The Lyricist’s Mindset: Turning Abstract Ideas into Tangible Innovations
Although I’ve been playing musical instruments for roughly fifty years, I consider my primary strength as a songwriter to be that of a lyricist. While there’s no doubt that properly written lyrics have their own musicality to them in terms of rhythm and phrasing, the words to a song are there to bring ideas to life. And, for the record, bringing new ideas to life is the very definition of innovation. When I lead organizations through the process of writing lyrics to a song, we’re doing much more than telling a short, effective story; we’re building the kinds of skills that make for improved innovation of all kinds. Below are a few ways that writing lyrics trains us to turn abstract ideas into tangible innovations.
Metaphor as a Problem-Solving Tool
If left to my own devices, I could wax ecstatic about the power of metaphors all day. Metaphors are an incredibly effective way of taking a dry or complicated concept and making it accessible, emotional and memorable. By thinking in terms of a metaphorical equivalent, lyrics can used to reframe ideas and discover unexpected solutions to a myriad of challenges. I begin each of my songwriting programs by taking a theme or concept that’s important to an organization and having them reimagine it via metaphor. For example, instead of saying it’s important to work well together as a team (an essential but not exactly inspiring or memorable statement), we can use the metaphor of a flock of geese flying south for the winter dependent upon each other for their survival. It’s quirky but immediately clear and memorable as a concept. By exploring our problems via metaphor, we’ll find new ways to think about and approach them.
Precision in Expression
As I’m fond of saying in my songwriting programs, “In songwriting - just like in life - when in doubt, say less.” Song lyrics aren’t novels or even short stories. They’re much more like a few lines on the back of a postcard. We’ve got precious little space and time to get to the point and to make our message memorable. By learning to write lyrics, we’re building the habit of saying more with less. This is a vital skill in clear, impactful communication. The more precise we can be in our communication, the greater the likelihood we can describe and promote our ideas in ways that will connect with others whether it’s in songs or innovations.
Bridging Creativity and Clarity
One of the most challenging - and ultimately satisfying - parts of lyric writing is learning to live with the chaos of the creative process for long enough to get to the “good stuff” then organizing it into a form that makes it shine. It’s this dichotomy of rough idea and polished final product that makes for great lyrics and great innovations. Lyric writing forces messy inspiration into structured form which is very much like the path from concept to deliverable innovation.
Conclusion
Whether our goal is to become professional songwriters or to build a culture of innovation within an organization, the approach is the same. By using the process of writing lyrics as a tool to sharpen our problem-solving skills, improve the precision in our expression and help us bridge creativity and clarity, we can’t help but improve as both writers and innovators.
Bio
Cliff Goldmacher is a GRAMMY-recognized, #1 hit songwriter, music producer and author with recording studios in Nashville, TN and Middle River, MD. Through his studios, Cliff provides songwriters outside of Nashville with virtual, live access to Nashville’s best session musicians and studio vocalists for their songwriting demos. Find out more. You can also download Cliff’s FREE tip sheet “A Dozen Quick Fixes To Instantly Improve Your Songs.”
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