Songwriting Infobox

Song Model
Songwriting
Lyrics - Melody - Harmony - Rhythm - Form
Song Form
Title - Chorus - Verse - Prechorus - Bridge
v • d • e

Song Title Tips

Put your title in spotlighted positions: In chorus opening lines, closing lines, or both. in AABA form, at the end of each verse (modern) or at the beginning.

A good Title should...

• Express the central idea of the song.
• Be the target of the rest of the lyrics.
• Be able to be developed as the song progresses, so that it gains more impact as we gain more information.
• Be engaging and interesting, either by itself or in the ideas it provokes.
• Be specific rather than general.

Song Titles Types: Direct or Blind

Direct Song Titles

Direct song titles are self-contained. They contain meaning all by themselves.

• Rolling In the Deep, Adele
• Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO
• Firework, Katy Perry
• E.T., Katy Perry

Blind Song Titles

Blind song titles need lyrical context for full effect.

• Just Can't Get Enough, The Black Eyed Peas
• Just the Way You Are, Bruno Mars
• The Time, The Black Eyed Peas
• Only Girl (In the World), Rihanna
• I Wanna Go, Britney Spears

Finding Song Titles

• Lizard Brain Titles
• Transformed clichés
• Suggest or contain metaphor or simile
• A clever play on words
• Sonic bonding with vowels (assonance), consonants (alliteration), or both
• Opposites
• Repetition
• Variation
• Double meanings
• Advertising
• Book and movie titles
• Interesting things people say
• Songs, especially lines you misunderstand
• References: Thesaurus, Dictionaries of phrases, Rhyming dictionary, Dictionary of alliteration

Song Title Resources

• The Speed Songwriting Cheat Sheet
• How To Get More Listeners With A "Lizard Brain" Song Title
• The Perfect Song Title - 5 Things to Remember

Song Title Examples/Lyric Triad Analysis

• Rolling In the Deep: Place/Kinesthetic/Behavior
• Party Rock Anthem (Party Rock Is in the House Tonight): People+Place+Time/Visual/Behavior
• Firework ('Cause baby, you're a firework): People+Things/Visual/Identity
• E.T. (Extraterrestrial): People+Place/Visual/Identity
• Give Me Everything (Give me everything tonight): People+Things+Time/*/Behavior
• Grenade (I'd catch a grenade for ya): People+Things/Visual/Behavior
• Fuck You (Fuck you and fuck her too): People/Auditory/Behavior
• Super Bass (He got that super bass. That's that super bass): People+Things/Auditory/Beliefs
• Moves Like Jagger (I've got the moves like Jagger): People+Things/Visual+Kinesthetic/Capabilities
• Just Can't Get Enough (I just can't get enough): People+Things/*/Belief
• On the Floor: Place/Kinesthetic+Visual/Behavior
• S&M: Activities/*/Behavior
• Pumped Up Kicks (All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun): People+Things/Visual/Beliefs
• Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.): Time/*/Behavior
• Just the Way You Are (Girl you're amazing just the way you are): People/*/Belief+Identity
• Tonight (I'm Lovin' You): People+Time+Activities/*/Behavior
• Raise Your Glass: Things+Activities/Visual/Behavior+Collective
• Born This Way (I was born this way): People+Information/*/Identity+Beliefs
• Fuckin' Perfect (You're fuckin' perfect to me): People/*/Beliefs
• What's My Name?: People/*/Identity
• Look At Me Now: People/Visual/Behavior+Capabilities
• Down On Me (Put it down on me): People/Visual/Behavior
• How to Love: People/*/Behavior
• Someone Like You (Never mind, I'll find someone like you): People/*/Beliefs+Behavior+Capabilities
• Good Life (This has gotta be good life): People+Things+Place/*/Beliefs+Environment
• The Lazy Song (Today I swear I'm not doing anything, nothing at all): Time+People+Activities/*/Behavior+Environment+Beliefs
• (Keep on dancing) Till the World Ends: Activities+People+Information/*/Behavior+Collective+Beliefs+Environment
• The Show Goes On: Information+Activities/*/Beliefs
• (I'm on) The Edge of Glory: People/*/Beliefs
• We R Who We R: People+Place+Time/*/Beliefs+Identity+Collective
• Black and Yellow: Place/Visual/Environment
• Tonight Tonight: Time/*/Environment
• (This place about to) Blow: Place+Time/*/Environment+Behavior
• (A sky full of) Lighters: People+Place+Things+Activities/Visual/Collective+Behavior+Environment
• If I Die Young: People+Activities+Time/*/Behavior
• Stereo Hearts (My heart's a stereo): People+Things/Visual/Collective+Beliefs
• The Time (I've had the time of my life): People+Time+Activities/*/Beliefs+Behavior+Environment
• (I'm) Coming Home: People+Activities+Place/*/Behavior+Environment
• Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor): People+Things+Activities+Place/*/Collective+Behavior+Environment
• Only Girl (In the World): People+Place/Visual/Collective+Identity+Environment
• 6 Foot 7 Foot (eight-foot bunch): People+Place+Information/Visual/Identity
• Just a Kiss: People+Activities/Visual/Behavior+Collective
• Dirt Road Anthem (Dirt Road): Place/Visual/Environment
• Dynamite: Things/Visual/Behavior
• No Hands: People+Things/Visual/Behavior
• I Wanna Go (all the way): People+Activities/*/Behavior
• I'm On One: People+Activities+Things/*/Identity+Behavior+Capabilities
• You Make Me Feel: People+Activities/*/Beliefs+Collective+Capabilities+Behavior
• (say) Yeah 3X: People/*/Behavior
• (I wish that I could have this) Moment 4 Life: People+Things+Place+Time/*/Belief+Capabilities
• I Need a Doctor: People/Visual/Beliefs
• Just a Dream: People+Things/*/Beliefs
• Motivation: People+Things/*/Identity+Beliefs+Capabilities+Behavior