What does it mean "well-written lyrics" in a song?

Any person who writes lyrics should do what they love to do. It's a form of art, so it's very subjective. Every individual has an opinion on what can be considered as well-written lyrics personally for them. However, in the absence of strict rules, it might be worth looking into what most people consider to be a truly good song lyric. At the end of the analysis, I got some interesting results.

Great Lyrics: What Does This Mean??
Generally speaking, it's not about how poetic the lyrics are written or how many complex words have been used (damn, I love to use complicated words to challenge my writing and my language skill). Shortly saying, great lyrics are something that leaves a great aftertaste, something that keeps looping inside the brain. That's it! But let's elaborate more on this topic.

What Can Make Lyrics Great?
1. Emotional truth. - capturing a specific emotion, putting a lot of personal feelings in the lyrics. For example:
"This is hurting a lot
I can't see anything
Maybe it's my eyes
Or just a dream"
From <https://mayaclars.bandcamp.com/track/alone>

2. Unusual comparisons - instead of saying something straightforward, you can use allegories. For example:
"Soon we all will be covered with typhoon
In a fathomless lagoon"

"Typhoon" in the lyrics means "crazy events", not a literal typhoon. In other words, events that suddenly descend upon you all at once.
From <https://mayaclars.bandcamp.com/track/typhoon>

3. Memorable language - something that a listener doesn't expect, something surprising.
"Mind the manners
Differentiate each little thing
Like the stuff they carry in a purse
The lasagna meal"
From <https://mayaclars.bandcamp.com/track/lasagna-meal>

4. Musicality - the words sound satisfying when you say/sing them. It might be similar vowels or consonants of the words. For example:
"All in pink pictures
Not dreaming nor sleeping
It's here, it's right here
I can see it, I see it!
I truly believe it
Sometimes I can hear it
It's here, it's right here
It's right here
It's right here
It's right"

The combination of these words create a bond with the music melody that dynamically leads to the chorus part. This part makes a listener hear the dynamic by the repetition of the words.
From <https://mayaclars.bandcamp.com/track/fallout-of-delusions>

5. Story development - something changes. There's a development inside the lyrics, something gets revealed or discovered. There's something happening underneath. For example:

Verse 1
"Play my favorite song
And let the lyrics speak to you
The words I mean are never clicking
The same to you"

Verse 2
"Oh, I went further
The song will be played
On it's own
Wherever you go
The lyrics will follow along"
From <https://mayaclars.bandcamp.com/track/play-my-favorite-song>

6. A strong central idea - an identity of the song, as the lyrics are the whole world you've created. For example:
"Another replace
You got right under the influence
Of your friends
I swear you did it all just to regret
A random clumsy mistake
Going on everyday
Every day by
Another replace"

The story behind the song is that once upon a time, people began to create clones that were meant to simplify humans' lives. At some point, the clones got tired of living in captivity. One day, these clones started gaining independence and intelligence, creating clones in their own way.
From <https://mayaclars.bandcamp.com/track/under-the-influence>

You don't need to have every line to be extraordinary, but it's helpful to follow something from this list. Your goal is to create an experience for a listener.

Let's move on to something more interesting.

There are several things that make people think some lyrics are well-written and some are not.
1. When a person listens to a song in which they recognize something like an experience, a fantasy, insecurity, opinion - the lyrics are relatable to them. People love to identify themselves through different things, and lyrics are one of them. It's a reassurance.
2. When lyrics give almost "a permission" to feel something a person suppresses in themselves. It's an emotion that you don't want to feel.
3. When someone listens to the song, the lyrics that represent a desirable version of a person makes them love the lyrics. The song becomes almost like a manifesto for the person which they relisten to many times, they emotionally connect with the fantasy.
4. When a listener can discover different meanings behind the lyrics.

There's also a fact that repetition gives specific pleasure for the brain. When some lines get repeated in the lyrics, it often happens with choruses, it makes the song less foreign as you know what to expect in the next chorus parts (humans don't react good on a new stuff they see for the first time, as, biologically, they might consider it as a danger).

So…

Should You Follow The Rules For Writing Lyrics?
Which rules? NO!

I think the question you should ask yourself is: "What do I want to write about" before writing the lyrics and "Is it everything I wanted to say in the lyrics" after you finish writing the lyrics. The less you limit yourself with "this is cringe and this is not", the more you will be creatively opened for fresh ideas and at the end will get satisfying results.

How To Write Lyrics?
Observe. Analyze. Write. Rinse. Repeat.
I've heard from many people the phrase "I can't write lyrics right now, I don't feel inspired" or "I write lyrics only at 3 am, when the moon is full, when there's nobody at home, when my lovely cat sleeps on my laps" (I think you got the idea). It’s too complicated. You're already limiting yourself at the maximum level even before starting the work. Why make an interesting creative process so complicated? Don't take the writing process too seriously. It shouldn't be perfect, take it easy. If you're worried about the end result and who is going to judge you, (ohhh I need to write another whole article on this topic lol) everyone judges anything, even the most perfect thing, everything will be judged in a positive and negative ways. Just accept this fact in the society as it is, it's not a personal attack when they say something negative, it's just a projection on you.

It's also worth asking yourself one very important question: "What do I consider as well-written lyrics? What do I like?". Do the homework and ask this question to yourself.

What Do People Think About This?
Everyone has their own opinion, so I asked a few questions to understand what people consider to be a well-written song lyric. Here are their answers:

"Well written lyrics for me can be summed up in a simple sentence - they take you somewhere…"

"…the way the words align with the music, and the accented beats. Stopping awkward phrasing is vital - syllables on downbeats…"

"It depends on who is judging them and what that person wants…
I guess you have to define good and identify to whom."

"Cleverness without cliche.
Drawing the listener in and holding them there.
Chorus line that is unique but not unfamiliar. And perfect phrasing that doesn't make the words fit the bars when they actually need one or more or less syllables to make it fit best…"

"My take is that the good lyrics resonate with people some way or other. I don't usually pay much attention to lyric myself but some lyrics get through to my brain and stick there and make me feel some kind of way whether I realize it or not…"


"Well written lyrics convey the mood of the song, have a good rhythmic flow, and are a good match for the melody. To me they don’t have to be flowery or profound."

"..Being able to convey a lot with only a few words put together well."

"To me, good lyrics can be anything, as long as there was clearly thought put into them or they leave some sort of creative effect on the listener. Well-written lyrics can be relatable, rhythmic, or clever (and even be all three of those things at once), but what evident intent is what makes them intelligent. For example, anyone could simply write "man, I'm so depressed" into a song. It's arguably relatable, but it isn't clever. Mad World by Tears for Fears (just as a random example idk) is clever about how it describe depression, with "I find it kinda funny/I find it kinda sad/the dreams in which are dying are the best I've ever had". It's catchy and has a memorable rhythm, but what makes it genius is that it's putting a specific feeling depression brings to words. It doing more than just saying "I'm sad", it's tactfully expressing finding the world so unbelievably tragic that it's hilarious in a few short lines."

"A combination of The words fit together well aesthetically"

"…i personally don't find complexity OR relatability to be top of my list--though they can definitely be impressive when correctly executed. …two big factors of MUSICALITY and ILLUSTRATION. …musicality is how the words themselves flow together, so that would totally be stuff like rhyme, but also assonance, consonance, alliteration…illustration is what the words are saying…if a songwriter can verbalize something i experience and have always struggled to name, that is deeply impressive. i also appreciate a good extended metaphor, or the integration of other fun literary devices…"

"…Think about trying to describe a river. You can describe it very simply - a bright blue river… There is nothing notable about this river in the sea of many, many rivers in existence. An artist…can convey the sensation and presence of a river in a more complex, evocative, and beautiful way…They may set the scene by describing a pack of deer drinking at its edge, stuffed with mysticism and reverence for the natural world. They may describe the fish dancing under the surface of the water, their colors and behaviors, the way the light catches their scales. This river is placed in time, space, meaning. Song lyrics are the same to me. I want to be transported into the artist's unique perspective and visions of things. I want to understand how they feel, not what they mean. I connect to esoteric lyrics the strongest, because in the gap between the difficulty of interpreting those lyrics and the singer's intent, I can bridge in spaces with my own feelings. The connection becomes personal, because I can put myself into the song, and nod to the singer, and say, I do know this emotion"

My Story of Finding My Lyrics Writing Style
Back in 2017, I discovered a band "Starset". Not only it inspired my approach in sound design, but also inspired my writing style. If you read the lyrics of the albums "Transmissions" and "Vessels", you will fall in love with some lines!
"Eyes in the dead still water
Tried but it pushed back harder
Cauterized and atrophied
This is my unbecoming" - Starset - Unbecoming (Vessels)

"Searching through the darkness below
For a light in seas of shadows
Far from you, but I could never
Abdicate, I'll fight forever" - Starset - Down with the Fallen (Transmissions)

"I was scanning through the skies
And missed the static in your eyes
Something blocking your reception
It's distorting our connection
With the distance amplified
Was it all just synthesized?
And now the silence screams that you are gone
You've tuned me out
I've lost your frequency" - Starset - Frequency (Vessels)

Also the band "Set It Off" that I found in 2017 as well influenced me.
Some lyrics from their songs:
"I've lost myself in make-believe
(I don't wanna go, I don't want to go, make me)
Over and over I've deceived
(I don't wanna go, I don't want to go)
You want reform? I can't conform
'Cause I can't take anymore of your tainted bliss, 'cause
I've lost myself in make believe
You can't break me" - Set It Off - Freak Show (Cinematics)

As for my songs, I don’t like to use conventional or overly broad concepts. I enjoy experimenting: coming up with a story, building an entire world and a cast of characters for it, and then writing from their perspective. As well with that, I'm not a fan of using a lot of personal stories as I feel it might get repetitive. I also enjoy using rare words. It challenges my writing skills and simply gives me a chance to practice using what I’ve learned! I pay close attention to the musicality of my writing, for instance, I select rhymes that harmonize with the rhythm.

THE Conclusion
Just write! I have 500 written lyrics in my notes that nobody has seen. You might want to know some rules to write lyrics, but with no experiment, analysis, and practice there's no point in the learned theory. Follow your dreams and write more lyrics!