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The Craft of Lyric Writing
Shows examples of successful songs, describes the three basic songwriting forms, and discusses theme, repetition, wordplay, rhyme, rhythm, and common songwriting mistakes
350 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 11, 2025
The Craft of Lyric Writing by Sheila Davis is based on the author's songwriting workshops and seminars. According to Davis' unnumbered Preface, "a songwriter is a song lover moved to... emulation..." (Preface)
There is no formula to writing a hit song, but it takes natural talent and emotional honesty.
A good songwriting structure provides the facts of who, what, when, and where, often concluding with an... ironic ending.
Good lyrical ideas can come from: newspapers, the social/economic climate, current events, fads & foibles, films & tv sitcoms, books, real people, or ur own life.
Memorable sources for song titles are antonyms, alliteration, words that require capitals (cities, states, days, months…), conversations, colloquialisms, maxims, adages, epigrams, word switches, films, books, and… poetry?
When i-Was completing my undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in History and American Studies, i-Completed the collegiate level course of Introduction to Poetry. I-Recieved an A minus in that class and completed the semester on the Dean's List. I-Initially used the foundations and "practical knowledge" of #writing poetry to foray into songwriting while working full-time and attending graduate school night classes for a master's degree in education.
Sheila divinely^ argues that a lyric is not a poem and in her Basics Courses "there is always a poem or two masquerading as a lyric." (6) Completed poems are self-sufficient and designed to be read with an infinite amount of time to process and comprehend, whereas completed lyrics are just potential songs. A poem exists on printed paper (or computer screen), but songs exist in time.
I-First started collaborating on songwriting with my best friend because he wanted to perform in a live band, butt didn't have any original material. Our songs were generally my poems put to musical melodies he chiefly orchestrated on the guitar. Sometimes i-Would hum or whistle my own melodies and he would then decipher what i-Was doing on the guitar. I-Would also haphazardly use a piano to blueprint vocal melodies, always, always with a pronounced and distinct focus on lyrical hooks.
BEFORE: https://youtu.be/Ze4Ynw7v3IA?si=bSikX...
“The repeated title section of the song is called the hook, the part of the song that grabs the listener’s attention and tends to remain in the mind after the song is over. The term hook can also refer to any memorable melodic figure, which more often than not, contains the song’s title.” (31)
The hook is, "an identifiable idea" often "linked to a memorable title." (31)
AFTER: https://thedrunknuns.bandcamp.com/tra...
The number of lines in a verse more-often-than-not should be intelligently determined less by actual musical convention, but rather the standard, #basic human brain's ability to process information. "Psychologist George A. Miller contends that the human memory can span... no more than nine... items at a time." (35)
With the advent of Pavlovian classical conditioning, the widespread global popularity of Tik Tok has probably brought this mangy mathematical median (alliteration) attention span down a notch.
“On occasion, even a kindergarten word or everyday expression trips up a lyricist.” (280)
It is important for lyrics to take a point of view as the most successful lyrics have a consistent language style and "emotional profile."
Successful songs express a, "universally understood meaning" (2) and allows performers to connect with the audience. I-Wrote a song called, "Parting Shot" because i-Was a raging alcoholic and i-Wanted free drinks. Whenever we played that song live, the audience would give me free shots of hard liquor. Mission success?
https://thedrunknuns.bandcamp.com/tra...
When revising early demos, a helpful tool for writing effective lyrics is avoiding bad adjectives and trading two weak words for a strong one. U can replace tame verbs and pick verbs that particularize an action. Definitely use sensory words that can suggest a physical sensation.
The non-performing writer cannot evade the traditional filtering process of writer-to-publisher-to-producer-to-singer and must design songs for the radio.
In my first band we wrote and recorded a song called, "Mutiny on the Microphone" as a theme song for a popular local podcast because i-Knew it would gain more local underground (not-mainstream) exposure that way.
Ironically, the lyrics were literally, "Don't wanna be on the radio." I-Just wanted a good excuse to get our buddy on stage with us at our album release party that i-Single-handedly organized because i-Wanted to create a FUN LOCAL ATMOSPHERE:
https://youtu.be/0bsJUftPoGQ?si=MXgp1...
My best friend and i-Wrote the common core of the performed original songs in our dubious underground band (30+ in approximately 3.5 years...) often while eating bacon and/or pizza, except for one song all four members actually wrote together as a group in aa (not Alcs Anon...) format while abusing alcohol in our gracious practice space i-Found in Charlestown by the docks, khed.
aaa is one of the earliest songwriting forms dating back to colonial America and is championed by classic songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Jackson Browne.
Mathematically it looks like:
[(Title) a (Title) (Refrain)] --> [(Title) a (Title) (Refrain)]--> [(Title) a (Title) (Refrain)]
aaa form can deliver a "potent punch" with an ironic refrain and is particularly popular in Nashville. Is it within reach to fancy a stubborn iron-willed songwriter to debut a Cinderella song live in Nashville because they're actually smarter than they give themself credit for?
Other songwriting formats include:
Verse/Chorus songs, especially the ones that are dominantly assertive with the chorus personifying the song's theme or message. The strongest place to insert the title is in the first line of the chorus because it is instantly recognizable. Good lyrical verses preview or allude to the title.
aaba form, the "root of all Western art music, folk music, and theater music." (61)
There is also aabacba coda, abab, abac, yada, yada, yada, GABBA, GABBA, HEY!!!
Verses create... tension... or suspense, a conversational debate, explore a question plot, dissect conflict, present a turnaround, and can even reveal a... flirtatious twist.
“...Don’t bore us, just get to the chorus…”
The climb is the occasional sections that appear between the end of the verse and the start of the chorus. "A climb functions as aural foreplay, to extend and increase the song's emotional tension by delaying the arrival of its climatic section." (55)
If u are feeling down with your general attitude towards life, "Lyrically the blues is a three-line phrase, the second being a repetition of the first (reinforcing the misery), and the third being an answer or "holler." (77)
The strongest lyrics make contact with the listener and make them want to hear more, especially with a "first-line device." A first-line device could be a question, greeting, suggestion or request, a provocative statement, a timeframe, a setting, a visual image, or a situation.
One original song used a Craig's List casual encounters ad i-Found for lyrics because it was funny. But I HAVE NO INTEREST IN CASUAL ENCOUNTERS AS A HUMAN WHATSOEVER.
My best friend also wrote the majority of the bass parts in my first band, but I-always care the most about the lyrics, especially because they watered them down on the second full-length album and made them less personal. I-Wrote the bass line to the last original written song we performed live even though they (hashtag pronouns aren't a big deal...) post-band-humously released a studio version with another person performing it after changing all of my lyrics.
BEFORE:
https://youtu.be/3AP-CkTSzu4?si=fynGh...
AFTER:
https://thedrunknuns.bandcamp.com/tra...
“A cross, for example, stands for Christianity; a crown for a kingdom.” (169)
At my first band's last show in 2014, the same man who changed all of my lyrics (and song title and omitted the bridge) on the opening track of the "...and Friends..." album kissed me on the cheek in the middle of our rowdy set. I-Don't identify as a particularly religious person, but Judas also kissed Jesus on the cheek before he was ousted and mercifully crucified. #themoreyouknow
A bridge adds further dimension and provides unique contrast, especially if the plot requires more information…
I-Have written and composed 34+ original songs completely by myself on the ukulele because my best friend who stopped talking to me when i-Decided to get sober from alcohol told me that i-Sucked at it and the drummer of my first band told me that i-Had, "no talent."
Ukulele is an easy and accessible tool to play chords on even if sometimes using your decent ears to determine what key the song is in is honestly still a challenging task. Former research molecular biologist, Milo Aukerman, commonly known for being the lead vocalist of the #punkrock band, the Descendents (an ensemble generally considered to be pioneers of pop-punk), also writes songs on a ukulele.
Now when i-Fart out stupid songs, i-Tend to create an outline of melody and rhythm first, think of a unique title, and then write the song lyrics to further amplify the title.
Successful songs for pinnacle works such as My Fair Lady, were also written with a "Title First" mentality.
There have been sporadic instances where i-Have built an entire song around some half-way decent rhymes.
Apocopated rhyme is, "trailing rhyme in reverse. The two-syllable or two-word rhyme agent precedes its one-syllable rhyming mate, creating a cut-off (apocopated) effect: answer/chance, clung to/sung, wider/pride." (191)
There are also minor accent rhymes like broken rhyme, trailing rhyme, light or weakened rhyme, contiguous rhyme, linked rhyme, or even the rarest echo rhyme. De-emphasis of rhymes could also create lyrical tension. You could also try a rhyme scheme that surprises because rhyme is a verbal adhesive.
If you are feeling stuck as a songwriter, try creating a pattern of stressed beats or write over an actual rhythmic outline.
Onomatopoeia, phonetic intensives, vowel sounds, assonance, consonant sounds, alliteration, reverse alliteration, epistrophe, hyperbole, paradox, satire, and slang are all tools u can use.
"The repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive lines or verses for rhetorical effect is called epistrophe. It is the reverse of anaphora." (147)
"The term for saying more than one thing at the same time is polysemy- having many meanings." (165)
"Zeugma is the use of a word to govern two or more words in such a way that it applies a different meaning to each." (166)
A subtype of metaphor, synecdoche uses "part to express the whole." (168)
Litotes are, "a particular kind of understatement" that "shows something is true by denying its opposite." (171)
“Euphony is a pleasant acoustic effect produced by a particular group of words.” (208)
“Cacophony or dissonance (the opposite of euphony) is the clash of sounds intentionally placed side by side for effect.” (208)
“Rhythm refers to any steady movement distinguished by regular accents of strong and weak beats- the tick tok/tick tock of a clock.” (216)
“Meter, from the Greek word, metron, is measured rhythm.” (216)
“When lyricists write to music, they have a... powerful partner to help them achieve varying effects.” (232)
After i-Demo a song, i-Usually forget about it because i-Generally don't give a shit about writing songs or playing live music in a band like i-Used to, especially because the vast majority of Gen-Z stained culture is fairly toxic, bleh, uninspiring, and don't understand the ethos of #traditional #upthepunx mail orders or the wherewithal to slip in... some unique fun curveball covers in a bodacious set once in a while. I-Think there are more important and meaningful things to actively pursue in life and more-often-than not women don't even care if u write songs to impress them or think farts are funny...
Some songwriting mythology elucidates that some damsels sit in their bed with a guitar until they have completed a new song beginning to end. The defining difference between poems and songs are that poets lean to be abstract and philosophical, but "The lyricist makes it personal and conversational." (7)
“Dionysius said that dactyls make for grandeur,” (236) which is also evident in actually positively profitably pop (alliteration...) music.
I-Wrote or co-wrote 64+ original songs before actually reading this entire book.
Kenny Rogers writes songs with the intent to give people, "the words that they can't find to describe their feelings." (4)
"You've got to know when to hold…"
* “DON’T CRY OUT LOUD.” (222) *
Always consider the tempo and at least leave a little hope...
Enduring songz are rare.
^ https://www.mmone.org/rock-n-roll-rum...
There is no formula to writing a hit song, but it takes natural talent and emotional honesty.
A good songwriting structure provides the facts of who, what, when, and where, often concluding with an... ironic ending.
Good lyrical ideas can come from: newspapers, the social/economic climate, current events, fads & foibles, films & tv sitcoms, books, real people, or ur own life.
Memorable sources for song titles are antonyms, alliteration, words that require capitals (cities, states, days, months…), conversations, colloquialisms, maxims, adages, epigrams, word switches, films, books, and… poetry?
When i-Was completing my undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in History and American Studies, i-Completed the collegiate level course of Introduction to Poetry. I-Recieved an A minus in that class and completed the semester on the Dean's List. I-Initially used the foundations and "practical knowledge" of #writing poetry to foray into songwriting while working full-time and attending graduate school night classes for a master's degree in education.
Sheila divinely^ argues that a lyric is not a poem and in her Basics Courses "there is always a poem or two masquerading as a lyric." (6) Completed poems are self-sufficient and designed to be read with an infinite amount of time to process and comprehend, whereas completed lyrics are just potential songs. A poem exists on printed paper (or computer screen), but songs exist in time.
I-First started collaborating on songwriting with my best friend because he wanted to perform in a live band, butt didn't have any original material. Our songs were generally my poems put to musical melodies he chiefly orchestrated on the guitar. Sometimes i-Would hum or whistle my own melodies and he would then decipher what i-Was doing on the guitar. I-Would also haphazardly use a piano to blueprint vocal melodies, always, always with a pronounced and distinct focus on lyrical hooks.
BEFORE: https://youtu.be/Ze4Ynw7v3IA?si=bSikX...
“The repeated title section of the song is called the hook, the part of the song that grabs the listener’s attention and tends to remain in the mind after the song is over. The term hook can also refer to any memorable melodic figure, which more often than not, contains the song’s title.” (31)
The hook is, "an identifiable idea" often "linked to a memorable title." (31)
AFTER: https://thedrunknuns.bandcamp.com/tra...
The number of lines in a verse more-often-than-not should be intelligently determined less by actual musical convention, but rather the standard, #basic human brain's ability to process information. "Psychologist George A. Miller contends that the human memory can span... no more than nine... items at a time." (35)
With the advent of Pavlovian classical conditioning, the widespread global popularity of Tik Tok has probably brought this mangy mathematical median (alliteration) attention span down a notch.
“On occasion, even a kindergarten word or everyday expression trips up a lyricist.” (280)
It is important for lyrics to take a point of view as the most successful lyrics have a consistent language style and "emotional profile."
Successful songs express a, "universally understood meaning" (2) and allows performers to connect with the audience. I-Wrote a song called, "Parting Shot" because i-Was a raging alcoholic and i-Wanted free drinks. Whenever we played that song live, the audience would give me free shots of hard liquor. Mission success?
https://thedrunknuns.bandcamp.com/tra...
When revising early demos, a helpful tool for writing effective lyrics is avoiding bad adjectives and trading two weak words for a strong one. U can replace tame verbs and pick verbs that particularize an action. Definitely use sensory words that can suggest a physical sensation.
The non-performing writer cannot evade the traditional filtering process of writer-to-publisher-to-producer-to-singer and must design songs for the radio.
In my first band we wrote and recorded a song called, "Mutiny on the Microphone" as a theme song for a popular local podcast because i-Knew it would gain more local underground (not-mainstream) exposure that way.
Ironically, the lyrics were literally, "Don't wanna be on the radio." I-Just wanted a good excuse to get our buddy on stage with us at our album release party that i-Single-handedly organized because i-Wanted to create a FUN LOCAL ATMOSPHERE:
https://youtu.be/0bsJUftPoGQ?si=MXgp1...
My best friend and i-Wrote the common core of the performed original songs in our dubious underground band (30+ in approximately 3.5 years...) often while eating bacon and/or pizza, except for one song all four members actually wrote together as a group in aa (not Alcs Anon...) format while abusing alcohol in our gracious practice space i-Found in Charlestown by the docks, khed.
aaa is one of the earliest songwriting forms dating back to colonial America and is championed by classic songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Jackson Browne.
Mathematically it looks like:
[(Title) a (Title) (Refrain)] --> [(Title) a (Title) (Refrain)]--> [(Title) a (Title) (Refrain)]
aaa form can deliver a "potent punch" with an ironic refrain and is particularly popular in Nashville. Is it within reach to fancy a stubborn iron-willed songwriter to debut a Cinderella song live in Nashville because they're actually smarter than they give themself credit for?
Other songwriting formats include:
Verse/Chorus songs, especially the ones that are dominantly assertive with the chorus personifying the song's theme or message. The strongest place to insert the title is in the first line of the chorus because it is instantly recognizable. Good lyrical verses preview or allude to the title.
aaba form, the "root of all Western art music, folk music, and theater music." (61)
There is also aabacba coda, abab, abac, yada, yada, yada, GABBA, GABBA, HEY!!!
Verses create... tension... or suspense, a conversational debate, explore a question plot, dissect conflict, present a turnaround, and can even reveal a... flirtatious twist.
“...Don’t bore us, just get to the chorus…”
The climb is the occasional sections that appear between the end of the verse and the start of the chorus. "A climb functions as aural foreplay, to extend and increase the song's emotional tension by delaying the arrival of its climatic section." (55)
If u are feeling down with your general attitude towards life, "Lyrically the blues is a three-line phrase, the second being a repetition of the first (reinforcing the misery), and the third being an answer or "holler." (77)
The strongest lyrics make contact with the listener and make them want to hear more, especially with a "first-line device." A first-line device could be a question, greeting, suggestion or request, a provocative statement, a timeframe, a setting, a visual image, or a situation.
One original song used a Craig's List casual encounters ad i-Found for lyrics because it was funny. But I HAVE NO INTEREST IN CASUAL ENCOUNTERS AS A HUMAN WHATSOEVER.
My best friend also wrote the majority of the bass parts in my first band, but I-always care the most about the lyrics, especially because they watered them down on the second full-length album and made them less personal. I-Wrote the bass line to the last original written song we performed live even though they (hashtag pronouns aren't a big deal...) post-band-humously released a studio version with another person performing it after changing all of my lyrics.
BEFORE:
https://youtu.be/3AP-CkTSzu4?si=fynGh...
AFTER:
https://thedrunknuns.bandcamp.com/tra...
“A cross, for example, stands for Christianity; a crown for a kingdom.” (169)
At my first band's last show in 2014, the same man who changed all of my lyrics (and song title and omitted the bridge) on the opening track of the "...and Friends..." album kissed me on the cheek in the middle of our rowdy set. I-Don't identify as a particularly religious person, but Judas also kissed Jesus on the cheek before he was ousted and mercifully crucified. #themoreyouknow
A bridge adds further dimension and provides unique contrast, especially if the plot requires more information…
I-Have written and composed 34+ original songs completely by myself on the ukulele because my best friend who stopped talking to me when i-Decided to get sober from alcohol told me that i-Sucked at it and the drummer of my first band told me that i-Had, "no talent."
Ukulele is an easy and accessible tool to play chords on even if sometimes using your decent ears to determine what key the song is in is honestly still a challenging task. Former research molecular biologist, Milo Aukerman, commonly known for being the lead vocalist of the #punkrock band, the Descendents (an ensemble generally considered to be pioneers of pop-punk), also writes songs on a ukulele.
Now when i-Fart out stupid songs, i-Tend to create an outline of melody and rhythm first, think of a unique title, and then write the song lyrics to further amplify the title.
Successful songs for pinnacle works such as My Fair Lady, were also written with a "Title First" mentality.
There have been sporadic instances where i-Have built an entire song around some half-way decent rhymes.
Apocopated rhyme is, "trailing rhyme in reverse. The two-syllable or two-word rhyme agent precedes its one-syllable rhyming mate, creating a cut-off (apocopated) effect: answer/chance, clung to/sung, wider/pride." (191)
There are also minor accent rhymes like broken rhyme, trailing rhyme, light or weakened rhyme, contiguous rhyme, linked rhyme, or even the rarest echo rhyme. De-emphasis of rhymes could also create lyrical tension. You could also try a rhyme scheme that surprises because rhyme is a verbal adhesive.
If you are feeling stuck as a songwriter, try creating a pattern of stressed beats or write over an actual rhythmic outline.
Onomatopoeia, phonetic intensives, vowel sounds, assonance, consonant sounds, alliteration, reverse alliteration, epistrophe, hyperbole, paradox, satire, and slang are all tools u can use.
"The repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive lines or verses for rhetorical effect is called epistrophe. It is the reverse of anaphora." (147)
"The term for saying more than one thing at the same time is polysemy- having many meanings." (165)
"Zeugma is the use of a word to govern two or more words in such a way that it applies a different meaning to each." (166)
A subtype of metaphor, synecdoche uses "part to express the whole." (168)
Litotes are, "a particular kind of understatement" that "shows something is true by denying its opposite." (171)
“Euphony is a pleasant acoustic effect produced by a particular group of words.” (208)
“Cacophony or dissonance (the opposite of euphony) is the clash of sounds intentionally placed side by side for effect.” (208)
“Rhythm refers to any steady movement distinguished by regular accents of strong and weak beats- the tick tok/tick tock of a clock.” (216)
“Meter, from the Greek word, metron, is measured rhythm.” (216)
“When lyricists write to music, they have a... powerful partner to help them achieve varying effects.” (232)
After i-Demo a song, i-Usually forget about it because i-Generally don't give a shit about writing songs or playing live music in a band like i-Used to, especially because the vast majority of Gen-Z stained culture is fairly toxic, bleh, uninspiring, and don't understand the ethos of #traditional #upthepunx mail orders or the wherewithal to slip in... some unique fun curveball covers in a bodacious set once in a while. I-Think there are more important and meaningful things to actively pursue in life and more-often-than not women don't even care if u write songs to impress them or think farts are funny...
Some songwriting mythology elucidates that some damsels sit in their bed with a guitar until they have completed a new song beginning to end. The defining difference between poems and songs are that poets lean to be abstract and philosophical, but "The lyricist makes it personal and conversational." (7)
“Dionysius said that dactyls make for grandeur,” (236) which is also evident in actually positively profitably pop (alliteration...) music.
I-Wrote or co-wrote 64+ original songs before actually reading this entire book.
Kenny Rogers writes songs with the intent to give people, "the words that they can't find to describe their feelings." (4)
"You've got to know when to hold…"
* “DON’T CRY OUT LOUD.” (222) *
Always consider the tempo and at least leave a little hope...
Enduring songz are rare.
^ https://www.mmone.org/rock-n-roll-rum...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2012
An older book with dated examples but a classic. The principles of lyric writing haven't changed.
December 20, 2023
The only drawback of this otherwise fantastic book is Sheila Davis's preoccupation with teaching you to write (and sell) a hit pop tune in 1985. Once you're able to look past that, what's left of her teaching is indispensable. I'd mandate this book to any lyricist, and I'm going to keep it on my shelf beside a similar favorite, Pat Pattison's "Writing Better Lyrics."
April 13, 2015
Definitely a must read for anyone who aspires to be a writer. Sheila Davis is precise in her methods, measure and time as she gives some of the very best secrets of writing great songs to her readers.
I only wished for more emphasis on specific ways to write "hooks," or choruses...as i found this section to be quite short.
Overall I'd buy it again and read it again.
March 10, 2017
This book, though dated now in its examples, is still the best book on the market for learning how to craft a great lyric. It flows well and is easy to understand. Such a help to anyone wishing to right better songs.
October 29, 2020
Best book on lyric writing. Sheila was my teacher. Brilliant
Read
November 28, 2025This was so great. I had very mixed feelings on it at first because it had some overly strict and boring rules, and the examples it lauded were boring and the first example I liked, she called "not universal enough." But once you allow her to be a bit dour, there is so much amazing information in here. I love reading literature for songwriters, because so much of songwriting advice is for beginners, and I like stuff that really gets into the nitty-gritty. I don't know if I've ever found someone who's as nerdy and specific about lyric writing as I am until reading Sheila Davis, and I'm quite grateful.
March 25, 2021
I have no idea to what extent this would still be a helpful guide to would-be lyricists, or if being a lyricist in the way Davis knew & described is even still a thing in the music world of 2021 -- but all of that being said, this was a great book for learning about how songs are put together, with lots and lots of great examples. I learned a lot just reading it through once, but it is definitely the sort of book that would reward careful rereading and study and consultation.
February 17, 2015
Sheila Davis provides an in depth perspective on lyric writing and walks the reader through with explicated examples. She shows the parallels with poetry writing but also highlights their differences and how the lyric is unique.
March 2, 2022
I’m absolutely in love with this book. If you want to write lyrics, do yourself a favor and read it! It has become my songwriting bible.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews