This is probably the most common mistake I’ve seen newer songwriters make.
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First, a ‘refresher’…
· 1st person (I, Me, We, Us)
Speaks about/to yourself or addresses a singular ‘you’
in a conversational style
· 2nd person (You, Yours)
Speaks to someone either directly (a specific person)
or to a general ‘you’
· 3rd person (He, She, Them, They)
Speaks about someone but not directly to them
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Mixing the viewpoint within your song can easily confuse the listener. Let me show you what I mean.
Examples:
The most common mistake is shifting from third person perspective in the first verse, to second person perspective in the second verse.
Incorrect: (from actual songwriter meeting/consultation)
He’s the real heartbreaker of our little world
That modern day Romeo of all these small town girls
Now he’s gone and left me feelin’ blue
Why did I fall for his game too?
You brought the pain that’s falling down my cheek
Wait a minute… who’s now being addressed in the second verse? Is this ‘you’ someone new that’s broken the singer’s heart or is she still addressing the ‘he’ in the first verse?
Without making it clear the listener is confused and trying to figure out who the singer is now addressing. Meanwhile, more information is coming at the listener before this question is resolved, causing the listener to possibly miss the new information as they’re trying to decipher who’s being addressed. And missing new information makes them now, totally lost.
Incorrect: (from actual songwriter meeting/consultation)
‘Laying It On The Line’
It’s always the same, each night you walk through my dreams
And my nerves rattle like a guitar string
She’s a real cutie, in fact she’s a beauty
So I’ll follow my heart this time
Cause there’s no prize without laying it on the line
Catch the mistake? In the first line we hear the singer addressing ‘you’. Then the viewpoint is changed in the third line when the reference becomes ‘she’. The third line reads as if the singer is now singing about someone different.
How to Correct:
To keep your song immediately clear and understandable from the singer’s viewpoint you should work to maintain the same viewpoint throughout your lyric by being consistent in your use of pronouns.
Determine from which viewpoint the singer will perform your song. Will the singer be singing about someone, about himself/herself, or to someone? This will determine the use of pronouns for you to consistently use throughout the song.
EXCEPTIONS:
An exception to maintaining the viewpoint is in a bridge, when it’s often advisable to change perspective. It’s possible you’ll even hear a song that defies this rule of maintaining viewpoint/pronouns outside of the bridge. This can be successfully accomplished by altering viewpoints from section to section, yet maintaining those viewpoints within each section. Other times a shift in viewpoint will occur in the chorus. However, most songs maintain a consistent viewpoint and I encourage you to gain more experience before attempting to alter viewpoints within your songs. I mention these exceptions to prevent any confusion when you hear something contrary to what I’ve shown you here.
Til next time… keep writing!
(by the way, examples used by permission!)
