Characteristics of a Good Song

There is a big difference between writing a song and crafting a song. Every good song with have three things, 1) A strong, universal message, 2) A memorable hook line 3) An easily understood message and 4) Images

A Good Song Needs a Universal Message and a Story Worth Telling

Without a solid song story, why write it at all? Good song ideas fly around us everyday but we need to catch hold of just one good one. If something triggers your creative genius, first ask yourself: What do I want to say? Is it a story worth telling? Can I say it in a fresh way or will it be just another song? Is the audience universal, ie, how many people can relate to this message?

A Good Song Needs a Memorable Hook

Think of a few great songs that get stuck in your head after hearing them. Like "Take it Easy" by the Eagles, "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry, or Tim McGraw's "I Like it, I Love it" (You just thought, I want some more of it, didn't you?). Those are great hook lines! Sometimes you hate them while you walk around half the day singing the same song, but that is what made it successful!

Usually the hook line appears in the chorus, or if there is no chorus, it is in the first or last line of each verse. For Example, the hook line "I like it, I love it" is in the first and last line of the chorus and the chorus is repeated several times. If the hook is in the verses, it is usually the payoff line, such as in Billy Joel's "I Love You Just the Way You Are" which is the last line of each verse. A hook line can be just one word, the best example being, "Tequila!"

A Good Song is Easily Understood

Keep those flowery, obscure, deep lines for your poetry writing. A song needs simplicity to be popular because people do not often focus, close their eyes and listen to the words of a song. They are driving, dancing, or making dinner while a song is playing. So, keep it simple and don't try to convey too many concepts. Write in a conversational tone as if telling the story to a friend. Don't write a lyric line you wouldn't say naturally, for example, "Broken is my heart". Just because you need a rhyme for 'apart', don't do this!

Remember the listener isn't in your head, so you need to tell the "who, where, and why" of the story. Once you have written a lyric it's a good idea to ask someone to read it and tell you what it is about. If they are confused, rework it to clear up the confusion.

A Good Song Uses Imagery

Next time you listen to a song, listen for the images. Can you imagine the 'tracks of my tears'? Do you hear the 'rhythm of the falling rain'? Back to Tim McGraw, can't you see his 'barbeque stain on his white T-Shirt' in "I Like It, I Love It"? These writers have done a great job of using images. If you want to "see" great song images, listen to some of Kenney Chesney's songs. Try "Old Blue Chair" or "Back Where I Come From". His "Summertime" puts you right in his car while his girl has 'two bare feet on the dashboard'.

It may seem like an impossible task to merge these rules into one little song, but you can do it! Start with a good idea, relay what's going on in a conversational voice, don't waste a word, and draw us pictures! Doesn't take much to keep us entertained, does it?