of the song surrounds that idea : holds it up , points to it , dances with it , informs it , challenges it , evolves and develops it . Utilizing theme well entails exploring some degree of depth . Rather than merely getting the lingo down and composing songs that are a mile wide and an inch deep , we can aim for songs that are as deep as they are wide , and which bring richness and balance to the ears of those who encounter them . Those are the songs which cause us to pause , to consider , and to dwell … somewhere . Even if only for a moment .
The greatest journeys and adventures don ’ t simply begin by wandering . They start from somewhere . Stories are oriented by their beginnings , and their middles and ends are made more resonant as a result .
It has always seemed to me that one of the surest ways to compose something forgettable is to write lyrics that are just random attributes or actions of God glued together with Christianese or other cliché . If not entirely forgettable , you ( at best ) end up with something interchangeable and indistinct from a thousand other songs that lack the same overflowing theme . Like so many songs do , you are seeking to touch something grand , and yet doing so unmoored to a place from which that which is grand can even be perceived . Unmoored to a reason . To a why .
CHALLENGE : When writing a song , don ’ t simply know what the theme of it is , but make sure that each of the devices you use — from metaphor and simile , to chords and rhythm , to melody and rhyme scheme — are in service of that theme .
We tend to see these elements in a compartmentalized fashion , but each has the potential to unify with the greater whole . Like the myriad textures and tones available to a symphony orchestra , each can fit the thematic tone of a piece , further saturating us in it . Each can be part of an intentional construct - a unified statement pushing those who engage it toward a collective … something … somewhere …
and why .
Theme provides us with a perspective . A vantage from which we approach everything else .
We ’ re seeking to transcend for a moment in expressing that which is infinite . But to express the infinite is something we tend to do better when tethered to the finite . Rather than floating us about , it grounds us and gives us something to reach for .
And so , we ’ re reaching . From the place of overflow .
And with a beautiful theme .
Kevin MacDougall Worship leader , published and recorded songwriter , musician and podcast producer . macdougall . k @ gmail . com