The hook or chorus functions to hook you in like a fish on a hook… it doesn’t let go and the barbs on the hook are the melody which reels you in even further. Perhaps more importantly, the hook can determine whether or not your song ever hooks any money. If it resonates with listeners you may end up making serious money for the rest of your life off of one song. Take “September” by Earth Wind and Fire, not a supersonic mega hit, but a hit nonetheless. This song to this day makes well over $100,000 per year for its owners and you could do the same with a great hook.
Give them Something Familiar
When writing your hook, think about resonating with what’s already in the head of your listener. Although this may not always be the case and you don’t want to tie yourself down to it being the law of the land, many times big choruses are something that is already familiar in someones mind like: “Got to get you into my life” by the Beatles, or “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. These are catchy phrases already being used in the mind and when someone hears it in a chorus it resonates at a totally different level that hooks them in and makes them want to sing it over and over.
Images
Of course just like our verses, we also want to use images in our chorus to reel in the listener even further where they begin to use their imagination and get more engaged. Stevie Wonders Signed Sealed Delivered does just that with the image (unspoken) of an envelope.
Summarize Your Song
In order to tie everything together the chorus should summarize your entire song with words, images and phrases. While this is obvious, many choruses written by new songwriters fail to do the most important thing in their chorus and create relevance to the rest of the song. If we go back to our previous post about Themes we will find a big clue about what our song should relate to. If you’re unsure go re-read that post.
Song within a Song
In songs with longer choruses we see actual sections like the opening hook word or phrase, the build or mid section and the end or payoff line. Once again there are NO rules to song-writing, but in pop songwriting for radio there are certain nuances that build intensity and create maximum impact.
By starting your chorus off with the title or main phrase that summarizes your song you’ll grab attention and set up the rest of the chorus for easing its way into the ears of your listeners. Stevie Wonder’s Signed Sealed Delivered sets this up nicely with: “Here I am Baby”.
Next, in our mid section you’ll want to build on this hook with another line that can support the first line, re-emphasise it or expresses it further. In our above example Stevie Wonder continues his hook with: “Signed Sealed Delivered”. Although this is just an example, this mid section may be shorter or more likely longer with more build, re-emphasis, imagery and action.
Lastly, we need a payoff line that ties it all together and gives a sense of completion or satisfaction as in our above example when Stevie says: “I’m Yours.” (guess where Jason Mraz got his payoff line from his biggest hit, which also happens to be one of Stevie Wonders biggest hits 20 years prior?)
Action Item: Try listening to two top hits from your iTunes catalogue right now and locate the sections of a chorus.
In our last and final series of writing lyrics we will cover rhyming, perhaps the most challenging part of our songwriting process.
See you next time -Chad CEO Music Launch Pad
Please feel free to comment below on your experience writing a hook or chorus.