Lyric Writing

By Paul Reynolds

Paul Reynolds pic edited More often than not writing lyrics is a very difficult process for me. The music side of song writing usually comes fairly easily – often too easily. I’m sometimes woken up because I need to hum the soundtrack to my dream into my trusty dictaphone. This is the process I usually go through:

• I play my guitar until I get a chord sequence I like.
• As I do this I usually write a melody at the same time which includes (whether I like it or not) the vowel sounds that the words will/should have.
• Then I think about what subject matter the chords and melody represent to me. This can be anything from an emotion or an image of something etc.
• Now what I’m left with is quite a strict ‘guideline’ to fit the lyrics into; the subject matter, rhythm (including syllables) and the sound of the words (vowel sounds).
• The next stage is to write the words – it’s usually a long and frustrating process but can also be rewarding. Let me tell you why all the above is so important to me.

For me song writing is about true and honest expression through sound (I know, tell you something you didn’t know), and writing in the above way keeps me honest. It would be easy to over complicate my songs. I know because I did it for years. I see lyrics as being no different to key changes and time signatures etc and therefore tools employed to get the message across – not the message itself. The sounds of the words can still carry the message to someone who speaks a different language which is why I try and keep to the original sounds I hear when I’m playing the chord progression on the guitar. Keeping to the subject that the tune represented gives me a clear focus and is useful for holding all the facets of the song together as one working unit.

Of course I do have to compromise with myself as sometimes the syllables don’t fit my first idea or my (Scottish) accent doesn’t suit a particular word that I might want to use. For example I love the colour purple and have wanted to use it in the past, but I couldn’t make the word sound right in the song. When this happens a decision has to be made about what’s more important for the message.

So, there we have it. Some may see this approach as limiting, but they are usually people with books full of unused lyrics waiting for a home. For me it makes more sense to think about what the lyrics are for. Why should the words themselves be more important than what they are trying to express, communicate, suggest, give, transmit, deliver?

Have I made my point yet?

About the author:

Paul has been writing music for over 15 years. He plays guitar and mandolin in many different acts and has played everything from jazz rock fusion to traditional folk, bluegrass and classical music. With regards to his own material, Paul works under the name of Ting Jin. The début album “Listen Clear” is predicted to be finished by Spring 2010. Ting Jin is a term used in Chinese philosophy which means listening energy. Paul runs a busy acupuncture practice in the central Edinburgh area. www.tnhc.biz