The Art of Writing Great Lyrics

Acknowledgments vii Foreword to Revised Edition ix Introduction: If You Can't Write A Lyric, You Haven't Got A Song xi Songwriting is a Love Affair With Words 1(24) The Difference Between Poetry and Lyrics Using the Three Basic Tools Painting Better Pictures New Thoughts Building a Better Vocabulary Song Words Before You Can Become a Great Lyricist, Become a Good Writer A Word on Grammar The Great Aha! 25(22) Seeing the World Visually Knowing It When You Hear It Setting Up the Writing Environment Is There a Moon Out Tonight? Writing Lyrics on a Schedule Self-Confidence Can Speed Up Your Thinking Process Open the Doors of Perception Going Dry Real Songwriters Never Say Die (Except in a Lyric!) Word Association Visualization The Writing Process Communicating Through Song 47(26) Popular Music is a Conversational Art What Are You Trying to Say? Developing Characters Universal Ideas Mind Versus Heart Understanding the Craft 73(42) The Elements of a Song Song Formulas Are the Tools of the Trade Exceptions to the Rules If You Don't Have a Title, Why Are You Writing This Song? Dummy Melodies The First Line Laundry Lists Lyric-Crafting Exercises Let's Write a Song The Art of Successful Collaboration 115(20) Help Wanted: Collaborator Yours, Mine, and Ours Styles in Which to Collaborate Intuitive Choices in Collaboration Fear of Collaboration Street Smart and Market Wise 135(12) A Style Guide Studying Radio and Music Videos The Competition Evaluating Your Point of View Rewrite? MOI? 147(26) Living Room Hits Is It Commercial? Is It Finished? Targeting a Lyric Learning to Evaluate Criticism Rewriting Making Reality Palatable Knowing It When You Hear It Now That Your Song is Finished 173(28) The Dream The Reality The Demo: A Lyricist's Perspective So What's the Deal About Publishers? Hit 'Em With Your Best Shot Your Package Professionalism Sample Cover Letters Sample Lyric Sheets You Can Do It! 201(26) Attitude is Everything Relationships It Takes Forever for Anything to Happen Overnight Tenacity Don't Give Up Your Day Job! A Reading List of Books for Songwriters 227(2) Magazines for Songwriters 229(4) Songwriters' Resources 233(6) United States Performing Rights Societies 239(2) Permissions 241(6) Index 247