Descriptive Writing in Lyrics

Descriptive writing in song lyrics is an art that I enjoy seeing and trying to practice in my own songwriting. Descriptive writing doesn’t just tell the listener what happened, it shows what happened with specific details. I could for example, say “the sun was setting.” Or, I could be a bit more descriptive by saying, “the sun was dipping behind the mountain.” Both statements are about the sunset but descriptive writing shows details that connect with the listener.

Here’s another statement: white lines were between the lanes on the road. But let’s look at the first verse of Midland’s song, “Runnin’ Wild.”

Verse 1
Listen to those highway lines they’re talkin’
Guess I feel like talkin’ too
Look at that big old sun he’s leavin’
And now I know what I gotta do
“Runnin’ Wild,” by Midland

This verse’s first line uses descriptive writing to not just show that white lines were on the road, but they were humming and actually talking to the driver. “Listen to those highway lines they’re talkin’,” is a great way to show this detail in a descriptive way.

In the third line of this verse, Midland’s song mentions a sunset. But again, they don’t just tell it, they show it: “Look at that big old sun he’s leavin’,” This is a perfect example of descriptive writing!

Let’s look at the second verse of this song:

Verse 2
The light on the radio tower keeps shinin’
Like a big red eye on the edge of town
Back in high school we used to dare each other to climb it
No one ever did and we’re still hangin’ aroun
“Runnin’ Wild,” by Midland

This verse is talking about a radio tower on the edge of town. But notice the descriptions that Midland uses to paint the picture: the light keeps shining, like a big red eye, dare each other to climb it (which shows it must have been tall!), no one ever did and we’re still here. This is a beautiful description of that radio tower, which actually brings it to life!

How can we use this tool of descriptive writing in our own songs? How can we show and not just tell?

In one of the recent songs I wrote, I was talking about a woman’s dress. I wanted to show its beauty and stunning presence as the woman was wearing it. Here’s what I wrote:

You make that dress dance
As you walk in the candlelight
Strutting your stuff
You never looked so right

This is a bit more descriptive than merely saying, the dress you have on looks nice. I think we can actually picture this scene in our mind’s eye as the lyrics are sung.

This is the beauty of descriptive writing. When we show specific details instead of just telling them, we make a vibrant connection with the listener in our lyrics.

Can you think of other examples that show a scene rather than just talking about it? What songs do you know that do this well? I’d love to hear descriptive writing in lyrics and how you use descriptive writing in your own lyrics. Leave a comment below and let me know!