What is the best way to write a song?

Question

Do you compose the music around the lyrics or do you write the lyrics to fit the music?

Answer 1

ive been playing in a band for a long time now and i find its best to try and write the music first then the words its always been the best way for me

Answer 2

Great question.

Some might suggest that there is not a single method, but I've been writing songs for years, and discussed this with hundreds of songwriters and I keep getting the same answer.

Most often you will get the best results if you sit down and write all or most of the lyrics before you ever start messing with the musical arrangement.

The fact is you can fit almost any lyrics into a musical framework, and chord changes and song forms are easy for musicians to come up with. What is not so easy to come up with is a set of lyrics that just 'feels right'...

The best results I've ever gotten were when I wrote down the lyrics first. This has been confirmed as the experience of songwriters as great and diverse as the Beatles, Dylan, Paul Simon, Rogers and Hamerstein, Curt Cobain, Carly Simon, Randy Newman and scores of others. These folks have all written plentiful hit songs, so I respect their opinions.

But they all say that while this rule is generally true, every once in a while you do come up with the music first, and the lyrics fall into place. It can happen... just not as often.

Answer 3

You compose the music around the lyrics

Answer 4

Write the lyrics first, as they inspire you. If you've got a certain melody in mind, sing or hum the melody into a recorder. Finish the lyrics, then go back to the music. Trying to fit lyrics to music is harder than trying to put music to lyrics. Good luck!

Answer 5

Basically either or. Sometimes it can be easier for a starter to write the song and then compose the music. If you compose the music first sometimes your lyrics might be to long.

Answer 6

I am no songwriter but from what I know, you compose the lyrics to fit a melody.

Answer 7

HOW TO WRITE A SONG

Want to write a hit song? Join the club! The problem with hits is that they require a fair amount of talent and a huge serving of luck. Almost anybody, however, can write a really good song, and the feeling you get when you do is even better than the feel of cold, hard cash. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced songwriter, here's how to tap your potential and bring out the music inside you.

Steps
Stop thinking about writing a song, and start writing songs. You really want to be a rock star, don’t you? You daydream about being on stage and hearing the roar of the crowd. Only trouble is, gee whiz, you’re dreaming your life away. If you want to write a really good song, you’re going to have to work for it. Start today.
Listen actively to a lot of music. Good writers read books. Good songwriters listen to songs. As you listen, think about what you like about a song. Are the lyrics unique, do the song's chord changes perfectly capture a mood, do you like the transition from one part of the song to another?
Get technical. You don't have to have a degree in music theory to write a good song, but you should have an understanding of how songs are built. There are infinite ways to structure a song, but there's a common sequence found in most of them (see Tips). As you listen to songs, try to identify the different parts. Check yourself by looking at lyrics online or in a music book; the parts of songs are often labeled in these media.
Be ready when inspiration comes calling. Unfortunately, inspiration usually doesn't strike at the most convenient times, so it's important that you be able to remember each new song that pops into your head, no matter where you are. Carry a pen and paper with you wherever you go, or better yet, carry a tape recorder or digital audio recorder--melodies can be extremely difficult to capture on paper unless you have a strong music background.
Figure out what you’ve got. Once in a while, inspiration will hit you like a full force gale, and suddenly you’ve got a full song out of nowhere. Most of the time, however, just a small piece of a potential song will come to you, leaving you to do the hard, but fun work of fleshing it out. You should have a feel for what part of the song you’ve come up with.

If it’s super catchy (either a lyrical phrase or a snippet of music), and you can envision it being a repeated theme in the song, you’ve got the chorus—the climax or summary of your musical story—and you need to write verses to tell the story.
If what you’ve come up with seems more narrative lyrically or subtler musically--like a part of a story rather than the main idea of a story--you’ve probably got a verse, and you’ll need to write the rest of the story (more verses) and, usually, a chorus.
Set the mood. Make sure your music fits the story. If it’s a sad song, you may want your melody to evoke sadness (by slowing it down or adding some minor chords, for example) or you might want to add a twist and combine sad lyrics to upbeat music in order to create a sense of tension and ambiguity.
Say something. A song can get by with poor lyrics, but you’ve got a better chance of writing a really good song if your lyrics are great. This doesn’t mean they have to be serious, but they should not be cliché or ho-hum. Write your lyrics as though you’re talking to somebody who you want to impress or to someone toward whom you feel some sort of deep emotion.
Make your words sing. Lyrics can appeal to emotions, but they should also appeal to the ear. Rhyming is the most obvious way to accomplish this, and there are a number of rhyme schemes you can employ (see Tips). Learn about these and other tools of poetry, and try putting them to work for you.
Strike a balance between repetition and variety. Repetition is what makes a song catchy; repeated choruses, for example, stick in our heads even when the rest of a song doesn’t. That’s why so many people know just a few lines of so many songs. While there are good songs that are so simple that they have no chorus and have the same line length, the same rhyme schemes, and the same chord progressions repeated throughout them, most people get bored with that. The most common way to add variety is to insert a ‘’bridge’’ into your song.
Look for the hook. The hook is that elusive part of a great song that captures your very soul and makes you want to listen to that song over and over. Hooks are frequently found in the chorus and often become the title of the song. Sadly, there’s no recipe for hooks, but you’ll know when you have one. Better yet, your friends will tell you, because it's the part of a song they can't seem to get out of their head.
Smooth the rough edges. If the pieces don’t fit together, try building a transition. Put all the sections of your song in the same key. If there’s a sudden change in tempo (speed) between the two parts, try gradually changing the speed as you enter and exit the section that doesn’t fit with the rest of the song. Try adding a short instrumental interlude that will carry you from one part to the next. Ultimately, if you find it ridiculously difficult to smooth the edges, the reason could be that those two parts just shouldn’t be in the same song.
Get feedback. Play and/or sing your song for people and get their opinions. You’ll probably get a better idea of what they really think after you’ve written a few songs: friends and family may tell you that your first song is great even if it’s awful, but as they hear more of your songs, they’ll probably give you hints like, “It’s good, but I liked that first one you wrote better,�? or “Wow, that’s the best song you’ve written. That’s a really good song.�?
Once you’ve finished your first song, don’t stop. Keep writing and practicing, and you’ll find yourself getting better and better. You may need to write a lot of songs before you hit on one you really like, and even after that, you may need to write a lot more before you get another good one. Work hard and have fun doing it!

Tips
Currently most popular songs have some variation on the following sequence: intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. Sometimes the order of these components is different, and sometimes one or more of them is absent. Dynamics are a good tool to utilize to separate out the different sections of the song. Quieter for verses, louder in the choruses. Dynamics can also help to create that chorus hook that everyone will remember when listening to your song.
A verse to a song is usually a rhythmical phrase. Take a chord from the key you decide on and strum it in any pattern that feels natural to you. Find a chord that sounds nice when played after your first chord. Keep adding chords like this until you have 3 or 4 chords that satisfy you. This is called a chord progression. Take the chords in your chord progression one by one and play them over your strumming pattern. Do this about 4 times and you have a verse.
If you’re going to try something unconventional in the mood, make sure you’ve got a reason to do so: a song about the death of your grandmother set to the music of “Hey Ya�? is going to be hard to pull off.
You can rhyme at the end of every line or every other line, or your rhymes can come more sporadically. You can also rhyme within lines for a more subtle effect. There are also other poetical devices you can use, such as alliteration (“They paved paradise, put up a parking lot�?—the “p�? sound is repeated) and assonance (“…honesty, promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it�?—the repeated “ah�? sound in “honesty,�? “promise and gonna�?).
A bridge is a section of music, sometimes instrumental, that differs in its construction from the verses and the chorus, and is usually placed near the end of the song before the final chorus, where a verse would typically be. The bridge can be in a different key—that is, using a different set of chords--than the rest of the song, but it doesn’t need to be. It can also be faster or slower, shorter or longer, or otherwise different from the other sections.
If you don’t play an instrument, learn one. Knowing how to play a guitar or piano, for instance, will make songwriting immeasurably easier. Plus, you’ll be able to accompany yourself when you sing for others, and you’ll feel like a star.
If you do play an instrument, try putting it down. Spend more time singing to come up with melodies and sounds. This way you eliminate the possibility of just playing the "same old licks."
Experiment with lots of ways of making sound. Try to play an instrument you are less familiar with. The "mistakes" you make may prove inspiring.
Songs either tell a story (think "Out in the west texas town of El Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl ...") or express an emotion (Don't go changin' to try to please me--I love you just the way you are) ... make your first line or two of your song really let the listener know what they're going to be experiencing.
While a lot of musicians and songwriters don’t know much about music theory—and some can’t even read music—a good knowledge of the essentials of music can help you harness your creativity and develop your own style. Even if you can play and sing by ear amazingly, knowing at least how to read and write music will help you play with others and communicate your music to your band members (if you plan to start a band).
Don't be afraid to take a break from a song. If you run into a dead end or it seems like you're suddenly writing music that just isn't that good, take a walk, clean the house, go to work--anything that will get your mind off the song for awhile. Sometimes you're just thinking too hard or you get stuck in a rut, and when you take a break, that rhyme or chord you're looking for will suddenly pop into your head.
Stop, collaborate and listen to another songwriter. Some people can pen great lyrics, but can't write a melody to save their lives; for others, the reverse is true. Find a like-minded songwriter who can put your words to music or your music to words--a lot of hit songs have been written by collaboration.
You can usually record yourself a memo on a cell phone, and if not, you can call yourself and leave a message of your singing or humming on your voicemail. Make sure you sing loud enough for the song to be clear when you listen to the message later--make people think you're crazy!
To avoid being too "Pop" sounding, look a little deeper into emotions that others can relate to, but write from your own perspective, based on your own life. It is easy to fit a trend, but it takes effort and inspiration to create a song that is unique.
You can write a song with corny lyrics and it can still be a big hit(Bohemian Rhapsody,Yellow Submarine) but you have to be dead serious when you're playing it and it has to be backed by good instrument parts.
Like anything else, other people's opinions will help. After you finish a song, leave it for awhile and don't think about it. Go back to it after a day or two and see what you think.

Warnings
Avoid plagiarism. Naturally, you don't want to just copy the melody or the exact words of a hit song. Another, more subtle problem is subconscious plagiarism, where a songwriter does not realize that he or she is largely copying another song. If you worry that your song sounds like another song, you might be right. Play it for as many listeners as you can, and see if they think so, too.
Be careful with rhyming. Don’t choose a word just because it rhymes with another—make sure the words make sense in the song. Be aware of rhyming dictionaries: they can be helpful, but if you overuse them, you’re liable to start sounding ridiculous. A thesaurus is a better tool: it will give you the most ways to express your thoughts, and help you find the best lyrics.
Don't rely just on inspiration. Imagine if you were given a dozen eggs, a pound of sugar, a couple of sticks of butter, and a sack of flour, a mixing bowl and an oven and you were told to make a cake just from inspiration ... sure, you've seen and eaten cakes before, but never made one yourself ... your initial efforts would lead to failure unless you were extremely lucky. However, if you have a recipe, then you can follow that to bake your cake, and later adapt the recipe to make your own unique variety when you have obtained the necessary experience. It's the same way with songwriting: inspiration works best when the required perspiration has been done. Sure, there are exceptions. But why gamble at being the exception?