Lyrics or Music First: Which Works Best for Songwriting?

Some debates are truly for the ages: boxers or briefs? Chocolate candy or sour gummies? Deadpool or Wolverine?

via GIPHY

Well, in this article, I’m going to address perhaps the BIGGEST debate of all time (at least for songwriters): do you write the lyrics or music first for a song? Let’s find out which is the better approach in an epic head-to-head match-up!

Should You Write Lyrics or Music First?

Let’s say you’ve just sat down with the goal of writing a new song. You want to create something original and amazing, and you have to decide the most effective way to get this songwriting ball rolling.

Well, when you’re trying to decide how to get started with a song, there are a few main considerations to keep in mind:

• Your natural talent – What aspect of songwriting tends to come most easily to you? 
• Your genre – Do you know what type of song you want to write?
• Your inspiration – What theme or central idea is motivating you to write this particular song, if any?

Breaking these down a little more, if you’re excellent at writing music, it stands to reason you might want to start there. Similarly, if you know what theme your song is all about, it can be smart to start writing lyrics that explore that theme before putting those words to music.

For me personally, I’ve always been an excellent writer – but more on the prose side than poetry. So, since lyric writing is a lot like writing poetry, I usually find myself more comfortable working on music for a song right off the bat.

This is especially true if I know the overall genre I’m aiming for. As an example, if I know I want to write a song in the blues genre, this already narrows down a lot of decisions I need to make on the music side, like time signature, chord options, and so on. If you’re struggling to figure out what to do, this can be a helpful way to add some creative constraints to your songwriting process.

Lastly, I would try to figure out what’s a greater inspiration for the song you’re working on. If you’re motivated to mimic a certain genre or style, then music is probably a better place to start. Or if you have an interesting lyrical hook in mind that could make a great chorus, crafting the words is likely your best bet.

I hope these ideas give you some good food for thought. Now, let’s dive into a few common approaches for songwriters looking to start writing a song!

Approach 1: Lyrics First

Here’s why writing the lyrics first can be helpful.

For one thing, words can actually help you figure out what mood, tone, or style your song is trying to be.

Recently, my brother Brian and I worked on a song for our parents’ retirement party. Brian is a great lyric writer, so he started writing the words to the song first. Now, in this case, he did have a style of music he was trying to mimic – but the words themselves came first.

Once he had a great idea for a hook – “What’s next for you and you” – it was easier for me to think of an appropriate melody with chords to go underneath.

Lyric-First Songwriting Example: 

Bob Dylan is known for a lyrics-first approach to songwriting, especially in his early career.

For his famous song “Blowin’ in the Wind,” Dylan wrote the lyrics before he had any melody in mind. The song’s powerful words reflected the social and political climate of the 1960s, and he wanted to make sure he got them right.

Later, he added a melody to complement the message.

Approach 2: Music First

I’ve written the music to a song first many times, but it’s not always me sitting down with the goal of writing a song. Often, it’s because I’m just messing around on the piano or guitar (or maybe even Logic Pro) and I hear something that catches my attention.

Then, I slowly start to work out chords and maybe a melody to go with them. This is a great way to break out of any specific boundaries and just see where the music takes you.

However, one of the caveats to “music first” is, are we talking about the chords, or the melody, or both at once? Personally, I think if you’re writing the music first, and you’re focused on writing a pop song or a song in an accessible genre, melody is the key – but that often comes out of noodling around with chords.

Music-First Songwriting Example: 

Paul McCartney came up with the melody for “Yesterday” before he had the lyrics. He famously used the placeholder phrase “Scrambled Eggs” until the right words came to him.

According to McCartney, the melody came to him in a dream, and it took him some time to find lyrics that could match the emotion of the music.

Approach 3: Going Back-and-Forth

I want to let you in a little secret here: virtually ANY song you write will eventually require you to go back and forth between the music and the lyrics to finish it!

However, if you’re approaching your song from the start in this “back-and-forth” way, it just means that you’re not committed to totally completing either the lyrics or the music before jumping over to work on the other one.

Some songwriters will try to write most or all of the lyrics before they worry about the music, or they’ll write the music and then try to decide which lyrics fit with that. But if you have a more versatile approach, you can organically bounce back and forth throughout the entire songwriting process and allow each piece to inform the other one.

If I had to pick, I’d say this is probably the best way to go, because it means both elements are playing a role in how you write your song from the very beginning!

A Back-and-Forth Songwriting Example: 

David Bowie’s “Heroes” is an example of a back-and-forth approach. Bowie and producer Brian Eno started with the instrumental track, experimenting with different sounds and effects.

As the music evolved, Bowie wrote the lyrics, drawing inspiration from the mood of the music and the atmosphere in the studio. He then refined the melody to fit the emerging lyrics, creating a song that perfectly balanced both elements.

Why You Care About Lyrics or Music Coming First

Now that we’ve talked about the common approaches you can take, I think there’s a really interesting discussion to be had. This topic is one layer deeper than just which facet of songwriting is best to start off with… Specifically, you should think about why you’re even asking this question!

Because honestly, it does NOT matter how you begin writing your song. After a solid starting point – whether that’s lyrics, melody, or chords – it’s super likely that you’re going to iterate on ALL of them multiple times before you have a finished song.

It’s silly to assume that your initial lyrics or your music need to remain unchanged forever, just because you started with them! So, what’s really behind this desire to understand what comes first?

I think it’s three fundamental things:

1. You want to do songwriting the “right” way.
2. You’re looking for some kind of recipe or repeatable process.
3. You’re experiencing a creative rut (ie songwriting block).

Let’s address each of these concerns.

1) You want to do songwriting the “right” way.

I get it. If you don’t have a lot of confidence in your own songwriting skills yet, or you’ve never finished a song before, it’s really tempting to procrastinate while you wait to find out what the “right” way is first.

Of course, there is no single “right” way to do songwriting!

I can think back on many songs I’ve written. For me, if the lyrics come first, they often fit into a neat little rhyme scheme, and the song ends up with a simpler sound and structure. If I come up with a melody and/or chords first, then the overall musicality of my new song is usually more complex and interesting, but it’s sometimes hard for me to write cohesive lyrics that fit.

All that is to say, every method has its pros and cons, and it’s hard to know which will serve you best on a given song until you’ve given it a chance! The only “wrong” way to write a song is not getting started at all!

2) You’re looking for some kind of recipe or repeatable process.

If you’re more analytical, you probably love following a series of steps that lead to a predictable outcome. In fact, that’s what makes math so satisfying – rather than a subjective experience, math problems generally have an objective process you can follow to solve the “problem” and get the correct “answer.”

But as tempting as it is to assume songwriting is going from point A to point B, it’s not that simple. Don’t get me wrong, there ARE a lot of elements in music theory, composition, lyric writing, and audio production that are more formulaic, and you can certainly write something by sticking to a process.

The problem is, you can’t expect rote memorization to take you to that “lightning in a bottle” outcome, time after time. (If you could, then we wouldn’t have the term “one hit wonder,” would we?) In the end, every new song you write is following its own unique recipe!

3) You’re experiencing a creative rut (ie songwriting block).

Songwriting block is real, and it sucks! Like any creative endeavor, you can run out of new or interesting ways to express yourself through music. Maybe the well has run dry and you’re trying to decide how to break out of a rut, so now you’re curious whether you’ve been doing it wrong all the time – maybe it’s better to start with lyrics (or music) instead?

Well, might I recommend that you just consider doing something different than you have before? If you’re always more comfortable writing lyrics first, force yourself to start with the music. Or just change how you approach your usual starting point.

For example, if you’re a musician who normally composes music on piano, grab a guitar. Or if you’re more comfortable as an analog musician (like I am), jump into your digital audio workstation (DAW) and see if there are any electronic sounds that get the creative juices flowing. The name of the game here is novelty, to break out of old patterns and see what new ideas you can come up with!

In the end, you may only be able to answer that question of “lyrics or music first” in retrospect, once you’ve experimented with a few different things and figured out what’s actually working for your new song!

Quick Tips on Writing Music and Lyrics

Here are a few more quick tips to think about as you answer this music or lyrics question:

1. Stay Flexible: Don’t be afraid to switch up your approach. If you’re stuck on lyrics, try focusing on the melody for a while (or vice versa). A change in perspective can unlock new ideas.
2. Use Placeholders: If you have a melody in mind, but you can’t think of the right lyrics, use placeholder words or phrases to keep the momentum going. Like Paul McCartney with “Scrambled Eggs,” placeholders can keep you on track until the perfect lyrics come to mind.
3. Focus on Emotion: Whether you start with music or lyrics, make sure both elements work together to convey the desired emotion (ie prosody). The best songs resonate with listeners because the melody and lyrics align to evoke a particular mood or feeling.
4. Try Collaboration: If you’re struggling to create both music and lyrics, consider collaborating with someone else who complements your strengths. Many iconic songwriting teams, like Elton John and Bernie Taupin, have created timeless hits by pairing one person’s strength in lyrics with another’s talent for melody. (I’ll admit, I do this myself – I’m not bad at lyric writing, but my brother is amazing at it, so we’ll often divide and conquer with him focused on the words and me handling the music.)
5. Don’t Overthink It: Songwriting is more of an art than a science. Don’t get too caught up in the “right” way to write a song. Trust your instincts and let the music – or lyrics, or both – lead you where you’re trying to go.

The Verdict

So, which approach is best: lyrics first, music first, or a little bit of both? Well, the truth is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. It can change from songwriter to songwriting, and even from song to song!

A lot of songwriters thrive starting with lyrics, crafting poetic lines that they later set to music. Other songwriters find inspiration in a catchy melody and a few chords, letting the music guide their lyrical content. And some artists prefer a fluid approach, moving back and forth between music and lyrics as the song takes shape.

The best approach is the one that works for you! Whether you’re a lyrics-first writer, a melody-driven musician, or someone who blends the two, the key is to find your own process. Embrace your unique style, experiment with different methods, and remember that great songs can come from any starting point.

In the end, the most important thing is that your music and lyrics are able to resonate with your audience. So, don’t worry too much about which comes first. Just focus on creating something that resonates, and the rest will follow!