Rewrite Lyrics
Activity 1: Listen
(15 minutes)
Are you a fan, or at least on decent terms with, Lady Gaga, Meghan Trainor, or Lukas Graham? Listen to these rewritten covers of songs by kids and teens: Snakes are Born this Way, Dear Future Husband, and 7 Years. What did you think about the re-writes? Better than the originals?
Activity 2: What is your song?
(15-30 minutes)
Choose a song you’d like to change the lyrics to. You can change the lyrics so they are personal, like in the 7 Years video in Activity 1, or so they inform, like the examples explained about snakes and Japanese isolation. For example, maybe you want to change a Beyonce song to a personal story or a Florida Georgia Line song to be about an event.
Time to get started:
-
Look up the lyrics of the song you want to change.
-
You might want to change the words of the chorus first, since that will be an important part of your song.
-
Keep about the same number of words on each line, so the new lyrics will still go with the music.
-
As you write, try singing bit of the new lyrics outloud to the tune of the song.
-
Check out this list of other tips for rewriting lyrics.
Activity 3: Record your Hit
(20 minutes)
If you want, you can sing and record your song without the background music of the original song. Record yourself using Audacity.
If you or a friend can play an instrument, you could record yourself singing while you or your friend plays along.
OR you can sing with the instrumental part of the song. To get an instrumental version, you need an mp3 of the original song. Then follow the instructions in this tutorial. (This the same process used for the project Karaoke Kickoff.) Record with this new instrumental track you created.
Activity 4: Make a Music Video
(if you have time)
If you really want to go all out, make a music video for your cover song. Your video can mimic the video of the original song, like this teacher-made version of Uptown Funk, or it can be totally your own creation.
OR if you really liked rewriting the lyrics, give another song a try.
Activity 6: Submit
(5 minutes)
Play, sing, or show your work to someone else. Ask for feedback. What is your audience’s favorite part? What made him or her smile? How do you feel after sharing your work?
Want to earn a few digital badges in audio production? Email the digital media you created to BGCAmediamaking@gmail.com
Send in one of the following to get credit for this module:
-
An audio recording of yourself singing the song with rewritten lyrics
-
A music video of your rewritten lyrics
Still Interested? Take a look at these resources:
Article: Rewriting Lyrics
Article: To the Tune of . . .
Video: rewriting song lyrics
Guide: Audacity Manual
What You'll Need:
or
+
Give your favorite song a new vibe
