THE REWRITE

 

The Rewrite

The idea of “drafts” is worth exploring. By draft, I mean the versions that your song evolves through. If you get lucky, your first draft will be the final version. More often than not, there is still work to be done after a first draft. This may involve finding better word choices. It may mean re-writing an entire verse or just a couplet or two.

Paul Simon used to (and probably still does), work on a lyric through an entire legal pad—changing bits and pieces until he was sure he’d said what he wanted to say in his lyric.

The main point here is to scrutinize after you have that first draft done. As I have said, there is a time to flow without judgment, and a time to apply judgment. When you have that first draft done, its time to let the discerning critic within you take over.

Now it’s time to get honest and get down to the nitty-gritty. It is time for the hard questions. The process of re-writing can take “good” and make it “great”. Don’t be afraid of this phase. You have spent time searching your soul and digging all kinds of ideas up. Hopefully, you have enjoyed creating all this without much sass from your “editor”. But now, its time for the editor to step up and do his job. Despite our love for what we’ve given birth to in the creative process, we eventually have to scrutinize what we have done. Chances are, we can improve on what we started.

"Genius is nothing but a greater aptitude for patience." - Benjamin Franklin

I’d like to try and compile a list of things to look for—things for the “editor” to do that can improve a lyric.

1. Look for variation in your use of language. For example, rather than using the word “Work” three times in a verse, explore alternatives—effort, energy, accomplish, etc. A good thesaurus can be a valuable tool in such a case. I used to write with someone who believed that the same word shouldn’t be used more than once in a song. That kind of standard will make you look for alternative words—which keeps your lyric more interesting.
2. Compare your verses. Does each verse say something new? Does the story idea expand with each verse? If each verse is saying the same thing with different words, then there is probably a problem.
3. Does the meter of each verse “mirror” itself, so the melody will be consistent? Or has the meter and melody changed radically between verses? If so, that should be addressed.
4. Are the lyrics conversational? Do they sound like the way people talk? Look for stilted phrases that sound unnatural. If possible, make them flow like normal speech.
5. Does the verse flow logically into the chorus idea? There needs to be a logical jumping off point from the verse into the chorus. Use these tests: the verse should imply a connection—“in other words”, “what I mean is”, “and so”, “because”, etc, when going into a chorus. If there is NO connection between the verse idea and the chorus, that is a red flag, and the end of the verse should be addressed.
6.  Musically speaking, how does the song clock out? Is it 2, 3, 4 or 5 minutes long? If you are in the 5 minute range, you have a long song—probably too long for either radio play or most listeners attention span. If the song is 2 minutes, it’s probably too short for most listeners these days.
7. If the song is too long—look at the structure. How many verses exist? If it is three, perhaps it needs to be condensed down to two strong verses. Look at the intro and musical sections between verses. Are they long? Could they be edited down to allow more space for the verse, chorus and bridge?
8. If the song is too short—think about adding a bridge, an extra verse or an instrumental section. The rule of thumb is to find something under four minutes and over three minutes these days.
9. A good question to ask is: “Have I covered everything about my theme or subject that I wanted to say in my song?” If the answer is no, then the rewrite has to address the holes somehow. Perhaps the verses need more information, or a bridge could be added to expand the thought in a satisfactory way.
10. Look at the hook. What element(s) of your song are designed to be memorable—even sing-song or “ear-worm”?  Even if your listener doesn’t remember half of what is said in the verses, the chorus needs to, by using repetition, put a melodic and lyrical stamp on your song that people will remember. We want the listener to retain they lyrical and melodic hook of the chorus. This can be done in three ways. First, repetition of the title. Second, repetition of the melody. Third, repetition of the beat or meter of the lyric. At best, all three happen simultaneously.
11. Imagine this scenario—you have one shot to get someone to remember your song. So you concentrate on your chorus and build repetition into it. This is key to writing hit songs in general. If your song does not leave the listener with predictable patterns, then it will be difficult for the listener to remember what was heard. A re-write should address such a lack. A correction can be as simple as a repeated phrase or couplet.
12. Is there a bad line, but you keep it because you can’t think of anything else that works? If it is due to a rhyme scheme, try altering the rhyme. Also, look at what the lines are communicating. Even try writing the section a different way. Sometimes that solves the problem. Is it a great line surrounded by lesser lines? If so, don’t be afraid to pitch it all and go for something that works better in the big picture. Seasoned writers toss great lines all the time if they don’t serve the song.

A first draft may contain 90% of the intended message. The re-write is meant to add meaning, smooth transitions, fill in information gaps and to strengthen the song in terms of ideas and melodic power. The main point is to not settle for first draft. In most cases, that first draft can be made even stronger, and that is the goal. The idea is to strengthen what is good and to eliminate what is trite, redundant and amateur. If you know it can be better, don’t settle for what you have. Go the extra distance. When every word, every melody and every transition in your song is really right, you will know it.

This is what rewriting is all about—honing and polishing what you have until it has a completeness without holes or dead spots. It can often take more time than the whole phase of putting a first draft together, but this is where a song can rise from good to great. Using both your creative self and, then, your “editor” can raise a song to a much higher level. 

Don’t let laziness enter your writing process. If you know your song can be improved, take the extra time to perfect it. Never settle and call a song finished when you know it still needs work. In the real world of the music business, a writer’s work needs to be bulletproof—immune to being torn apart. The rewrite involves fixing the weak lines, tweaking the melody and structure so that the final song can stand on its own.

The term rewrite doesn’t just mean just one fix either. It may involve several drafts. The song may evolve over time. One fix might suggest another one later on. Don’t be in a huge hurry, because some mistakes aren’t so obvious in the initial writing. Often, a few days away lets a writer come back with a fresher, more objective take on the first draft.

Above all else, don’t become so attached to your own work that you won’t EVER change a word. There are countless excuses for not working harder: “that’s how I felt at the time,” “I know what it means—so I’m happy with it,” “I wrote it so it must be OK,” “that’s how I write,” “it makes perfect sense to me,” etc. We all love our “children” but I have never met a seasoned writer who didn’t either re-write after the fact or continuously “re-write” from section to section. The more one understands that most of writing is a craft, the more one begins to see the elements of lyrics and melody as being moldable—like clay. Embrace the idea of change as a part of the process.

I don’t mean to imply that there is no magic in writing. There is. What I call “happy accidents” happen too—those moments where something transpires that brings the song to life. There is an entire emotional undercurrent that can be running in the subconscious of the writer. When tapped into, there are times when the song is born fully formed. If you sense that you really “got lucky,” make a worktape and let it sit for a while. Then, listen with fresh ears. Get far enough away from yourself, so to speak, that you can listen like someone who has never heard the song. You will soon have a pretty good idea about whether you nailed the idea or if it does need some work.

I’ve read countless stories about songwriters who, in a few moments of inspiration, seemed to grab an idea out of the air, capture it and turn it into something special. I have no doubt that these miracles do occur. In all cases, though, I have noted that such writers had learned the craft of songwriting BEFORE they channeled their great songs. In turn, the same songwriters worked very hard on most of the other songs they wrote.

So, learn the craft. Understand song forms, meter, lyrical construction, hooks, melody, prosody, rhythm rhyme and repetition. Songwriting is neither 100% craft or 100% divine inspiration. It lies in between somewhere. I believe it leans toward the craft, but needs the inspiration too.