Learn how pro songwriters use imagery in their lyrics.
Using images in your lyrics is a quick and powerful way to connect with listeners. Let’s take a look at a couple of strong image-based song lyrics. To find them, we need look no further than today’s successful singer-songwriters. This style relies heavily on the use of images to express personal experiences and emotions.
Song #1 “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room Writer: John Mayer
THE TITLE IMAGE: The title of this song is an intensely powerful visual image. Who can resist picturing this couple and the destruction happening around them?
No matter what song genre you’re writing in, at some point you’re likely to find yourself wanting to express your thoughts about your generation, your community, society, or the state of the world in general. Given the unsettled times we’re living in, it’s not surprising that songwriters are turning toward their art to express feelings of solidarity, uncertainty, pride, indignation, or hope for the future. Whatever your thoughts or feelings are about the world, a song of social commentary is a great way to express them.
What are songs of social commentary?
The words “social commentary” are not, in themselves, either positive or negative. These songs are a means of expressing an opinion, observation, or message, the way you see and feel about things, especially things you feel strongly about.
For example, one person might look at a community and see the good that comes from a sense of belonging, while another might see a close-minded group banding together to keep outsiders at a distance. What’s your view? What’s your experience? Your observations may be lauded or they may be unpopular, but it’s still up to you – and no one else – to say what you want to say, to make your opinion heard.
Songs of social commentary are not limited to politics or protest. They can help us define a sense of purpose and place, identify with those who are like us and not like us, chastise and forgive, identify our strengths and our failings, and help us work our way through an ever-changing world.
Most importantly, a song of social commentary seeks to persuade, to convey the songwriter’s observations, beliefs, or experiences in a way that allows the listener to see and understand the world as the songwriter does. In doing so, the hope is that through songs we can understand each other a little better.
Themes
This list includes a few of the most popular themes that come up in commentary songs. Each theme can be expressed in individual terms: its effect on one person or on the singer. Or painted with a broader brush: its effect on a whole society or the world. I’m sure you’ll think of more themes, so feel free to add your own, ones that have meaning and energy for you.
This is just the kind of song that every American Idol finalist and semi-finalist hungers for—and so do record labels and publishers. The melody has a huge range, which works well for singers with big voices, and there’s plenty of passion and excitement in the lyrics. If you’re interested in today’s melodic Pop/Rock genre, this is a song that’s worth studying. It offers a master class in contemporary melody and lyric craft.
There are so many great things going on in the song “Here” by Rascal Flatts that it’s well worth spending some time looking into what makes it tick. The melody is tight, well-structured, and unforgettable. Lyrics are focused like a laser on the emotion at the heart of the song.
The chorus begins with the line “And I wouldn’t change a thing…” and ends with an emotional payoff in the final phrase “here, right here.” Notice how this phrase is set up with a short pause that gives it more weight and draws attention to it (Shortcut #96).
The pre-choruses both begin with the phrase, “I know now…” The bridge flows right out of the second chorus so it’s a little harder to spot. It actually starts with the last word of the chorus (and the title of the song): “here… in a love I never thought I’d get to.” The word “here” does double duty as the end of the chorus and beginning of the bridge, a great way to keep the song flowing forward and pull the listener right into the bridge. Try this idea in one of your own songs as a transition between sections.
I think it’s safe to say there are more broken-hearted songs written every day than happy ones. For one thing, it’s easier to sound serious and deep (and cool) when you’re singing a thoughtful, angst-y, sad song than a happy, bright bit of fluff. And, of course, who wants to shut themselves up and work on a song when the good times are rolling.
The biggest problem, though, is how to avoid the kinds of generic, happy-face clichés that are the downfall of so many of these songs. Jason Mraz definitely has a knack for writing upbeat songs that don’t sound shallow. So, let’s take a look and see how he does it.
“I’m Yours” was a No. 1 Pop and Adult Contemporary hit that spent a record-breaking 76 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 music chart. It has a light reggae groove, a warm vocal, and lyrics that are seem both personal and universal. The catchy chorus has a sing-along vibe and, in fact, the final chorus on the recording features a gang vocal that adds a party vibe.
Upbeat songs have a lot of audience appeal. They not only work well for radio, they’re also sought after by TV series and advertisers. “I’m Yours” has been used in half a dozen TV series, two national TV commercials, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.
SONG STRUCTURE
The song has an interesting song structure with a couple of tricks you might want to try. VERSE / SHORT CHORUS VERSE / FULL CHORUS BRIDGE / VERSE 3 / SHORT CHORUS / FULL CHORUS (with Verse 1)
VERSES: The verses convey the theme of the song – “Love is wonderful.” Verse 1 begins with the line “Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it.” The first line of Verse 2 is “Well, open up your mind and see like me.” Verse 3 begins “I’ve been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror.”
The melody in Verse 2 is different from Verse 1 and Verse 3 although the chords are the same and it’s still recognizable as a verse. It adds playfulness and variety to the song.
CHORUS: The chorus always begins with the line “I won’t hesitate no more, no more. It cannot wait.” and ends with the title, “I’m yours.” Putting the title in the last line of the chorus is a big plus because that’s a line that listeners can hold onto and remember in the midst of this wordy lyric.
The first time Mraz sings the chorus, about 45 seconds into the song, he only sings the first and last lines. It’s almost as if he’s dishing up the best parts as a kind of appetizer. The second chorus is longer, doubling the length by adding three more lines that aren’t in the chorus the first time we hear it and rearranging the lyric so it still ends with “I’m yours.”
The final chorus is sung by a group of people who sound like they’re having a good time while Mraz sings a verse over the chorus. It creates a happy sing-along ending with lots of good-time energy.
The chorus lyric doesn’t change. It adds lines the second time around but repeats the essential first and last lines. This maintains the repeated chorus effect that listeners like to hear while building and adding shape to this upbeat song, keeping it interesting. Try something like this is a song of your own.
BRIDGE: The bridge starts with a scat vocal – “Doo-ja-doo-doo-doo-ja” – just about two minutes into the song.
– TRY IT NOW –
Listen to the song and notice where each song section begins. See if you can identify the verses, chorus, and bridge. Watch for the chorus and notice how the length and complexity changes as the song moves forward.
