KEEPING YOUR IMAGERY FRESH 
By Jason Blume

"What I look forward to in a song is much like going on a blind date. You 
can describe the perfect mate and be given that -- but still something is 
missing. For me, it's what excites me, makes me passionate, twists my guts 
in knots, it's a feeling. Technically, I look for an interesting lyric. How 
many ways can you say "I love you" without using the word love?"
-Judy Stakee (VP of Creative Services, Warner Chappell Music Publishing)

There's a game called Scattergories. The players are given a printed list of 
categories (i.e., a boy's name, a foreign capital, etc.). A multifaceted 
cube that has the letters of the alphabet on it is rolled. Whichever letter 
it lands on is the first letter of the items the players will list for that 
round. A timer is set and you've got to be quick. So, for example, if the 
letter is "R," for a boy's name, the first thing that pops into your head 
might be "Robert" or "Richard." For a foreign capital, you might think of 
Rome. But there's a catch -- if two or more of the players come up with the 
same answer, they don't get a point.

Songwriting is similar. If you come up with predictable, obvious lyrics, 
thousands of other writers will likely have the same idea -- and you won't 
get the "point" (i.e., the publishing deal, the cut, or the hit). To win at 
the game of songwriting stay away from trite and overused cliches and 
overused phrases and dig deeper to find fresh, new ways to express yourself. 
If your lyric included lines such as "holding hands under the moon," "make a 
brand new start," or "under the stars above," why should an artist choose 
yours over the thousands of others that are typically submitted for a major 
recording project?

A CREATIVE EXERCISE IN USING FRESH IMAGERY:

Replace the title and lyrics that follow with a new title and images that are 
fresh and detailed and natural. For example:

Sitting in this place
With these thoughts
At this time
Having this feeling

Might be expressed with fresh imagery and detailed as:

Sitting cross-legged on the hardwood floor
Thinking of us growing old together
And as the grandfather clock chimes two
I've got a feeling it's the start of forever

Now, as above, replace the following title and lyric with detailed, specific 
images. You might want to repeat this exercise several times, each time using 
a new title and additional imagery. You may be surprised at your ability to 
generate "pictures" within your lyrics. I was.


Verse 1:
Here in this setting
In this frame of mind
Doing this stuff
Here's what I want you to know

Chorus:
I love you
This is how much
This is how long I'll feel this way
This is how it feels
So in case you are wondering
I love you

Verse 2:
In the future
If you have any doubts
Remember this time
And you'll know

(Repeat Chorus)

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