Skip to main content

John Mayer's Secret to Writing Catchy Song Lyrics

John Mayer's Secret to Writing Catchy Song Lyrics

by Kapa Freeman 

John Mayer's Secret to Writing Catchy Song Lyrics

Why are John Mayer's song lyrics so easy to remember? It comes down to human psychology. I am notoriously bad at remembering song lyrics, except for John Mayer's Songs.
Other artists may write a song I remember here or there, but John Mayer does it consistently.

Why?

I discovered the reason when I was working full-time as a teacher. Teachers can always tell when they're losing students. When those eyes start to glaze over, when that one eyebrow raises in confusion and someone yells out... "I don't get it!" 

I got those a lot when I first started teaching. Talking to other teachers, I soon discovered why. I was giving too much information at once. I would vomit these elaborate explanations, thinking that more information would help clear things up... But they just got confused.

Talking to my teachers reminded me of lessons I'd learned while getting my teaching degree: 
"People remember info best in small chunks."

That's why John Mayer's songs are so easy to remember! He doesn't write song lyrics like an essay. He doesn't have a whole sentence on each line. Sometimes he only has one sentence that he split up over several lines.

"Daughters" is a perfect example:

"I...
know a girl....
who put the color...
inside my world...."
The longest line was four words...

No wonder they're so easy to remember! So if you want your songs to be more memorable, give your listeners less to remember. Of course that's not the only thing that makes John Mayer's lyrics memorable.

Actually, there are more factors that make John Mayer's lyrics  so easy to connect to. And guess what they all come down to? Human psychology! 

And that's good news, because that means that they will work in your songs too. But this is just part of what makes a song catchy. This will give you a great start, but there are other ingredients you need in your lyrics and in your melodies... 


Check out all of the posts related to Music Marketing: 




Kapa Freeman is the Founder and Songwriting Coach of The Intentional Songwriter, whose goal is to help musicians become publisher-ready songwriters so they can access songwriter-only income streams that pay more money for less of their time.

After taking an "assembly line approach" to songwriting, Kepa added consistency to his songwriting and went from song rejections to publishing deals over the course of a year. Now he uses this same approach to help musicians go from beginning to publisher-ready songwriters in a matter of weeks.

https://www.prosongsonpurpose.com/

Popular posts

Riley Clemmons - Stuck Inside My Head - Single Mix (CCM)

Riley Clemmons has released a Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) track called Stuck Inside My Head - Single Mix. The song 'Inside My Head' was born out of a season of pain and healing. As a result, the song has a way of speaking about life's difficulties that is accessible and relatable to everyone.  "As I was writing and dreaming up this record, "says Riley, "there was never a plan to create anything but honest music, born from hurting, growing, and healing. I collected songs for this body of work much like I collected every experience I found myself in the middle of over the past couple of years... the highs & lows, the conversations with God, the questions about my identity, the heartbreak, and the healing." Although the music addresses life's hurts, it does much more than that. The trials of life, according to Clemmons, are ordained by God so we can draw close to him. "The thread that began to connect them all quickly became the idea tha...

'Lonely Dirt Road' by Dax: A Journey to Solitude and God

Dax's 'Lonely Dirt Road' is a conversation that Dax has with himself and God. Dax shares his journey of turning mental health walks into healing solitary drives. As you listen, you can almost feel the cruise, where it's just you, your thoughts, and God.  The chorus is so relatable: 'When I need space, that's where I go, a place to escape that nobody knows.' What do you do when life's pressures stack high? Do you also have a space where you can let go? That lonely dirt road that Dax sings about symbolizes solitude, but it is also an incredible opportunity for connecting with God.  Dax's honesty is raw and relatable. 'I didn't want my family to see me cry… dealing with the pressure of trying to provide.' There are times when we all put on a smile to hide how challenging situations may be. Like his father, Dax says that he finds peace on this lonely road, where challenges become opportunities to grow. This shows the core of our faith: that...

'Bless God' by Brooke Ligertwood: Immersing in an Ocean of Sacred Gratitude

In her uplifting contemporary Christian song 'Bless God,' Brooke Ligertwood beautifully encapsulates the heart's unwavering adoration for the divine, creating an anthem of praise that reverberates throughout the heavens and touches every soul on earth. It is a compelling call to immerse oneself in the validation and glory gifted by Jesus, our Savior. As the lyrics cascade from her voice, they etch a poignant, spiritual journey. 'Blessed are those who run to Him...He won't forsake them' she sings, illustrating the divine promise that we were never meant to walk our paths alone. With each verse, Brooke articulates the joy of surrendering and dedicating every moment of existence to Jesus— 'And for Him only...Oh Jesus, all for Your glory,' she proclaims. Her invitation to praise, framed with utmost sincerity, resonates deeply with an eager spirit, 'Come on and lift your voice with me... He's worthy of all our praise.' Such heartfelt declaratio...