[Thomas Frederick]

Hey, just wondering how you guys rewrite songs/lyrics that aren't perfect, ie. to make them better?

Because recently I've started doing this thing where I take two similar, mediocre lyrics and push them together to try and make something better. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
I'm just trying to look for new ways to attack the task of rewriting..

[tone]

Bit of a strange question this because I'd never really considered an actual *strategy* for writing before.

But for what it's worth, this is how I tackle a lyric that needs improving: I go through first in chunks, deciding if any of it can stay as it is (a verse, a chorus, whatever)

Then I tackle it line by line, crossing out what doesn't work, and generally making a massive mess of my notebook by writing in between the lines, in the margins, and cramming in words where there's nowhere left to write.

Last of all, I go through word by word, deciding if I've used the best word for the task in every instance.

It's an imperfect approach, and it leaves some rough edges in the lyric sometimes, but I like that. Polish it up too much and you risk losing some of the charm (in my opinion).

Hope that helps

[tokenangmoh]

Hello.

One of the biggest dangers for me is denial: persuading myself that something works when it doesn't. It's so easy for me to come with a list of reasons why a line that isn't quite right is good enough to get by - especially when changing it would involve significant rewriting. But the best rewrites I've done came when I managed to persuade myself to hate something I'd been pretending was OK.

And this forum is great for puncturing denial. When you get comments from other people about bits you already suspect don't work, it's a real confirmation that something needs doing.

Matt

[S.T.C]

 To cut a story short,,i just try and get it right from the get go,,,obviously this doesn't always work  ...so i use my friend delete and move on. I hate revisiting my work to rewrite it,which does happen(not like it used to mind,....i also post stuff way to quickly these days....but it is tweaked from time to time..........i also do what you do and `marry` unfinished pieces together......sometimes it works.!

Writing is like running through a bog....theres not a best way to do it.... when you sink up to your neck,you get out and start again,,,,,,,,,,.and when you don`t sink up to your neck...your not sure why you didn't, and it`s impossible to retrace those  footsteps again,,it just happened

[Boydie]

Songs are written, hit songs are re-written

I read this a while ago and it struck a chord with me (excuse the pun)

I completely believe that the actual songwriting process should all be about inspiration, creativity, conveying a message etc. etc.

Once the song is WRITTEN I think this is where it can go down different avenues and you need to think about your "goals" for the song

In my own writing it is the "re-writing" where the "craft" of songwriting comes in

eg is the song structured, is there a rhyme scheme, does the "meter" of the lines work, are there opportunities for devices such as internal rhymes within the lines ( ), aliteration etc.

My other big re-writing tasks are:

Does the song communicate a single, clear, message/emotion

Is the structure clear - do the verses contrast the chorus etc.

Does the pre-chorus "set up" the chorus

Are the first 2 lines the absolute BEST they can be - do they immediately "set the scene" and draw the listener in

And a million and one other things!

The 2 processes (writing and re-writing) often merge into each other (eg I might immediately re-write a few lines or keep what I had originally written) but I ALWAYS go through a song after I think it is "written" and do a "check" on what I want the song to communicate

I have actually developed my own "checklist" from my reading/research in to commercial songwriting

[flossie]

I very rarely rewrite, if it's back in the depths of time, usually it stays there!!!

I am very lazy! 

[EpiphoneEpiphany]

basically I write the song, and I usually think it's brilliant until I play it to people

then I notice there are lines in the piece that I deliver well to the people I'm playing the song to, because they're weak or clichéd

and then I think of some words to replace the words in the line

sometimes it's just the matter of few or only a single word to make the whole line or what comes after sound better

so basically play it to people to see whether it's good or not, or also try and go through every line in the song and try and make the most of it.

you can also speed up the process if you post it on the forum here