The title is usually the most important line in a song. It is what people search for, what they ask for, and what they sing when the chorus comes round. In most hits, the title is the hook - and the song is built to deliver it.
What makes a strong title
- It is short. One to five words is typical.
- It is evocative. It creates a picture, a feeling, a question or a situation.
- It is fresh, or familiar with a twist. An everyday phrase used in an unexpected way often works better than an entirely new one.
- It sounds good sung. Open vowels, a natural rhythm, words that sit well on long notes.
- It promises something. A great title makes you want to hear the song that goes with it.
Kinds of title
- A question. Questions create curiosity and tension. Everyday life is full of good ones: write them down when you hear them.
- A command or plea. Direct, urgent, emotional.
- A familiar phrase. An expression everyone knows, put into a new context.
- A name or place. Instantly specific.
- A striking image. An object or scene that carries the emotion.
- A twist. A phrase that means one thing in the first chorus and something else by the last.
Titles cannot generally be copyrighted, so a phrase that already exists as a song title is not off limits - but a title closely associated with a famous song will always make people think of that song.
Placing the title
- First or last line of the chorus - the most common positions, and the strongest.
- Repeated within the chorus - often several times.
- On the melodic hook - the most memorable notes.
- On a strong beat and an open vowel - so it rings out.
Avoid burying the title in the middle of a verse line where nobody will notice it. If a listener cannot guess the title after one listen, it is probably in the wrong place.
Writing from the title
Starting with a title is one of the most reliable ways to write a song.
- Choose the title. Pick one from your idea bank.
- Ask questions of it. Who is saying this? To whom? Why now? What happened before? What will happen next?
- Write the chorus around the title, delivering its core emotion as simply as possible.
- Let the verses answer the questions - giving the details and story that make the title mean something.
- Make the bridge add a new angle - a twist, a reveal, a change of time or perspective.
Each verse should set up the title so that when the chorus arrives, it lands with more weight.
The title as a promise
Everything in the song should serve the title. If a verse wanders away from it, cut or rewrite it. If the chorus never quite delivers what the title promised, rethink one or the other.
Do this now
- Write twenty titles in ten minutes: five questions, five familiar phrases, five images, five commands.
- Pick the strongest and write down five questions you could ask of it.
- Write a chorus where the title is the first and last line.
- Check one of your existing songs: could a stranger guess the title?