Struggling for Song Ideas? Steal This Simple Trick: Start with a Title

I’ve been there. You sit down with your guitar, or at your piano, or maybe just with a notebook, and you wait for inspiration to strike. And you wait. And wait some more. The blank page stares back at you, almost mocking your creative drought.

We’ve all been there.

But I want to share something with you that changed my entire songwriting process. It’s so simple, you might just dismiss it. But trust me when I say this approach has been behind some of the biggest hits in music history.

What is it? Start with the title first.

The #1 Overlooked Technique for Instant Inspiration

You know, I overheard a songwriter in Nashville say something I’ll never forget: “Most songwriters are looking for inspiration in all the wrong places.”

And he’s right.

When most of us sit down to write, we noodle around on our instruments, hoping something magical will happen. We record voice memos of half-formed ideas. We revisit old chord progressions. But we’re making it so much harder than it needs to be.

Think about it this way: which feels more focused to you?

• “I guess I’ll play some chords and see what happens…”
• “I’m writing a song called ‘Midnight Memories’ about those 3 AM thoughts that keep you awake”

The second approach immediately gives you something to work with, doesn’t it? It’s like having a destination before you start driving.

Why Titles Matter: The Science of Hooking Listeners Instantly

There’s something almost magical about the way our brains latch onto a great title. It’s a lot like how we connect with our favorite songs.

Last night, I was thinking about some of my all-time favorite songs. You know how hard it is to pick just one favorite, right? But when you think about those songs, what do you remember first? For most of us, it’s the title and the hook.

Think about it: “Someone Like You.” “All Too Well.” “Uptown Funk.” Before you even hear a note, these titles make you feel something or make you curious about what’s coming.

When I’m teaching songwriting workshops, I always ask people to imagine their song title on a playlist. Would someone click on it just based on those few words? Would it stand out among the hundreds of other songs competing for attention?

Where to Find Great Song Titles (Even If You Have Zero Ideas)

The beautiful thing about song titles is that they’re everywhere around us. You just have to train yourself to notice them.

1. Conversations

Last week, I was having coffee with a friends when they said, “It’s like we’re dancing with our shadows.” I nearly spilled my drink reaching for my phone to write that down. That’s a song title right there.

Pay attention to the unique ways people express themselves. Some of my best titles have come from random conversations that I was lucky enough to remember.

2. Books and Films

I keep a little notebook where I jot down phrases that catch my eye while reading. Not to steal them outright, but to let them inspire something new.

Remember how Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” was inspired by a line from a novel she was reading? Books and films are goldmines for evocative language.

3. Historical/Cultural References

There’s something powerful about tapping into phrases or ideas that already have emotional weight in our culture.

One of my favorite songwriters, Leonard Cohen, did this beautifully with “Hallelujah.” He took something familiar and turned it into something deeply personal.

4. Word Combinations and Juxtapositions

Sometimes the best titles come from putting two unexpected things together. Think about “Strawberry Fields” or “Purple Rain.” These titles intrigue us because they create an immediate image that’s both familiar and strange.

Try this: grab a piece of paper and write down 10 random nouns on one side and 10 emotions or adjectives on the other. Now start mixing and matching. You’ll be surprised at what clicks.

5. Common Phrases with a Twist

We all know phrases like “find yourself” or “cry me a river.” But what happens when you flip them around? You get titles like “Lose Yourself” or “No Tears Left to Cry.”

How to Build a Song Around a Title (Step-by-Step Process)

So you’ve got a title that excites you. Now what?

Step 1: Extract the Emotional Core

A few years ago, I came up with the title “Last Train Home.” Before I wrote a single note, I just sat with that title and asked myself: What does this make me feel? For me, it was a mixture of longing, urgency, and maybe a touch of regret.

Your title has an emotional temperature. Figure out what that is, and you’ve got your compass for the entire song.

Step 2: Build a Concept Map

This is where it gets fun. Take your title and put it in the center of a blank page. Now start branching out with related ideas, images, metaphors, and story elements.

For “Last Train Home,” my branches included things like “platform goodbyes,” “missed opportunities,” “watching the world through windows,” and “the rhythm of tracks.” These all eventually found their way into verses and bridges.

Step 3: Find the Hook Melody That Matches Your Title

This is going to sound a little strange, but trust me on this. Speak your title out loud. Now do it again, but exaggerate the natural rhythm of the words. Do it again, but start singing it.

You’ll find that certain melodies just feel right with certain words. It’s like they were meant to be together.

Step 4: Determine Your Song Structure

Not every title needs to be hammered home in the same way. Ask yourself:

• Does your title open the chorus for maximum impact?
• Does it land at the end of the chorus as a resolution?
• Is it rare and precious, mentioned only once or twice?

There’s no right answer here. But knowing where your title lives in the song helps shape everything around it.

Step 5: Work Backwards from Chorus to Verse

Once you’ve got your chorus centered around your title, the verses become so much easier to write. They’re all building to that moment of revelation.

Each verse should raise the emotional stakes a little higher, setting up your title to deliver the payoff.

Real Hit Songs That Started with a Title First

I was talking with a producer friend recently about this approach, and he shared some examples that blew my mind:

• “Uptown Funk” (Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars) – The title came first, and the entire groove and attitude of the song grew from those two words.
• “All of Me” (John Legend) – Legend had the title before anything else, inspired by his relationship with his wife. The song was built as a gift to her.
• “Someone Like You” (Adele) – Adele and Dan Wilson started with just this phrase, and the heartbreak of the song flowed from there.
• “Blank Space” (Taylor Swift) – Taylor has mentioned in interviews that she often starts with titles, and this song began as a concept about the media’s perception of her dating life.
• “Happy” (Pharrell Williams) – Pharrell was literally given this title as an assignment for a movie soundtrack. One word, and a global hit was born.

I love these examples because they show how a simple title can contain the DNA of an entire hit song. Everything else is just unpacking what’s already there.

Title Brainstorming Exercise: Generate 50 Song Titles in 10 Minutes

Last weekend, I had some friends over for a songwriting session. We were all feeling a bit stuck, so I suggested we try something that always works for me. I set a timer for 10 minutes and challenged everyone to write down as many potential song titles as they could.

No judging, no filtering, just write.

The first few titles were predictable – the stuff we all think of right away. But something magical happened around the 5-minute mark. Once we’d exhausted our go-to ideas, the really interesting titles started flowing.

Try it yourself. Set that timer, and when you get stuck, use these prompts:

• “The Last Time I…”
• “Never Again Will I…”
• “When You…”
• Look around your room and describe what you see with emotion
• Pair emotions with objects (like “Lonely Highway” or “Jealous Moon”)
• Mix colors with actions (like “Blue Running” or “Red Surrender”)

I guarantee you’ll find at least a few titles that make you think, “I need to write that song immediately.”

For an even quicker solution, use BridgeNotes’ Song Title Generator to instantly build a list of song titles

Conclusion: How to Make Title-First Songwriting a Habit

You know, it’s funny. Once you start thinking in titles, you can’t stop. You’ll be in the middle of a conversation, or driving down the road, or standing in line at the grocery store, and suddenly a phrase will hit you, and you’ll think, “That’s a song.”

To make this approach stick:

1. Create a Title Bank: I keep a running note on my phone just for titles. Anytime something catches my ear, in it goes. That way, when I sit down to write, I’ve got a treasure trove of starting points.
2. Set Title Goals: Before any co-writing session, I challenge myself to come up with at least 10 fresh titles. It’s like warming up before exercise – it gets the creative muscles ready.
3. Title-Mining Sessions: Sometimes I’ll dedicate an entire afternoon just to generating titles. No pressure to write songs, just gathering seeds for future planting.
4. The “One Title, Three Approaches” Exercise: This is one of my favorites. Take a single title and write three completely different songs from it. It teaches you how versatile a good title can be.
5. Reverse-Engineer Your Favorites: When a song really moves me, I’ll study how the title works within it. Is it a surprise? A summary? A question? Understanding this helps me craft better titles of my own.

Remember when I talked about mixtapes earlier? How we’d spend hours selecting just the right songs, putting them in the perfect order, creating an experience? Writing songs from titles is a lot like that. You’re creating an emotional journey, and the title is your North Star.

The next time you sit down to write and feel that familiar panic of the blank page, just remember: you don’t have to start with nothing. Start with a title. The rest will follow.

I’d love to hear what titles you come up with. Maybe one of them will be your next big song.

What title will you start with today?