How to Make Your Song Lyrics Stronger All songwriters struggle with their lyrics to their songs from time to time. It's one of the "hazards" of the trade. And many times we settle for words that aren't what we mean or don't carry enough punch. Even songwriters whose strength is their lyrics don't always take the proper amount of time to choose their words carefully.
The solution to this problem is to use words I call "power words". These are words that instantly paint a picture the moment you hear them. They are words that demand your attention and make you sit up and take notice. They are the words that make your song more than just ordinary. And isn't that what we all strive for?
Power words are words that are meant to inspire whether it is the songwriter coaxing the muse out of the closet or the listener placing a new release in the CD player. They are the words that make your song stand out from the pack. (Of course, this applies to other styles of writing as well whether you write poetry, fiction or even non-fiction. There is always a place for power words in any writing style.)
Power words convey strength and character. They are usually nouns, but can also be adjectives or adverbs. If you were using power words to describe a person, these would be words like radiant, robust, dashing, charming and charismatic. Power words, however, don't need to be positive words. Descriptive words like monster, shocking, gruesome and hellish are also power words.
Words like "beautiful" or "ugly" aren't power words in my dictionary of songwriting definitions. Which sounds better: "she's beautiful" or "she's enchanting"? Enchanting, of course, is a much better choice. It says so much more. And "he's grungy" or "he's grotesque" is more powerful than "he's ugly".
A good definition of a "power word" is a word that when written, read, spoken or heard immediately suggests something extraordinary. They are words that startle or inspire or make you vividly see something.