How to Write Vividly Descriptive Lyrics

photo by Hillary Tozier

Have you ever read a line so descriptively vivid and lifelike that you feel like you lived it yourself?

Writers spend years of their lives—if not decades—fine-tuning this art of knowing exactly which words to use to capture an experience. When protagonist Samantha steps through the front door, the writer could choose to just tell us that she ran home through the rain in her bare feet. But is telling the best way?

A better writer might paint the scene by describing the “Dark green blades of grass plastered to Samantha’s wet feet.” This sounds much more believable. Seeing is believing, and those blades are a detail we can clearly see.

Whether you’re writing a novel, a poem or a song lyric, the concept is the same: where appropriate, allow your readers or listeners the illusion of experiencing the scene or situation for themselves. We trust the evidence of our senses—so when you write, call upon our senses.

Abstract and Concrete Nouns

Before we go much further, I want to make a clear distinction between abstract and concrete nouns. An abstract noun represents a concept that you will never physically see or touch. Nouns like love, courage, and eternity are abstract.

Other nouns are concrete. These represent physical objects and other things that you can experience with the senses. Apples, mugs, and balloons are all concrete nouns.

Increase the concentration of concrete nouns in your writing, and you’re already writing more descriptively.

Choosing Specific Nouns

Here, let me play optometrist for a moment. Just tell me which one’s easier to visualize:

1. tree
2. birch

1. bird
2. oriole

1. structure
2. pyramid

Whatever you’re writing about, you should always choose the clearest and most specific noun available.

Zooming in with Adjectives

To present an even more detailed picture, add adjectives! Describe a peeling birch, a fiery oriole, a colossal pyramid. These adjectives pair up with specific nouns to create vivid images.

For fun, try pairing nouns and adjectives together at random: swollen birch, dissolving oriole, iridescent pyramid! Surreal.

Verb Me

Verbs flicker, flex and pulse from the page, describing motion and action. Choose your verbs with the same care that you choose your nouns and adjectives—they’re responsible for animating the pictures you’ve created.

Adverbs

Adverbs are words like candidly, sleepily, and lightly.

Be sparing with these, and always consider whether you can replace them with other parts of speech… or cut them altogether. I recommend using adverbs only when you know it’s the right word for that situation. For when we need to know that the door clicks shut silently. Or the night falls heavily.

Using a Thesaurus

Often when a line of description has further potential, you’ll feel a slight nagging sensation about it. Get in the habit of asking yourself: “How can I make this passage more descriptive and detailed?”

One great way to explore options is to open a thesaurus. It’s full of suggestions that can help you find exactly the right word for any situation. Make sure your dictionary is nearby, too—you’ll want to look up any options that you’re even slightly fuzzy about.

Remember that the goal of a thesaurus is not to find the fanciest, longest, or quirkiest word for your lyric. This exercise is about finding the perfect word for what you’re describing.

Building Your Vocabulary

• If you don’t already own a good thesaurus and a dictionary, go get one of each! You can find cheap used ones on Amazon or in local thrift stores. If you use these as you write, you’ll pick up some new words. If you’re a real geek like me, you’ll find yourself flipping through these just for fun.
• There are several books out there designed to build your vocabulary. Often these are daily readers, with a new word to learn every morning.
• Read everything you can get your hands on! And not just online. Read fiction, nonfiction, poetry, great drama, anything that catches your fancy.
• Wherever you are, whatever you’re reading, always look up any word that you can’t clearly define. Don’t just guess based on context!
• Have I proven myself to be a dork yet? No? Okay, make sure you’re sitting down for this one… you could carry around a small notebook in which you write down any word that you hear or read.

Focusing Your Lens

A final word of caution: don’t overload your lyric by describing endless detail. Prioritize; target only the most important images–the ones that convey ideas and advance the story.

Details you only need to touch upon briefly can be sketched in with broader language, with fewer adjectives and other modifiers.

Conclusion

Be specific and definite. Collect words that turn you on and store them away for later use. The English language has an enormous vocabulary—if you’re a wordsmith, seize it!

Why settle for a word that’s almost right?

 

If you liked this article, check out the Sensory Songwriting Series:

• Part 1: How to Write Lyrics that Capture Your Listener’s Imagination
• Part 2: Shocking Life into Frankenstein’s Monster
• Part 3: Pluck at a Corner, Pull Out the World

Also Relevant:

• How the Haiku can Improve Your Songwriting