When people think about songwriting, they often imagine it as a smooth, inspired flow, like the songwriter just sits down, strums a few chords, and out pours a perfect song. I wish it worked that way every time.
The truth? Real songwriting is messy. It’s chaotic. It’s full of false starts, awkward phrases, doubt, discovery, breakthroughs, backtracking and maybe a few dramatic sighs thrown in for good measure.
Sometimes it’s one step forward and two steps back and you know what? That’s exactly how it should be.
The Lie of the Linear Process
We’ve been conditioned to expect neatness. “Start with an idea, sketch it out, build it up, polish it, done.” Sounds nice. And tidy. And not at all how most songs actually get written.
In real life, you might:
- Get stuck on a second verse for three days
- Change the chorus melody five times
- Rewrite your lyrics on the back of a café napkin because something suddenly clicks
It’s never a straight line. It’s more like scribbles, tangents, loops and side quests. Creation, especially songwriting, is full of U-turns and “wait a minute” moments.
Why Chaos Is Part of the Deal
Songwriting is part craft, part mystery. The craft gives you tools, chords, structure, rhyme, melody. But the mystery? That’s what keeps it interesting.
You can’t always plan or predict what a song wants to become. Sometimes, you have to follow the trail, even when it disappears into the woods.
That trail is often confusing. Messy. Emotional. And that’s where the good stuff lives. The emotion, the tension, the truth of what you’re trying to say, it bubbles up in the parts you can’t control.
The Ugly Phase Is Real (and Necessary)
Every songwriter hits what I call the ugly phase, where the song sounds clunky, the lyrics feel forced, and you start wondering if you’ve forgotten how to write altogether.
This phase sucks. But it’s also a sign you’re doing real creative work. You’re reaching past what’s comfortable or familiar.
You’re pushing into new territory. And yeah, it feels awkward. But if you stay with it, push through the mess, something honest and original can emerge.
Think of it like sculpting. You start with a big lump of stone. It’s only through chipping away, sometimes blindly, that the shape starts to show.
As Michelangelo once said about carving the statue of David: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Songwriting is the same. You don’t create something from nothing, you uncover what’s already there.
You just have to chip away the noise first.
Emotional Whiplash? Welcome to the Club
Let’s not forget the emotional chaos. One minute you’re buzzing with the feeling that you’ve written your best chorus yet. The next, you’re questioning your entire existence as a songwriter.
That rollercoaster isn’t a problem to fix, it’s a sign you care. You’re investing yourself in your work. Of course it’s going to stir things up inside you. That’s part of the deal when you make art that matters.
Order Comes Later
It’s important to say: chaos doesn’t mean no structure ever. There’s a time to edit, refine, shape, and arrange. But trying to impose too much order too early can strangle your creativity before it even breathes.
Think of your first draft as raw clay. Let it be unfiltered. Let it be a little wild. Then come back with the tools, tighten the structure, swap out a weak rhyme, rework that melody. Editing is where the song becomes its best self.
But chaos is where it’s born.
How to Embrace the Mess Without Drowning in It
Here are a few ways to work with the chaos, rather than fight against it:
- Start before you feel “ready.” Don’t wait for the perfect idea. Begin anyway.
- Capture everything. Record voice memos, write half-lyrics, collect snippets, you never know what might grow into something.
- Trust the process. Even if it feels like you’re going in circles, you’re getting somewhere.
- Detach from results for now. Focus on movement, not masterpieces.
- Let the song surprise you. Some of the best songs take you places you didn’t plan to go.
Chaos Means You’re Doing It Right
If your songwriting process feels messy, good. That means you’re in it. You’re experimenting, searching, feeling your way through.
That chaos is where truth lives. It’s where emotion lives. It’s where originality lives.
So next time you’re surrounded by false starts, weird rhymes, and messy voice memos, don’t panic. That’s not the end of the creative process. That’s the middle of it.
Let the mess be part of the music.
If you’ve ever wrestled with the chaos of songwriting, I’d love to hear about it. And if you’re stuck in the middle of a messy creation right now keep going. That song is definitely in there somewhere.
