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Power
Words: How to Make Your Song
Lyrics Stronger...
by Stan
Swanson,
Added January 2007
Back to The
Academy
An
excerpt from
"Inspiration for Songwriters" by Stan Swanson. The book is available
through Amazon
and Stony Meadow Publishing.
Used by Permission.
All songwriters struggle with their lyrics to
their songs from time to time. It's one of the "hazards" of the trade. And many
times we settle for words that aren't what we mean or don't carry enough punch.
Even songwriters whose strength is their lyrics don't always take the proper
amount of time to choose their words carefully.
The solution to this
problem is to use words I call "power words". These are words that instantly
paint a picture the moment you hear them. They are words that demand your
attention and make you sit up and take notice. They are the words that make your
song more than just ordinary. And isn't that what we all strive
for?
Power words are words that are meant to inspire whether it is the
songwriter coaxing the muse out of the closet or the listener placing a new
release in the CD player. They are the words that make your song stand out from
the pack. (Of course, this applies to other styles of writing as well whether
you write poetry, fiction or even non-fiction. There is always a place for power
words in any writing style.)
Power words convey strength and character.
They are usually nouns, but can also be adjectives or adverbs. If you were using
power words to describe a person, these would be words like radiant, robust,
dashing, charming and charismatic. Power words, however, don't need to be
positive words. Descriptive words like monster, shocking, gruesome and hellish
are also power words.
Words like "beautiful" or "ugly" aren't power words
in my dictionary of songwriting definitions. Which sounds better: "she's
beautiful" or "she's enchanting"? Enchanting, of course, is a much better
choice. It says so much more. And "he's grungy" or "he's grotesque" is more
powerful than "he's ugly".
A good definition of a "power word" is a word
that when written, read, spoken or heard immediately suggests something
extraordinary. They are words that startle or inspire or make you vividly see
something.
Magic, for example, is a power word. When you hear the word it
is like, well... "magic". No doubt about it. A word like refrigerator is not a
power word. Castle, crystal, heaven, hurricane, guillotine and vagabond are all
power words. Lawnmower, microwave, garage, doorknob and pencil are not. See the
difference? Now I'm not saying you couldn't write a song about a lawnmower or a
pencil, but they certainly aren't power words.
Fill your songs (or your
poetry or short story or novel) with power words and good, original metaphors.
Paint images as if you were an artist putting brush to canvas. You are not
simply picking words at random. You are painting with words. Don't settle for a
two dollar word when there's a hundred dollar gem waiting for you to discover
it.
You can also use power words in a free association exercise to create
your next song. It's simple.
Take a blank sheet of paper and jot down
several power words at random around the page. Next add a few solid, descriptive
verbs. (By this we mean to use verbs like "soar" instead of "fly" or "screamed"
in place of "said".) Add a few adjectives and/or adverbs on the page and,
presto, you have the beginnings of your next song. Take a good look at the sheet
of paper and draw connecting lines between words that seem to go together. You
might be surprised at what you can come up with using this simple
exercise.
Power words are the foundation for your songs. Use them as much
as you can. Make them part of your title and/or hook so that your song gets
noticed. Read through your finished lyrics and replace weak words. Don't be
afraid to use a thesaurus. It's not against the rules of songwriting. After all,
there are no rules in songwriting!
Sit down with pen in hand and create
your own "power word" list. It doesn't matter if you're trying to write a song
or not. Keep these words and ideas in your notebook. If you don't have a
notebook, you should. Keep it handy at all times. You never know when you might
require a title or hook for a song you'll be creating weeks, months or even
years from now.
(Power words also make great names for bands, musical
groups or titles for your next CD!)
----
Excerpt from
"Inspiration for Songwriters" by Stan Swanson. The book is available
through Amazon
and Stony Meadow Publishing.
Used by Permission.
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