How do I into atmospheric lyrics

[Anonymous No.10747378]

is this the right place to post this? first time poster here

I've come to terms with my voice, after literally years, and found that it's very calming and...relieving to sing and write songs about whatever's (bothering me) in my head

After a few that were fun and somewhat simple I realized they don't have that kind of emotional impact that more atmospheric, less specific lyrics have, if you know what I mean. When you don't just say what you feel/think/want/notice etc
The best kind is where you can describe what something feels _like_, an analogy, a metaphor, but I don't want to just forcefully replace shit with other shit that's similar in meaning just to seem cooler. Often times just calling something by its name doesn't describe it fully, whereas saying what something is like might resonate more with people
An idiotic example is the difference between telling someone to put 1 tbsp of salt per liter of water or to 2% salinity, and telling someone to put salt in water until it tastes like sea-water. The moment you taste it for salt you will know if it's enough or not, because you remember from when you were a dumb lil kid what sea water tasted like

Anyway, I don't expect some secret formula but I was wondering if anyone here has done this or has some thoughts about it, I'm really more curious how you anons write lyrics/poetry or how you think you get there

Should I just sit somewhere quietly and face whatever's in my head and it'll eventually hit me? I usually end up with good analogies/metaphors when describing my thoughts to others, to make them easier to grasp

[Anonymous No.10747454]

Lyrics can be specific and atmospheric at the same time ; they don't have to be "general" or allegoric.

It's all about how it relates to the music, and what you're trying to convey. As you aptly put it, there is no secret formula.

Personally I appreciate any form of lyric, from the most "generic" to the most baroque, as long as it speaks to me. Compare Nick Drake's lyrics, which sound like a mix of Blake/Tennyson and are sung as if his voice was a woodwind instrument, to something like the lyrics of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, which are as unspecific and gratuitos as can be, and still manage to be beautiful.

One method that might help you is to write down the essence of what you're trying to convey, and then extrapolate several radically heterogeneous poems from it. Think of it like planting several seeds of the same plant, and caring for each of them in a different manner. Then choose the best one and repeat the process, until you have something that resonnates with your initial feeling, or even pushes it further.

[Anonymous No.10747519]

>>10747454
>and then extrapolate several radically heterogeneous poems from it
holy shit you're right
in my head that's roughly what was happening and whenever I made something it was because I'd written some basic thoughts about it

>Then choose the best one and repeat the process
yea!!! I always wrote a nice idea I had the moment I had it, and by the next day I had a way to improve on it!
shit son
although you're technically advising me to brood on my feels but lucky for you anon
>I already do that ;__;

I'm not saying I want everything to sound super vague and esoteric, but sometimes the "straight to the point" way doesn't deliver what I want it to, if that makes sense
however sometimes refining those words does lead to more general thoughts about the point they're trying to make so I guess it all comes down to chiseling them down to a shape that adequately reflects your thoughts

thank you anon!

[Anonymous No.10747690]

this is great, I wrote an entire page of stuff
tomorrow I'll think at least half of it is shit but I'll just call that progress :3