Ever been trapped in “2nd Verse Hell?”
“2nd Verse Hell” is that lovely place you reach at the end of the first verse and chorus where you stare at the page for an hour, pulling out your hair and trying to figure out what to say next. I’ve been there, and it’s not fun.
Here’s a tactic that can help you beat 2nd verse hell.
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Sometimes the solution to 2nd Verse Hell isn’t what happens NEXT. Sometimes, the solution is what happened BEFORE.
Think of each section of your lyric, or even each thought, as a single playing card in a deck.
Shuffle the deck.
- Take what you thought was your 1st verse and move it to the 2nd verse. Now what needs to be said in the 1st verse?
- Maybe verse two is really the chorus and the chorus is really verse two.
- Maybe you told too much in the 1st verse and you need to play some of those cards in the 2nd verse instead.
- What happens if you make your chorus the 1st verse? Or 2nd verse?
- What if the last line (or thought) of verse one is really the 1st line of verse two?
Don’t be afraid to shuffle the deck several times. If you don’t like the result, you can always put the cards back in their original order. Go ahead. Give it a try.
Shuffling the deck just might change a losing hand into a winning one.
Having a song you can’t figure out how to finish just feels awful, doesn’t it? I want YOU to have a winning hand with every song. I want you to have the songwriting skill to find, focus and finish more of your song ideas.
And by the way, becoming known for consistently finishing your songs (and finishing strong) will help you attract more and better cowriters. Finish more songs = attract more cowriters. That’s a win-win.
And I want to help you win.
That’s why I’m hosting a transformative online songwriting event in January called, “Building A Hit: From Blank Page To Finished Lyric.” In this powerful 4-week online workshop, I reveal:
How to find great song ideas. Kill writers block and fill up that blank page again and again.
How to focus your ideas for maximum impact. Don’t waste any more great ideas by leaving them under-developed or confusing.
How to frame your ideas for maximum commercial appeal. Having a great, compelling idea isn’t enough. You have to build your song in a way that an artist will want to sing it and an audience will want to hear it.
How to finish your song. Stop leaving your best ideas unfinished! Nobody loves a song they never hear, and a song that’s only 99% finished will NEVER get recorded, get on the radio, or change your life. Don’t let that happen to you. Don’t leave your future unfinished in some old notebook somewhere.
If you want to join me on a journey that will help you think and write like a pro songwriter, click on the link below. Spots are limited for this event, and I only host it twice a year. Miss out, and it’s gone for another 6 months. Don’t delay. Transform your songwriting today..
DON’T MISS OUT- CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
Brent
Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.
Yeah! I’ve been in 2nd verse hell for years with a song. Thanks
I totally agree! The 2nd verse is the main part of the story! You have your audiences attention, now tell them what you really want to say! I recommend moving the 1st verse to the 2nd and writing a new 1st verse as an introduction to the meat of your story, definitely good advice!