Many worship leaders and wonder how to write a worship song. That’s a big subject so let’s break it down a bit by looking at probably the most important aspect of the song — lyrics.
Writing worship song lyrics can be the most rewarding and frustrating journey on which a worship leader can embark. Here are some guideposts to keep you on track.
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Build Song Lyrics Around a Single Idea
Nothing is worse than a song that can’t make up its mind. A song should say one thing, say it well, and be done. The Beatles had this down pat. They sang “I Want To Hold Your Hand.”
They did not sing “I Want To Hold Your Hand, Get Married and Have Kids because I Love Kids, Then One Day be a Grandparent and Retire in Florida Because it’s Sunny There.” That would have been a horrible song.
According to worship leader and songwriter Bob Kilpatrick, “when you say two things in a song, you cut the power of the song in half.” Pick one idea and expound on it, perhaps visiting it from different angles, but never sabotaging your song with separate ideas.
If you come up with oodles of subjects when writing a song, start a separate song for each additional idea. Soon you’ll have a great album instead of a mediocre song.
Find a Lyrical Hook
Every day it’s you I live for. My God is mighty to save. How great is our God.
These are great examples of lyrical hooks. They are irresistibly catchy and singable.
According to songwriter Sam Inglis a lyrical hook should be an intriguing idea that sounds good when sung.
Inglis says a writer can find a hook almost anywhere. The nightly news, advertisement, a cartoon, or anywhere there is spoken language. For instance, Mercy Me wrote a song called “I Can Only Imagine” about what it might be like to meet Christ after we pass on from this life.
The title and song idea is a familiar saying, a cliché even, but Mercy Me made it their own and sold a gazillion albums. Even an everyday idea or phrase can turn into something great. People enjoy familiar things with a new twist.
When writing worship lyrics, start off with a powerful image or intriguing statement that will keep the worshiper engaged and wanting more.
John Mark McMillan’s How He Loves is a great example. McMillan writes He is jealous for me / Loves like a hurricane I am a tree bending beneath / The weight of his wind and mercy.
The lyric pulls you in with powerful imagery stated in a unique way. It’s no wonder that this song is one of the most popular songs on CCLI even though it’s over ten years old.
A Word about Christian Cliches
On the opposite side of the coin, there are Christian cliches. These are phrases that have lost their meaning due to overuse. Here are some examples
- Amazing grace
- I love you Lord
- I worship you with all my heart
I know a lot of popular songs use these phrases. They are even true and biblical. But I challenge you to be different in your worship songwriting.
The Bible tells us to sing a new song, so think of ways of saying ancient truths in new ways. Don’t succumb to the easy way out: splicing the lyrics of ten popular songs together and calling it your own.
Let’s look at the three above examples of overused phrases and how we could change them.
- You freely gave me forgiveness, undeserved.
- My affection for you grows deeper.
- I bow down, bend the knee, to your greatness Lord.
You really, really do not need to use Christian cliches to write your worship song.
A Song Should Say Much with Few Words
Be more Hemingway than Tolstoy. More Dr. Seuss than J.K. Rowling. Think Twitter, not Facebook.
Your song is a can of orange juice concentrate. You need enough words to fill up the pitcher, but don’t make it too watery.
I know what you’re thinking. What about the old hymns that have six verses and a refrain? Well, those writers crafted each word carefully and crammed a lot of spiritual truth in each verse. If you are that skilled, feel free to do the same.
The best songs get a point across without the use of numerous redundant sayings, phrases and clichés that exhaust, tire, exasperate and otherwise fatigue the listener like this sentence is doing right now.
If something can be said it two words, don’t say it in five. A song doesn’t have to have a lot of words to be powerful and effective.
Bob Kilpatrick’s timeless Lord, Be Glorified (In My Life, Lord) is a good example. The song weighs in at only seven words, but has been sung by millions and has propelled his music ministry for almost 40 years. That’s power.
Show, Don’t Tell
A good songwriter shows the listener what he or she is talking about through images and stories, not plain descriptions. A great song puts images into a listener’s mind. It gets the point across without commentary or explanations.
Hillsong’s mega-hit Oceans uses powerful imagery. It says You call me out upon the water / The great unknown where feet may fail. The lyrics should always leave the listener with a picture in the mind and a feeling in the gut.
Great Lyrics Come From the Heart
Remember that a great lyric starts with a feeling inside the writer. Worship music should spring forth from the writer’s relationship with Christ.
Too many aspiring worship songwriters pen lyrics they think should be in a worship song rather than what they feel toward Christ.
A great writer will bring the worshiper along with them into deeper relationship with the living God.
Practice and COLLABORATION
Great worship lyric writing takes a lot of practice and, sometimes, rewriting the song.
Collaboration also helps. A fresh perspective on your choice of lyrics goes a long way. That’s why most of today’s worship songs are written by two or more writers.
For those who are committed and don’t mind working hard, writing great worship song lyrics is well within reach. Go ahead, step out into this arena. God just might be calling you to be the next great worship songsmith.
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Tim Lucas has been leading worship for more than 20 years around the Pacific Northwest, USA. Starting as a worship leader at the age of 15, he has ministered to churches, youth groups, and camps, locally and as far away as Australia. Tim now leads worship at his local church and lives in Washington State with his wife, Laura, and two kids.
Photo: Andree Brown
Thanks Mr. Tim, am Timothy am a Ugandan and I lead a worship team that I started up at my school am 17 years old and am in high school, Mr. Tim I would like you please to give us a hand in our songwriting, i want you please to gives a hand because I feel I have a song that I have to sing to the world and its my promise to the lord
I think if you follow the steps in this article you will write great songs. You have it in you. Just keep writing songs. They will be bad at first, but they will get better after you practice this skill.
Great. I would like to have tips and guidance.Have written some songs not yet recorded. Thanks
Wonderful. Thank you for a great advice.
I would like more tips on how to compose a great song.
I have lyrics written for 3 songs. Have been told by a producer that they’re really good, but I don’t write music or sing. I need to get them listed somewhere that Christian music will see and buy them or get them into the hands of people that can write the music and sing, etc. Any suggestions?
I would start networking with local worship leaders and artists who could perform your song. Get a good acoustic recording. This can be done with an iphone. Start a TikTok or Instagram channel and post the songs there. If they are good and well-performed, you might be surprised who sees them.
Awesome 😎👍….
Can I get a sample of your songs and work on it …here is my Gmail I will be expecting a feedback from you … [email protected]
This is awesome 👏🏾 Where have you been the past 17years of my life? I’ll be looking for more…
Thank you!
Am blessed with you guys
Teach
Keep it on
Grateful to receive more on how to compose gospel songs.
Regards,
Jutley.
This is helpful with lots of illustrations. First I’d been a poet then music writer, now having studied here will improve my song writing style
thank you
I am truly challenged by your lesson and it also helps
You are a blessing to our generation 🙏 A skill that needs to be sharpened. By so doing i will make myself valuable!!
Thanks for the great and wonderful lesson
Just thanks…….
This is great I want to learn more
I love this
wahoo! thanks for throwing more light.
wahoo! this is great. thanks for trowing more light.
Thank you so much for the post it has greatly help increase my knowledge on song writing.
I really learnt a lot. And with these, I will be able to train my choir and improve them.
Awesome this has really taught me alot. I will make sure i implement it in my band. Thank you and God bless you sir.
Great advice hope will help me Improve in my songs writing
I really so appreciate, I really want to write a worshing song, perhaps this sit has help me alot to develop my greatest desire.. GOD BLESS YOU.
Thank you for this. Really gained a lot.
I love to be the gospel
song writer
Indeed…..
I just learned allot.
God bless you Sir. Continue doing the good work.
I’m MD in my local Church. Abs here have got some good tips that I will implement with my Band.
God bless you more.
This will help me so much. Am a song writer but love to write worship songs more because I just feel His presence and love to do anything that will let Him know how much I love Him. God bless you so much
You are amazing, continue the good work
I am very interested to be part of the group, to know how to write gospel lyrics, and be a gospel song writer and singer
Hey there, am just a new member this site has helped me alot. I wanted to write a worship song just like hillsong so ran to this site am glad thanks
Thank you for putting me through. This is an eye opener
I made a worship song called Behold!!!There is none like You.
Would love to listen to it. Is it on YouTube or do you have an MP3?
Looking forward to apply your teaching in my new song focusing on one topic, thank you Mr peter
Thank you for the article on writing lyrics. It is very helpful. But, after you have the lyrics, and you hear the music, how do you get the music on paper so you can share your song with others? I don’t play an instrument, but I do write lyrics.
Thank you very much.
It’s really helps.
Hi, I am new to this community. I find this article very helpful. Over the years, I have had/written many songs lyrics. These always come as choruses. I am, however, unable to get verses to them. Could someone help. These lyrics flow in services, when I am alone or in meetings. I just can’t develop the verse(s) to complete it. I will be glad if someone provides help
hello everyone i am new to the community….
thanks Mary
Great article! You mentioned in the comments section that maybe someone in the Worship Deeper community could look at viewer’s lyrics. I wondered if anyone volunteered for this so I could potentially get their contact info also. Thanks Kristi
Looks like Haybee (previous comment) volunteered.
Great…this will improve me
@Sarah Bullins, I’ll be glad if you can allow me work on your poem
Helpful
If you know who your singing the song about or for, Amazing Grace can still bring a congregation to tears, even the simple child’s song Jesus Loves Me, we did this in an adult worship service, there wasn’t a dry eye in the congregation. Sometimes tried and true is ok. I’ve written over 200 southern Gospel songs.
Thank you Tim, I rushed quickly to view the post because I desired to have such tips as this. I’m inspired and hope to be a better worship song writer.
Great. I hope the post helps!
I wrote a poem, I was hoping to find a Christian artist to work with it, I really want to see it made into a song, but I don’t know where to begin I contacted Lauren dagiel group but they said Lauren has her own, I don’t know who to ask, who to send my poem to to see if they would turn it into a worship song
Sarah – I would definitely start smaller than one of the biggest artists on the planet :). Maybe someone here on the Worship Deeper community who is seeing this will want to look at your poem and work it into a song.
This is a great post. I have been thinking about this topic for a long time. Sometimes a little frustrated with some of the songs out there. I’m trying to be positive, so I’ve started writing a series that I am posting on my blog. You touch on some of my main concerns in this post. We ought to be writing poetry–not mere lyrics. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for this , I got value from its.
I really need tips and guidance to be among the best gospel artist
Great advice and direction. If you get a chance check out ” you are Grander” by Peter kish on YouTube. I wrote this on which took me a month. I ended up doing what you mentioned in the artical
Focus on one point. My older song are raw without any main focus. Working to improve with each one. Thank you again, Peter
I’ll check out that song. Glad this post helped!