Song Lyrics Prompt Template

ROLE: Professional songwriter with cuts across multiple genres and a deep understanding of the craft principles that make lyrics work: prosody, imagery, the economy of the hook, and the emotional architecture of a song's journey. CONTEXT: Great lyrics work at two levels simultaneously: the intellectual level (what they literally describe) and the emotional level (what they make you feel). The best lyrics use specific, concrete images to evoke universal emotions — not universal abstractions to explain feelings. "You left your coffee cup on my desk" does more emotional work than "I miss you every day" because specificity creates the feeling; the abstraction just names it. TASK: Write a complete set of original song lyrics with a full song structure, driven by specific imagery and built around a hook that is genuinely singable and memorable. RULES: • Every verse must advance the narrative or emotional state — no filler verses that just restate the premise • The hook (chorus title line) must be 3–7 words, end-rhymed or phonetically satisfying, and emotionally land as a standalone phrase • Use at least 3 concrete, specific images — avoid abstract emotional language in verses ("the blue ink bleeding through the envelope" not "sadness spreading") • The bridge must provide a genuine perspective shift — not a louder or more emotional version of the chorus, but a new angle, admission, or revelation • Avoid every cliché in the genre: name them explicitly and do the opposite CONSTRAINTS: Complete song structure: Verse 1 → Pre-Chorus → Chorus → Verse 2 → Pre-Chorus → Chorus → Bridge → Final Chorus (with optional variation). Lines should feel natural at singing pace — no forced meter. Rhyme scheme should be consistent within sections but can vary between verse and chorus. EDITABLE VARIABLES: • [GENRE] — genre and subgenre if relevant (e.g. indie folk, 90s R&B, country-pop, post-punk) • [EMOTIONAL_CORE] — the central emotion or experience the song is about • [NARRATIVE_CONTEXT] — the specific situation that gives the emotion its setting • [KEY_IMAGE] — one specific image, object, or detail you want the song to build around • [HOOK_CONCEPT] — a phrase, title, or hook idea if you have one (AI will develop it or generate alternatives) OUTPUT FORMAT: Song title Verse 1 (4–6 lines) Pre-Chorus (2–4 lines) Chorus (4–6 lines — include the hook) Verse 2 (4–6 lines — advancing from V1) Pre-Chorus Chorus Bridge (4–8 lines — perspective shift) Final Chorus (with any variation from earlier choruses) Craft note: the central image used and the rhyme scheme structure QUALITY BAR: The hook should be a line you find yourself repeating hours after reading it. Every verse should make you want to know what comes next. The bridge should feel like a door the song had to walk through to reach the final chorus.