Unlock the Secret: Three Foolproof Ways to Memorize Song Lyrics

A song’s lyric gives the song its meaning. It can be easy to forget lyrics when you are singing because you are so focused on singing in tune, in time with the music and with a pleasant tone.

First, it is important that you know the other parts of the song (melody and rhythm) well.

Here are some strategies for memorizing lyrics so you will not forget the lyrics when singing. These are especially helpful if you are more musically inclined (focusing more on the music than the words) or you struggle with words in general.

Find the Story

Our brain is wired to remember stories. That is how folklore and mythology survive to this day. The lyrics of well-written songs generally tell a story. It is your job as a singer to figure out what that story is.

The key here is about personal connection to the lyric of the song. It does not matter what the song means to the songwriter because you may not relate to that particular experience/story.

Think about what the lyric means to you personally. What made you listen to this song over and over? Is there a line in the song that you really resonate with? Why does it resonate with you? What emotions/message are you trying to express? Can you make the whole song fit into this narrative?

Connect With the Story

Once you have identified the story of the song or what the song means to you personally, flesh out the story using more details. Use the 5Ws (Who, What, Where, Why, When) as a prompt.

Here is an example:

Who is the main character?

You.

Who is the main character singing the song to?

A lover.

What is the character trying to say?

That you love him.

Why is the character trying to say those things?

So that he would not leave you.

Where is the character when he/she is saying those things?

At the airport

When does it happen?

After you had an argument. Before he boards the airplane.

Connect the Rhyming Words

Lyrics are often written with rhymes, either at the ends of phrases or in the middle of phrases or both. They are many different kinds of rhymes - some are easy to spot (perfect rhymes) while others are more subtle (imperfect rhymes, family rhymes, subtractive rhymes etc).

Rhymes are important because they drive the song forward. They dictate the energy flow within a song by using similar sounding syllables.

As a singer, you can use this to your advantage. Find the rhymes and connect them. Make a story out of the rhymes.

For example, here is the chorus section of "Remember That Night" by Sara Kays.

We went for a drive, 2:30 in the morning
I kissed you, it was pouring
We held each other tight before the night was over
You looked over your shoulder
Oh, I was doing fine
You said, "Remember that night?
Remember that night?"
Oh, I was doing fine
You said, "Remember that night?
Remember that night?"

The rhymes are highlighted in bold. The chorus is written like a movie scene and to help you memorize it better, use the rhyming words as a cue. If you remember the rhyming words, it is easier to remember the story.

Stage Fright

Stage fright/performance anxiety will override your memory if you do not manage it well. The ironic thing is you do need a certain level of performance anxiety to perform well in front of people. However, if you are too anxious, your nervous system will go into overdrive and override your logical and creative mind.

Before performing a song in front of someone, practice singing it alone many, many times. Do it until the song is in your muscle memory. That way, when you do get anxious singing in front of someone, your brain and body will still remember how to sing the song.

That being said, it is still possible to forget the lyric to a song. It is absolutely normal and to show you an example, here is Adele forgetting the words to her famous hits.

Conclusion

Memorizing the lyric of a song well requires you to:

1. Know the story behind the song
2. Connect with the story personally
3. Connect the rhyming words to flesh out the story
4. Manage your performance anxiety
5. Doing lots of practice

When you can make the songs you sing ‘your own’, that is when you will truly shine as a singer.