First Verse
So how important is the first verse, and what is the first verse supposed to do? The first verse is extremely important! Let’s think about this the first verse establishes a rapport that you have with your listener. In the first verse you are showing listener what the song is about and what your attitude is in regards to the subject matter. You are also establishing the tone of the song.
The first verse, in conjunction with the title and the first line of the song hopefully, make that ‘first impression’ of the song a good one!
Some songwriters feel that ambiguity is important in the first verse. That it instills a need for clarification and draws the listener in. I’m not sure I agree with that. I mean, the argument has some validity, but I don’t think one should be purposely ambiguous. I think it just confuses the listener. However, I encourage you to try it out and see how it works for you.
The Second Verse
One of the biggest challenges for songwriters is writing the second verse to songs, but doesn’t necessarily have to be difficult as long as you think it through.
There are many effective ways of approaching second verses. Here are a few suggestions:
Expand Your Ideas from Verse I
By that I mean, if the first verse is about love or your relationship, talk about another aspect of the relationship. Whatever you do, don’t keep saying the same thing over and over again except in a different way unless it’s what we call a ‘list song’. An ‘list song’ is one that lists things in the verses and reaches a general conclusion in the chorus. ‘Everything is Broken’ by Bob Dylan is a good example of a list song.
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Jim Bruno's Songwriting Class 