Explore every episode of the podcast Story-First Songwriting

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

You write a song that feels clever. The words are interesting. The melody works. But then people skip it.This happens when your song's first line makes a promise, but the rest of the song never delivers on it. The listener keeps guessing instead of following. And after they guess wrong a few times, they stop trying.In this breakdown of "Remedy" from Greg Amici's Tragicomic, we're looking at exactly where the line between intriguing and confusing lives. You'll see how one song can have a strong opening line hook but then hides what it's actually about. We'll look at the story structure underneath it all, and why knowing what your protagonist wants is not optional if you want people to listen.By the end, you'll have one simple test for your own songs.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

You write one killer opening line. One line that stops people in their tracks. So you're done, right?You are gonna have a great song.Wrong.A strong opening line opens a door. And the listener walks in, and then you need to deliver on the experience promised.So, what happens after that first line decides whether you wrote a song or just a great first line."I'll Be Back" teaches this lesson perfectly. It opens with a strong hook. Then it stops being a story. We break down exactly where it happens, exactly why, and what to check for in your own writing so you catch the same gap before you put music to your words.Let me know in the comments below what you thought of this song?Lyrics are included below 👇.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

You can have the most gorgeous image in your song. A perfect metaphor. Or a simile so specific it works wonders. And your listener still won't feel what you feel... 😬 Here's why: an image without conflict is just admiration. And admiration is boring.In this breakdown of the song "Jennifer" by Greg Amici, we're looking at the one thing that can truly mess with your song. You'll learn the difference between metaphors and similes, when to use each one, and the thing even the most beautiful imagery cannot do on its own.By the end, you'll know exactly how to audit your own songs.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

A character with a real problem does not make a story. You need the one specific event that knocks everything off balance, and then you need 4 more.In "Tom Seaver," Greg Amici opens with a bullied kid at school, but then abandons the setup entirely and moves to baseball. There's no event that triggered the change. There's no payoff. In this training, you'll learn what's missing, why it matters, and how to avoid this trap in your own work. Watch for the moment the song loses its footing and what it costs the listener.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

You can stack beautiful lines on top of one another, ... and still walk away with no song.Today we're breaking down "In Like a Lion" from Greg Amici's Tragicomic, and it's a a godd example to show the gap between writing well and telling a story. This song is full of genuinely strong lines.And yet it doesn't work as a story.Here's what you will discover:writing good lines and writing a story are two different skills. You can be great at one and still be missing the other.We'll walk through what "In Like a Lion" gets right, what's actually missing, and the four checks you can run on your own drafts right now to catch this trap before you're stuck with a beautiful travel diary instead of a song.If you've ever polished a line to perfection only to realize your song still feels hollow, this one's for you.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

What happens when your listener can't follow what you mean?Because you're writing is too clever for them?In "Greenwood," there's a killer opening that hooks you instantly. But then the song spends the rest of its time being clever instead of clear.And that's when listeners skip a song.We break down what happens when cleverness wins over clarity, how it kills your story, and the two-question test you can run on your own songs right now to make sure your clever lines actually work for your song instead of against it.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

What's the difference between a song that keeps building pressure and a song that actually tells a story?"Junky Eyes" has everything you'd expect. A clear want. Rising stakes. Pressure that climbs. But something critical is missing, and that's why the song does not go anywhere.In this breakdown, we spot the gap between escalation and a real story.You'll learn what a crisis actually is, why it matters, and how to catch this mistake in your own lyrics before it kills your song.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

More about Greg Amici: gregamici.com/He Was Silent for Sixteen Years ...Greg Amici was mid-set at a major festival when something went wrong with his voice. What a doctor found afterward closed one chapter and opened a long detour. Screenwriting. Acting. A master's degree in literature. Sixteen years where he was sure the music was finished for good.Then a small favor for a friend changed his mind about all of it.There's one moment in this conversation that made me speechless. Long before the comeback, in the early 2000's, Greg was standing a few feet from a New Jersey band nobody had heard of yet, on the word of a friend whose face you'd probably recognize from TV. You'd know the band now. Nobody did then.We also get into the thing that makes Greg's songs work, and it cuts against almost everything you've been told about writing characters. He explains why he does it on purpose, and he pulls in two names you'd never expect to see in the same sentence to back himself up.Watch the full conversation in the video, then drop into the comments and tell us what you loved most about it.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Want a fast way to catch a supposed "story"-song that was never going to work?Ask one question. Do the people in your song want the same thing the same way? Today we're on track four of Tragicomic, "Girl Next Door," and it delivers one of the most useful lessons in all of story-first songwriting:When two people want the same thing, in the same way, the song has nowhere to go. It can only tell you how things are.In this breakdown of the song "Girl Next Door", you'll learn what conflict really means, why it's the engine under every story-first song, and a simple two question test you can run on your own drafts before you pour hours into a song that won't go anywhere. Let me know in the comments below what your take on the song is. 👇

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Song three from Tragicomic by Greg Amici, and this one makes a mistake I see in a lot of beginner lyrics. The song spends its whole opening getting you to root for one guy. Then it quietly turns him into the one you hoped you had better not rooted for. 😬 In this breakdown we cover the two words most people dont know what they truly mean (antagonist and protagonist), the exact line where the song hands you off to the wrong character, and three checks you can run on your own songs so this never happens to you.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Interview with Greg Amici LIVE on June 30th! More details inside our community on Skool.

This is Story First Songwriting, and right now we're going through Greg Amici's album Tragicomic one track at a time. Greg told us that storytelling sits at the center of how he writes, so we're doing what we do best here: pulling apart the lyrics to find the story inside each song and the craft holding it up. All of it leads to my live conversation with Greg in our community on June 30, 2026, where we get him to walk us through how he actually does it. So let's get into this episode's song: track #2, Spin That Ball.

Some songwriters think bigger stakes make a better song.This episode is proof they don't. Tragicomic, Song by Song | Track 2: "Spin That Ball" by Greg Amici. The song's protagonist is a guy who had real talent. A real shot. People watching him. Then he blew it, not in some dramatic final-act collapse, but in the quiet, grinding way most people actually fail. He brought his old tricks somewhere they didn't work anymore. He got called a fool. He lost his people one by one. And by the end, he has exactly one friend left, still trying to talk him back.That's the whole song.We break down why social stakes hit differently than physical ones , what a status story is and how to write one, how Greg lines up all five story moments inside three minutes, and where two competing images come close to muddying the picture. There's a craft exercise at the end you can use on your own song today.

Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠skool.com/songwriting⁠⁠

Interview with Greg Amici LIVE on June 30th! More details inside our community on Skool.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Interview with Greg Amici LIVE on June 30th! More details inside our community on Skool.

This is Story First Songwriting, and right now we're going through Greg Amici's album Tragicomic one track at a time. Greg told us that storytelling sits at the center of how he writes, so we're doing what we do best here: pulling apart the lyrics to find the story inside each song and the craft holding it up. All of it leads to my live conversation with Greg in our community on June 30, 2026, where we get him to walk us through how he actually does it. So let's get into today's song: track #1, Pumpkin Man.

Pumpkin Man sounds like a sweet reunion. A man gets back with a woman he loved and lost, and he can't stop celebrating. But there's a reason he keeps mentioning flies, and an electric halo, and how he's in "perfect health." He's standing over a body. He dug her up.

This is Day 1 of the Tragicomic series, a daily story-first breakdown of Greg Amici's album, one song at a time, building toward a live community interview with Greg on June 30, 2026. Each episode strips a track to its bones so you can see exactly how it was built and steal the moves for your own writing.

Today: the craft trick that hides a horror story inside a love song, the one case where vagueness actually works in your favor, and the refrain technique that carries a full emotional arc without changing a single word.

Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool. 👉 ⁠⁠skool.com/songwriting⁠

Interview with Greg Amici LIVE on June 30th! More details inside our community on Skool.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

And to work with me 1:1, book your call on my calendar.

There is only one question that can save you from getting stuck in your songwriting and falling into writer's block. And in this video, I'm gonna share this one question with you, the two possible answers, and how those two paths determine what you're gonna include in the verses and the chorus of your song.

Video mentioned:Writing an Empowering Chorus: https://youtu.be/aLtiMLRdHRA

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

If you’re a songwriter, this breakdown of the song "Another Day Old" by AI artist Eddie Dalton will help you see the limits and opportunities of using AI as a co-writer for your songs.

Join our free community: Story-First Songwriters on Skool.And get the PDF of the lyric breakdown:👉 https://www.skool.com/storytelling-in-songwriting-3212

And to work with me 1:1, book your call with me here:👉 https://calendar.app.google/XeBqfQcjazmaVNCL6

We will also cover how storytelling inside lyrics can transform a good song into something people truly connect with.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

In this episode, I share with you the Secret Lyric Writing Trick that will not only hook your listeners and keep them engaged so they don't skip your songs, but also have you can turn casual listeners into raving fans.Hey, I'm Melanie Naumann. I've analyzed over 1000 song lyrics in over 80 different criteria to find the patterns of what makes great lyrics so captivating. By the end of the episode, you will know what the number 1 focus is that you should pay attention to when writing your lyrics, so you can make sure that people listen to your song, and listen to it on repeat!And if you want to grow as a songwriter who tells stronger stories, you’re invited to join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

.Why is “Golden” by K-Pop Demon Hunters still climbing the Billboard charts? And what makes the lyrics hit so deeply for listeners around the world?In this episode, I break down the storytelling inside the song “Golden” by K-Pop Demon Hunters and show why it resonates with so many people.We’ll look closely at the protagonist’s journey, from feeling invisible, almost like a ghost, to finally stepping into their true self. It’s a powerful story about identity, belonging, and the moment someone decides they’re done hiding.This is exactly the kind of emotional journey that makes songs stick with listeners.If you’re a songwriter, this breakdown will help you see how storytelling inside lyrics can transform a good song into something people truly connect with.And if you want to grow as a songwriter who tells stronger stories, you’re invited to join our Story First Songwriters community.Videos mentioned:Writing a Song Opening Line HOOK: https://youtu.be/mEurPZ9--b0Writing a Chorus: https://youtu.be/aLtiMLRdHRA

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

In this video, I do a lyric breakdown of the story told in the Song "Bridge over troubled water" by Paul SImon. I show you how the song includes the 5 commandments of storytelling. For the simple (first) version of the lyric breakdown, go here:https://youtu.be/Z5_qxEE1DKYIf you want to go deeper, join my free community Story-First Songwriters.👉 https://www.skool.com/storytelling-in-songwriting-3212Given this is a YT channel, and anyone can claim anything, here's the link to my Story Grid Editor Profile: https://storygrid.com/editors/melanie-naumann/ ► Don’t forget to like 👍, comment 👇, and subscribe 👆 if you want more in-depth breakdowns like this one!

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

In this video, I do a simple lyric breakdown of the Song "Bridge over troubled water" by Paul SImon. There will be another video added with the story-components breakdown o March 4th.If you want to go deeper, join my free community Story-First Songwriters. 👉 https://www.skool.com/storytelling-in-songwriting-3212Given this is a YT channel, and anyone can claim anything, here's the link to my Story Grid Editor Profile: https://storygrid.com/editors/melanie-naumann/ ► Don’t forget to like 👍, comment 👇, and subscribe 👆 if you want more in-depth breakdowns like this one!

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Get the book on starting your lyrics with an attention-grabbing opening line.

In this video, I breakdown the 7 biggest storytelling mistakes holding back indie artists from blowing up.Because great songs aren’t just about rhymes. They’re about stories that move people.If you want to go deeper, join my free community Story-First Songwriters. It’s for serious songwriters and indie artists who want to use storytelling to write powerful songs that connect, grow their fanbase, and build their career.👉 Join the community here.

Given this is a podcast channel, and anyone can claim anything, here's the link to my Story Grid Editor Profile: https://storygrid.com/editors/melanie-naumann/ ► Don’t forget to like 👍, comment 👇, and subscribe 👆.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Ready to write a song that hits hard and sticks with your listeners? In this video, we're diving into what it takes to create a pro- or anti-war song that really connects. We'll cover everything from the raw emotions war stirs up—sacrifice, hope, devastation—to the key message that makes your lyrics meaningful.I’ll share prompts for those powerful moments you can write about, like the intensity of battle or quiet moments of reflection. And we’ll go over the must-haves that will make your song abou this topic unforgettable.

If you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumann. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.

► Don’t forget to like 👍, comment 👇, and subscribe 👆 if you want more in-depth breakdowns like this one!

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Michael Jackson knew the secret. A song can have incredible power over the audience. You’ve seen it—when the crowd sings along, especially during the chorus, something magical happens.According to Jackson, it’s more than just words. When people sing a chorus over and over, they enter the alpha state—where the subconscious mind kicks in. They start to internalize the lyrics, and in a way, become what they’re saying.But here's the exciting part: you can create that kind of power in your own songwriting! In this video, I’ll show you five powerful ways to write a chorus that doesn’t just sound good but actually empowers people. We’re talking about choruses that can impact your audience on a deep level, maybe even change how they see themselves or the world.And here’s the kicker—these five methods increase in power, depending on the level of impact you want to create. So, stick around, because we’re going to break down all five and get you writing choruses that really resonate!If you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumann. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you want more in-depth storytelling breakdowns like this one! 👇 Let me know in the comments: What’s your favorite empowering chorus?

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

-Let's look at the lyrics of Sunrise Avenue’s "Nothing is Over" and discuss why it’s such a powerful song.

We’ll see how the first and last lines tell a story about a struggling relationship that still holds on with strong emotions and relatable words. We’ll break down the simple but powerful language and how it helps tell a deep love story full of hope and strength. ⚡Get the Lyric Blueprint: https://www.lyricmastery.com/lyricblueprint-014---------------------------If you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumann. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Given this is a YT channel, and anyone can claim anything, here's the link to my Story Grid Editor Profile: https://storygrid.com/editors/melanie-naumann/

► Don’t forget to like 👍, comment 👇, and subscribe 👆 if you want more in-depth breakdowns like this one!

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Is storytelling truly the thing that sets Taylor Swift apart from every other music artist? In this video, I analyze Taylor Swift’s storytelling craft by examining her 11 studio albums and over 160 songs. Using 75 different storytelling criteria, I’ll break down where she excels, where she surprisingly needs to improve, and what her special sauce is that makes her who she is. As a Story Grid Certified Editor, I’ve dissected her entire discography to uncover the truth behind her storytelling techniques. If you’re a songwriter or just a fan of Taylor’s music, you’ll get a detailed breakdown of her best practices and learn how to apply them to your own craft. And if you’ve ever wondered how Taylor’s songwriting has evolved over the years, we’ll explore that, too.Stick around to find out: Is Taylor Swift as good of a storyteller as we all think she is?If you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumann. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you want more in-depth storytelling breakdowns like this one! 👇 Let me know in the comments: What’s your favorite Taylor Swift song, and do you think she’s a great storyteller?

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

In this video, we dive deep into Vicki Lawrence's classic hit, breaking down its gripping story of betrayal, murder, and shocking twists.We'll cover everything from how the song begins and introduces its characters, to the hidden layers within the lyrics. Why are names important? What’s the impact of the narrator's relationship to the main character? And how does the song masterfully mislead the listener with its chorus?With key story moments dissected—from foreshadowing to a jaw-dropping climax—you'll see why this track’s storytelling is still unmatched. We’ll also explore the song’s clever use of an unreliable narrator and how it delivers a surprising yet inevitable ending.💡 What you'll learn:Using Red Herrings: Learn how to craft misleading clues in your story, like the song’s chorus, to keep your audience guessing until the very end—creating a more engaging, suspenseful experience.Telling a Gripping Story: Discover techniques for weaving character relationships and narrative tension into your storytelling—making your audience emotionally invested and eager for the resolution.Masterful Setup for a Payoff: Understand how to foreshadow and build towards an unexpected yet inevitable conclusion—leaving your audience satisfied with a clever, memorable twist.If you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumanni. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

- Discover the 3 powerful ways to express the setting in your lyrics. Whether you want to hint at a place or make it central to your song’s story, I'll show you how to weave the setting into your song in a way that truly resonates. 💡 What you'll learn:- the only three ways to express the place in your song lyrics- lots of examples to see what option might be best for the song you're working on- why including the place can make your song so much strongerIf you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumann. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Discover the five key story moments that allow you to hit every mark when telling a story - whether it's in your novel, your screenplay, or your song.In this video, we explore the 5 key moments for a cautionary and a prescriptive tale. Spoiler: They are the same, but there's one significant difference. And I show you in the video what that is. 💡 What you'll learn:- the powerful progression of a story that works so that you can tell a story that will keep your audience engaged- the progression of a prescriptive and a cautionary story- where to begin your story, where to end it, and what to put in the middle so that you are never lost and know exactly what to focus onIf you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumanni. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below – I love hearing from you and I will read / reply to every comment. ► Subscribe to see a new video each week, and a breakdown of the 5 key story moments in a popular song each day.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

- Do you want to write a song that tells a story, and you'd love to have a list of all the components that go into a working story? In this video, you will get a step-by-step list on how you can tell a story in a song. It's a five-step process that will allow you to outline your song, but also analyze the narrative structure of the songs you love.💡 What you'll learn:- the V.E.R.S.E. framework to outline your song lyrics so you know what you can put in the chorus and in the verses- the five essential elements to include and the 5 key story moments to make for a strong narrative- what questions you need to ask yourself about your story's setting to make it feel real- how to bring it all together into a coherent outlineIf you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumanni. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

If I tell you there are only three ways to include the place in your song lyrics, which one will you choose? In this video, you will discover how to answer the question of "Where does it happen?" in your song lyrics and how the answer can contribute to your song! It's all about creating the setting so the characters in the song do not float in an empty space.💡 What you'll learn:- the only three ways to include the place in your song lyrics- lots of examples to see what option might be best for the song you're working on- why including the place can make your song so much strongerIf you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumanni. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

- "I'm Just Ken" has won the Critics Choice Awards for Best Song. And Ryan Gosling couldn't believe it! In this video, you discover what made the song so good that it won.This is a masterclass in how to write song lyrics about a specific person while making it relatable, keeping the audience engaged, and delivering a meaningful takeaway. If you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumanni. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Given this is a YT channel, and anyone can claim anything, here's the link to my Story Grid Editor Profile: https://storygrid.com/editors/melanie-naumann/Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below.This video contains copyrighted material under the fair use doctrine for purposes such as criticism, commentary, and educational use.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

- If I tell you, there are only six global topics of what your song can be about, would you like to see them? So no more wondering about what to write about, but getting a clear direction right from the start.💡 What you'll learn:- the six global categories that promise universal appeal- see lots of song examples to get inspired- how to discover what topic/theme resonates the most with you

If you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumanni. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below.► Subscribe to listen to a new episode each week.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

No idea how you can start your song's first line? Discover how you can write a captivating start that will instantly hook your audience! 💡 What you'll learn:- the best way to create an emotional connection

- how to write your song's first line as an intriguing hook

- see lots of examples and techniques of this one powerful opening line device

If you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumanni. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below – I love hearing from you and I will read / reply to every comment. ► Subscribe to listen to a new episode each week.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Have you ever been told the popular songwriting advice of "Your Song Has To Go Somewhere?", but you didn't know how to pull it off? Discover what it means and how you can apply it in this episode.💡 What you'll learn:- Know where to start and where to end- Creating coherence in your lyrics- the two most important questions to ask yourself before you start writing- The two kinds of story (+song examples)If you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumanni. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below.► Subscribe to listen to a new episode each week.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Unlock the secrets to storytelling in songwriting by knowing the exact moments that go into every story.

In this episode on "How To Tell A Story In Song Lyrics," I show you how you can write song lyrics that tell a story that works so that you can hook, engage, and impact your audience.

I will explain the concept of Narrative Songwriting in a step-by-step strategy to help you tell a captivating story in your lyrics, which can transform your songwriting.💡 What you'll learn:- The Two Kinds of Story- The Key Moments of a Working Story- How to Write A Song That Tells A Story- Lots of Popular Song Examples to See the Concept applied

- WATCH IT on YouTUBE: https://youtu.be/97BXHDZ_dzEIf you’re new to my channel, my name is Melanie Naumanni. I’m the creator of LyricMastery.com. It’s the place where you can master the craft of storytelling in songwriting and discover how to craft your lyric's content. I've been a story editor since 2015, and a Story Grid Certified Editor since 2019.Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

So, I recently watched Netflix's documentary about Lewis Capaldi, "Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now," and let me tell you, it was a rollercoaster of emotions—inspiring and tear-jerking in equal measure.
In this episode, we talk about Lewis Capaldi’s struggle and the pressure of writing an encore to his debut album, "Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent." And how he could have overcome that terrible inner voice saying, “I’m shite at writing lyrics,” or the imposter syndrome that came with it.

So if you’re curious to find out how writing lyrics can become easier without all the overwhelm, keep listening.

1. [00:01:20] Lewis Capaldi - The Rise and Fall of a music artist
2. [00:05:02] Lewis Capaldi - Origin Story
3. [00:07:48] The Importance of Storytelling in Songwriting:
4. [00:11:14]  The ART of writing lyrics
5. [00:12:16]  What is Narrative Songwriting?
   
   

Show Notes

• lyricmastery.com/21steps
• Lewis Capaldi on Netflix: “Lewis Capaldi - How I’m Feeling Now”
  

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

How many of you have a message for the world, but you need help finding your voice or your audience?

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath.

I want you to imagine millions of people listening to your song.

I want you to imagine thousands of people knocking your door down wanting to know when you come to their city to play them the song live because that song is so valuable to them.

You can open your eyes.

And I will tell you this.

This doesn't have to be limited to your imagination. 

This is what happens when you go viral.

And I'm going to tell you exactly how you can achieve it.

So pay close attention to this episode of the Lyric Mastery Podcast because it will help you find your voice and show you how to make your song go viral.

Episode Overview:

• What does it mean to go viral?
• Writing A Viral Song
  • For whom are you writing this song?
• Storytelling in Songwriting
  • Make it Exciting
• Distribution: How to get your song out there.
  • Have a Tastemaker
  • No Social Media Tastemaker? Don't worry.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• FOREVER FREE PLAN: Email Newsletter and Marketing Platform: Systeme.io
• Write Attention-grabbing Opening Lines: A Song's First Line
• Flowers lyrics © Concord Music Publishing LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc
• I Will Survive lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
• bad guy lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group

Visit ⁠lyricmastery.com⁠ for everything on storytelling in songwriting.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Lets move away from all those love songs we’ve talked about in the past because I recently had the pleasure to listen to the song “The Comeback” by the London-based musician Drew Davies.

As stated on metaltalk.net, this song by Davies “is a call to arms for society's malcontents and a tip of the hat to an era of alternative greats such as David Bowie, Sisters of Mercy and Nine Inch Nails.”

And in this episode, we're gonna talk about the power of the lyrics of the song "The Comeback". Specifically, you will discover how you can tell an amazing redemption story in your lyrics.

Drew has really written a masterpiece. So let's go through his lyrics and find out how he did it!

Episode Overview:

• [00:01:19] The S.O.N.G. Framework
• [00:03:38] “The Comeback” by Drew Davies
• [00:07:02] Step 1: Summary
• [00:21:12] Step 2: Observer
• [00:28:34] Step 3: Narration
• [00:47:13] Step 4: Gist
• [00:53:44] Great Songs Take Time to Write.

 
Show Notes:

Listen to “The Comeback” by Drew Davies 

• on Soundcloud
• on Youtube
• on Spotify

Find out more about Drew Davies here: https://www.drewdaviesmusic.com/

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

When you feel stuck in your songwriting or in life in general, I’d like to share the approach that helped me.

So, if you feel stuck sometimes… maybe this helps.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

In today’s episode, we’re gonna explore what it looks when we write about facing a crisis.

We’ve all been in a dilemma in our life, right?

It’s when no matter what we choose, there’s always something to lose, but also something to gain.

But it’s normal if we fear the loss more than having the potential to gain something.

Being in a dilemma, there’s just so much uncertainty attached it.

And we might fear making a choice at all.

So when we write lyrics about a dilemma, we can actually provide guidance to our audience … whenever they face a similar crisis.

And in this episode, you will find out how you can write lyrics about a person’s dilemma.

What it takes to truly create a hard choice for your song’s main character and I’ll also show you all the options of where you can place that crossroad moment in your lyrics’ narrative.

And as a lyric example, we’ll look at Gloria Gaynor’s song: “I Will Survive” because there’s so much to take away from the way those lyrics were written.

Sound good?

Awesome, then let’s get started!

What's the episode about?

1. [00:01:45] Overview: Waypoints Inciting Incident, Turning Point, Crisis
2. [00:04:29] Crisis
3. [00:06:41] Real Choice
4. [00:07:42] Meaningful Stakes
5. [00:08:59] Best Bad Choice
6. [00:10:08] Irreconcilable goods  

Show Notes:

• “Lose Yourself” by Eminem

• If I Let You Go lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
• Warning lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc
• I’m a Believer lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Today, I wanna answer a question that I got recently asked in my Facebook Group.
It’s from Hudson.
And he asked:
How can I combine every part of the song so that it contributes to one central meaning of the lyrics?
That’s an awesome question, and let’s talk about it right now.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

If you’re like me, you have something valuable to share.

Something that matters.

And that we know that can help someone who will listen to our song. 

And to get our message across in a way that bypasses a listener's critical mind, we have to wrap what we have to say into an experience.

And we create that experience through the journey we send our song’s main character on.

So that’s why we talk about the waypoints of that journey.

So that we can create that experience that leads someone from their mess to a better place.

And today, we will talk about the second waypoint on that journey.

Today, we’ll make it even worse for our song’s main character.

Because that’s life, right?

It has to get worse first before it can get better.

So let’s get right to it.

• [00:01:13] Overview
• [00:05:56] Progressive Complications
• [00:10:03] Creating Progressive Complications
• [00:11:32] Turning Point
• [00:12:41] Turning Point Categories

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

Today, I wanna take the chance and introduce myself to you. Especially, I wanna tell you the story about the time in my life when I was completely lost, on my own, literally at the end of the world, and how one song gave me the strength to carry on… and what all of that taught me about what makes lyrics powerful.

So it’s all about my journey, so to say, and why I’m so passionate about the power of lyrics. Because this is the most incredible thing ever. 

So here’s how everything started.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

You know, I always consider what happens in a powerful lyric like a journey.
 
It’s basically about watching a character move from one point in their life to another.
 
They are in a certain external or internal situation, and they wanna get from where they are to a better place.
 
So there’s always this little journey that the song’s main character goes on.
 
But before anyone moves in life and takes action, most of the time, though, something must happen beforehand.
 
And that’s what today’s episode is all about.
 
It’s about that incident that makes them see that they gotta pursue what they want so that they can get rid of an imbalance.
 
It’s like they feel that something is off, and they’re pulled towards something better — externally or internally.
 
So, if you want to find out how to write lyrics with a meaningful message, then this episode is the first part of five to doing just that.
 
Here's what we'll cover:

• [00:01:37] 5 Commandments
• [00:03:54] Definition of the Inciting Incident
• [00:08:31] Creating Drive in the Audience
• [00:09:29] Causal and Coincidental Inciting Incidents
• [00:11:03] Placement of the Inciting Incident

 
Show Notes

• #37 - Attention Grabbing Opening Lines - Part 1: The Powerful Problem
• Hot Legs lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
• That's Amore lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
• I Will Survive lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
• The Foundations of Decay lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
• Stan lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc
• I'll Be There For You lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

In today’s episode, I want to talk with you about you, your purpose, and why we write lyrics. 

For me, when it comes to writing – no matter if it’s novels or lyrics – I use my words as the means to communicate with my audience and deliver a meaningful message that has the power to make an impact on them. 

And I guess, since you are here, you have the same desire. You want to be heard because you have something to say about life. And what you have to say matters.

But communicating what we have to say in a way that matters to others isn’t easy. We can’t be preaching to the choir. We can’t take the role of a parent and say: Don’t do this because it leads to … We all know that no one listens if you preach it to them. On the other hand, if we are direct and say it bluntly, people might hear our words, but they will not care or take them seriously. We could also just write an academic paper and explain why our message is important … But who’s ever going to read that bulky volume?

That’s why in today’s episode, we talk about a storytelling principle that helps you deliver your message in a way that affects lives, changes minds, touches hearts, and makes an impact. 

Because what it all comes down to is that we, as songwriters, lyricists, and storytellers, have an amazing power to influence people’s lives and make a positive, even life-changing, contribution.

But that only works if we rely on one of the most basic and most important storytelling principles. 

What that is, well, you're about to find out.


Podcast Overview:

• [00:02:25] Treat A Song Like An Experience
• [00:05:29] Why Stories Matter
• [00:11:12] The Five Commandments of Storytelling
• [00:15:16] Wrap up - 5 Commandments

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

In today’s episode, we’ll go through the lyrics of  “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square.

And I tell you, as I first listened to the song. I thought: Quite nice. But I didn’t give the lyrics much thought. But now, after I have studied the lyrics and their storytelling power, I must say, I’m super surprised by how well-crafted those lyrics are. 

It’s like when you say: Yes, Game of Thrones by G.R.R. Martin is a nice fantasy series. When it truth, it’s an epic masterwork.

And somehow, I feel like the lyrics to this song don’t get appreciated enough. They are so well-crafted that it is a delight to take them apart and just see how well they’ve been strung together.

So if you aim to write a love song that smoothly flows through a narrative and gives your audience a fully-satisfied listening experience, I invite you to study the lyrics of “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square with me.

Episode Overview:

[00:01:45] The S.O.N.G. Framework

[00:03:07] “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square 

[00:05:22] Step 1: Summary - What is the song about?

[00:15:13] Step 2: Observer - Who is the main character of the song?

[00:23:51] Step 3: Narration - Analyzing the storytelling craft.

[00:30:25] Analyzing the scene told in the song.

[00:35:20] The Change

[00:37:41] Writing Techniques

[00:40:15] Step 4: Gist - What is the message of the song?

[00:43:16] What we've learned from “You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This”

[00:45:43] Song Exercise - The First Kiss

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

#043 - Welcome to part 3 of our mini-series of Attention-Grabbing Opening Lines.

In episode 41 of the Stories in Songs Podcast, I’m gonna throw a lot of questions at you.

Why?

Listen to the show and find out. ;-)

Episode Overview

[00:00:53] The Intriguing Question

[00:03:37] Different Types of Questions to ask

[00:07:13] Song Examples that start with a question

[00:09:49] The Intriguing Question – Wrapup

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

#040 - Creating A One-Sentence Lyric Outline To Guide Your Writing Process.

In today’s episode, we continue with steps Two and Three to Creating A One-Sentence Lyric Outline To Guide Your Writing Process.

If you haven’t listened to episode 38 yet where we talked about the character’s literal action, please go back to that episode and listen to it. It’s vital if you want to move forward with me in this episode. 

I’ll include a short recap, but listen to the full episode if you haven’t yet.

Episode Overview:

• [00:01:15] Your Lyric Writing Compass Point
• [00:03:40] Literal Action - Recap
• [00:08:57] A Character’s Essential Tactic
• [00:13:26] The Purpose of Essential Tactics
• [00:17:52] Change and Valences
• [00:22:07] Direct Address, Conflict, and the Question of Who Wins?
• [00:27:10] The Lyric’s Guiding Message
• [00:31:41] Lyric Writing With Intention

Show Notes

• Another Day In Paradise lyrics © Concord Music Publishing LLC
• Welcome To The Jungle lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
• I Will Survive lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

#39 - Today, we continue with another technique of how you can create an attention-grabbing opening line for your lyrics beginning.

And specifically, we talk about the Shocking Statement and different ways how you can pull it off to stun your audience and make them wanna hear more!

Episode Overview:

• [00:01:08] The Shocking Statement
• [00:03:35] Different Ways to Create a Shocking Statement:
• [00:07:02] More examples of songs that start with a Shocking Statement
• [00:11:16] The Shocking Statement - Wrapup

Show Notes

• Dead! lyrics © Blow The Doors Off The Jersey Shore Music Inc

Visit ⁠⁠lyricmastery.com⁠⁠ for everything on storytelling in songwriting.

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

#038 - Let's address the question of why we should look at the craft of storytelling when we write our lyrics – apart from the impact the power of storytelling has on our audience. 

Let's focus on our writing process.

Because when we write our lyrics, it’s good to know where we are going. Otherwise, we’re just writing words that are all over the place. 

And that’s going to feel messy to our listeners. So to write a good line or lyric section, we have to ensure that every part of the lyric does what it’s supposed to: Engage and connect. 

And once we get a clear idea of what we are trying to accomplish, everything unlocks.

So if you look for a compass point that helps you write your lyrics with clarity and intention, this episode is for you.

Episode Overview:

• [00:02:21] Your Lyric Writing Compass Point
• [00:05:59] Your character’s literal action
• [00:12:20] The Size of The Cast in Your Lyric
• [00:16:58] Setting and Context
• [00:18:58] The Purpose of Literal Action 
• [00:23:32] Recap: Literal Action

Show Notes

• Another Day In Paradise lyrics © Concord Music Publishing LLC
• Welcome To The Jungle lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
• You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This lyrics © Tokeco Tunes
• I Will Survive lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

#037 - How can we write an attention-grabbing opening line so that we can hook our listener with our first line?

In today’s age, thousands of distractions compete for our audience’s attention. And if our song doesn’t hook our listeners straight away, they might not listen to it at all.

But we want to get heard, right?

Songs are a powerful way to make an impact on someone – in as little as three minutes. But in order to get our message across or what we have to say about life, we have to get people’s attention right from the first line on. Otherwise, … it’s like a movie. If we miss the beginning, it’s so hard to catch up on and we probably give up anyway.

So let’s talk about ways to make sure our listeners actually want to listen to our lyrics … and how we can achieve that with our opening line.

Episode Overview

[00:01:42] The Purpose of a Strong Opening Line in Songs

[00:06:00] The Opening Line of the Powerful Problem

[00:10:24] How to pull off the attention-grabbing opening line of the Powerful Problem.

[00:14:41] Song Examples that have lyrics that start with a problem:

[00:23:45] The Powerful Problem - Wrapup

Show Notes

• I'll Be There for You lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

✅ Stop guessing if your lyrics work. Learn story-first songwriting and turn every idea into music-ready lyrics with a proven, repeatable system. Join our community: Story-First Songwriting on Skool.👉 ⁠skool.com/songwriting/about⁠

#036 - How To Answer The Question Of Relevancy when it comes to Writing Lyrics.

Have you ever listened to a song only to end up confused because something in the lyrics seemed off? Did you struggle because something was missing or didn’t understand why something was included because it didn’t seem relevant?

In today’s episode, I want to talk with you about how you can figure out what’s relevant to include in your lyrics and what you can leave out. I’ll let you in on the secret and show you the tools that support you in making the decision to keep and eliminate lines, sections, or the overall idea. 

After all, the goal is to write a lyric where the entire lyric, its different parts, and the way they work together are all in sync. 

So if you are intrigued to discover the tools to determine 

• which lines belong in your narrative
• which building blocks to use
• and find the right words to effectively communicate all the details and events of your lyric to your audience.

… then this episode is for you.

Episode Overview

[00:01:58] Coherence is a Lyric’s Main Goal

[00:03:29] A character in a song needs to face a problem.

[00:04:51] 1. The What If? Scenario

[00:06:53] Fish out of the Water-Scenario

[00:10:44] Strange Thing or Stranger Comes to Town - Scenario

[00:16:03] 2. Narrative Device

[00:23:10] 3. Point of View

[00:28:39] Summary: Relevance

Show Notes

• I’m a Believer lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group