How to Create Unique lyrics for Shooting Stars Meme

Experiment with different song structures.

While most music you hear on the radio is in Verse/Chorus form.

There are many great songs that use other structures.

If you like your lyrics but the song still sounds unoriginal to you.

Try rearranging them into Strophic (AAA) or Ballad (AABA) form.

• Strophic songs have the same melody for each successive stanza, while ballads have two identical stanzas, a unique third stanza, and a final one that sounds just like the first two.
• “Amazing Grace” is an example of a song that’s written in strophic form.
• “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley is an example of a ballad.
• “Yellow” by Coldplay is an example of a Verse/Chorus song.

Brainstorming and Writing

Come up with a cohesive, authentic story.

Before you start writing, decide what you want to write about.

You can pick nearly any topic and still create solid lyrics.

As long as the topic is something that you care about and that’s on your mind.

To improve your chances of having original lyrics.

Reflect on something real while you write instead of forcing yourself to write about something common, like a romantic struggle.

• Are you currently upset about that mean thing your best friend did yesterday?
• Are the fall leaves making you feel a heightened appreciation for nature?
• Are you frustrated about your writer’s block? Use those real emotions to write your lyrics.

Shooting Stars Meme

Take a different approach to a familiar theme.

Most songs are written about familiar themes like “love,” “loss,” “family,” and “heartbreak.”

Take a familiar theme and put a unique twist on it.

Think about how you can make a well-known theme different or specific to you.

• For example, if you’re feeling inspired by a recent break-up.
• Reflect on what was unique about the relationship and its end.
• And focus on writing lyrics that specifically express those unique details.

Write a surprising first line.

The first lines of your song should include a “hook” that draws your listener in and keeps them listening.

Create first lines that catch the listener off guard and pique their interest.

Instead of starting with something familiar.

Come up with a statement or image that listeners may perceive as slightly odd or unclear.

• For example, The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” starts off with the words, “Please allow me to introduce myself/I’m a man of wealth and taste.”
• This opening piques the curiosity of listeners because it doesn’t clearly reveal what the song will be about.
  

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Use metaphors and similes.

Metaphors compare one thing to another. Similes use “like” or “as” to compare one thing to another.

Both literary devices are great for adding specific detail to your lyrics.

Use them to describe your feelings and emotions in a unique way.

• For example, in “Both Sides, Now” by Joni Mitchell, the chorus uses the metaphor of clouds to discuss the singer’s conflicting feelings about love: “I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now/From up and down and still somehow/It’s cloud’s illusions I recall/I really don’t know clouds at all.”

Paint a picture with imagery.

If your lyrics provide a certain image or scene, then the song will more likely stand out to listeners and also be remembered by them.

Lines that vaguely express what happened, like, “We spent our time together/and got to know each other well,” may come off as boring to readers.

Instead, get more detailed and creative about how you communicate to the listener.

• For example, Tim McGraw creates imagery for this topic in the song, “BBQ Stain:” “I had a BBQ stain on my white T-shirt/She was killing me in that miniskirt/Skipping rocks on the river by the railroad tracks.”

Use a stream of consciousness to write lyrics.

To add spontaneity to your lyrics, try singing whatever comes to mind in the moment.

Play a melody and sing your thoughts as they come.

Choose words that fit the melody and write them down.

• For example, you may end up with a song about life on Mars because you simply let your imagination run wild and jotted down lyrics as they came.
• You can then look over them later and decide which lyrics you’d like to keep.

Impose limitations and constraints on your lyrics.

Maybe you challenge yourself to write the song using only certain words or phrases.

Or perhaps you try writing each verse about a different period in your relationship with your former lover.

Take a concept and apply it to the song so you have to write within specific limitations or rules.

This may inspire you to think more creatively.

• For example, you may challenge yourself to write a song about a loss where you do not use common words like “cry,” “sad,” or “goodbye.”

Adopt a perspective that is different than your own.

Think about how your past romantic partners might view you now and write from their perspective.

Or try writing song lyrics from the perspective of someone who has completely different political or social views than you.

Adopting a different perspective can challenge you to think outside of your comfort zone.

• You can also try sitting in a public space and thinking of song lyrics from the perspective of strangers around you.
• Or you may write from the perspective of a parent, peer, or close friend.
  

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Try the cut-up technique.

This was a popular songwriting technique for artists like David Bowie and David Byrne.

Make photocopies of pages in your diary or journal and cut out different words or phrases.

Then, rearrange them to form interesting lyrics for your songs.

• You can also cut words out of magazines and newspapers to form lyrics.

Write with a partner.

You may find it easier to collaborate with a friend, family member, or peer to write the lyrics.

Ask a close friend or peer to help you come up with unique lyrics for the song.

Maybe you each contribute a stanza to the song, writing about a common theme from your individual perspectives.

• You can also try writing a song that is a duet with someone else.
• You may both decide to sing your own verses and the chorus together.

Polishing the Lyrics

Sing the lyrics out loud.

Listen to how the lyrics sound when spoken or sung aloud.

Notice if they are unique and particular to your perspective, or the point of view of someone else.

Make sure you use a metaphor, simile, and imagery to make the song come alive for the listener.

Also, make changes to parts of lines that feel awkward, too wordy, or too short.

This will improve the flow of the song.

• You should also make sure there are no spelling, grammar.
• Or punctuation errors in the song when you sing it aloud.
• If you are writing from the point of view of someone who has bad grammar or spelling as part of their character, it may be fine to leave them in.

Show the lyrics to others.

Get friends, family, and peers to give you feedback on the song.

Ask them if they feel the song is unique or different from other songs.

Have them give you suggestions on how you can improve the song.

• Be open to constructive criticism, as this will make it stronger and better in the end.

Shooting Stars Meme

Set the lyrics to music.

Play guitar or piano along to the lyrics or use an existing digital recording for the song.

This can add the final component to the lyrics to make them feel complete.

• If you do not play any instruments, you can ask friends who are musicians to set the lyrics to music for you.
• If you’re very familiar with an instrument, you might find that it’s easier to write the instrumental music first, determine the vocal melody, and then write the lyrics.