This is because a title reveals the angle or the flavor of  what you intend to write about, and it becomes much easier to write your song with a laser-targeted idea or plot.

Therefore, once you have the name of the song in place, listen to the words of the title and start conjuring up images and options of what the song could be about.

For example, if you named your song something simple like, “I Think I Understand,” it could be a song about a lover who believes he or she understands the other doesn’t want them anymore, or it may be a song about finally understanding a big life’s lesson of some sort, etc. – possibilities are many!

Song titles are everywhere; the first thing you need to do is train yourself to listen for a great phrase or line from a variety of the following sources:

Television Shows and Movies

Many hit songs have been inspired from watching a television show and using phrases from their scripts – this is perfectly legit as long as you don’t swipe a few lines, obviously.  Remember, what you’re looking for are phrases (between 2 to 6 words max).

The same goes for the watching movies, which is what I recommend highly.  Here’s a simple one I heard the other day -”You Don’t Have To Do Anything”  – sounds like a great title for a country song to me!  Note this is a simple line we’ve probably heard a few times in our lives, but now, while you’re training your ears to pick out song titles, it sticks out at you for the first time!

Listening Intently To Conversation With Other People

You’ll find them either while you’re  participating or just listening (try not to look like you’re eavesdropping).  This is another great way to find song title gems; someone always says something that’ll cry to be part of a song!

Other Songs

These are also a great source for song titles; try to pick out words in the lines of the songs other than the actual titles themselves.

Books

They are a great resource – this should come easy to you if like to read novels especially, because the words tend to be more colorful.

Finally, make a list on a writing pad or database on your computer (I use a text file) every time you come up with a song title; this way, once you have a fairly long list, you can pick and choose a song title with ease.

The trick to training yourself to pick out song titles is to be in a dormant songwriting mode and be a good listener.  For the first few times, don’t be afraid to shake someone’s hand, have a conversation with them, and in the back of your mind think; c’mon dude, I know you’re about to say something I can use as a song title!  You’ll find one.

While watching TV or movies, sit there waiting for the darn title to pop out!  It gets easier with practice.

Sting recalls how he woke up in the middle of the night with the line, “Every breath you take, every move you make dancing in his head, so he sat down at the piano and wrote the million-seller “Every Breath You Take” in 30 minutes.  Countless other songwriters talk about a short phrase or melody suddenly and unexpectedly taking over their brains and hit songs literally “writing themselves” with little effort!

So how does this happen?  It certainly doesn’t happen by accident to just anybody who has no interest in writing a song.  It happens to songwriters who put themselves in what I call “Songwriting Mode,” which is the ability to train your brain to subconsciously create any of the following:

1. a great original song title
2. a catchy melody (usually a short musical phrase)
3. an interesting lyric
4. an infectious rhythm
5. a pleasing harmony
6. any other song component; and
to instantaneously translate that idea or ideas into the making of a great song by allowing your mind to literally take off in different musical directions!  Usually, musical ideas from being in “songwriting mode” come in short phrases or spurts, and they can be any part or section of the song (i.e., the last line of a verse, the middle of a chorus, etc.)

On Thursday, August 14, 2008, Part 2 of this series will begin to disclose how to condition your mind to reach the stage of being in “songwriting mode.”