Without realising it, some developing songwriters fail to maintain the same viewpoint throughout their lyrics because they are not consistent in their use of pronouns such as I, Me, We, Us, He, She, Them, They and You.
Switching pronouns in mid-song can make your lyrics unclear. And if the viewpoint of your song keeps changing in this way, there is a danger that listeners will end up getting confused—and may simply switch off.
When you start working on a new song, it is important to decide upfront which viewpoint the singer is meant to take when performing the song. Will the singer being singing about himself or herself … or singing about someone else … or singing to someone else? The viewpoint you choose will determine which personal pronouns, subject pronouns, object pronouns, etc. should be used throughout the song.
The most common mistake is when a writer takes a third person perspective in the first verse (i.e. singing about someone – He, She, Them, They – but not directly to them) and then, in the second verse, shifts either to a first person narrative (I, We, He, She, They, Us), or to a second person viewpoint (i.e. singing directly to a specific person).
If you take a third person perspective in the first verse (‘He did this’ or ‘She did that’), then all subsequent verses should also have a third person viewpoint.
These days, most songs tend to be in the first person (I, Me, We, Us), with the singer talking to someone else (You) in a conversational style. A song becomes much more personal when ‘You’ and ‘I’ are used.
Whichever viewpoint you use, however, it is essential to keep your pronouns consistent. Make sure each character in the song is represented by the same pronoun each time, both in the verses and the chorus. Listeners may get confused if, in the middle of the song, someone who was previously addressed as ‘She’ suddenly be- comes ‘You’, or if ‘He’ becomes ‘Me’.
One exception, though, is the bridge. Some experienced songwriters often deliberately change the viewpoint in the bridge as a means of adding something fresh to the song. But be careful not to cause any confusion if you do shift the lyrical perspective in this way.
Remember, simplicity and clarity are essential. Stick to a single viewpoint through- out the song, and always make it clear who is doing the talking or thinking.
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