Tell Your Story: Narrative Lyrics with Lyric Genie
Every Song Can Tell a Story
Some of the most memorable songs are those that take us on a journey, introducing characters, unfolding events, and evoking deep emotions. If you have a story in your heart, Lyric Genie can help you turn it into a song.
Crafting narrative lyrics is easier when you give Lyric Genie detailed voice prompts upfront. The more information you provide about your story, the better Lyric Genie can help you shape it into lyrical form.
Starting Your Story on the Generate Page
When you’re ready to begin your story song, go to the Lyric Genie Generate page. For narrative lyrics, your voice input is key. Try to include as much detail as possible:
- Characters: Who are they? What are their names?
- Plot Summary: What happens in your story?
- Character Actions: What are your characters doing?
- Key Scenes: Are there specific moments or scenes you definitely want in the song?
- Emotional Arc: How do the feelings change throughout the story?
The more explicit you are, the better. If you forget some details, Lyric Genie will likely try to fill in the gaps in a way that makes sense with the rest of your request, but clarity helps ensure the lyrics align with your vision. Lyric Genie will then attempt to format your narrative ideas into a song like structure, often with verses and a chorus.
Understanding the basic elements of storytelling can also help you organize your thoughts before you start your voice prompt.
Refining Your Story on the Refine Page
Once Lyric Genie generates the first draft, you might find that some parts of your story need adjustment or more detail. This is where the Refine page comes in (accessible after generation or from your My Lyrics page).
If Lyric Genie got part of the story not quite right, or if you want to develop it further, you can tell it exactly what you need. For example, you could provide instructions in the text box like:
- “In the second verse, show the main character feeling more conflicted.”
- “For the chorus, add more imagery about how the old house looks, rather than being so literal, while keeping the song’s structure, rhythm, and rhyming.”
- “Make the first verse describe the setting in more detail.”
- “Rewrite the ending to be more hopeful.”
You can also, of course, manually edit the lyrics on the Refine page. For more general information on this page, see our guide to polishing lyrics.
Tips for Lyrical Storytelling
Crafting a compelling story in a song is an art. For more general storytelling techniques you can use in your lyric writing, that external resource has some great tips. Remember to focus on showing, not just telling, and let the emotion drive the narrative.
Bring Your Stories to Life
Lyric Genie is a powerful partner for creating narrative songs. By providing rich, detailed voice prompts and using the Refine page to hone your story, you can bring your characters and plots to life in lyrical form. What story will you tell next?
