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By Jon Hanover

Visualization

How do we as writers of lyrics use imagery to convey what we mean and what we want the reader/listener to see themselves when they read/listen to our lyrics. We can be straightforward, and use very common elements and descriptions.

Example :

A rose is red,

the sky is blue,

the sun is yellow

etc.

I know you are saying " no duh " or whatever is trendy these days I'm so old...lol. Those are easy and boring observations, and if I read/heard that in someone's lyrics I would be snoozing real fast. How do you convey the images above, yet do it in such a way that it makes the reader say " yeah that's cool " or again whatever it is that is trendy to say...lol. Let's breakdown each observation and then enhance it.

Example :

A rose is red

Enhanced :

Blushing, and crimson wild rose

Using an action such as blushing where someone would turn red and the color of crimson a deep red, while adding in a type of rose from garden grown to wild, in this case wild. We have a picture in our minds of a rose that looks much better than just a red one.

Example :

The sky is blue

Enhanced :

The azure/cobalt/cerulean/indigo/turquoise expanse

We used a specific color, anything on the color scale will do and depending on the mood of the writing will work. Then we used a word such as expanse to make it feel endless and huge. A lot of songwriters / lyricists have substituted sky with such words, " Wild Blue Yonder ", " Beyond The Blue Horizon ", as well as many contemporary songs, sometimes it seems like a competition, and all I can say is bring it, or whatever it is that is popular to say like that...lol

Example :

The sun is yellow

Before we begin to enhance it, let's remember that the sun itself is a star that our planet rotates. A simple and basic rule we tend to forget about now and then. You as the writer could capitalize on that and make the reader/listener go " oh yeah " and have them remember what you said.

Enhanced :

That white-hot yellow star I adore

Notice how I used it's actual color and attributed an emotional action to it? It might be a little out there but it is more descriptive and more memorable and less boring.

Play-On-Words and Alternate Meanings

These are techniques I use as well as many songwriters that inspire me. A play-on-words is also good for chorus work, in this case for visual aid it will help the reader/listener of the lyrics see something that they normally wouldn't see. Sometimes you can take the most basic observation and turn it on it's head. Let's use a state motto, my state of Colorado is " Colorful Colorado ".

Example :

I was gray and drab until I hit the state line

Colorado is coloring more than my mind

You see how I changed the meaning of the whole motto? Pointing out a specific look to the character that is approaching Colorado, gray and drab so you have this colorless character that is being painted before your eyes and ears ( if recited/sung ). This technique can be tricky and not easy but if done right can yield great results.

Now, as far as alternate meanings go they can be far easier than play-on-words, however they can be misunderstood just as fast. If I were to say the old saying " Paint the town red " as " Paint the town read " some might come forward to correct me. The first phrase is for going out and partying the second would be the past tense of reading, as if the character was bored being too familiar with the town. Elvis Costello, and the writing duo of Ian McCullock and Will Sargent ( from Echo & The Bunnymen ) are geniuses at this and I will provide examples below. Alternate meanings can really help someone visualize what you are saying with less information. I did a series of poems and lyrics entitled " April Reigns " based off the old saying " April showers-bring May flowers ", instead of " rains " I used " reigns " which means to rule so I have completely changed the meaning of the old phrase and made you see something other than raindrops.

Example : Elvis Costello's " Green Shirt "

There's a smart young woman on a light blue screen

Who comes into my house every night.

And she takes all the red, yellow, orange and green

And she turns them into black and white.

But you tease, and you flirt

And you shine all the buttons on your green shirt

You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get it

You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get it

How absolutely visual and thought provoking and the main driving instrument is a synthesizer that sounds like a harpsichord. Quizling was the mayor of Oslo Norway during World War I I, and for his betrayal of the Norwegian people his name became the official Norwegian language word for traitor. There is so much imagery and symbolism in this you could spend days interpreting it.

Example : Echo and The Bunnymen's " Everybody Knows "

Everybody knows how your garden grows

And everybody knows how your garden grows

Everyone can see I'm blind as blind can be

The woods look just like trees

Look like trees to me

Taking all the 'Be's' out of May

Speaks for itself and shows you how you can take apart a simple word such as " maybe " and using the phrasing that they do " Taking all the be's out of May " they have also given you a sense of the old saying above " April showers bring May flowers ". You tend to find " bees " on flowers in May, so they gave us a visual in the middle of a very emotional moment, that is genius lyric writing.

Symbolism

There was a whole art movement visual, written, dramatic, and music devoted to symbolism in the late nineteenth century I would recommend immersing yourself in that to see how they conveyed what they wanted to say as artists. There are some powerful paintings from that time. Symbolism, itself can be tricky, in that one culture might see something as beautiful and desirable where as another might see it as ugly and repulsive. You sometimes tread a razor thin line on that. A good example of that is the color of yellow, in the West that can be viewed as cowardice and afraid to face a confrontation " I wanted to settle the score but he was yellow and ran off ", in the East in the Nava Rasa ( Nine Emotional states ) in Hindi/Sanskrit literature yellow is the color of Veera the Rasa of courage and heroism, as well as the Rasa of Abadabhuta which is of wonder and curiosity.

A country's flag, the colors it is comprised of and the objects on the flag itself are symbols. The American flag for those who do not know, has thirteen stripes of alternating red and white to symbolize the " original thirteen colonies " and fifty white stars on a blue square to represent all fifty states. Sometimes as in the case of the Netherlands, it is the color you don't see unless at sporting events that defines their history and symbolism. They have a flag that is blue, white, and red in equal sized vertical stripes, yet it was Willem of the Orange that lead to their freedom and founding, hence the orange uniforms for their national teams in any sport and orange on the supporters reminding themselves and anyone who knows of their history they are proud to be orange.

Since time began humanity has found ways of describing what they see in this world to share with others. Passed down through philosophy, religion, folklore, mythology, fables, poems, music and whatever else was and is readily available. Some beautiful songs can be written from passages in any religious book, or you could even take the writings of philosophers and offer up your interpretation and can even offer up a new direction off of it. Some old sayings as well " you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink ", " like a bull in a china shop ", and so many many more.

Study Aids

These are items and ideas I recommend, you are under no obligation to rush right out and buy anything nor to read and study anything I suggest. I put it out there so if you are not familiar with colors or symbolism you can study them and it could help you visualize better.

1. A color wheel, see if someone has one you can borrow or you can take the free color sample sheets ( if they are free ask first please ) from a paint or hardware store, or even look them up online. This gives you all the different shades you could want maybe the sky is " vermilion " or " burnt sienna " instead of blue. Some of the terminology to use when searching " Pantone Scale " " Color Theory " " RGB Module " " CMYK Module " even " paint supplies " would be enough to get you started.
2. A book from the library or even online searches for mythology and fables. Maybe you could write something off of Jason and the Argonauts, or even about Paul Bunyon the lumberjack. There is an unlimited supply of stories and proverbs to use, try to keep an open mind.
3. Sayings are everywhere, from old and cliché to relatively new in this " technological " age we live in. Try taking a standard saying like " those living in glass houses should not be throwing stones " and turning it around or revising it to " the house was rocked by the shattering of the carelessly thrown words that flew faster than glass shards ". That might be a little too extreme, but gives you an idea of what you can do. Although you won't know that until you start doing it. Take any saying and alter it until it yields what you want and what you want the reader/listener to visualize
4. Write, write, write, write, and keep writing. Explore the world of poetry where Lyrics lives and see what forms appeal to you. The Japanese form of Haiku is one of discipline and minimal description to visualize a scene. An example of one of mine :

   Afternoon Mirage ( Haiku ) 2008

   Man-made lighting

   A hallucination

   To nature's own.

   On the Haiku, there are rules to adhere to. I would suggest looking up the form and trying on your own to redefine what you want to visualize. You might be surprised at how it can help you edit and write more using less.

5. Explore the world around you. You might live in one part of town that is a certain set amount of colors, why not visit another part of the town or even another that is different than your's. Other cultures have features and a uniqueness that could inspire you. Even the different languages and accents all around us paint pictures.
6. I said it earlier but will say it again " keep an open mind " that does not mean let everything in, but take everything in at your own pace and assess what it means to you and why. More importantly though how can you use what you have observed to make others see it or feel it.

In conclusion, you can say " I saw a butterfly in the meadows today " for common and well used visualizing or you can say " I saw a monarch flutter across the lime green meadows on that day " and really enhance the experience for all. Like all endeavors of creativity slow down, take your time, and do not be afraid to work hard to make it happen. I have a lot of versions off of any given theme I take on, experimenting and editing are essential to strong and memorable lyrics keep an open mind and learn.

PS. I have been painting since I was twelve and professionally since I was twenty four, drawing still but started that at the age of two and playing with clay since that age as well. I have also worked in many aspects of photo finishing from custom to machine printing, as well as working in many aspects of the offset printing industry, my current occupation is that of a certified floral designer. So at the tender age of forty seven I have seen a lot of color, design, and imagery but I have not seen it all and I am constantly amazed by this beautiful world we live in and learning.

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About Jon Hanover

Colorado based songwriter Jon Hanover comes from a strongly musical family. This one time lead singer and front-man for a Hardcore thrash band in the 80's now writes creative lyrics and music for guitar and voice, and he has been known to pick up the ukulele.

His lyrics are influenced by Elvis Costello and other under the radar Pop song writers. For Jon lyrics are a form of visualizing through text and language, and regarding his own songs, another extension of his broadly expressed creativity.

While he himself has no formal training in lyrics writing, Jon does believe that writing songs is a lifetime in the learning and formal training is no barrier to a serious study of the art form. The best way to improve is to approach songwriting openly and honestly with a drive to understand the art of creating a song. It is this joint thirst to understand the songwriter's craft along with an enthusiasm for communicating those ideas and observations to his fellow aspiring songwriters that lead Jon to join the Songstuff Site Crew as one of our article writers.

Jon aims to help other songwriters improve their lyrics writing, simple as that.

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