Simple Tools to Write from a Title
When we have a great title idea, we perhaps have the most important part of the song. We have the seed of the chorus. By starting with the title, we’re starting with the main message. The title typically falls in the chorus, usually in the power positions of the first, last, and even middle line of the chorus section, and may be repeated several times.
Titles that are sensory can sometimes be easier to develop into a song than titles that are more general. Take ‘On a Bus to St. Cloud,’ or ‘My Front Porch Looking In,’ for example. These can bring to mind more specific ideas than titles like ‘I've Been Missing You,’ ‘Try,’ or ‘Someday, Maybe Someday.’ These titles can feel so general that it’s difficult to hone in on a specific angle from which to write the song. When we are dealing with a title that is not sensory, it can be helpful to choose a specific situation or location from which to write.
Try taking a look at some of your favorite songs and asking yourself if the title is sensory or general. Learn from how the lyric develops as a result of what kind of title the song uses.
When writing from a title, it can help to create an outline for our song. Describe what happens in each section of the song, beginning with the first verse, then moving onto the chorus, second verse, chorus, bridge, and finally the last chorus. By setting up our outline in advance, this forces us to run into the challenges that we would typically run into while actually writing the song. We have to determine what we will say in verse one and make sure it doesn’t trespass on the message of the chorus. We have to make a decision about what to say in verse two so that it pushes the song forward or gives it more weight.
When writing your outline, one of my favorite tools to try especially when giving the second verse definition from the first is recoloration. Recoloration is when we interpret the title in the new way as the song progresses, giving the listener an additional perspective. We can emphasize a different word in the title, which gives the title a new message.
For instance, in the title ‘I’m Missing You Now,’ we could emphasize that ‘I’m Missing You Now’. Later on in the song, we could explain more about the fact that ‘I'm Missing You Now’. Perhaps I wasn't missing you before, or maybe I was even missing me. Another possibility is to emphasize that ‘I’m Missing You Now.’ In this case, maybe there is a distinction between verse one and verse two, that in verse one I wasn't missing you but in verse two I am missing you. Emphasizing different words in the title helps us to see additional meanings.
Finally, try changing up your song form, and looking at your song in verse/refrain as well as verse/chorus form. You can also try changing the tempo to see more options for your message. Suddenly a title that seemed perky or aggressive loses its punch when slowed down. By playing with your structure or tempo, you can cast a completely different light on the title’s meaning and help you brainstorm the rest of your song.
Stay creative,
