre irony but he more unique a writer can make his/her lyrics, the more universal they can become.
Great Musical Lyricists
The budding lyricist should seek out the work of Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Howard Ashman and Oscar Hammerstein. These writers are all very different but brilliant in their own ways. For some more general tips on writing for the stage please read How to Write A First play. A good place to start for a musical writer is adaptation. The budding writer should read Adapting A Children's Book into a Musical.
