One of the great paradoxes of songwriting is this: the fewer words you use, the more they often seem to say. This isn’t just a stylistic choice though, it’s a core principle of the art form.
Songs, unlike essays or novels, don’t have the luxury of long explanations. They thrive on immediacy, emotion, and connection. Every word has to fight for its place.
In many ways, songwriting is closer to poetry than prose. But even more so, it’s poetry that’s meant to be sung, felt, and remembered, often by people hearing it for the very first time.
The Curse of Over-Explaining
Newer songwriters (and even seasoned ones at times) often fall into the trap of thinking that more words = more meaning. But too many words can bog a song down, muddy the emotional waters, and make the listener work harder than they should.
Think of songs you love — how many are built on simple, direct phrases like:
- “Let it be.”
- “Imagine all the people…”
- “I can’t get no satisfaction.”
- “Every breath you take.”
Notice the clarity? The focus? Not a wasted syllable.
When we over-explain in a song, we take away the listener’s role in the experience. We’re telling them exactly what to feel instead of inviting them to feel it for themselves.
Great songwriting often relies on implication, suggestion, and space — letting the listener fill in the blanks with their own experiences.
Emotional Resonance Through Simplicity
The beauty of a well-crafted lyric is its ability to trigger a cascade of emotion with just a few well-chosen words. This is where the magic lies. You’re not just writing for your listener — you’re writing with them. Their personal interpretation completes the thought.
A line like: “Hello darkness, my old friend” doesn’t need a lengthy explanation. It creates an instant mood, a shared understanding, and leaves enough space for the listener to bring their own darkness, their own memories, to the line.
The Role of Melody and Rhythm
Another reason less can be more in songwriting is that melody carries a huge portion of the emotional load. The words don’t need to do all the heavy lifting because melody, harmony, phrasing, and rhythm are there to support them.
If your lyric is too wordy, it often fights against the natural flow of the melody. Long, convoluted lines can sound clunky and awkward to sing, and they make it harder for a listener to latch onto the hook.
Think about the chant-like quality of great choruses:
- “Hey Jude, don’t make it bad…”
- “No woman, no cry…”
- “Born to run…”
These aren’t elaborate ideas, but they stick like glue because they respect the balance between words and melody.
The Power of Suggestion Over Explanation
Consider the difference between these two lyrical approaches:
- Over-explaining:
“I feel emotionally distant and uncertain about the future because our relationship has been turbulent, and I worry that I am incapable of love.” - Saying more with less:
“I’m a little lost without you.”
or
“I can’t find my way back home.”
The second examples leave room, space for interpretation, reflection, and emotional connection. They also allow the melody and delivery to amplify the message.
Space is Sound: The Musical Rest Principle
In music, rests are just as important as notes. Silence creates anticipation, breath, and drama. The same is true for lyrics. Sometimes the words you don’t sing are the ones that scream the loudest.
Leaving space in your lyric, letting a single line breathe, gives listeners time to absorb what’s just been said. It honours the weight of your words.
Case Study: Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”
Leonard Cohen, known for his poetic depth, originally wrote something like 80 verses for “Hallelujah”. But what we know and love is the distilled, essential version. The song became iconic not because of its volume of words but because of how carefully the words were chosen and how much space they left for the music to work its magic.
The Listener’s Imagination is Your Co-Writer
At its best, songwriting is a collaboration between the writer and the listener. If you say too much, you rob the listener of the chance to bring themselves into the song. But if you say just enough, if you hint, suggest, leave room, the listener steps into the song and makes it their own.
This is why a lyric like: “You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone” can hit harder than an entire verse of detailed explanation about why, when, and how they’re going to miss you.
Final Thoughts: Less is Often Louder
Great songwriting respects the intelligence and emotional depth of the audience. It doesn’t spoon-feed. It doesn’t preach. It offers just enough guidance to lead the listener to their own emotional truth.
So, when in doubt as a songwriter, ask yourself:
- Can I say this in fewer words?
- Is this line telling or showing?
- Am I giving the listener space to feel this for themselves?
- Are my words serving the melody or getting in its way?
Remember: The silence between the words is just as important as the words themselves.
