Having Trouble Writing a Chorus?

I’ve found writing a chorus or refrain to be one of the tougher points of finishing a lyric.

In order to find something that you can repeat over and over in a song, consider this question: why repeat yourself that often?

Here are a few possible answers:

To ensure that you were heard.
To emphasize.
To remind.
To recite a mantra.
To ensure understanding.
To show your conviction.
To issue a warning.
To ask a question.
To celebrate something good.
To convince others.
To convince yourself.
To reassure.
To scold.
To plead.
To gloat.
To give an order.
To consider a new perspective.
To spur somebody on to action.
To advertise.
To fish for a response.
To revisit a question that’s resisting an easy answer.
To emotionally process an event.
To console.
To show reliability.
To relive something beautiful.
To hammer us with the truth.

What’d I miss? Why else might you repeat something?

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Comments

Sarah

December 19, 2011 at 05:09

Because it means something different teach time it’s said.
One example, “Don’t Take the Girl,” by Tim McGraw
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/tim+mcgraw/dont+take+the+girl_20137360.html
- Nicholas Tozier
  
  December 19, 2011 at 13:00
  
  You’re right about that, Sarah. That’s a classic lyric, too–thanks for posting it; I’d never actually read it on a page. It’s really well-crafted.
  
  Pat Pattison calls this “Productive repetition”.