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I always find that it's easiest not to force yourself, if I sit down with pen and paper, but with no inspiration, then I always find that I make myself write, and when I read back an hour or so later, I hate what I've written. I never write a song then write the lyrics to melody anymore, then I find that vocal lines become terribly predictable to an extent. If I write for MMW, and the lyrics fit the song we're working on, then I'll just hand Ben lyrics and let him fit him in his own way.

The best advice I've ever received is this - Always be alert and aware in a creative sense, you can get inspiration from anywhere..A line in a movie, the name of a book, the title of a song, someones name, anywhere, literally...Most of my lyrics now stem for one word or phrase. For example, I stumbled across a username on another messageboard which I thought was cool, 'I'm your cocaine' and this came from it -

I've got two more questions...
Can I be the dirt under your nails?
Do you know how to build time machines?
He never killed JFK, I did, I'm guilty of it all
But I'm your cocaine, so cut me in lines
Hide me in the cross you wear round your neck and feel me inside
Feel...Me...Inside....
Just never say goodbye
There's no rehab for a broken heart or a slit wrist

If you think something sounds cool, then scribble it, eventually you'll have a whole load of words and phrases that you can play with. I just wrote a set of lyrics that are a combination of 5 or 6 different songs put together, just cut and pasting my favourite bits.

The only other tip I have, is write down what you're thinking, literally, scribbles all your thoughts and feelings, they dont have to be related to the same subject, down on paper, and read over them. You might just find some stuff worth using

J

[Tav]

Originally posted by KarmaTsunami:
i get scenarios in my head that would probably be better suited for a short story, but i just try to condense them into a shorter form without losing the main ideas. ocassionally i'll come up with a line, just a single line that i really like and then i can build something around that one line.

I enjoy lyrics that read almost like a short story. Especially if it's about a person. For example Pearl Jam have "Better Man" and "Nothing Man" which are two songs which revolve around stories.

I myself can't really write lyrics that are particularly good or daring but I am going to give it a proper go sometime.

[KarmaTsunami]

Originally posted by jamesy weapon:


I've got two more questions...
Can I be the dirt under your nails?
Do you know how to build time machines?
He never killed JFK, I did, I'm guilty of it all
But I'm your cocaine, so cut me in lines
Hide me in the cross you wear round your neck and feel me inside
Feel...Me...Inside....
Just never say goodbye
There's no rehab for a broken heart or a slit wrist

that bit about hiding cocaine in a cross....weren't watching Cruel Intentions were we?

That is *actually* a direct reference, points for you...

the few times i've written a whole set of lyrics i've actually just been 'hit' by them, for example i was walking home from work one day after a long and thoroughly boring shift and just suddenly started thinking of (what i thought were) ace lines and HAD to make a note of them. i ended up typing them into my phone then writing them all out afterwards and reworking them a bit.

never got used for anything, but it was kinda like a "release" which sounds awfully wanky, but that's what it felt like...

[Dayeth]

I can only write lyrics about death. Mainly cos it sounds cool, but also because its a fascinating subject to me....its gonna happen to everyone, but they've no idea when or how.