Backdrop Quote by Frank Sinatra

It is a very serious consideration for a lyricist to step in there and suggest the meaning to a song. The music is speaking…

— Al Jarreau

I always write the lyrics first. There are one or two exceptions over the years, but that's pretty much the way it's been. The…

— Bruce Cockburn

Some people start with the lyrics first because they know what they want to talk about and they just write a whole bunch of…

— John Legend

I always start with the lyrics, because starting with the music means the words will be bad.

— Dan Bejar

I think the melody is the first time I hear in a song and if I like the melody, then I'll pay closer attention…

— George Strait

It's always amazing seeing the song-writing process. A song just starts off as just an idea or a story you want to tell. It…

— Manika

The first line of the song is always the hardest thing to write. And then after that, the song should - unless it sucks…

— Matt Skiba

It's always music first, or melody and words together, but never words first.

— Adam Duritz

Sometimes a song indicates that it wants to be about a certain thing. And then if you write it, you find that it is…

— Jesse Harris

[The lyrics and melody] usually come a little simultaneously, but I would say the lyrics are first; usually I have the idea for a…

— Billy Bob Thornton

I've always thought of music as something which gives the words their flight and their wings and the music often comes first, although sometimes…

— Neil Diamond

The meaning of the words in my songs are very important to me. But what's most important to me is that the music works.

— Julia Holter