Song form - Verse with Yeo
In this video...
Yeo talks about how writing verse lyrics helps tell your song’s story.
Yeo uses the example The One That Got Away, by Al Parkinson.
Writing the lyrics for a verse
Writing verse one
Verse one might introduce the people or characters that will be in your song.
Set the scene or mood of your song. Describe a place, or paint a feeling or introduce characters. Will you use names? Will you use pronouns like she, he, they? Think about where and when it’s happening—without saying it outright.
Writing verse two
Build on your first verse by adding more details or moving the story forward. What’s changing? Is there a conflict happening? How are the characters feeling? What are they doing?
Verse writing tips
- Show, don’t tell—use sensory details like sounds, sights, or smells to create atmosphere. Instead of saying it was summer you could say “the heat radiated off the road”
- Don’t give too much away in the first verse. Save some story for verse two!
- Use a slightly different instrumentation/tone colours to help distinguish your second verse from the first (and keep the listener interested)
A FOCUS ON LYRICS
What does a verse sound like?
In verses, the focus is on the lyrics and the story.
To make sure the words stand out, keep the instruments simpler and quieter. This gives the song room to build and “lift” when the chorus comes in with a fuller sound.
Check out this video to see how Ocean Grove keeps the lyrics clear in UFO while still using a dense sound in the chorus.
Listening
Listen to Ocean Grove’s cover of UFO by Sneaky Sound System.
Name 3 ways the instruments in the verse and pre-chorus are different from the chorus.
- In Verse 1, there is no snare drum — only bass drum, hi-hat, and some fills.
- This creates space for the lyrics to be the focus.
As you write your own verse, consider how you might strip back the drums:
- Use just bass drum and/or hi-hat to create a simple groove.
- This leaves room for the full beat to “lift” the energy when the chorus arrives.
- You might even introduce a full drum beat in verse 2 to make it feel different from Verse 1 – just like Ocean Grove does.
Guitar Tone
- In the verse, the guitar has a clean and clear tone.
- In the chorus, it uses distortion and compression
- This change adds contrast and makes the sound bigger
Guitar Pitch (how high or low a sound is)
- In the verse, the guitarist plays higher notes, which means the guitar is a higher than the vocals.
- This helps the vocals stand out because it avoids a “muddy” mix, where instruments and vocals blend too much and the lyrics become hard to hear.
As you write your own verse, consider:
- Using a cleaner guitar tone to support your vocals.
- Saving heavier or distorted sounds for the chorus to create a contrast.
The verse melody has more movement and covers a larger range than the chorus melody.
It uses more notes to fit in the story and details of the lyrics.
This keeps the listener engaged and helps the lyrics stand out, since they tell the story.
The chorus melody is simpler and often more repetitive, making it catchy.
As you write your own verse, consider:
- Adding variety in pitch and rhythm to keep the verse interesting.
- Saving your simplest, most singable idea for the chorus so it stands out clearly.
In the verse, instruments mostly hold long notes or chords under the vocals, usually lasting 1 to 2 bars.
This creates space so the vocals and melody can be clearly heard without distraction.
In the chorus, guitars play twice as many notes, making the song feel faster.
This fills out the sound and makes the chorus feel fuller and more energetic.
As you write your own verse, consider:
- Holding longer notes/chords to support your vocals.
- Saving faster rhythms for the chorus to build energy and contrast.
- In the verse, a synthesiser is used, giving a sound often linked to sci-fi and technology.
- This matches the song’s theme about seeing a UFO
- The synthesiser plays in a different pitch range from the vocals, so the lyrics stay clear.
- In the chorus, the synth is dropped and a guitar comes in, creating a denser sound and clearly separating the chorus from the verse.
As you write your own verse, consider:
- Choosing sounds or instruments that match the theme of your lyrics.
- Using lighter sounds (like synth or single notes) or less instruments in the verse
- Swapping or adding instruments in the chorus to make it feel bigger.
What ideas from Ocean Grove’s cover will you try in your own verse to help your lyrics and melody stand out?
Tips for arranging a verse - it's all about contrast
- Pull back the instruments
Decide which instruments can drop out or play softer during your verses. This gives the lyrics room to shine and makes the chorus sound bigger when more instruments come in.
- Change the rhythm
If your chorus melody has long, flowing notes, try using shorter, punchier phrases in the verse — or the other way around.
- Use less bass
If your chorus has heavy bass, try cutting back on bass in the verse. This sharp contrast makes the chorus hit harder. Electronic musicians use this a lot — like in this Mashd N Kutcher mix, where the drop feels huge because the bass is absent just before it.
- Change up the sound
Use clean, simple tones in the verse and distorted or dense sounds in the chorus (or the reverse) to make each section stand out. This provides contrast and keeps the listener engaged.
- Mix Genres
Try using sounds from one genre in the verse and another in the chorus — like funk guitar in the verse and a rock riff in the chorus.
