How to Write Better Lyrics (Part 2)

Hey again,

Picking back up from last week’s email…

We talked about study. We talked about memorizing great lyrics. We even got into a little surrealism with Will Johnson and Tom Yorke.

Today I wanna add two more tools to your lyric-craft arsenal:

1. Active Listening

This is where you go beyond simply enjoying a song.

You pull out the magnifying glass.

Why does this melody hit so hard?
Why does that chord progression feel like it’s pulling me under water?
Why does that ONE line of lyric stay glued to my spine for 15 years?

Active listening transforms the way you hear music.
It’s an act of reverence and an act of theft — because it allows you to absorb the mechanics of greatness into your own writing.

2. Does the Lyric Sing Well?

This is the thing most amateur writers miss.

A great lyric isn’t just written well — it sings well.
Certain phonetics, certain consonants, certain vowel sounds literally trigger a sensory response in the body.

There’s a reason the “s” sound feels sensual or hypnotic.

One time I wrote a stanza that purposely stacked as many “s” sounds as I could — stones sinking in a southern stream of spring and sunlight — just to explore how it would feel when sung.

That’s the level of intentionality we’re talking about.

Yes, it’s nerdy.

Yes, it absolutely matters.

And yes… AI can even be used here as a tool (rhymes, sonic ideas, variations).
Does that replace your own intuition? No.
But like a rhyming dictionary or thesaurus, it can open a door.

Bottom line:

Study deeply.
Listen actively.
Write with the ear in mind.
And don’t be afraid to experiment with any tool that sharpens your edge.

Above all — stay creative, stay human.

→ Reply and tell me: what’s one exercise you use to sharpen your lyric writing? I’d love to steal it.

– Josh

💬 Your Turn
What do YOU think about all of this? What are some ways you study lyrics that inform what you do creatively?
Reply to this email—I read every single one.

If this hit you, forward it to a songwriter friend who needs to hear it.

Stay creative,
Josh
Founder, Thousand Echoes

P.S. Want my free Songwriting Toolkit PDF with more pro-level tips?

📺 Watch the video version of this story → Here (on Youtube)

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Stay inspired everyone!
Josh Schroeder
Founder, Thousand Echoes

P.S.S. If you've read this far, you're definitely my people. Like and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more unfiltered conversations about songwriting, creativity, and building a sustainable career as an independent artist. Can't wait to see you in the next video!