Page 84 - Song Maps - A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics - Simon Hawkins

How to use the Twist
My suggestion for working with a word or phrase twist would be to approach it as follows:
1. Find a word or phrase that can mean different things in different contexts or circumstances. For effective use of a word or phrase twist in anything other than a humorous song, my suggestion would be to make it a subtle but effective change in meaning–not subtle enough and it could potentially backfire.
2. As with other Maps, decide on the exact title and the central idea for the Chorus. In writing the Chorus, you may need to sacrifice some detail to make it work for the two or three different ways of approaching the title to achieve a compelling twist. Repetition is a neat way of making the Chorus work in a variety of contexts.
3. Decide what should be the first meaning of the word or phrase. How does that idea develop to lead eventually to the Chorus idea? This is V1.
4. Decide what should be the second meaning of the word or phrase. Again, how does that idea develop to lead to the Chorus idea? How does it differ from V1? Once you are happy, this is V2.
5. The Bridge (the payoff) can work in any number of ways. For example, it can point to a common thread in both meanings of the twist. It can summarize what it all means. Or it can go to a whole new place. As long as it somehow gets us back to the Chorus.
Example of a Twist writable idea Writable idea: "Free"
Verse 1 – Approach 1