Page 8 - Write Away Magazine April

Making The BesT Of The COrOnavirus Crisis as a LyriC WriTer

The threat posed by the current Coronavirus crisis There’s a bridge and a train line, cables and steel
is awful. It feels like we are in the midst of a war, but Dark river pools that could swallow me
we can’t see exactly where the enemy may be lurking. (Verse 2)
Many of us are having to get used to the notion of The night serenades with its sinister charms
working from home indefinitely, and some sadly may Fisticuff fights and blaring car horns
have found that their employment has dried up. But the new danger puts all these louts in their place
A name on our lips without a clear face
In amongst all of this, we need to find ways to stay
sane and to continue to function to help those (Chorus)
around us. People will turn to different outlets for They say that he cuts
this, such as meditation, listening to music, They say that he rips
physical workouts in their living room. For lyric No-one’s safe
writers, I think writing can be one of those outlets. When he stalksour streets.
We can throw ourselves into our lyric writing and Bring out your dead
hopefully it will help us to deal with the stress and For the world to see
anxiety that we face. His shadow’s so tall
Looming over me
Writing about the Coronavirus health crisis
(Verse 3)
I often use writing as a way of working through I come so alive at the thought of his kiss
things that are bothering me. I’m sure others are the His teeth clenching down piercing into my lips
same. It’s somehow therapeutic to get your thoughts It’s a dream and a nightmare but sleep doesn’t come
out onto a page, and to have to focus on the skill of It’s hard to drop off when the dying’s begun
crafting the words into something that is compelling.
(Chorus)
I’ve found that lots of ideas for lyrics have come to They say that he cuts
me over the last few weeks that either directly or They say that he rips
indirectly reference the current viral threat. One tip No-one’s safe
I would offer is to think about whether you want to When he stalksour streets.
write from a first or third person perspective? It can Bring out your dead
be very powerful to write in first person but For the world to see
sometimes it can help to put a little emotional His shadow’s so tall
distance into the lyric through writing from another Looming over me
person’s perspective.
(Bridge)
My Coronavirus related lyric Knock, knock, he appeared at the door
With his air of mystique and danger
Here’s one of the songs that I have written that is And I offered myself, all that I am
influenced by the To that tall dark stranger.
Coronavirus situation. I had in mind that it would Silent, he glided across the room
be from the perspective of a female protagonist, who Unstoppable, a force of nature
had been questioning life before Covid-19 walked And I offered myself, all that I am
through the door. To that tall dark stranger

Tall Dark Stranger (Chorus)
They say that he cuts
(Verse 1) They say that he rips
The city’s alive with its bustle and noise No-one’s safe
The day bristles with so much choice When he stalksour streets.

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