Are Your Lyrics in the Right Key?

When writing the music for a song, the chords we choose are usually in a certain key. Maybe it’s the Key of E major, or A minor. Or maybe it's a Bb blues. Whatever key we choose, all the chords in our song fit according to that key. Together they form a "tribe"... tonally.

And our key choice might even help set the tone for the song. If we're writing a sad song, we'll probably choose a minor key. Writing a happy song? We'll probably choose a major key.

But have you ever considered that lyrics, like the music, also have a key?

Some words belong to a certain tribe. They've got friends that are like them. Groups where they fit and feel comfortable. Homies.

For instance, have a look at these words and tell me which one seems out of place.

Here’s a starting word: heaven

heaven, angels, pearly gates, frogs, nirvana, paradise, clouds, stars, saints

O.K., that was pretty obvious: frog.

Doesn’t fit, right? "Frog" just isn’t in the “tribe” of those other words. As soon as you read “frog” your mind suddenly jumps to green, trees, water, Princess, kiss, toad, creek, pond, slimy, ugly, bulgy-eyed, jumpy, lilipads... you get the picture.

Our job as songwriters is to keep our listeners engaged. So putting a “frog” into "heaven" just throws a listener off and sends their brains on a different road from the one we may have wanted them to go down.

This is why it's important to keep your lyrics in the “family”, or rather in the "right key”.

Try this exercise:

1. Choose the word you want to write about.

2. List the words that you think of when you are thinking about that original word. Riff and don’t try to edit yourself. Let your mind wander freely. Having trouble? Here’s a tip for you. Let’s use “heaven” again.

3. Tap into your thoughts and emotions about that word and lay them out on paper. Use your senses and ask yourself:

• What does it look like?

• What does it feel like?

• What does it sound like?

• How would it feel to touch it? (metaphorically)

• How would that feel in your body?

You’ll probably have similar words to mine on your list, and hopefully a bunch more.

Another exercise.

Try this:

1. Go to the opposite of the word you have chosen. For our example, the opposite of heaven is hell.

2. Repeat steps 2 and 3 again with the new, opposite word.

You may have come up with words like this:

devil, demon, fire, heat, red, anger, rage, blaze, sinner, apocalypse

Notice how all of the words are in the same “key”?

Now here's the best part: At the end of both exercises you will have a list of words that will work in all sections of your song about HEAVEN.

How?

1. you got the words associated with the keyword heaven

2. you got the opposite of the words associated with keyword heaven

These opposite words can go to work for you by helping to create contrast and build tension. You might use them in verses and bridges of your song in the lead up to heaven.

So songs should stay in the "right key”; musically, of course, and also lyrically.

Give this idea a go and see how you like it.