Common Meter - Falling in Love

Songwriting Exercises
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Today we are moving on from tetrameter couplets to the most common meter in songwriting, aptly termed “common meter”. Common meter looks roughly like this:

DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM
DUM da DUM da DUM
DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM
DUM da DUM da DUM

Of course you can mix in some "DUM da da DUM"s to give it a triplet feel, or have no da’s at all. The only constraint is that you have four stressed syllables in the first line, followed by three, and then four and three again. You can write as many of these four line sections as you wish.

Today we will set an XAXA rhyme scheme, meaning the second and fourth lines have to rhyme, but not the first and third (which we will add in a few days down the line). Feel free to experiment with some more imperfect rhymes.

And lastly, the topic. Today we will write about “falling in love”. Again, we have already visited this prompt in the metaphor section which gives you a chance to remould existing material if that interests you, or otherwise to come up with a whole new take on this perennial theme.

Really exciting how these exercises are gradually shaping more and more toward things that resemble actual song lyrics - I hope you enjoy!

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To track my stresses, I am going to use caps for stresses. I hope that doesn’t make it hard to read:

FLUSH aWAY the PAIN of DAYS
MOM’S conVINCED I’ve CHANGED
RESTing SOFT in GENtle HANDS
HEART’S left FEELing DRAINED

Wow, 4 lines with the syllable limits makes it so difficult to delve into sensory words…

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Very nice! Yes as we condense the form down it becomes much more of a challenge in concision as every word is sacred real estate.

Sorry should have said (edited now) you are allowed to bolt multiple common meter sections together - but equally one is fine.

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The lines you have written here are great though! I can imagine that was tough for you to just get it in 4 lines! so well done

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Foolish Thoughts and piercing smile
Mind’s like ours connect
Tender heart’s and unspoke words
Fix me from years of neglect
Rush in, that’s a mistake i’ve heard
Fools and cheats alike
Fly too fast you may get hurt
Sharpened nest of a shrike

This one’s a good challenge!

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I’ll always remember the rush I felt
When I saw you across the room
My heart was filled with weightless delight
But it floated away too soon

We fell asleep in each others arms
Tangled so close and tight
Now I look back with a heavy sigh
Upon that perfect night

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Sharp is a great word! I think tactile sensations map onto love so well. Maybe I’ll try another one inspired by this:

Love can be brittle, love can be sharp
Love can snap and fall apart
Love can bend and mould like clay
Love can melt and pour away

Actually this is back to tetrameter couplets - but still fun

Anyway, well done for getting some good ideas and sensations successfully into the meter - some lovely stuff!

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