For example, a couple of years ago I drove from Dallas to Nashville for one of my many business trips there. I was alone and it is sometimes hard to stay awake for the twelve hours of travel time between the two cities. I knew that if my mind were active and engaged, I would stay more alert and the time would pass more quickly, so I decided to write a song. Not having any particular idea to write about, I began to look at the billboards along the road and noticed that almost every other sign -- advertising a plethora of foods and services -- contained the words "Exit Now." My songwriter's brain began to ruminate on that phrase and I soon realized that this could be a "sign" for someone to "exit" from a relationship. Before I had reached my Memphis, I had written a Country song called Exit Now. The lyric for the song follows below. As you read it, try to evaluate whether or not I met the criteria for writing a hook and whether I displayed it well on the black velvet backdrop of the verses and the bridge.
Exit Now
I was driving down the interstate
Praying for a sign
Should I leave you? Should I stay?
My heart fought with my mind
So I asked for some direction
In what I oughtta do
At least a good suggestion
Some supernatural clue
And then I saw a billboard
On the roadside just ahead
It was the sign
I knew was mine
And this is what it said.....
CHORUS:
Exit now -- while your eyes are open
Exit now -- before he lies again
Exit now -- before your heart gets broken
So bad it will never mend
Exit now
It hit me like a ton of bricks
I rubbed my teary eyes
I thought my mind was playing tricks
Until I realized
That each offramp on the highway
For miles and miles and miles
Had signs that pointed my way
And I began to smile
Cause my prayers had all been answered
In a way I won't forget
Now my bags are packed
And I won't be back
Cause, Baby, you can bet..... I'm gonna....
CHORUS:
Exit now -- while * my * eyes are open
Exit now -- before * you * lie again
Exit now -- before * my * heart gets broken
So bad it will never mend
I'm gonna exit now
BRIDGE:
There are signs of life and signs of the times
And signs of changing weather
But I remember most of all
The signs that said I'd better.........
Lyrics: Mary Dawson
Music: Cheryl Bocanegra
Copyright 1997 / CQK Music/ASCAP
Whether you are just getting started as a songwriter, or whether you have been writing for years, train yourself to become aware of hook ideas -- and then discipline yourself to write them down or tape them. Cooks have "cookbooks" -- songwriters should have "hookbooks" -- notebooks for writing down those great lyrical or melodic fragments that all too soon escape us if we don't record them. As you "train your brain" you will find that you are bumping into great ideas and great hooks all over the place -- in conversations, at the movies, even in the middle of the night (keep a hookbook or tape recorder on your bedside table). As your notebook fills up with ideas, your songwriting will take on new creativity and excitement.
To summarize, the hook of the song is very much like the punch line of a joke. It is that one line that we want the listener to "get" -- the line that "makes the light go on" in his/her eyes. The rest of the song is the "setup" for the punch line and must always move to that one great payoff musical and lyrical line. We'll have more to say about hooks and titles next time, but for now, start listening for great hooks on the radio and start training yourself to find your own.
Remember: a great idea can often get lost in the shuffle unless you find a killer hook to hang it on!
Copyright © 1999/Mary Dawson
All right reserved
<< Previous Page
Discuss this article in our Music Forum.
About Mary Dawson
From her earliest childhood years writing simple songs and poems with her father, through her twelve years as an overseas missionary, to her present, multi-faceted career as an author, lyricist/songwriter and conference speaker, Mary has always been adept at using words to communicate her heart to others. She is the President of CQK Records & Music of Dallas, Texas, a company which creates and produces songs in a panorama of musical styles for a variety of audiences, She is also the host of "I Write the Songs," a nationally syndicated radio talk show, especially created to inspire and instruct the more than 25 million aspiring songwriters in the U.S. "I Write the Songs" is broadcast over the Internet from www.lyricalline.com, and is the only on-air songwriting workshop either on radio or the Internet. Mary is a frequent public speaker and seminar lecturer on songwriting. She is a Contributing Editor for The Internet Writing Journal TM, and is a regular columnist for Independent Songwriter Web Magazine. Mary's commitment to discovering and mentoring talented new songwriters has given her extensive experience in song analysis through adjudicating songwriting competitions and conducting songwriting workshops across the country and around the world. Because of her role as president of an independent music company, she is also well qualified to instruct aspiring songwriters on the various business aspects of the music industry. She is married and a mother of four. She resides in the Dallas area.
Copyright © 1999-2005 by Mary Dawson. All Rights Reserved.
Related Articles By This Author
Build-A-Song Part 8 -- Finishing Touches
Build-A-Song Part 7 - The Emergence of the Verses
Build-A-Song Part 6 - Tips for Tunesmiths
Build-A-Song Part 5 - Creating Hit Melodies
Build-A-Song Part 4 - Cadence and the Beginning of the Melody
Build-A-Song Part 3 - Free Flow
Build-A-Song Part 2 - From the Idea to the Hook
Build-A-Song Part 1 - The Idea
