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How to write the perfect lyric?

What is a lyric?

In order to wrote a perfect lyric, It’s important to realise what a lyric is , or rather what it is not. A lyric is NOT a song. Often people use the word ‘lyric’ and ‘song’ interchangeably and this is not accurate and can give a very misleading appreciation of lyric writing as well as the requirements of lyric writing in general. A lyric is NOT a song, in the same way A poem is neither a lyric nor a song. Just to cloud the issue further, often people confuse poems with lyrics and songs, But we’ll stick with lyrics for now! A lyric is one part of a song,-It ONLY becomes a song once music has been added to it. When this happens It takes on a new life, when the lyric is woven into a melody, once it is harmonised and turned into a rhythm, it becomes something greater than itself- for want of a better expression, it comes alive! This process is often overlooked by inexperienced lyricists, who feel that having produced some lines of text, they have produced a song, clearly this is not the case! When creating a lyric, it is vital to have an awareness of how the lyric is going to work in a song, and what it’s role within the song should be-this awareness, or lack of, is the number one issue we encounter when reviewing lyrics for sale at SongBay So, when creating a lyric the writer must be aware that the lyric has to be able to work within a song, i.e., with other instruments, singers, melodies, harmonies and rhythms. Therefore at the very start, and at the very least, the lyricist needs to have a clear idea of the speed and rhythm of the words that they are putting down on paper. They also need to have a clear idea of the style of music that the lyric is designed to work with. They should also have a rough idea of the type of melody that comes to mind with the lyric and a rough idea of the type of groove that is emanating from this lyric. When these things are in place at the outset it makes the task of writing music for the lyric much clearer and the outcome, the finished song, much stronger. This is where a lyric diverges considerably from a poem. Often people try to market poems as lyrics, where none of these requirements have nor need to be considered. Are poems designed to work with music? what is the difference between a lyric and a poem? well that’s a whole new discussion for a later date! But to touch on this, unlike lyrics, poems are generally designed to be used by themselves. They are not specifically designed to work with melodies and not specifically designed to work with music. They are often much longer and much deeper literary works that do not usually transcend well to mid tempo, upbeat pop songs for example. So when people say, all poems are great for songs, that is not the case.

How to write a lyric?

Writing lyrics- the best free lesson we can give you! It is really good practice when writing lyrics from the outset to work with a metronome or click track and to try to get a rhythmic flow to your words. Ask yourself- are these words flowing? can you imagine them as part of a verse or chorus? Do some of the words seem longer than others? if you’re trying to get them to rhyme (do not think the cliche-this is always a good idea for pop songs ) do they actually rhyme? Are there better word choices? Do they flow smoothly when reading then, equal length syllables from one part of a verse to the next ? The rule, is always to keep things simple, often the simpler the text the greater the meaning for the listener. Particularly so-once the music and rich harmonies have been added. Again this is different from poems where the deeper and more complex is often the case, another reason they do not transcend to pop songs particularly smoothly. Once you have a good idea of the content of your lyric, It’s really good practice to record yourself (or someone else) narrating your words-just a simple voice memo will suffice. Then listen back repeatedly. Take a really good listen, a critical listen, over a period of a few days, memorise your words-from this you can often hear the emergence of groove or even a natural melody connected to your words (following the natural undulation of the pitch of your voice). If you do this when drafting your lyrics- are now well on the way to writing a fantastic lyrics to put to a song - lyric to song service >>

How to write a bad lyric?!

Often we receive lyrics where none of these things have been considered - we receive lyrics with uneven numbers of words from one line to the next or from one verse to the next or even different length choruses, odd lengthy phrases, super complex terminology, awkward unequal syllables, etc What we then have is more akin to selections of text and certainly nothing approaching a lyric. Trying to get these kind of words to work in a song can be an absolute nightmare!

Lyric writing the Golden Rule

So to summarise, it’s important to remember what a lyric is and what it is not and how the lyric is designed to work. When writing a lyric, use the techniques we have talked about here and you have a very clear idea for turning your lyric into a song, and will then be well on your way to creating a fantastic lyric! If you would like us to add music to one of your lyrics, please use our lyric-to-song service at Songbay. The songbay lyric-to-song service >> Read the full article

Password Recovery

Password Recovery was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

Submissions

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Songbay is a completely unique market place for the buying and selling of Music and Lyrics. Songbay allows you to: Trade original songs and lyrics of every genre. Sell or Buy Digital Downloads. Grant or purchase multi-use licenses to songs and lyrics (For use in a variety of audio/visual contexts, such as film or advertising). Trade music samples. Buy and sell the copyright to songs or lyrics. Contact songwriters with specific composing requests. Receive publicity and promotion. Receive production, arrangement and songwriting advice. Receive completed legal contracts. For more information, visit: www.songbay.co

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How We Chose The Winners

The Songbay Lyric Writing Competition: How We Chose The Winners

The winners of the 2020 Songbay Lyric Writing Competition were announced at the end of last year. The standard was incredibly high and the process of choosing the winners, from a short list of over a hundred and fifty, was a challenge! In this blog post, we reveal some of the thought processess of the judges. We’ll also be sharing the winning and commended entries throughout this article in case you missed the announcements last year. Perhaps this information may even help you with your preparations for our 2021 contest later in the year!

This year’s competition was organised and managed by Justine Perry, a freelance professional lyricist and writer. She currently manages Songbay’s Lyric Improvement Service

Our judges were Gary Cubberley, Chris Porter, Olga Wells, and Justine Perry. Their musical backgrounds are impressively diverse. From film composing, songwriting, musical theatre, lyric writing and opera, to music production, TV/ Radio commercials, arranging, recording, mixing, mastering, session singing, vocal coaching and instrumental teaching. The Songbay creative team has some very high profile clients- Kasabian, Keane, Ellie Goulding, Ed Sheeran, Gary Barlow, INXS, Nick Cave & The BadSeeds, Patti Labelle, John Lee S-Club 7, Jamie Cullum, West One Music, Faye Tozer Steps, Amy Pearson, Gareth Gates and Dagny (to name a few).

There were some great prizes on offer, the winner-Mandy Vinson, had her lyric turned into a fully completed song by our expert songwriting team using our Lyric to Song service >> Whilst our runners up, received free use of our Lyric Improvement Service.

Commended Entry:

(Isaac Gray with lyric Swept Away View Lyric)

The challenge was to write a lyric incorporating three random words – ‘flamboyant’, ‘ramble’ and ‘hope’. No easy! Trying to make the words interconnect within a strong lyric way was a serious challenge.

Commended Entry:

(Songs4Singers with lyric He Will Live Forever View Lyric)

So how did we choose our winners?

Here are some comments from the judges that provide a little insight into the selection process.

Commended Entry:

(Ward Lane with lyric Remember View Lyric)

“Some lyrics immediately stood out. I tried to put my personal preferences aside and pick the lyrics that were strongest in terms of storytelling and emotional connection, technique, and how well the lyrics lent themselves to music” Justine Perry

Commended Entry:

(Plasma Baby with lyric Drift Away View Lyric)

“I went for lyrics where the three required words were used most naturally, that also displayed originality, imagery, and poeticism. Essentially, I asked myself, did the lyric move me emotionally; could I imagine this in a song? I tend to be drawn to the ambiguity, where a word can mean different things to different listeners, whilst still making sense from a variety of viewpoints. There were some lovely lyrics that achieved this, I chose those that seemed the most creative and original.” Olga Wells

Commended Entry:

(Ceciliya with lyric Flamboyant Art View Lyric)

“I tend to look at lyrics from more of a ‘music-writing’ perspective, i.e. could I see the lyric actually working as a song? For me, I like clarity and simplicity. This creates a clearer message for listeners and much stronger ‘hook lines’ that I can then reinforce musically. Additionally, I’m looking for scansion and implied rhythm – this makes any songwriter’s job much easier.” Chris Porter

Commended Entry:

(Brett Hunt with lyric Buffett View Lyric)

“I looked for lyrics that had a clear story, that resonated on an emotional level that I could also envisage working well in song format, i.e. lyrics that could easily transfer to songs with regard to rhythmic flow, hook lines, and naturally contrasting emotional sections. From a songwriting perspective, I tend to interpret the emotions displayed in the lyric as the basis for my musical harmonic (chord) progressions, and the storyline as the song’s melody. With this in mind, I was really looking out for lyrics that displayed strong emotion and story-telling qualities.” Gary Cubberley

4th Prize Winner

(Maria Teresa Guzman with lyric Tomorrow Without Me View Lyric)

Interestingly, since each judge approached the task from his or her own professional background and musical ideology, their choices and comments were remarkably similar. Four entries were particularly noteworthy, chosen as winners by three of the four judges. It is interesting to note that all the judges placed a great deal of emphasis on the ability of a lyric to transfer to music, something that is often overlooked by inexperienced lyricists.

3rd Prize Winner

(Sheena Hope with lyric The Fire View Lyric )

We received some submissions that used the three required words ingeniously. However, these did not make the short list due to their complexity or length. Essentially we were looking for lyrics, not poems, and this was overlooked at times. We also detected an emphasis to impress rather to create a lovely lyric- a sort of a paradoxical trap of lyric competitions!

A good lyric is not the same as a good poem and a bad lyric is not the same as a bad poem. Often the two are confused. Inexperienced lyricists, sometimes forget the purpose of a lyric, i.e., to work with a song, to create the feeling, to create memorable hook lines, to enhance rhythmic potential, to work with music and harmony to form a symbiotic relationship. Some of the entries reviewed took the form of intellectual poems, it was difficult to envisage these working in song format.

These very same considerations are examined in our Lyric Improvement Service. Launched last year, it is a cost effective way of improving your lyric and writing skills, helping with all aspects of lyric writing, from improvements in word choices, to working with rhythm and melody. Find out more here: Lyric Improvement Service >>

2nd Prize Winner

Martin Hampton with lyric Good Grace and Hope View Lyric

Our first-prize winner was offered free use of our Lyric to Song Service. This service was launched last year to help Songbay lyricists create completed songs from their lyrics. It can be difficult to break into the music industry as a lyricist alone – most publishers do not accept ‘lyric-only’ submissions, whilst others will want to hear some examples of your lyrics in song format. Find out more here: Lyric to Song service >>

1st Prize Winner

Mandy Vinson with lyric Watching View Lyric

WATCHING BY MANDY VINSON Verse 1: I watch her with her paper and pen Jotting notes and doodling She looks at me with her flamboyant eyes Points at her book with a big ole smile Says, hey mom, I’m just like you I’m doing this, just like you do

Chorus: There are times when I feel like giving up I get let down and times get tough When I feel I can’t reach my calling I’m reminded, there’s someone watching

Verse 2: I watch him as he tightens his strings Strums down slow to find the perfect ring I ask him what he’s trying to play He says not sure yet, but someday I hope, to play just like you Hes watching, everything I do

Chorus: There are times when I feel like giving up I get let down and times get tough When I feel I can’t reach my calling I’m reminded, there’s someone watching

Bridge: Even when my mind starts to ramble And all my strings become untangled I’ll work hard, fight and push through Because my loves, live life as I do

Chorus: There are times when I feel like giving up I get let down and times get tough When I feel I can’t reach my calling I’m reminded, there’s someone watching There’s someone watching My kids are watching

Our winner Mandy received the fully produced version of our Lyric to Song service >>. Our latest songs created through our Lyrics to Music Service can be heard here >>

The Songbay Lyric Writing Competition 2021 will launch in September. So if you have any ideas for this year’s challenge? We’d love to hear your thoughts, we’re @Songbayteam on Twitter and @songbaylicensing on Instagram.

How We Chose The Winners was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

Mandy Vinson - The Winner of the 2020 Songbay Lyric Writing Competition

Feautured Songbay Artist: Mandy Vinson

This week we take a look at the work of the winner of the 2020 Songbay Lyric Writing Competition – Mandy Vinson.

Mandy Vinson

“How did you get in to songwriting?”

I started writing at a young age, my first song I ever wrote is called “Roses”. I remember asking my brother to give me a topic, any topic to write about. He gave me the title Roses. I remember sitting up in my room that night, trying to find the correct words and melody that would be perfect. Then it came to me, word by word just flowed from my thoughts, through my pencil, and onto my paper. I had never been more proud of myself.

Years later, I taught myself how to play guitar and entered myself into the writing world. I was nervous about putting myself and my lyrics out into the world, fearful of rejection, but took the jump anyway.

” What are your musical influences?”

I was brought up listening to many genres of music, along with different time frames. From country to rock and 50’s to today, I have had a lot of musical influences. From the brilliance of Prince to Patsy Cline’s twang, seeing Journey in concert to seeing Destiny’s Child. I have always loved music, and music has always been a part of my life.

My favorite artists would have to be Dolly Parton, Prince, Willie Nelson and Jewel. Jewel, because I have always loved her writing style and voice. She is unique and that is something rare to find. Dolly Parton is an inspiration; she appears focused and determined and doesn’t let anyone stand in the way of her destination. Prince because he is such a talented composer and performer And Willie Nelson, there’s no specific rhyme or reason, but I have always loved him and his story. Through theses amazing artists I’ve learned a great deal. After reading a section in Willie Nelson’s book, “It’s a Long Story”, I was influenced to write a song called “Behind Closed Doors.” The song is about a woman who is portrayed as living the perfect life, but behind closed doors her life is not so perfect. The song had nothing to do with my life at all. I had wanted to write it for some time, but was afraid that my family would think I was writing about my life. After I wrote the song and posted it on YouTube, I remember getting a couple text messages from family and friends asking if everything is ok! I just chuckled about it

” What would you say are your achievements as a songwriter?”

Since finally opening up my lyrics to the world, I have two songs published with Diamond Garden Music.

Winning a songwriting competition has been a goal and dream of mine for some time, and I am proud to say that I have accomplished/achieved that goal being the winner of SongBay’s 2020 Lyric Writing Competition.

I am currently working on some new projects, and I can’t wait to release them to the world as well. I am hoping to be starting on my first EP very soon. To stay informed of what’s coming next, you can visit my website at www.mandyvinson.com , YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzkM_5kbWwd0BaeTc1cWmTQ ,

” Who inspires you creatively”

My biggest inspirations are my husband and two children. My husband has been my biggest supporter and encourages me to chase my dreams. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for him. My children inspire me to work hard and never give up. They are always “Watching” and I want them to know that it’s never impossible and it’s important to follow what is in your heart.

‘Watching’ is the title of Mandy’s winning lyric of the Songbay Lyric Writing Competition 2020.

Its poeticism and sentiment resonated strongly with the Songbay competition judges.

WATCHING BY MANDY VINSON

Verse 1: I watch her with her paper and pen Jotting notes and doodling She looks at me with her flamboyant eyes Points at her book with a big ole smile Says, hey mom, I’m just like you I’m doing this, just like you do

Chorus: There are times when I feel like giving up I get let down and times get tough When I feel I can’t reach my calling I’m reminded, there’s someone watching

Bridge: Even when my mind starts to ramble And all my strings become untangled I’ll work hard, fight and push through Because my loves, live life as I do

If you would like to learn more about Mandy’s work or wish to contact her regarding songwriting collaboration or lyric writing work, please use the link below:

Mandy Vinson’s Artist Page at Songbay >>

Mandy Vinson – The Winner of the 2020 Songbay Lyric Writing Competition was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

Featured Artist Martin Hampton

Featured Songbay Artist: Martin Hampton

This week we take a look at the work of the runner up of the 2020 Songbay Lyric Writing Competition – Martin Hampton.

Martin Hampton

“How did you get in to songwriting?”

I was given my first acoustic guitar and a John Pearce learn to play guitar book when I was eleven. I drove everyone mad by trying to learn ‘She’ll be coming ’round the mountain’. My fingers were red raw afterwards! Around the early 1970’s I was introduced to the music of James Taylor, who remains a major influence on me. I remember the chords in the JT manuscript books that seemed impossible for me to form and it was only years later that I realised these were arbitrary and had no relation to the actual guitar positions. It was a revelation to eventually see JT perform close-up, at the Barbican Centre, London, and the mystery was solved!

Quite apart from an incredible voice, James Taylor has a consummate ease when performing and has effortless guitar style which belies the true complexity. To me he is the complete songwriter. I began writing poems mostly while at school. Some of these poems did become songs, but I still have a folder full of odd writings from that time. It soon became apparent to me that simply writing words without some recognition as to musicality made for poor composition. I have always liked rhymes and finding words whose syllables can be split across notes. I was experimenting with multitracking quite early only because the bands I joined were constantly breaking up! I decided it would be better to try to do the whole process from writing to production myself. Affordable kit was in short supply and I first used two tape recorders to try to produce multitracked pieces. It is astonishing what can now be achieved by even the simplest of home studio set ups in terms of the equipment and software available today.

“How do you approach your song writing?”

It is a matter of great debate as to whether a song begins with the lyrics or the tune. I still really do not know. What I can say is that I can always tell when a lyric finds the right tune, or the tune conjures up the right lyric. I have tried to sit down purposely and write a complete song in one go but for me it seldom results in a homogeneous composition and quite frankly often sounds like an existing piece.

I consider the hardest skill to master when either writing lyrics, composing tunes, or engineering finished works, is to know when to stop tinkering. When editing you can read the words or hear the piece hundreds of times and probably will always see or hear some other element you feel compelled to tweak. For me therefore, it is always better to put down a lyric or partially mastered song and return to it later. It is amazing what can happen when you come back and take a fresh look.

My approach to songs is nothing radical and I mostly keep to songs that have common arrangement structures, ie., verse, chorus, middle eight, etc. In the arrangement I generally start with the acoustic guitar and then experiment with different voicings and backings. Eventually I get something which I like the sound of. It helps to have a nice sounding instrument. My theory is that if I like my song then someone else may like it too. And therein lies the whole reason I now use Songbay; to put my tunes where they might just be heard by that someone. Will I sell a million? One can but hope, but for me the point is to enjoy writing lyrics and creating my music.

‘Good Grace and Hope’ is the title of Martin’s winning lyric of the Songbay Lyric Writing Competition 2020.

Martin’s lyric is about the life of a musician ‘on the road’. The lyric skillfully incorporated the required competition words of ‘Ramble, Flamboyant and Hope’. It was easy for the judges to see how the lyric would fit with music-it’s natural scansion (rhythmic flow), equal verse and chorus lengths, strong narrative, make it in many respects, the perfect lyric!

GOOD GRACE AND HOPE

BY MARTIN HAMPTON

Some say I’m flamboyant but I don’t think it’s true Perhaps it’s my manner or the things that I do Maybe it’s the way that I act when on stage But again it could just be I’m acting my age

Chorus I can’t settle down and I will always ramble This life on the road is a risk and a gamble But I’ll never be tied either by chain or rope And I’ll keep moving on with good grace and hope

If I ever offend it is not my intent And it is true to say that my youth was misspent Books and mathematics were never my thing My choosing to write songs, play music and sing

Chorus I can’t settle down and I will always ramble This life on the road is a risk and a gamble But I’ll never be tied either by chain or rope And I’ll keep moving on with good grace and hope

Bridge If I can make somebody smile on my way If it doesn’t make theirs it will sure make my day If someone is feeling despondent and sad If I leave them happy then I will be glad

Perhaps I’m flamboyant and it’s really true Perhaps its my way of my just getting through I’ll will continue to write play and sing And remain contented just doing my thing

Chorus I can’t settle down and I will always ramble This life on the road is a risk and a gamble But I’ll never be tied either by chain or rope And I’ll keep moving on with good grace and hope

But I’ll never be tied either by chain or rope And I’ll keep moving on with good grace and hope

If you would like to learn more about Martin’s work or wish to contact him regarding songwriting collaboration or lyric writing work, please use the link below:

Martin Hampton’s Artist Page at Songbay >>

Featured Artist Martin Hampton was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

Featured Songbay Artist- Sheena Hope

Feautured Songbay Artist: Sheena Hope

This week we take a look at the work of Songbay lyricist – Sheena Hope. For the second year in a row, Sheena has been a prize winner in the Songbay Lyric Writing Competition.

Sheena Hope

“How did you get in to songwriting?”

I love singing and have been involved in choirs since I was eight years old. I started in a Gaelic choir and one of my first jobs was as a singing waitress at a Jacobean banquet!

I wrote lyrics when I was younger, but never really had the courage to share them. After the death of my mother a few years ago, I become focussed on my writing. I entered lyric competitions and tried to upload my work whereever I could. I was delighted to discover Songbay who finally gave me a reliable outlet for my work. I am currently busy working on new pieces and collaborating with other artists. Although I have no formal training, I am always seeking to improve. I have used Songbay’s Lyric Improvement Service on several occasions. I’ve found their feedback useful in helping me to consider and develop my own unique writing style. For me, writing lyrics is a learning curve, so I just keep writing!

Each day, I discover the importance of the interdependence- ‘wavelength’ between lyricist and songwriter and love the challenge of writing something to a specific brief or about a particular idea. In the case of the recent lyric competition, having to write something based on just a few random words, was a real challenge.

” What are your musical influences?”

I have a very eclectic taste in music and grew up listening to everything from Simple Minds to traditional Scottish music. My husband enjoys 70’s rock so I listen to that sometimes. Sunday mornings, it’s James Taylor or sometimes Ludovico Einaudi. My favourite album at Christmas was Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan-I love her voice. As a chorister, it has to be something by John Rutter. I am also a bit of a musical theatre fan, I saw ‘Hamilton’ two years ago which I absolutely loved. My favourite soundtrack is from a 2019 Canadian musical- ‘Come from Away’.

” What would you say are your achievements as a songwriter?”

Achieving a highly commended award in the Songbay lyric writing competition in 2019 with my lyric “The Walk of Defiance” and then 3’rd prize in 2020 with “The Fire” was a thrill. I know the standard was high and it was wonderful to have my work finally recognised after the many lyrics I had written to get there!

The more I write, the more I want my lyrics to be heard, so a platform like Songbay is a great tool. Through their service, I licensed some of my lyrics to Dutch musician Klass Versteeg. He used three in his last EP, two of these from my Songbay listings and one which I wrote for him based on a photograph he sent to me. He will also be using three more of my lyrics in his next album, including the title piece. One of those lyrics “We” was inspired by the past year’s events and I think is as relevant now as ever.

” Thoughts on the music industry?”

The music industry is crowded and extremely difficult to get into. As a lyricist I think that you just have to be yourself and not worry too much about being ‘commercial’-you just never really know what will spark someone’s interest.

The past year has been difficult for everyone, especially performers, but I think that adversity never really halts creativity.

Thank you to Songbay for their belief in my Lyrics. Let’s all keep positive and keep making music!

‘The Fire’ is the title of Sheena’s lyric that was awarded third place in the Songbay Lyric Writing Competition 2020.

THE FIRE

BY HOPE

The Fire

Verse 1 Do you still hope to meet “The One”? That romcom staple for the young or not so old, or not so single we swipe, we post, we drink, we mingle

Chorus That fierce flamboyant fabulous fire This love we’re sold, we seek, inspire all consuming, blazing bright Our shield against the fading light

Verse 2 Maybe you’re waiting, scared of the spark More afraid to burn than of the dark Don’t be shy, just walk your own track until you discover love reflects back

Chorus That fierce flamboyant fabulous fire This love we’re sold, we seek, inspire all consuming, blazing bright Our shield against the fading light

Verse 3 We’re all searching, in our own way Just trying to cast life’s original play I hope you’re lucky, I hope you’ve found That connection, your silence in sound

Bridge time, experience and maturity lessen the chase, the hunt, the great obsession finding peace via true loves ramble There’s the warmth that’s worth the gamble

Chorus That fierce flamboyant fabulous fire This love we’re sold, we seek, inspire all consuming, blazing bright Our shield against the fading light

Verse 4 You may choose and be happy solo or where you walk, someone will follow As darkness falls, lay down your armour Our lives revealed by the fading embers

Last Chorus That fierce flamboyant fabulous fire This love we’re sold, we seek, inspire but finding peace via true loves ramble There’s the warmth that’s worth the gamble

Lyric Sheena Hope

If you would like to learn more about Sheena’s work or wish to contact her regarding songwriting collaboration or lyric writing work, please use the link below:

Sheena Hope’s Artist Page at Songbay >>

Featured Songbay Artist- Sheena Hope was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

Six Ways to write a Christmas lyric

Six Ways to Write a Christmas Lyric

The festive season is here again! Christmas is going to be very different this year, but hopefully we can still celebrate the holidays safely – and flex our creativity!

Now is the ideal time to write a festive song. Our trees are up, the halls are decked, the joy of Christmas is in the air!

There’s no better time to pen a Christmas lyric than when the festivities are in full swing. Most importantly, it’s not too early to think about Christmas 2021! Let us explain.

It’s normal nowadays for Christmas songs to be released at the end of October. Artists that released Christmas albums on or before Halloween this year include Maddie and Tae, Meghan Trainor, and Jojo (to name a few.) This means if you want to release a Christmas song next year, you better get started! There’s a lot to do; writing, recording, mixing, mastering, album artwork, scheduling release… so starting early is the way forward!

Writing a festive song is not as straightforward as it seems, simply adding bells to give it a Christmassy feel, usually falls very far from the mark. Writing Christmas lyrics can be just as tricky. So what should you write about? what is the correct amount of Christmas ‘lyric tinsel’, without sounding kitsch, cheesy and repetitive?

Our blog is here to help!

Follow these tips and get writing!

1) Listen, listen, listen

Make a playlist of your favourite Christmas songs. Listen closely to the words. Why do you like the lyrics? Make a note of your answer. You might be able to use a similar style or the same techniques in your own writing. Obviously you don’t want to copy, but taking inspiration from your festive faves is invaluable.

2) Make a list – check it twice!

If you’re unsure what to write about, make a list of everything you like and dislike about the holidays. You might find something you can turn into a lyric. Many Christmas lyrics are built around a central idea or experience.

Maddie and Tae’s ‘Merry Married Christmas’ is about sharing your first Christmas as a married couple. Thomas Rhett’s ‘Christmas in the Country’ shares the joys of spending the holidays in a beloved rural home, and Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘It’s Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries’ is about family arguments. These songs hone in on their theme like a laser, building an entire lyric around one concept.

3) You (feat. Santa)

Christmas lyrics often revolve around festive characters. ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’, ‘Frosty the Snowman’, ‘Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ – the examples are endless! Perhaps it’s time to be more creative. What else is festive or hasn’t been used to seasonal saturation point?!

More original examples of this approach include ‘A Hand For Mrs Claus’ by Idina Menzel and ‘Cheer for the Elves’ by Gwen Stefani. Both of these champion lesser-used characters.

If you’re struggling to find a topic and don’t know where to start, reworking established Christmas characters, or using them in different context is an easy and fun way to write a Christmas lyric. It’s also a great option if you don’t like writing from personal experience or haven’t got a festive story to share.

4) What’s Christmas like where you are?

We can’t all enjoy Christmas in a winter wonderland. Several recent Christmas songs are about celebrating the festive season in a hot climate. For example, ‘Winter Things’ by Ariana Grande, ‘Christmas in My Heart’ by Loving Caliber, and ‘Christmas in the Sand’ by Colbie Caillat.

How is Christmas celebrated in your country, city, or even just your family? Do you have any unusual traditions? What’s the weather like? How do you get in the Christmas spirit if you can’t go dashing through the snow? Tell us in your lyric!

5) OK, Don’t be afraid of ‘cheese’ afterall!

Successful Christmas lyrics are often light hearted and humorous. but equally, some of the best are sad and poignant. Why not boost your creativity by having a go in both styles, or try writing a ‘fun’ version and then invert it- giving it a slightly more ambiguous or heart-felt context? Whichever approach you decide upon, have fun, experiment and try to be just a little different from all the rest!

6) If all else fails…

If you’re really struggling, collaboration is a great solution. There are lot’s of festive lyrics by Songbay artists waiting to be licensed. Visit songbay.co/buy-lyrics and put ‘Christmas’ as a keyword on the left hand side.

If you want to collaborate with a particular Songbay lyricist but they haven’t uploaded any Christmas lyrics, you could reach out and ask if they’d be interested in working with you on your festive project. You could also use our great new Collaboration Zone for this purpose .

We hope this article gets you started. Send us your festive songs or lyrics when you’re done. And lastly- a very Merry Christmas to you from all of us here at Songbay!

Six Ways to write a Christmas lyric was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

Lyric-to-Song Client form

Lyric-to Song Service Client Form

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Lyric-to-Song Client form was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

Winners of the Songbay Lyric Writing Competition 2020

We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2020 Songbay Lyric Writing Competition.

First Prize

Mandy Vinson with lyric Watching View Lyric

Second Prize

Martin Hampton with lyric Good Grace and Hope View Lyric

Third Prize

Sheena Hope with lyric The Fire View Lyric

Fourth Prize

Maria Teresa Guzman with lyric Tomorrow Without Me View Lyric

Commended Entries (in no particular ranking order)

Brett Hunt with lyric Buffett View Lyric

Songs4Singers with lyric He Will Live Forever View Lyric

Plasma Baby with lyric Drift Away View Lyric

Ceciliya with lyric Flamboyant Art View Lyric

Isaac Gray with lyric Swept Away View Lyric

Ward Lane with lyric Remember View Lyric

Winners of the Songbay Lyric Writing Competition 2020 was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

Lyric-to-Song Service at Songbay

HAVE YOUR LYRICS TURNED INTO FANTASTIC ORIGINAL SONGS

“Any style, any genre, any instrument- we bring your lyrics to life”

Here at Songbay, we believe that all lyricists should be able to have their lyrics turned into songs.

If you do not compose music, sing, or play an instrument, or think it would be too expensive to have your lyrics turned into complete songs, we have come up with an amazing offer for you.

Our lyric-to Song service starts from just £99!

Lyric-to-Song. Why do lyricists need this service?

We know that it can be frustrating when you do not have an outlet for the words you’ve created and love. In addition, it can be almost impossible to break into the music industry with lyrics alone since most publishers do not accept ‘lyric only’ submissions.

So how do you find and collaborate with trustworthy composers and musicians (with a proven track record) who are willing and able to turn your lyrics into completed songs? That’s where we come in – Our lyric-to-song service – does exactly this – and more! Show us your lyric and we’ll turn it into a professionally recorded original song, based entirely around your stylistic requirements.

Recent Songbayteam Songs!

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Lyric-to Song – Key Benefits

Quality – Your lyric will be turned into a completely original and professionally crafted song, created by our expert songwriters and session musicians

Style – The song will be composed and informed by your lyric, and arranged and recorded to your stylistic requirements

Advice – We can support you through the process – offering expert opinion and feedback on lyrics, arrangement, and stylistic suggestions to optimize the end result

Value – Our lyric-to-song prices are hugely discounted for Songbay members and affordable to all budgets.

Speed – No wasted time. On average, we offer a 7-14 day turnaround

Terms – You retain 100% control of your lyric

All-Inclusive – Our fees include everything – all composing, arranging, live-performance (session musician fees), studio/instrument hire, recording, editing, and production time. They are subsidized and discounted. To give you an appreciation, most professional studios charge £50-£150 just for a couple of hours of studio hire, and nothing else!

Royalties – Receive royalty payments. Remember, unless a lyric is set to music, it cannot generate any music royalties

Lyric-to Song – Choices

We offer four versions, starting from just £99!

The Entry Demo version. Our team will analyze the lyric of your choice and create an original sympathetic and succinct audio demo from it consisting of 1 x verse and 1 x chorus, using our team of expert songwriters, vocalists, and musicians. It will consist of a lead vocal and one or two accompanying instruments. Price £99

The Melody and Chord version. As above, our team will then go on to turn your lyric into a fully arranged originally composed song in the style of your choice, with multiple verses, chorus, intro’s, bridges, etc. It will consist of a lead vocal and one or two accompanying instruments. Price £200

The Muti Instrumental version. As above, our team will then go on to turn your lyric into a fully arranged originally composed song in the style of your choice, with multiple verses, chorus, intro’s, bridges, etc. It will consist of a lead vocal, plus backing vocals, and at least 4 other instruments. Price £260

The Fully Produced version. As above, our team will then go on to turn your lyric into a fully arranged originally composed song in the style of your choice, with multiple verses, chorus, intro’s, bridges, etc. It will consist of a lead vocal, 2-10 multi-layered backing vocals, 8-25 other instruments, plus optimized song structuring/arrangement, mixing, and mastering. Price £500

Lyric-to Song – Methodology

Our approach is the same for all lyric-to-song versions, we first check the stylistic requirements and any melodic or harmonic ideas that you may already have. We can, of course, advise on all of this. We may suggest slight lyric changes to help with rhythmic flow, or even additional lyric content for contrasting bridge sections, intros, and outros, etc, or for linking one section to another. Once we have a clear directional overview, we make a start with the composing of melodic and harmonic ideas emanating from the lyric. We always work from the lyric, never the other way round, i.e., we never superimpose music onto the text. Our music evolves naturally from the lyric, giving all our songs musical synergy.

In terms of the time frame, we usually send a rough sketch to the user within 48 hours. Once the song is fully composed, we then record it with the required instrumentation/ session musicians. It is then mixed and professionally produced and delivered back to you in professional audio WAV, MP4 and MP3 formats.

Lyric-to Song – Our Experience

Collectively, our songwriting team are involved in all aspects of the music industry, including film composing, songwriting, lyric writing, music production, arranging, recording, mixing, mastering, session singing, and vocal coaching. We have written and recorded in session with artists such as Kasabian, Keane, Ellie Goulding, Ed Sheeran, Gary Barlow, INXS, Nick Cave & The BadSeeds, Patti Labelle, John Lee S-Club 7, Jamie Cullum, West One Music, Faye Tozer Steps, Amy Pearson, Gareth Gates and Dagny (to name a few). Members of our team have also been involved with prominent London West End musicals, including Les Miserables and Billy Elliot. In the Orchestral and Opera world, with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, RTE Ireland, The Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and Wessex Opera. Recent clients include The BBC, ITV, BBC Radio, Channel 5, BRMB, Endemol Shine, and Tiger Aspect. Corporate clients include Toyota, , Huawei, Cunard, DFDs Seaways, Konica

Lyric-to Song – Contractual Information

Our terms are very fair! Full terms and conditional can be seen here: Terms and Conditions >>

Lyric-to Song – Sign Up form

Our fee covers absolutely everything. To get started your lyrics turned into songs, please use the link below.

Client Request Form >>

Lyric-to-Song Service at Songbay was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

Collaborate with Songwriters and Lyricists

New features to our Collaboration Zone

Do you want to collaborate with other songwriters or lyricists? If you haven’t yet used our collaboration zone, or you are not aware of it, it’s a fantastic place where lyricists and songwriters can join forces. It’s an extremely popular benefit of Songbay. For those of you who have been using it, it’s about to get even better!

Lyricists collaborating with songwriters at Songbay

Songwriters collaborating with Lyricists at Songbay

Pop up auto displaying lyrics and songs

We have added two super new features to our collaboration zone

A ‘best lyric’ / ‘best audio’ automatic pop window appears whenever a user hovers over your name in the collaboration zone, This allows your best work to be seen or heard immediately! As well as this, we’ve added a powerful artist and genre search facility, making it even easier to collaborate with suitable artists. Perhaps you’re a lyricist wanting to team up with a songwriter or a songwriter needing some catchy lyrics, the Songbay collaboration zone is where you need to be!

Pop up Lyrics and Audio

Collaborate at Songbay

In order to benefit from these new features, you will need to do two things-chose your ‘best upload’, or rather, the work you would like to display in the collaboration zone at Songbay, then define your main writing style, to allow you to be found more quickly in searches. You can do both from your ‘User Profile’ section in your user area.

Collaboration Zone

Sell your Lyrics on Songbay Sell your Songs on Songbay

That’s it- we hope you like these new features. As always, we are developing and testing other cool songwriting and lyric writing features that will be coming soon, making Songbay the world’s largest original lyric library-the place to sell your lyrics and to sell your songs and to collaborate with other songwriters and lyricists.

Happy collaborating!

Collaborate with Songwriters and Lyricists was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

Latest lyric to song Examples

Our Latest Lyric-to-Song examples November 2020

“Any style, any genre, any instrument- we bring your lyrics to life”

In these examples, we were asked to write, record, and produce songs to the very specific stylistic and genre requests of the client. In each example, we were given either a lyric or a very rough melodic idea, we then did the rest.

We should point out, that our prices are heavily subsidised for Songbay users and are not available to non-members. Professional studio hire by itself comes with very little. It does not include any composing, arranging, editing, producing, mastering, or live session musicians. By contrast, our lyric-to-song service includes absolutely everything!

In The UK, a well-equipped professional studio costs around £70-£150 an hour-This fee covers the rental of the studio space with a sound engineer- That’s it, nothing else-and certainly no completed songs for that money! Our innovative lyric-to-song service (starting from just £220) is an absolute bargain by comparison.

Please take a second to appreciate the time it takes to write, record, and produce a song around a free-standing lyric in any chosen style. Also, consider the skill levels and experience required of the team involved to be able to do this; a lifetime of musicianship, composing, and arranging training, along with enormous investment in the equipment required. Our studio and equipment alone is valued above £100,000. If you haven’t done so already, please check-out our resume details on our links pages as well as the numerous other songwriting examples we have been involved in recently.

Latest lyric to song Examples was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

Song Improvement service

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Song Improvement service – 07-20 October 2020

Song Improvement Service

Latest Before and After examples of our work 2020

In these examples, we were provided with a lyric on its own or a rough demo. We then worked our magic using some of the finest composers and session musicians in the UK!

Our prices are inclusive of all composing, arranging, editing, recording, and musician fees and all production and mastering costs. Our turn around is 7-10 days!

Get your lyrics turned into brilliant songs or your songs turned into better songs at Songbay!

Before

https://songbay.co/songbay/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Burning-bridges-2-1.mp3

After

https://songbay.co/songbay/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Burning-Bridges-stereo-tracks-with-fade-256.mp3

Before

https://songbay.co/songbay/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/poitical-draft-rap.m4a

After

https://songbay.co/songbay/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Politics-Stereo-Master.mp3

Song Improvement service was originally published on Songbay Music and Lyric Sales

The Songbay Lyric Writing Competition 2020

Our annual lyric writing competition is here! How to Enter To enter the competition, write an original lyric that includes the following three words... Flamboyant Ramble Hope The words can appear in the lyric in any order but must include all three words. Entries that do not use all three words at least once will be disqualified. The words must be used exactly as they are written above. For example, 'rambling' or 'rambles' will not be accepted. The lyric may be written in any genre but must be structured in common song format. For example, it must contain two to four clear Verse sections (minimum 2, maximum 4 verses) and similarly, two to four clear Chorus sections (minimum 2, maximum 4 choruses). It must also contain a middle section (commonly referred to as a 'Bridge section'). .

1st Prize

Free use of our new Lyric to-Song Service plus One Year 'Ultimate Subscription' to Songbay. Your winning lyric will be set to music - turned into a professionally composed, recorded, and produced song by our specialist songwriting team. You will then be able to use it as you wish. For example, you could release the song, seek media placements, approach publishers and record companies, license it, sell it on download sites, etc.

2nd prize

Free use of our new Lyric Improvement Service plus One Year 'Ultimate Subscription' to Songbay. You'll receive feedback on your lyric from our professional songwriting team, including suggestions for improvements and techniques you could apply to future lyrics. This service helps lyricists to improve their writing and increase the chance their lyrics will be licensed.

3rd prize

Free use of our Lyric Improvement Service plus One Year 'Professional Subscription' to Songbay.

4th prize

One year 'Advanced Subscription' to Songbay. All winners will also receive promotion on our blog and social media pages. The closing date for all entries is 30th October 2020, Midnight GMT

How to Enter

Entries are restricted to one per person and must be uploaded using the competition entry form here: Songbay lyric competition entry form 2020 >> Please DO NOT submit your entry as a Word Doc.

Please remember

Please ensure your Songbay account is active and your contact details are up to date. If we do not get a response from winners within 30 days, the prize will be re-allocated. To recap: 1. Create a lyric that includes the words flamboyant, ramble, and hope. 2. Upload your lyric to Songbay. 3. Send us the link to your entry on social media or by email. Good luck! Read the full article

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