Page 57 - Song Maps - A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics - Simon Hawkins

Map 2 - Problem/Declaration
Problem/Declaration is similar to Tension/Response, but it moves from an even darker place in the Verses to a lighter place in the Chorus.
Given that the Chorus is saved for a declaration, this has the effect of pushing the "response" from Tension/Response into the Verse 2. As a result, the declaratory nature of the Chorus provides the opportunity to create a much more vivid contrast between the Verses and the Chorus as well as moving the lyric forward by the second Verse being the response.
Problem/Declaration is ideal when we are looking to write a MASSIVE Chorus. Anthemic songs–songs that want to make a bold statement or to capture the spirit of a movement–lend themselves to this format.
The trick with writing Problem/Declaration is that the idea needs to be substantial. For example, there is nothing anthemic about someone losing their shoe (although maybe that's a creative frontier yet to be explored!). The Chorus has to be something people can get behind, something universal enough for people to totally agree with–a cause, an injustice, a purpose or a triumph.
Given the anthemic nature of Problem/Declaration, we see this often in Rock, Pop, CCM, Praise & Worship and modern Hymns.
One thing to note is that anthemic songs can often benefit from simpler Choruses, for example:
Title
Title Another line Title
Or simply,
Title Title Title
I often think that, as writers of lyric-driven songs, we are sometimes nervous about writing simple Choruses. We feel like we are somehow shortchanging the artist or listener by having a three- or four-line Chorus with a lot of repetition. But if you look at many of the most successful song hits, they often have simple three or four line Choruses with a lot of repetition of the title. Just sayin'.
What does Problem/Declaration look like?
Problem/Declaration can be represented as follows: