How to Rock Your Lyrics, Songwise

Can anybody write a rock song? I don't know. I've written about a thousand or so, some on network television, so here I offer some humble advice (insofar as people who can give such advice can be humble). Enjoy, experiment, and don't take yourself or "your project" too seriously.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Just bring an open mind. There is no sense trying this if you do not.

1. INSPIRATION. You have to be inspired. Something has got to have moved you. It could be a death, a marriage, or a butterfly landing on your teacup. It could also be an observation about your child or lover. Or rebellion against the System. Or just feeling really "out of it" and recognizing exactly why you feel that way, even just for a moment. Or listening to a song you love, or have re-discovered.
2. WRITE. Write down anything that comes to mind. DO NOT worry about structure, line breaks, choruses, or that sort of thing. Not initially. Later, you'll need to "clean it up," as we in the industry say.
3. STRUCTURE. The standard format is not so standard, so spread your wings. I've found that a verse, usually about 4 lines, followed by another verse, then a TRANSITION, then a repetition of the chorus, then a third verse, then a repetition of the chorus yet again, works best for beginners. (But keep in mind that once you follow this "recipe" a few dozen times, anything goes -- although not everything successfully goes.)
4. METHOD: I have a habit of reading through everything from the top of the lyric after every added bit. I look for connections among the lines, and if I see one, it's like a gift. This can take 20-30 read-throughs. But, if you're lucky, it can also just take one. NEVER FAIL TO RE-READ YOUR WORDS. It's your life, and your song, so treat it as a treasure. It will be, if you get it down to what's right for you.
5. REVISION: Tinker with it. I often write lyrics while blasting music so that I can "hear it," then turn the music off and see how it feels. (It's rock 'n' roll: it's about FEELING.) This typically leads me to revise just a word here, a word there, until it's just right. (I also re-check for typos during this phase. There's usually at least one.)
6. LABELING: You might, depending upon your venue, want to mark verses, chorus, and transition (change-up, in old fashioned terms).
7. EXAMPLE: Here's my latest song. For free! It's about my relationship with my second son, who is only 15 months old, and I've excluded here the verse, chorus, and transition markers. Write me if you can figure out where they should be, even though in my own head I know where they are:
   
   I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU
   
   
   
   © Lawrence Udell Fike, Jr. 2008
   
   
   
   Well he doesn't mean a thing
   
   Thought one day he'll stand tall
   
   And probably if I've half a brain then
   
   I'll fall
   
   
   
   Sons and fathers play on a merry-go-round
   
   And when we're tired of the playing
   
   We all hit the ground
   
   
   
   But in the meantime
   
   I tell you what is true
   
   
   
   I want to be like you
   
   
   
   You scamper up my arms
   
   And you lie at my feet
   
   I wonder over you all the time
   
   
   
   And you don't wake up
   
   Until the demons call
   
   And one day you will stand up tall
   
   One day you will stand up tall
   
   
   
   There is no sense of hunting
   
   For a better way of saying
   
   What I all along inside
   
   This heart-of-hearts 've been praying
   
   
   
   Thanks to your mother
   
   And what you do for me
   
   I hope you wanna be kinda like me
   
   
   
   But I wanna be like you
   
   
   
   It's true:
   
   
   
   I want to be like you
8. Enjoy. Rock 'n' roll is a huge venue spanning several generas. The essential thing is that you are outraged by SOMETHING. Since I'm outraged by so many things (and so probably are you), PFFF. If you can't live on Highway 61, live on Highway 62. (A Bob Dylan reference with Fike additives.) I do sincerely wish you the best of luck. It is not as easy as it appears. http://www.myspace.com/larryfike

Tips & Warnings

• DO not soil yourself while attempting to write a rock song.
• Seriously, remain uninhibited, or get yourself into that state. Anything goes.
• Like poetry, expect about 1 out of 30 attempts to actually "pay off."
• Seek an agent.
• Live, or know people, in Los Angeles or New York City.
• It's brutal out there, but if you really love this, as I do, then you can do it!
• This article may cause bladder infections, venereal disease, sinus infections, brilliance, or behavior akin to that exhibited in "Deliverance." All rights reserved; all responsibilities denounced.