Thesaurus Rex by Songwriting Tips & Tricks • A podcast on Anchor
Hey lads, here is the transcript for the second episode of the podcast.
Hello and welcome everyone out there listening to this program.
Thank you for tuning in once more for another episode on songwriting tips & tricks
Have you ever been searching for a better way to rephrase an idea, or maybe you’ve been looking for a word that fits the meter or beat or paints a more beautiful image in the audiences head? If that is the case, then today’s episode will help you with just that.
Today’s episode is dedicated to a powerful weapon that should be an essential tool in your songwriting. Of course, we are talking about synonyms.
What is a synonym? Or instead, what is the definition of the word synonym.
1 one of two or more words or expressions of the same language that have the same or nearly the same meaning in some or all senses
2 a word or phrase that by association is held to embody something (such as a concept or quality) a tyrant whose name has become a synonym for oppression
So close your eyes for a minute, or think back to the last song you have been working on. Are you there? Great. Now try to remember writing the lyrics and what you have been thinking about. Did you write the words straight from your mind? Did you contemplate the pictures and how you could clarify or rephrase it more colloquial? If you did, then you are already implementing this powerful tool. If not, don’t worry, it is rather tedious work and may take a lot more time than your usual writing.
But how do we use a Thesaurus properly, and what is the intention behind it.
So in general, firstly we open our Thesaurus, may it be digitally or analogue. Then we search for a word we want to get a synonym for, so you search for the entry like you would in a dictionary, or you type it in a digital option. Let us simulate this for a second. So given we are looking for a sharper word for the rather common word heart. In the right context, that word could be compelling on its own, and maybe your style of writing could be based on an everyday style of speech. However, perhaps you want to re-illustrate the picture.
So we search for the entry heart in our Thesauruses. Type it in on MacMillan.And on the left, I have already searched for the word in the rather heavy book (which may be the significant disadvantage of an analogous one). And from here it is quite easy. When we have found the word, we have to think about the meaning we want it to convey. In this case, heart does not only stands for an organ in a body but has various meanings depending on the context. So in the internet version, in our case, the MacMillan dictionary, this is quite easy and well-organised. We search for the right meaning, and just beneath the definition of the word, there is a button for the Thesaurus. As easy as that. Then there is an array of general terms about the concept behind the word heart. So as some of you might know there is a theory in linguistics or language studies in general which is called the semiotic-triangle. This triangle tries to explain the cognitive work when we read, write or speak a word or vice versa. So when we think about a picture we want to convey may be the heart, in this case, we might immediately know the word in our native language. Still, if you are writing in your second language, it might take some more time. So the logic behind this triangle is that the word heart, of course, is just defined term in your language. At the same time, in another language, like in German, there is a different word for the concept behind this. Anyway, you get the point. A word is not bound to the picture. And of course, both the idea and the word are not the real thing.
And this is excellent news for us songwriters. This means that writing has seemingly endless possibilities for rephrasing and conveying pictures. So rephrasing is an essential and essential part of speech.
So let’s get to work. We have found the Thesaurus online an see where the internet comes in handy, not only do we have it at hand at any location, but it is easy to handle. The offline version of this is not as fast as the online one. However, we might get more information and an interesting choice of words that are not available on some platforms and has a special sophisticated touch to it. But that depends on your choice of Thesaurus.
Now you might ask, where do you get neat synonyms and how can you use it in your songs?
Perhaps just have a look in a nearby library, book or antiquities shop or do a little online research for a suitable Thesaurus. For my taste, MacMillan, Merriam-Webster or the Oxford dictionary are reliable sources with high esteem. Analogous Thesauruses should also be adequately collected and published by a renowned publisher. If you are a student at a university, there may also be a table in the linguistics faculty giving away old books that and if you are lucky like I was with my Oxford Thesaurus, you get a tremendous Thesaurus for free. Having one at home comes in quite handy when you are writing.
So there is a little poem we are going to write together now. It intentionally is not sophistically well written nor rhyming, as we think about the synonyms to rhyme it with.
The pain I try to drown in bottles.
The hole it left me with alone
The broken heart lies down in pieces
You swept away so easily
So well, not much of a story, it is quite open and un-rhyming. However, some pictures could be coherently connected. So, we need to look for the nouns adjectives and adverbs, as they convey the most pictorial meaning.
The PAIN I TRY to DROWN in ALCOHOL.
The HOLE it LEFT ME with ALONE
The BROKEN HEART is DOWN in PIECES
YOU SWEPT away so EASILY
The nouns are the most critical conveyors in language, as they determine the verbs that follow it and also have specific attributes. So in order, we will look up nouns first, then think about the verbs and then have a look for the adjectives and adverbs. In this case, I will be using the MacMillan Thesaurus.
A suitable noun for pain would be agony or distress, I find as it paints a picture of great pain and is more specific.
Next up Alcohol, MacMillan does not have the word I am searching for, so I head over to Merriam-Webster. I like the bottle, as it is quite illustrative and fits the broken pieces in the next line.
Another word for HOLE would be crack, and I like this one as it has a delicate touch to it.
Heart, we had earlier, and a suitable word which is quite the contrary to the picture is virtue. And if the protagonist is a man, it leaves the impression of weakness and weariness. Let’s try this once and change the to my as well as it is more personal. To my mind, I’m going to drop the is. We are also going to stick with pieces in this case as I cannot find a suitable word that is of my liking.
So this far we have got:
The distress I TRY to DROWN in bottles
The cracks it LEFT ME WITH alone
My broken virtue down in pieces
and you SWEPT AWAY so easily
The last line is mainly verbal and adverbial, so we’re going to proceed with the verbs.
For verbs, I prefer Merriam-Webster, as there is a whole section between a noun synonym that find synonyms for the verb.
To try, we are going to trade in to strive, as it also has the same sound as try but has a more zealous feeling and in this context seems more vulnerable. Drown is left the same. The next line is also staying just as it is for now. The next line is without a verb, and the next line suits the picture of shattered glass and erasing all evidence.
So far, we have:
The distress I strive to drown in bottles.
The cracks it left me with alone.
My broken virtue down in pieces.
And you swept it away so easily.
So next up adjectives and adverbs.
The first line has none, the second one only has the alone. And the Thesaurus has on one’s own as a suggestion. And thus I’m rephrasing the line to The cracks I’m left with on my own. The broken virtue could also be sinking to pieces as it gives an exciting connotation to the act of falling and cracking open. Perhaps a slow-motion memory or a submerged feeling of shock. The easily is quite dull and common, so the Thesaurus also suggests naturally. In this picture, I find it rather suitable, as he/she appears to be emotionally cold and perhaps a notorious heartbreaker. I’m adding a pronoun in the last line, and we are about done.
So eventually we end up with something like this:
The distress I strive to drown in bottles.
The cracks I’m left with on my own.
My broken virtue sunk to pieces.
And you swept it away so naturally.
Well, it is not a Shakespearean masterpiece. However, this is the first synopsis perhaps, from where we can continue with the next part of the story.
So for now, I think this is a great start. Maybe some of you want to try using my poem with your Thesaurus and start telling your own story from there. I’d be thrilled to hear some of your own interpretations that have different twists.
As you can see, you can find synonyms for nearly every word you might be searching for. Maybe you understand now, how powerful this tool can be. An interesting exercise is using a verse or chorus from one of your favourite songs and try rephrasing it. It opens up a whole world of opportunities, as suddenly there are so many words you can choose from. While pop-music today sometimes is somewhat stodgy in its choice of words, maybe you can go this extra mile to add appealing pictures to your lyrics.
So if you have a few minutes, look up your favourite song and rephrase a few lines from the song. If you like, just send me a message with your poem, and I read it out in the next episode.
Okay, just one more thing that pops up in my mind right now. I guess that most of you listen to music in the language you are using in songwriting as well. An inspiring approach to new inspiration or idea could be to use a song in a language that you are not writing in, in my case that would be German, roughly translate it and do the same thing we did earlier. You might come to entirely different ideas and pictures that lead to a number one hit while telling the same story with different words.
So thank you for listening to this episode. There is more to expect in the next month, and I am so thrilled to continue this program.
I want to leave you with a song recommendation today, and I am really inspired by the style of writing that is implemented. An artist I discovered a few weeks ago. Boy In Space, if you haven’t heard of him, has heartbreaking lyrics that are so illustrative. His song Drown is a touching ballad and really well-written. So not only the song is really catchy and flawlessly performed, but the lyrics in themself carry a lot of meaning and fit the music so beautifully. He has recently been the opening act for Alec Benjamin, and his social media is really down to earth and fun to follow. Give it a listen and note down some pictures, rephrase his songs if you want to as well and happy songwriting.
So long I hope you enjoyed today’s episode and stick around for another round next time. If you like the format, please feel free to support it by subscribing to it and marking it 5 stars. More tips are available on the Tumblr-blog on songwriting tips & tricks. I wish you all the best and see you next time.
Have you ever been searching for a better way to rephrase an idea, or maybe you’ve been looking for a word that fits the meter or beat or paints a more beautiful image in the audiences head? If that is the case, then today’s episode will help you with just that.
We are about to discuss different reliable Thesauruses, be it digital or analogue, rephrase a sample poem and devise a scheme on how to rephrase a line. In the end, you’d be fully aware of using synonyms properly, finding new approaches to writing original lyrics and getting new ideas from rephrasing your favourite songs.
If you like the format, leave a quick review and subscribe to the show. If you know friends who are searching for a program just like this, just let them know as well. If you have any suggestions or feedback, leave it in the comments or send me a message on any social media platform.
Until the next episode, as always, happy songwriting.
Kieper