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Bob Dylan: not a rubbish lyricist

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Following on from the recent MusicRadar tutorial that included 24 valuable lyric-writing tips, here are a few more thoughts on the subject...

Find a starting point

Obviously, staring at a blank sheet of paper or computer screen can be a frustrating experience and even if you have a strong melody, it's difficult to write accompanying lyrics without knowing exactly what you are writing about in the first place.

An effective starting point may be an overheard phrase or the name of a place, event, or even a story in a newspaper - for example A Day In The Life by The Beatles - but anything that sparks off your inspiration will do nicely. In some ways, the more leftfield the starting point is the better. There are already enough songs in the world about losing your woman.

Be concise

Don't try to force too many words/syllables into a melodic line. Simple hooks are often the most successful. This may feel like dumbing down to an extent, but if you have commercial ambitions for your music then it's important to think of your audience.

Remember that for all the pointed politicised observation of a line like 'Systemised atrocities ignored as long as bilingual signs on view', it was the 'We don't talk about love/We only want to get drunk' hook from A Design For Life that propelled Manic Street Preachers to mainstream success in 1996. Some people singing along may have missed the subtext and prevailing theme of working class identity, but its success enabled the band to reach a much wider audience.

Interestingly, the song's opening line - 'Libraries gave us power' - was inspired by a public library sign in Newport, South Wales emblazoned with the motto 'Knowledge is power', linking back to the earlier advice on starting points/inspiration.

Avoid cliché or forced rhymes

Alright, so it was a massive hit imbued with a sentimentality that struck a chord with large sections of the British public in mourning following the death of a princess in 1997. But that doesn't excuse this truly howling succession of clichéd rhyme in the Robbie Williams/Guy Chambers-penned Angels: 'So when I'm lying in my bed/Thoughts running through my head/And I feel like love is dead/I'm loving angels instead.'