Lyric Writing 2 explores how lyrics evolve across an entire song. In this undergraduate songwriting course, you will strengthen your lyric writing by shaping narrative, repetition, point of view, and song form—AAA, AABA, and verse/chorus—to create lyrics that deepen emotionally, sustain momentum, and engage listeners from start to finish.
Key Learning Outcomes
- Craft lyrics that evolve across a full song, using narrative development, repetition, and structure to deepen emotional impact
- Write original lyrics in a variety of traditional and hybrid popular song forms, including AAA, AABA, and verse/chorus structures
- Shape lyrical momentum by revealing new meaning, tension, and perspective as ideas recur and evolve
- Effectively apply point of view in song lyrics—first, second, and third person—to shape how listeners experience a song’s story
Course Description
This course explores how lyric ideas develop across an entire song, focusing on how narrative, repetition, and structure work together to create lyrics that grow in meaning and emotional impact. You’ll also look at how perspective and point of view shape the way a listener experiences a song from start to finish.
You’ll write original songs in a range of popular forms, including AAA, AABA, and verse/chorus structures, and explore how each form supports different storytelling approaches. Through listening examples and guided writing exercises, you’ll see how effective lyrics use repetition with purpose, introduce new angles, and become stronger as ideas repeat and evolve.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a stronger sense of how to move a lyric forward, hold a listener’s attention across multiple sections, and make intentional choices about structure and narrative. The tools you develop here are meant to support your ongoing writing practice, helping you craft songs that feel focused, cohesive, and emotionally grounded.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Identify and define the lyric function of standard song sections
- Break through writer’s block using creative tools
- Develop and expand central metaphors using precise language, active verbs, and concrete imagery to sustain lyrical focus
- Design song sections that each serve a clear lyrical function, sustaining focus and forward motion from beginning to end
- Develop a prolific, efficient, and sustainable lyric writing practice
Syllabus
Lesson 1: Central Metaphor
- Metaphor Types
- Central Metaphor: Lyric Embodiment
- The Art of the Verb
- Showing vs. Telling
- Object Writing
- Assignment 1: Central Metaphor—Playing ‘In the Key Of’ an Idea
Lesson 2: Narrative Development and AAA Form
- What’s in a Seed: Concepts, Lyric Lines, Titles, and Hooks
- Productive Repetition
- What Is a Refrain?
- AAA Form
- Number of Lines and Stability
- Assignment 2: AAA Song—Narrative Development and Leading Refrains
Lesson 3: AABA Form—What’s in a Bridge?
- Building Bridges
- Structural Contrast
- Finding the New Angle In
- Rhymed and Unrhymed Refrains
- AABA Form History
- Assignment 3: AABA Song—Bridges and Trailing Refrains
Lesson 4: Verse/Chorus Form
- Verse as the Narrative Driver
- Chorus as the Main Theme
- Chorus Variations
- Literal and Figurative Framing
- Assignment 4: Verse/Chorus Song—Tension, Motion, and Title Spotlights
Lesson 5: Primary Bridges
- Building Bridges II
- Choosing Your Building Site
- Exploring a Song’s ‘Why’
- The Bridge to Nowhere
- Assignment 5: Primary Bridge—Exploring a Song’s ‘Why’
Lesson 6: Pre- and Post-Choruses
- The Prechorus
- Tools That Transition
- The Post-Chorus
- Why Write a Post-Chorus?
- Assignment 6: Pre- and Post-Chorus Song—Transitions, Setups, and Reinforcements
Lesson 7: Third-Person Narrative
- Point of View as a Narrative Perch
- Third Person Narrative
- Dialogue and General ‘You’
- Story Elements
- AI Integration: Ideation and Character Exploration
- Assignment 7: Third-Person Narrative Song—Tell Me a Story
Lesson 8: First-Person Narrative
- First-Person Narrative
- Plural First Person
- The Untrustworthy Narrator
- The Power of Questions
- Assignment 8: ‘I,’ Not ‘You’—First-Person Narrative Song
Lesson 9: Second-Person Narrative
- Second-Person Narrative
- The Four Types of ‘You’
- Omniscient and Intimate
- Weighted Questions and Commands
- Assignment 9: ‘You,’ Not ‘I’—Second-Person Narrative Song
Lesson 10: Direct Address
- Direct Address
- Conversational Tone
- Character Focus
- Assignment 10: Keep It Conversational—Direct Address Song
Lesson 11: Hybrid and Non-Traditional Forms
- AACH Form
- Complex Forms
- Mixed Point of View
- Point of View as a Development Tool
- Assignment 11: It’s Complicated . . . —The AACH Song
Lesson 12: Breaking Through and Building Blocks
- Constraint-Based Writing
- Finding Inspiration
- Goals and Deadlines
- Fear and Creativity
- Putting It All Together
- Assignment 12: For the Sake of the Song
Requirements
Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements
Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills
Completion of Lyric Writing: Tools and Strategies or equivalent knowledge is required.
Textbook(s)
- Writing Better Lyrics (2nd Edition) by Pat Pattison (Writer's Digest Books, 2010)
Recording
- Students are required to record themselves and save the recording in MP3 format. You will have a tool to use for this purpose inside the learning environment. Alternatively, you can use software such as GarageBand (Mac), Audacity (PC), or any DAW.
Hardware
- Students are required to capture their performance, as well as monitor audio output. Options include:
- Input (one required):
- XLR microphone and audio interface (recommended option)
- USB microphone
- Built-in computer/mobile device microphone
- Output (one required):
- Headphones (required if multitracking and/or input monitoring)
- Studio monitors and audio interface
- Built-in or external speakers
- Input (one required):
- Note: Depending on your setup, you may also need an XLR cable, microphone stand, and pop filter.
Student Deals
After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact support@online.berklee.edu with any questions.
General Course Requirements
Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course.
Mac Users
- macOS Monterey 12.0 or later
PC Users
All Users
- Latest version of Google Chrome
- Zoom meeting software
- Webcam
- Speakers or headphones
- External or internal microphone
- Broadband Internet connection
Instructors
Author & Instructor
Erin Chase earned her Professional Diploma in Songwriting and Fiddle from the Berklee College of Music in 2014. She has been playing fiddle and violin for 25 years, studying both classical music and traditional folk music, and has been writing and co-writing original songs for 10 years.
Her educational background includes 13 years of personal study in the Suzuki Violin Method with Missoula, Montana Symphony Orchestra member Suzanne Hartzell, private violin lessons with University of Montana violin professor Margaret Baldridge, and fiddle instruction from a variety of Berklee professors and visiting artists, including Mimi Rabson, Melissa Howe, Rob Thomas, Jason Anick, Darol Anger, Matt Glaser, Bruce Molsky, and Mark Simos. Her songwriting mentors include esteemed Berklee faculty Pat Pattison, Mark Simos, and Caroline Harvey.
Currently, Erin plays fiddle and sings background vocals for Boston-based country rock-n-roller Elisa Smith. She appears on Elisa's debut EP Hitch A Ride. The EP was produced by Johnny Duke, a gifted producer and guitar player who has played with Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Stapleton, among others, and was recorded at his studio, Spirit Radio Studio, in East Nashville. The EP features talent from Grammy-winning and platinum-status records.
In addition, she performs as a singer-songwriter in Boston under the artist name Erin Bonnie, bringing her unique fiddle 'n' original folk blues to greater New England. Read Less
What's Next?
When taken for credit, Lyric Writing 2 can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:
Related Certificate Programs
Related Music Career Roles
Employers look for skills learned in this course, when hiring for the following music career roles:
Questions?
Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at advisors@online.berklee.edu.
