You usually want the Verse to bring the Chorus, and especially the Title, into focus. Ideally in a way that’s special or interesting, or at least sincere and believable.

Let’s start with a common Title. Say, ‘You’re The One’. Let’s assume you’ve got an exciting Chorus and this Title’s working for you. (Though at this point in time, with many ‘You’re The One’s’ out there, you’d need a pretty great Chorus!)

The challenge is then to find a Verse approach that enhances the Title.
What’s the angle?

Is it simply a straightforward declaration of devotion? ‘You’re The One’.

Or – it’s a difficult relationship… but we’ll work it out; because… ‘You’re The One’.

Or does it compare the loved one to other lovers who are seen in a positive way? ‘She was great in this way… He was great in that way… But you… You’re The One.’

Is it a moment of realization? ‘I took you for granted… but now I realize… I know You’re The One’.

How about a list? ‘You’re (this)… you’re (that)… you’re (something else)… and (or but), most of all, You’re The One’.

Or… a series of lines about the singer’s life, having nothing to do with the relationship… AND (to top it off) ‘You’re The One’.

And on and on… until something clicks.

These ‘You’re The One’ options are mundane (to be kind), as is the Title, but I hope you get the idea, which is important. One way or the other you have to find an angle, and usually you need to stick with it for all the Verses. So it should be a good one, one that resonates for you.

Especially with a common Title like ‘You’re The One’, finding that angle is what can make the whole lyric come alive. And even with an uncommon Title, finding the angle is a big part of making a song work.

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I have a relatively new song called ‘Please Wait’. I’ve performed it with my band a few times and it’s gone over very well. Here’s one of the things in it that I struggled with (honestly… I”m still struggling with it!).

The lyrics of the second half of the Chorus – a pretty long one – are:

Wait
I’m not gonna disappear
I’ll come running when you’re near
Don’t you feel (fear) what is our fate
It’s not too late
Please Wait

The fourth line – feel or fear? – is the dilemma.

At first I liked fear. It had the rhyme with near and disappear, and its placement in the melody worked with the rhyme. Arguably it sang a little better, and fear seemed like a stronger idea than feel.

However, as I sang it, something else became clear. In a song where you’re pleading with someone to wait for you because of your devotion to them, “Don’t you fear what is our fate’ started to feel, as I continued to sing it, uncomfortably like an instruction or a command. Not a request. And the song is one of supplication, of asking.

So I went back to ‘feel’. “Don’t you feel what is our fate”. Still very much to the point… and harder to misunderstand. In the midst of what I think is a strong Chorus, it doesn’t benefit me or the song to confuse the listener.

I wouldn’t have discovered this if I hadn’t, in preparation for performing, rehearsed the song many times. This has become an essential ‘final stage’ of my writing – singing the song over and over, trying to make the words and melody sing and feel as natural as possible, along with conveying its meaning.

Sometimes there are trade-offs. This is one that came up recently… I have a pre-chorus lyric for my song ‘Here In America’:

It’s a pan to fry your brain in
Some things defy explainin’
Everything is entertainment
Here In America

Originally the third line was “Everything is entertainin’” (not ‘entertainment’). It rhymed better (perfectly, actually) with explainin’ and brain in, and even sang better.

But… what I wanted to say was “Everything is entertainment here in America”, NOT “Everything is entertainin’ here in America” (which isn’t a bad line; just not what I was going for). So this time I sacrificed the perfect, more singable rhyme for a more distant rhyme that said exactly what I wanted it to say.

I don’t care about a perfect rhyme as an end in itself, but I don’t like to sacrifice singability, I’m always trying to get the song as right as I can. I mean feeling right, not technically perfect, whatever that is. But sometime trade-offs come up and a choice has to be made.

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Especially if the Verse you have is a good one (getting that first good Verse is a whole other story; read here), you might have to write quite a few Verses, lines, and couplets to get three Verses you feel good about.

If this situation frustrates you and gives you pause, my suggestion is, get some words in there. They can simply be words that just sing easily, even if they don’t make a whole lot of sense. Or they can make a lot of sense but not sing so well. It doesn’t really matter. Trust your instincts and write something. Because…

Then you have something to rewrite. It’s likely you’ll have stumbled onto at least a few lines, words, or sounds that you like and that work. You can build around those.

For me writing is often about momentum. The world’s biggest momentum-killer is a blank page (or empty recording). Put something on that page, then go from there. But mainly, keep moving forward.

It’s easy to stop after those first sections, especially if they come easily. Don’t fall for that. Get something in there. You’ll have written something… and you’ll have something to rewrite.

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I’m not recommending being lazy or not trying to make a song as good as it can be. But, to pick an example almost at random, it’s like a car… If you’ve got a motor, transmission, steering wheel, axles, wheels… the thing’ll run, even if it’s dented, the paint’s chipped, the fender’s falling off, etc.

I’m suggesting that focusing first on the essentials is a good habit to get into. Get those right and you can color in the rest around them.

So what are the most essential aspects of a song?

(Keep in mind that there quite a few songs out there that don’t get all of these right and are still great because the elements that are good about them are GREAT.)

• Title/Chorus. Having a strong central idea, a phrase or section of words and music that the song is organized around.

Often I don’t start with this; many writers won’t start without it. But it’s something that I’m always keeping an eye out for as I wander through the writing process. When I find it, other things tend to snap into focus. Or the opposite – it becomes immediately clearer when things don’t fit.

Many an otherwise great song has fallen short of its potential due to a weak central idea.

• Structure. This connects directly to the Title and/or Chorus.

Am I supporting it with the right structure? Should it be a Verse/Chorus song or an AABA song; or something else? Should it have a Bridge, a Pre-Chorus, a Tag? Is the length of the Verses and Chorus right, as well as the amount of Verses? Is it the right structure for the story that’s in the lyrics, and vice versa? Too long, or too short?

This also has to do with the momentum of the song. Is it moving along at the proper pace? If not, does something need to be shortened, cut, or extended?

• Melody. The not-so-secret (but too often ignored) weapon of great songwriting.

Remember, melody has two aspects – pitches AND rhythm. Does the melody have motion in the notes AND in the rhythm? (Don’t forget that the rhythm of the notes needs variety too!) Without movement, things quickly get static and boring. Does the combination of short notes and longer, held notes feel right?

* Harmony. This starts with harmonizing the melody, which creates its emotional subtext.

But it doesn’t end there. It also includes riffs or chord progressions that go beyond harmonizing, musical signatures that can be so important to the character of the song that it’s hard to imagine it without these trademarks.

* Lyrics. Why do I put this last? Lyrics are obviously crucial to a good song. But I’d venture to say that there are more good songs with weaknesses in the lyric than good songs with weaknesses in the other areas we’ve discussed.

This isn’t true for extremely lyric-focused songs. But a song with a great Title or Chorus, appropriate structure, powerful melody, great harmony and key riffs… can get away with a mediocre lyric. Again, I’m not advocating this as a writing strategy. It just seems to me to be the case… generally speaking.

But I still include lyrics as essential. Not just the content of the words. I include the sound of the words, which in songwriting is just as important as the content. (In fact it’s the main reason why sometimes lyrics with weak content can work – because they just sound right – even if they’re not!).

So, in getting your car to run, think first about the engine, the wheels, etc. When those are in place you can spend as much time as you want on the paint job and taking the dents out of the fender.

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