Writing a song

Here we go! Here's where we put it all together and write a new Spoken Word Song.

 Here's your checklist :

  1. imagine the story 
  2. decide how you’re going to tell it.
  3. make it come alive with detail
  4. use rhyme, repetition and interesting language to make it ‘pop’
  5. find your Chorus
  6. practice it out loud.

Imagine the story 

Last time we used a photograph for our inspiration. Now we are going to try listening to music. For a song to be truly effective, the words and the music have to connect. 

Choose one of Jay’s pieces of music to work from. Listen to it on repeat. Write down everything it makes you think of. You could write a list, draw a sketch, make a messy page just like before. 

If you get stuck... try using one of the photographs from the resources page. Decide which one you think goes best with the music and use that to work from. Make a messy page like before. 

Decide how you're going to tell it

here are a few ideas:

  • a letter
  • a diary entry
  • will it be advice for life
  • or a short story

Make it come alive with detail

Think about:

  • The people 
  • Their expressions
  • Their clothes
  • Their posture
  • The scenery
  • What time is it?
  • What is happening
  • Other objects, things, animals in the picture

 Use rhyme, repetition and interesting language to make it pop

  • adjectives (describing words)
  • similes (using 'as' or 'like' - i.e. "she looked like an elephant just stepped on her toe.")
  • metaphors (describing one thing as if it were another i.e. "The idea was a rocket, it sent me to space.")
  • speech i.e. "she said, oi! gimme those crisps!"
  • description of things you can hear, feel, smell, taste and see.

you can create the feeling of rhythm in your song by including rhymes and repeated words too. 

Build your Chorus

Find a line which feels important and write it down separately. Then, build a chorus by writing down two, three or four more lines. These can rhyme with the first line, or share repeated words or ideas. 

Practice it aloud

Your Spoken Word Song will really start to take shape when you read it aloud, with the music playing. 

 Spend some time on this. You'll want to change it. Change words, change the order. If you've got speech in your piece, maybe you want to add voices for certain characters. 

Practise, practise, practise! 


Top tip: Try using a mobile phone or a sound recorder to make a recording of yourself once you're happy with your song, so you'll have it to remember forever. 

Complete and continue