Every songwriter has that moment.
You hear a song and think “Man, I wish I had written that.”
The melody feels effortless. The lyric hits something a raw nerve. The structure feels tight and intentional. And suddenly you’re inspired… and at the same time slightly intimidated.
Here’s the truth: no great songwriter develops in isolation. Influence is not the enemy of originality. It’s the training ground for it.
The real question isn’t whether you should be influenced. It’s how to be influenced properly.
Let’s unpack that shall we…
The Myth of the “Original Genius”
There’s a romantic idea that the best songwriters simply appeared fully formed, untouched by outside influence. History says otherwise.
Bob Dylan absorbed traditional folk songs and blues structures before shaping his own lyrical voice.
The Beatles built their early sound on American R&B and rock and roll records.
Joni Mitchell drew from folk traditions, jazz harmony, and classical ideas before creating her unmistakable style.
Influence isn’t weakness. It’s lineage.
The difference between a developing songwriter and a great one isn’t whether they’re influenced. It’s whether they understand what they’re borrowing.
Inspiration vs Imitation
This is where things get interesting.
- Imitation copies outcomes.
- Inspiration studies methods.
Imitation sounds like this:
- Similar melody shape.
- Same phrasing patterns.
- Familiar chord progression used in the same emotional context.
- A song that feels like a “lite” version of someone else.
Inspiration sounds different:
- You admire how the lyric reveals detail gradually.
- You notice how the chorus lifts melodically.
- You feel how the rhythm of the words creates urgency.
- You’re intrigued by the way the bridge shifts perspective.
When you copy surface features, you end up with imitation but when you study technique, you grow.
Step One: Get Specific About What You Love
Most songwriters say, “I love that song,” but they can’t explain why.
That’s where growth begins so, instead of reacting emotionally, slow down and dissect. Ask yourself:
- Is it the melody?
- The chord movement?
- The honesty of the lyric?
- The rhythmic phrasing?
- The production atmosphere?
- The way the story unfolds?
For example, if you admire Paul Simon, what exactly are you drawn to? Is it:
- His conversational tone?
- His unexpected chord choices?
- His vivid narrative detail?
- The way he uses internal rhyme?
When you get specific, you move from admiration to analysis. And analysis is fuel for improvement.
Step Two: Reverse-Engineer the Craft
Think of this like musical archaeology. You’re not stealing the artefact. You’re studying how it was built.
Try this with a song you love:
- Write out the verse and identify the rhyme scheme.
- Count the syllables in each line.
- Notice where the melody rises and falls.
- Map the chord progression.
- Observe how tension builds into the chorus.
- Pay attention to how much information is revealed in each section.
You’ll often discover that what felt “magical” is actually structured and deliberate and knowing all of this information is really powerful because structure can be learned.
Once you understand the mechanics, you can apply the principle to your own material. Who says that learning cover songs doesn’t help with the writing of your own songs?
Step Three: Translate the Principle Into Your Own Story
Here’s the critical move… Keep the technique but change the content.
If you admire sparse storytelling, write about your own memory using restraint. If you love dense internal rhyme, apply it to your own emotional experience. If you’re inspired by minimal chord progressions, try writing something emotionally weighty over a simple harmonic base.
The technique transfers. The story must be yours. because your lived experience is what makes your song authentic.
Step Four: Blend Influences
If you draw heavily from just one songwriter, your work may lean too close to their sound.
But something interesting happens when you blend influences. Take:
- The lyrical vulnerability of one artist.
- The rhythmic punch of another.
- The structural boldness of a third.
- The melodic sensibility of a fourth.
Now you’re combining ingredients from different songwriting kitchens.
Creative identity often starts as a collage before it becomes a signature. The more varied your listening, the more dimensional your writing becomes.
Give Yourself Permission to Sound Like Your Heroes (At First)
Early in your development, your songs will probably sound like someone else.
That’s normal. Painters copy masters. Jazz musicians transcribe solos. Writers mimic the authors they love.
Over time, as you write more songs, accumulate your life experience, experiment with different song structures and take more creative risks in your songwriting process your voice will naturally emerge because you can’t help but sound like yourself if you keep writing honestly.
The fear of influence often holds songwriters back more than influence itself.
Practical Exercises
Let’s make all of this actionable. Here’s a couple of songwriting exercises to try out…
Exercise 1: Influence Mapping
Pick one songwriter you admire. Write down:
- Three lyrical traits you admire.
- Two melodic traits.
- One structural trait.
Now write a song using those traits, but based entirely on your own story and perspective.
You’re not copying the song. You’re applying craft principles.
Exercise 2: The Technique Swap
Take the structure of a song you love. Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge.
Now write a completely different subject matter using the same structural pacing.
If their song builds from quiet reflection to explosive release, do the same dynamic arc, but tell your story.
Structure is neutral. Content defines identity.
Your Voice Is the Filter
Even if two songwriters use the same chords, the same rhyme scheme, and the same structure, their songs won’t be the same. Why?
Because no one else has lived your life.
Your perspective, memories, doubts, values, and emotional history act as a filter through which everything passes. That’s where originality lives.
So allow yourself to be inspired. Study what moves you. Reverse-engineer what works. Then rebuild it through your own lens.
That’s not copying… That’s craft.
