Songwriters write to the hook to get to their best songs. What is writing to the hook and why does it make for great songwriting? Read on to find out.
First a few definitions to get everyone up to speed.
What is writing to the hook?
A hook in songwriting is any part of a song that gets your attention. When we say “write to the hook” we’re usually talking about the lyrics.
A hook in your song can be anything from a catchy title, or it can be an underlying theme or metaphor that you use as the central thread that runs through your tune.
A metaphor is a comparison and a big picture idea that offers a deeper meaning to some of your listeners.
Sting famously said, you can’t write a song without a metaphor. Let’s explore this idea.
Why to write to the hook?
When you write songs, you can just put together things that sound good, or you can work harder.
When you write to the hook you stick close to your central theme or metaphor through the whole song, which makes your tune what we pro writers and publishers call “tight.”
This means you use words, phrases and lines that relate back to that central metaphor, idea or theme as often as possible.
When you write to the hook, you demonstrate your skill at the craft of songwriting.
Also, the great thing about writing to the hook is that it makes you sharp. That is, writing to the hook makes you a better writer because you are practicing the art of songwriting.
Examples of writing to the hook
Here are three examples of writing to the hook that Songpreneurs has studied over the past year of training.
“Roxanne” The Police
(Sting songwriter)
The song “Roxanne” by the Police (Sting’s band) is an example of a character sketch.
He used the one-word title “Roxanne” and told a story describing his relationship using the metaphor of a “red light," referring to her oldest of professions.
You can see him sticking close to the central metaphor and the story he’s telling throughout the entire song, using words and phrases that hammer the point home.
“Overnight Male” George Strait
(Ron Harbin, Richard Fagan, Kim Williams songwriters)
The song “Overnight Male” was cowritten by my dad Kim Williams and our dear friends Ron Harbin and Rich Fagan. I was able to interview and talk to all three of them about their writing this tune, and can share a few insights with you about this classic, included as part of the soundtrack for Pure Country movie.
The tune is a masterclass in how to write to the hook and especially the particular turn of phrase technique known as double entendre, when you say one thing but imply another meaning.
Dad loved this songwriting technique the best of all, I think, because it was such a fun and clever challenge for his brain.
You can see examples of these three writing geniuses at work in lyrics all drawing reference back to mail, postal service, etc., but with the obvious reference to a different type of “male.”
Some of the words they use to write to their hook include: Pony Express, first class, snow rain sleet or hail (one of the post office slogans). See if you can identify other words and lines related to this central metaphor.
Finally, another master class in writing to the hook, and a favorite of Dad’s –
“Something In Red” Lorrie Morgan
(Angela Kaset songwriter)
This song uses the central metaphor of color and the emotions attached to them to show the changing roles and expectations of a woman through time.
Dad used to get choked up listening to this song, and I do too, now. He said, “Listen to this song, Mandy. Only a woman could have written this.”
This was perhaps the highest compliment coming from him.
Listen and weep and learn what a great song sounds like, songwriters.
How to write to the hook
Now that we have looked at a few masterful examples of writing to the hook, it’s our turn to try our hand at the skill.
How do you write to the hook?
First, study your examples, the ones above and any other songs you admire.
If you are not familiar with analyzing songs, you can get our 7 Steps Song Analysis worksheet to help you out.
Next step is to identify the top three qualities of the song that you admire.
For example, in Roxanne, you might notice that the song has a one word title that is a person’s name, it has a strong reggae-style up-beat and the chorus repeats the title intermingled with other repeating lines.
Now you can practice writing a song using those three qualities.
Your song will not sound anything like the song you studied. This is not about copying.
Your song will sound like a brand new song and product of your creativity, but you will have challenged yourself to stick close to a central metaphor and hook.
Now repeat. Keep studying and writing more songs. The more songs you write, the better songs you will write.
Conclusion
Write to the hook to get better at songwriting. Challenging yourself to write to the hook makes you think carefully about each word and phrase you include in your song.
This makes you a better songwriter over time as you practice.
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